Looks like drink vouchers are here to stay

[tallcva3344]

We sailed on Oasis in April and when I pulled up the on screen benefits there were what appeared to be drink vouchers showing. Since it was not on the paper list they left in the cabin, we walked over to the LA and asked him about it.

 

His response was that it was a trial from the cruise right before ours, it should have been removed and it was not something we had on our cards. I'm D and mom is D+. Now since we had the kids with us, I never made it to the D lounge to get a drink, and if I had the vouchers, I could have used them when we stopped at other bars to get one of the kids a soda or frozen virgin drink.

 

Hope they have it on Freedom end of August when we sail again.

 

They are not supposed to be shared with others. Not what should happen. H

[tallcva3344]

Maybe they don't need reminders; I hope not.

 

OTOH, if they are accustomed to tipping once in the CL or DL at the end of the cruise, they may not be accustomed to bringing small bills (for small tips while bar hopping with vouchers). DH intentionally takes lots of extra singles when know we will be on a voucher cruise, as it is the easy way to tip a bar waiter/ bar tender we may only see once. Adding such small tips to the seapass would seem like a pain for both sides.

 

Could not add the tip to the seapass, on the INDY. Bill came as zero and had no ability to add an additional tip, so we just tipped in cash. If we did not have cash we just ignored the tip. Also, while tipping is a good thing, this program is designed to not tip. H

[tallcva3344]

I think it is a good thing. I am one who almost never goes into the Diamond lounges because DH doesn't drink and DS isn't quite diamond.

 

I know this is minor - do they run your card and give you a slip? Makes it easier to tip because I don't carry cash on board.

 

Yes they do. I was at the bar in front of the DL on the INDY and they just gave you the drinks once you showed the card the first time. No card needed. I guess they thought you could walk 30 feet and get a drink if you ran out of the three. H

[tallcva3344]

I have a question- so if I go to the CL or DL and have one drink before dinner do they take one voucher off of my sea pass so that after dinner I will have two vouchers left for that evening? Or is anything you drink in the lounges not counting against the vouchers?

 

No your card still has the three drinks on it. You can actually have 6 to 9 drinks per person per day. H

[tallcva3344]

""IF"" I have 6PM dinner & want 2 drinks before AND

after dinner. (Lounge hours are 5-8:30) I guess

I am out of luck???

Jack--LOL

 

Here is a slight backlash to the program for RCCL. people can go to a bar and get two glasses of wine and take it to dinner at 8:30pm. We did. Had a drink at the 7:00 show, and before that had 3 drinks in the CL. H

[Starry Eyes]

Why would a top tier not carry small bills with them to tip anywere on the ship ?:confused:

Do you think top tier (or others) all routinely carry around small bill each day? If so, why? Who are they tipping on a daily basis?:confused: Tips for paid drinks are automatic. Regular gratuities are largely prepaid or added automatically to the on board account. Plenty of people wait until the last night to tip for the entire cruise in the CL or DL. Same for (additional) tips for others...last night is common practice.

 

Lots of people seem to carry little or no money aboard on past cruises. That's what people like about the sea pass, isn't it? Now, they may be more inclined to plan to carry bills for small cash tips.

[xxHadleyxx]

Why would a top tier not carry small bills with them to tip anywere on the ship ?:confused:

 

Before this, why WOULD they? :confused: I normally add bar tips to the slip, and tip anyone else, other than room service, once on the last day.

 

I keep some smaller bills or coins in the room (we mostly sail in Europe so it is often Euros, where our smallest bill is a 5) to tip room service the couple time we might use it, and NEVER have cash on me in the ship.

[Starry Eyes]

They are not supposed to be shared with others. Not what should happen. H

Psst...I don't think njmom said she was sharing. She was likely saying she'd have used a voucher for herself when the kids were getting their nonalcoholic beverages (kids might well have had the soda or other package).

[postmeome]

Do you think top tier (or others) all routinely carry around small bill each day? If so, why? Who are they tipping on a daily basis?:confused: Tips for paid drinks are automatic. Regular gratuities are largely prepaid or added automatically to the on board account. Plenty of people wait until the last night to tip for the entire cruise in the CL or DL. Same for (additional) tips for others...last night is common practice.

 

Lots of people seem to carry little or no money aboard on past cruises. That's what people like about the sea pass, isn't it? Now, they may be more inclined to plan to carry bills for small cash tips.

 

I should think so,otherwise how could they tip the servers:rolleyes:

[postmeome]

Before this, why WOULD they? :confused: I normally add bar tips to the slip, and tip anyone else, other than room service, once on the last day.

 

I keep some smaller bills or coins in the room (we mostly sail in Europe so it is often Euros, where our smallest bill is a 5) to tip room service the couple time we might use it, and NEVER have cash on me in the ship.

 

Why wouldn't they?

[Starry Eyes]

I should think so,otherwise how could they tip the servers:rolleyes:

Umm, just what servers are you talking about?:confused: If you mean the ones in the CL and DL, as stated above many people tip them all the last day.:rolleyes:

[traveling1969]

Since we have been eligible for free drinks, we have carried plenty of ones with us with which to tip our servers. Servers are routinely rotated in and out of the lounges so we found that waiting to tip till the last night wasn't working for us.

[postmeome]

Umm, just what servers are you talking about?:confused: If you mean the ones in the CL and DL, as stated above many people tip them all the last day.:rolleyes:

 

And many people don't

[njmomof2]

Psst...I don't think njmom said she was sharing. She was likely saying she'd have used a voucher for herself when the kids were getting their nonalcoholic beverages (kids might well have had the soda or other package).

 

Thanks Starry Eyes for realizing what I was saying. Why is it that so many people automatically assume you're trying to scam the system? My kids both had a soda package, and my younger one likes a virgin drink at least once a trip. If I had the coupons, I could have gotten a drink for myself WITH A COUPON and then PURCHASED his drink for him. But because the LA said they were not offered on our cruise, and I never made it to the DL because the kids would have been bored, no drinks for me. Not that it was a bad thing...I ended up losing 6 lbs on that trip. I'm sure alcohol would have limited that number.

[xxHadleyxx]

Why wouldn't they?

 

I don't because I don't want to keep up with a purse and most sun dresses don'T have pockets in them. I'll carry just the card in my hand and set it on the table when I get where I am going. One of the things I most like about cruising is not having to carry stuff with me.

[pcur]

Seems to me when you request a drink using your vouchers loaded to your card, you could just tell the bar attendant to add a certain amount for a tip. You don't have to carry cash around.

 

Since it's likely we will all be drinking all around the ship, it's not like you are being served by a dedicated staff like the DL or CL, so adding the tip at the time you order the drink makes sense to me.

[marci22]

I don't because I don't want to keep up with a purse and most sun dresses don'T have pockets in them. I'll carry just the card in my hand and set it on the table when I get where I am going. One of the things I most like about cruising is not having to carry stuff with me.

 

If you're going to happy hour just wrap $3 around your card. If someone steals it they need it more than you do.

 

You don't need a purse to carry a few dollars.

[marci22]

There's been a general commentary on how RCL is acting only in their best interests lately (ie. dilution of C&A benefits like on-board obc's, skyrocketing prices immediately before so-called sales, etc etc etc). With RCL presumably thinking primarily "for themselves", what does everyone believe their main motive is to roll out this program?

 

Not sure. I think it does lessen the overcrowding in the lounges. I don't think it will save them money as a lot of people don't go to the lounges due to overcrowding/inconvenience, and the vouchers take care of that.

 

I would rather have my drinks in the CL or DL (not event). It's easier to meet people and I like the convenience of food right there.

Edited June 11, 2014 by marci22

[xxHadleyxx]

If you're going to happy hour just wrap $3 around your card. If someone steals it they need it more than you do.

 

You don't need a purse to carry a few dollars.

 

Oh, we will figure it out for that; we usually find one or two bartenders we really like at a couple of bars, use them all week and tip them well at the end anyway; this would seem the same---I was just responding to the poster who thought it was odd that anyone who was a high level cruiser would not carry small bills on their person as a regular thing on the cruise.

[Starry Eyes]

And many people don't

Of course, top tier cruisers have different styles when it tipping (and just about everything else). One method is no more or less valid than another. Let's go all the way back to your original question...Why did MM remind people to tip? Maybe that's just her style. Maybe she wanted people to think about bringing small bills. Maybe she knows paper slips have not been provided when vouchers have been used. Maybe some staff have confided to her that they feel (or fear) that some top tier people not tip. Maybe some combination of the above. If we agree servers should be tipped, let's please stop beating this dead horse.

[CP3o]

So, I may have missed it but for a ship w/o a DL, there is no crowding issue so they are just being nice, right.

 

Just to confirm, if going on a 3 night Majesty sailing, whenever it's rolled out to that ship, there would be 3 drinks every night?

 

Or just in place of a "diamond event" which I thought only happenned one night of sailing?

[Daghis]

So, I may have missed it but for a ship w/o a DL, there is no crowding issue so they are just being nice, right.

There can still be a crowding issue in the venue chosen for the nightly "Diamond Event", depending on how many Diamond and higher members there are attending.

 

Just to confirm, if going on a 3 night Majesty sailing, whenever it's rolled out to that ship, there would be 3 drinks every night?

 

Yes, that's right.

 

Or just in place of a "diamond event" which I thought only happenned one night of sailing?

 

The "Diamond Event" is a nightly thing. You may be thinking of the "Welcome Back Reception" or the "Top Tier Reception", which are offered just once during the cruise, but those are different from the "Diamond Event" which is merely a happy hour type of gathering.

[critterchick]

On Jewel in August. No email and no Diamond lounge. So wine it will be. Why do they have to roll out slowly across the fleet? This seems like a very easy IT programming fix. Maybe they will include Jewel soon since it is one of the few ships without a dedicated lounge.

 

Do you normally get emails from RCI? That could be a reason you didn't get one. We didn't, either, but it could just be that our September Serenade cruise is too far away.

 

We had a rather interesting experience with Sasha on the Legend Panama Canal cruise on 4/1/14. The first night we went to the DL, I asked for a Bloody Mary - my normal before dinner drink in DLs or CLs. It's a simple bar drink - nothing fancy - just vodka and bloody mary mix (which is just spiced tomato juice) with a couple of olives and a lime slice. DH ordered a glass of wine.

 

After 20 minutes with no drinks, we asked Sasha what was going on. I was informed by Sasha that Bloody Marys were not on the drink list for the DL or the CL on Legend. I questioned this! I pointed out that we regularly get Bloody Marys in the DL and CL on other ships, and since they had both orange juice and pineapple juice as mixers right there at the bar in the DL, why not Bloody Mary mix, which is just basically tomato juice. "Nope," he said, "we can't make BMs in either the DL or the CL. It's not on 'the list'." (And since I asked for an drink that was not on 'the list' apparently they decided not to bring DH his wine either.) So we left the DL and went to the CL where a Bloody Mary (along with DH's wine) was served within about 3 minutes with no question and no problem whatsoever! (Evidently it IS on 'the list' in the CL on Legend!) This aggravated me!

 

We are D+ so we can use both lounges, but we had friends on Legend who were D and we would have preferred to hang with them. But…I tend to be…well…a little bit contrary and stubborn at times.:eek: Sorry, it's just me.:o I like my Bloody Mary before dinner - I'm a one drink per evening kind of girl (okay okay…make that old lady) and that's what I want most nights.

 

So…the next day I got a glass of tomato juice with plastic wrap topping from the Windjammer at breakfast and kept it in our ice bucket all day. (I mentioned that I tend to be contrary and stubborn, right?) That night we went to the DL again and I told Sasha "Good news! I brought my own tomato juice from the WJ so I could get my Bloody Mary!" Guess what he said! "No, the bartender is not allowed to make a BM even if you brought the tomato juice!" Huh? So, as I am a bit contrary and stubborn, I told him to bring me vodka straight up, a slice of lime, 2 olives on a pick, a swizzle stick, and a tall glass full of ice. I made my own Bloody Mary that night.

 

Needless to say, we went to the CL, where the Bloody Marys were easily available, each night for the rest of the cruise. And we did NOT give Sasha a WOW! We probably would have given him an UN-WOW if that was possible.

(I'm glad to know he did please others on the TA, though.)

 

What do you bet it'll be a cinch to get my Bloody Mary with the voucher? I'm a happy camper - Woo Hoo!:D

Judy

 

It looks like somebody else was being a bit contrary and stubborn.:eek:

 

It reminds me of the time I couldn't get broccoli in Chops (they used to be able to bring you non-menu items from other dining venues), so I got some from the Windjammer for our next visit. After a horrified pause, the waiter burst out laughing and brought it to the chef for cooking (maybe they got some fresh from the MDR to avoid possible contamination since they couldn't be sure that I hadn't stuffed in my dirty laundry drawer:eek:). The third time we dined there (long cruise:)), he had some waiting for me.

[pstone1]

Do you think top tier (or others) all routinely carry around small bill each day? If so, why? Who are they tipping on a daily basis?:confused: Tips for paid drinks are automatic. Regular gratuities are largely prepaid or added automatically to the on board account. Plenty of people wait until the last night to tip for the entire cruise in the CL or DL. Same for (additional) tips for others...last night is common practice.

 

Lots of people seem to carry little or no money aboard on past cruises. That's what people like about the sea pass, isn't it? Now, they may be more inclined to plan to carry bills for small cash tips.

 

We always get on board with plenty of singles and tip extra in cash for good service. In the CL or DL, we tip our server per drink because although the same staff are usually in the lounges, there are times when they are not. Before we started tipping for each drink, we'd feel bad if a server who treated us particularly well all week was nowhere to be found on that last night. By tipping per drink, at least the servers who treat us well are guaranteed to get something and we can still tip extra on the last night.

[peteukmcr]

Great news. Means we will probably be able to meet with family and friends who are sailing for the very first time with us later in the year for a pre dinner drink and not go to the Concierge or DL where they obviously can't go.

 

3 drinks between those times is ample for us as we never normally spend more than 1 - 1.5 hours in the CL or DL and should relieve the overcrowding in there and we can go where we feel more comfortable and welcome.