yogimax

4 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

The $1583 is the group rate. 

Almost $1000 difference for a seven night cruise?  Hard to believe.

10 minutes ago, vwlmember said:

Ship: Odyssey of the Seas

Destination: Bahamas roundtrip from Bayonne

Dates: March 23, 2025

# of Nights: 7

Cabin Type: Obstructed Balcony (2E)

Total Price (inc. taxes & port charges, exc. gratuities): $1583.22 for 2 people

Average Price Per Night (per Person - USD): $113

Other Perks: $100 OBC

I'm showing $2528 for this cruise which includes D+ discount.

50 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Stating in a public forum how much you tip

is very much lacking in taste. 

It's also a very convenient excuse.

4 hours ago, A&L_Ont said:

You said what I was thinking. All the folks here on CC who remove auto grats say they still tip.

Yes, they say they still tip but how much?  We've seen one person mention $20 a week for their room steward and waiter. 

Do you honestly think someone who doesn't tip at all is going to post that publicly?  Of course not.  Nor have the vast majority of those who remove tips given any indication of how much they actually tip.  A lot of the so-called justification for removing tips is simply that... a rationale to make them feel better when they know their actions are actually hurting others. 

14 minutes ago, tvo7 said:

Just got off Harmony of the Seas and for 6 people interior, total around 725 in gratuities.  To me that sounds ridiculous.  

 

What would happen if I do not autopsy gratuity but just give the MDR guy a 20 and the stateroom guy a 20 qt the end of the cruise.  

Would I be flagged in their computer for the next trip?

Despite denials, thanks for sharing what many people do.  

51 minutes ago, Pinballs83 said:

maybe in vegas.  every video poker machine on a cruise ship is set to the worst payout table i have seen, so I don't play them.  

I was talking about playing for enjoyment, certainly not profit or getting free cruises.

BTW, not all cruise ship video poker machines have the same odds.  You just have to know where to look.

16 hours ago, spunks said:

slots yield one point for every $5.00 you put in....to get a point at video poker you have to put in $10.00

True, but I'm talking about having a bit of fun not collecting points.

1 hour ago, GimmeOcean said:

wow…

 

(The entertainer is comedy juggler Pete Matthews on Anthem OTS) 
 

https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/24000808.dorset-entertainer-saved-passengers-life-cruise-ship

What an amazing story... love the comedy jugglers, even more now.

1 hour ago, spunks said:

You will get nowhere playing $20.00 a day....but you might have fun and that is what it is all about.

Doug

$10 a day also works... especially if accurately playing video poker.

17 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

It amazes me the people that believe, lock stock and barrel, what biased crew members report to them. 

It amazes me how obsessed some people are in attempting to justify their actions.

Guilty conscience?

Not only should the "guests" have been told to leave the lounge, the person who brought them in, knowingly violating the rules, should have been admonished that future violations would be not be accepted.

25 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

 If they want to feel special they should book suites. 

Have you looked at the price of suites lately?

I don't know.  It seems pretty easy to find one's luggage on the floor based on departure number.  

What's the advantage to a carousel?

2 hours ago, cusematt4 said:

This unscripted show is not in addition to the normal ice show.

Believe me, this "unscripted" show is indeed scripted.

Good show!

3 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Says who?  I’m much more upset about cruise fares than gratuities (not upset about gratuity increase at all, my feelings on that haven’t changed in a decades)

Cruise fare increases are the main culprit in my list of upcoming cruises smaller than it has ever been. I have been booking lots of alternate types of vacations. 

So why are you constantly obsessed with tipping using the same arguments over and over and over again?  The only reasonable interpretation is that you eliminate tipping altogether to reduce the total price of your cruise.

5 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

Read all the comments in this thread. A poster specifically said the latest gratuities increase was the last straw for several people, so it is apparently breaking some people. 

What does this say about human psychology?  We get more upset about a few bucks labeled ‘tips’ than over the hundreds and even thousands of dollars in cruise price increases?  
 

Go figure.

3 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Anyone with an ounce of decorum would never mention a dollar amount that they have tipped in a public forum.

Which makes their claims of being “generous” without context or meaning.

16 minutes ago, time4u2go said:

Has anyone in this thread suggested totally withholding tips? I don't recall seeing that.

I’m positive it happens.  Many of us remember the days of the half empty dining rooms on the final night as folks avoided the embarrassment of not paying any tips.  As a matter fact, I’ve seen no one on this board suggest what they consider to be an alternate tip to give or even what one person describes as their “generous” but never named tip.

6 hours ago, FamilyCruiserUK said:

But thats completely up to them and shouldnt they shouldnt be judged by others. Why should they tip if they havent received the service they wanted or expected  no one knows the reasons why and its no one else business. IMO. 

If someone says their service on a cruise was so bad that it didn’t deserve any tip, I would wonder if they were actually on an RCCL cruise.

Sure they can choose to withhold any tips but...

The justification to totally withhold tips is based on a totally self centered ego where everything is about me, myself and I.  Many folks, however, live by a different standard that involves love, concern and care for one’s neighbor, be they a room steward from the Philippines or a waiter from Indonesia.

51 minutes ago, springfire said:

Or continue to cruise as usual, remove the automatic gratuities and tip those that you feel deserve your gratuities!  

Sadly, too many will justify in their own minds not tipping at all.  I would speculate that a good proportion of those who remove tips don’t tip at all.

8 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

It is NOT just $14 per week

Either the $14 was the straw that broke the camel’s back or it wasn’t.  So now you’re changing your answer.  Please make up your mind.

Royal Caribbean must sure be stupid for giving away free cruises, especially to those who always win, or rarely lose, in the casino.

3 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

the latest increase was the straw that broke the camel's back for many.

So $14 per week for a seven night cruise “broke the camel’s back for many.”  
 

If that’s true, it seems like “many” should find a cheaper form of vacation.

9 hours ago, tvo7 said:

 

I was thinking of playing on the ship casino, break even with my play, lets say 100 dollar a hand on baccarat.  

 

Baccarat?  I don’t believe I’ve seen it on RCCL ships.  House odds are still against the player.

4 minutes ago, Another_Critic said:

Excuses, excuses ... you can sail out of Cape Liberty.  😉

 

 

Ha!  Tolls alone from Queens to Bayonne run about $100 and parking for a seven night cruise is $210.☹️