nelblu

Conversely, it is also a fare subsidy.🤣

The end will be if Royal introduces those pesky daily resorts fees.🤣

The gist of my post is that when Paxs remove their gratuities, in essence the rest of the Paxs that maintain their automatic grats are subsidizing the grats pool.

I'm surprised that the 18% has not increased. On land, at least in my area, some restaurants the minimum that appears on the tab is 20% and on top of that some restaurants add a % for the usage of the CC.

You may be right, but my understanding from one of the many posts on this subject, is that RCL guarantees a certain amount of compensation to its staff and if the gratuity pool is short then have to make up the deficit.

95% of the time I do not get a chit to sign. The only places that I occasionally get a chit to sign is on Coco Cay, Sorrento's and Central Park Cafe. My sails have been mostly on Oasis, Anthem and Allure. Ps, I'm one of them that carries $ bills.🤣

As someone mentioned, you can call and prepay. I've got a few bookings and planning on calling and prepay my Harmony December sail and will ask to include tip on invoice for my Anthem February sail. Got 3 more and have to see if they are eligible for prepayments. Not laying any funds until the 90 days prior to sail.

Don't think Americans would work those long hours. There was a female influencer that complained on Tik Tok that the 9-5 and the five-day workweek is impacting her social life.🤣

I usually tip extra to waiter, asst. waiter and cabin attendant, even with once a day turn down service. With the latest increase, I'll have to reconsider. I do tip individually the bartenders and servers to my allowable 5 daily drinks.

This sucks. Is this going to be an annual event.

Here’s is photo of 2 gifts. One is from the Adventure and the other from the Vision.

I've get traditional 5PM dining times and hardly make it to the HH. On the August 20 Oasis sail the CL/DL was open from 4:30 - 8 PM. Also, on the other thread, someone posted that HH was available to Ds from 4:30 - 5 PM and open D+ and Ps during the normal time frame.

The Pasta Day sale was better than the Halloween sale for Jamie's. Save $3 pp ($40.99 vs $43.99) on dinner and $4 pp ($15.99 vs $19.99) on lunch. For Halloween, the prices reverted to the original booked pricing, but Chop's was reduced by $3 pp ($51.99 vs $54.99) for dinner. These pricing was for our Easter '24 Anthem and October '24 Symphony sails from Bayonne. Also, I've noticed that Chop's + 1 in not available for the Bayonne sails. Saved a bit of change especially as we are a party of 8.🙂

FYI, all interest expense for the year appears on the P&L statement, while the total debt appears on the balance sheet.

My Harmony December 1, 2024 dropped by $235 as a few days ago.

Speaking of dining, maybe someone can help me. The last few times that I've sailed out of Bayonne, I/we have been assigned 12-12:30 pm check in times. It's a little early to be concerned, but I have reserved lunch for 8 at Jamie's for 12pm on our Easter '24 Anthem sail--Is there a specific department at Royal that I can e-mail and or contact. In the past, when I've contacted CS or C&A to see whether my check-in time can be changed to an earlier time, they tell me that it is assigned randomly via computer. I don't want to waste my time calling GS or the C&A desk.😄

Plenty of tables for 2 on Oasis, Anthem & Allure. If need, you may also contact rcldining@rccl.com with any special request about 2-3 weeks prior to sail.

One pays full price on board. All pre-bookings of dining venues are discounted.

What some don't understand is that Royal is constantly marketing to so called old geezers, as I'm one of them, via the C&A benefits offered. These benefits add up to hundreds of dollars on any goiven cruise. Also, many are complaining about the quality of food, I've sailed some 9 times after the pandemic and other than a few entrees not being to my satisfaction it's been fine. When Royal announced the change in the menu beginning earlier this year, the vast complaints, especially on this board, was the reductions in choices/selections for the regular, kids and vegetarian menus.

On Oasis, it seems that all of the dining rooms are also used for my MTD. In August. we had traditional at 5 (initially it was 5:30) on the 5th deck room and they were accommodating MTD diners as early as 6PM. On our October sail I requested the dining room on the 3rd deck and this room was also used for MTD guests. One guest seated next to said that he was on MTD, but yet had the same table and sat at 5:15 every night. Also, why do you care if the waiter was unhappy. It's his/her job to seat you where instructed.

I'm sailing from Galveston for the first time in December. The price and itinerary were the driving force. I'm flying from Newark airport on United @5:45 AM to Bush Int'l. Although Bush is further from the the cruise terminal, it has a much better flight available both ways. Booked shuttle thru Galveston Express for $65 R/T pp. Shuttles depart every 2 hours. Have a 10 AM reserved and subsequently return at 8 AM.

Mixed bags on dining. On Wednesday, I noticed that Chop's was down $3 pp and Jamie's down by $4 pp from my earlier booking. Today, Jamie's is higher by $3 pp and lunch is up by $4 pp. This is for sailings on Anthem and Symphony.

Bahamas/Nassau. Got an e-mail from Royal and also there was a thread on this topic. Informed by Royal, but no notifications for my TA.

Since Wednesday, Chop's is down by $3 pp and Jamie's is up $3 pp and $4 pp for lunch, respectively. This is for sails on Anthem (3.31.23) and Symphony (10.8.24)

That’s the way it was before the drink allowance in essence. People never left the damn lounge.