Cru1s1ng2009

too bad he didnt get caught (and thrown overboard) when it happened. What a sick F'er!

11 minutes ago, gavvy said:

The Karen's are the ones that boast they tip on top of tips and make sure everyone knows on here, and everyone who dares not to make up the wages of people who are not in tipped positions but in the pool are worse than anyone, because you are better and right and everyone else cannot have a differing opinion.

 

Karen's opinion is always right. Does not matter if I choose to tip in a different way.

 

I am the devil's child  

 

ahhh. Lets look who started the thread...

The Karen's are the ones who complain about paying for something they would be charged for regardless but it chaps their behinds to have it called a 'tip' because why give those peasants any more money. The cruise line should pay them more! Sure, it will raise cruise prices but it will make us Karen's feel better about it because we said so!😂

desregard, see the menu

8 minutes ago, gavvy said:

 

I think this is the best advice anyone can give, what you do is your business, and mega tipper Karen on Deck 8- that's your business too, and everyone can get along fine.

Mega Tipper Karen? We dont complain to the manager or GS, we just tip. Cant call that a Karen. We just argue on CC about it because you guys are the Karens who line up on embark and remove them. 

37 minutes ago, Pandamonia said:

 

Where are these higher paying guests going to come from exactly? and do they like mediocre food, 90% off Invicta tat watches and cocktails made from syrup in plastic cups? 

 

Last time I checked, higher paying guests want higher level experiences. Not Royals floating version of holiday in express. 

 

Cruising is a budget holiday experience which is being priced like a premium one. This never ends well when the music stops... which it will.

so much to unpack here. 

Mediocre food? It isnt amazing but it is always a decent, filling meal. 

I dont know what Invicta tat watches mean but i guess you mean fake or old styles? Dont buy them. 

cocktails made of syrup in plastic cups? Sure they are plastic on the pool deck (safety) but i have never had a watered down drink on a cruise. 

Cruising is a budget holiday but it is definitely not priced as a premium one. 

I used to love going to the beach in my state (Ocean City, MD) even though everyone has jokes about OCMD. It is fun, full of places to go and things to do. However, going there for a week in summer costs 3 x as much as a cruise. So I can cruise 3 times a year instead of one time at the beach. 

Where are you finding a vacation that is cheaper than $100 pp per night? I truly want to know. When I am on a cruise i feel like I am getting the very best deal for my money in my price range. and my price range is low. 

And finally, why do people who complain about cruising still cruise? Or are they just on CC being antagonistic?

4 hours ago, PWP-001 said:

I agree 100%.  I witnessed two tourists from the USA leave a 10 pound note in London as a tip for two beers.  After they walked away the bartender took the tip and said:  "Stupid Americans!"

but they either put it in their pocket or a bucket to share with the other staff. Or did they buy rounds for all the un-stupid americans? Know that if you say the latter, it will be called Something That Never Happened. 

4 hours ago, goldfish65 said:

Maybe Royal doesn’t mind some exodus of customers. In my workplace, the sharp increase in our prices post-covid has caused the very cost-conscious public to go elsewhere, and those guests have been replaced by people who are spending considerably more, we are busier than ever. 

ding ding ding! 

4 hours ago, PWP-001 said:

Hey!  Here's an idea since you seem more impassioned about those who remove the DSC than Royal appears to be....

 

Similar to RoyalUP, contract with RCI.  With today's technology it should be easy for a guest services representative to ask the guest who requests the DSC to please step into a convenient small office and sit at a desk where they are video conferenced directly with you.  Then you can berate them, tell them what low-life's they are... and say anything else you want.... all in an attempt to get them to change their mind.  For every DSC you passionately preserve, Royal will pay you a cut while retaining the balance.  It's a win-win situation.   Royal makes money.  And you make a few coins while directing your feelings towards and audience where it can make a difference, rather than here where it's the same old routine.

where do i sign up? I will do it for fun and donate it back to the original waiter/asst/steward. 

If it matters, i have been tipped on every single fare i had today which is unheard of in the rideshare industry. It is the Tip gods! 

4 hours ago, Mikamarii said:

People like to tell themselves they tip based on service but a quick google search of studies shows that in tipping, service can have very little to do with it.

 

Go over to the Australian boards and pose the question of how much you should tip while there. The whole notion of tipping is absurd. Including it in the fare wont change a thing. Book any ‘all inclusive’ in Mexico and each one will say “gratuities included’. 

but we arent in mexico...

4 hours ago, UNCFanatik said:

 

Yes, and Americans tipping in countries with non-tipping cultures creates an issue

what kind of issue?

Just now, UNCFanatik said:

 

My room being cleaned is part of the fare that I pay and is cleaned by someone who has willfully signed a contract to do that job. I am getting nothing for "free"

 

 

well it is not in the fare, otherwise it would be increased since the culture is to tip for it. I will say it again, i hope they dont allow it to be removed and those who hate tipping can still see it and be mad. 

Just now, BennyandBo said:

No criminal charges for being a average tipper. No criminal charges for being a non tipper. That was a bit over the top.

Of course it is but so is this thread and every other tipping thread. Tipping is in our culture. Change the culture or accept it. 

But yes, when you take money out of someone's pocket in real life you get charged for it😅

10 minutes ago, UNCFanatik said:

The gratuity system allows Royal to pay crew less and also be competitive with other cruise lines in their fares. If Royal thought their customer base could handle increased fares with doing away with auto gratuities, they would have done it by now. And who knows, maybe it will happen in future

 

Virgin rolled out with their fare structure with no daily gratuities because they were a new player

 

Taxes are not akin to gratuities. But since you made the analogy, wouldnt it be nice if you had no childrenyou could opt out of the portion of the taxes that went to schools? 

Great Question! I would love to get out of it but i dont expect to be treated like the special snowflake (not politically speaking) when everyone else is hoofing the bill. Also, i dont want my kids school for free like the non-tippers expect their service to be. 

also, i cant afford virgin. i dont think their higher price is just grats. 

But i agree, they should make it where people cant remove them. And i dont want them to just add it into the fare, i want the non-tippers to see it and be mad. 😂

1 minute ago, PWP-001 said:

 

I used to think negatively of those that removed the DSC as they had their own method of tipping they used instead.  (Sure, there are probably some that can make the cruise affordable by having them removed without any intention of an alternate tipping plan.)

 

But ask yourself this... IF it really WAS a "problem" when passengers remove the DSC, then don't you think RCI would have barred the practice to eliminate the problem, making DSC mandatory?

 

More likely the numbers that do are truly insignificant, as I posted earlier, given that >43% is retained by RCI anyways.

this is like saying chair hogs are insignificant since they only take up about 5% of the chairs. It still chaps others behinds. 

Also, i have about the same % taken out of my check also. I dont like it, but i like roads and people putting out my house if it is on fire. So i pay it and accept. 

If RCCI is actually taking that much, why would it matter then if it was added into the cost of the cruise fare? It is 6 in one and half a dozen in the other. 

14 minutes ago, taglovestocruise said:

If it is part of the cruise fare everyone is paying, system now allows the losers to opt out requiring the cruise line to bump up grats on those that pay. 

which is why maybe having it in the fare without the possibility of removing might be the way to go. Those who tip well, will still give more like we already do and those who dont wont have an option. 

2 minutes ago, BennyandBo said:

Automatic gratuities can be removed at any time for any reason by going to guests services and requesting they be removed. Or by calling guest services from your cabin. It's that simple.

and therein lies the problem. This is why we cant stand the 'non-tippers'. 

9 hours ago, DarrenM said:

Am I alone in finding this thread weird?

 

I would be way too embarrassed to give a grown up human being a bar of chocolate for basically being my bed maker, servant, personal valet throughout my holiday.

 

Sorry, this thread is too weird.

nope, it is weird. oh they are peasants, they will love our 'fancy' chocolates wrapped in money. I feel horrible saying this but as someone who lived on tips and had many regulars, the only thing i wanted was $. i didnt want the scarves or xmas ornaments. 

but glad they are tipping extra. that is really all that matters. 

it is an island. you will be able to have a beach day. 

it is pretty good. You can usually stream a movie. you can buy it by the day. it is about $30. 

1 minute ago, Coralc said:

Ooops. It might be Landry's, not Darden. My apologies. Or it is not listed yet anyway. I don't think we have a Ruth Chris locally. I got too excited. 

oh well, no biggie. i have only been once and my kid paid. BEST mashed potatoes i have ever had but everything else be great but not AMAZING. If i never go back i wont be sad.

I swear they put crack in those potatoes though. 

11 hours ago, George C said:

6 year old post

i saw that. Still a fun topic and relevant. 

2 minutes ago, Coralc said:

Oh Yeah! AARP discount! 😃

YEAH!!! Cuz every time you go it at least $200 so $30-40 off is a big deal. 

Ruth's Chris going with Darden is great news. 

it makes me sad that anyone needs to ask if it is a tourist or local. It shouldnt matter. But i guess all tourist attractions are like this?

5 minutes ago, DragonOfTheSeas said:

We did walk through the arcade.  I do not remember seeing one.  But, I may end up on that deck again and I will let you know if I see one.

thank you but again, dont make the extra trip. 

1 minute ago, LATTELOVE said:

How's the internet connection so far on this trip?

Thank you!

great question! I have a class i will be in on-board and was also wondering.