RCI dropping requirement of pre-paid grats for My Time Dining

[Turtles06]

Over on the RCI board, it's being reported that RCI is dropping the requirement of pre-paid gratuities for My Time Dining, their version of Select Dining. Folks are already wondering over there whether Celebrity will do the same.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2224252

[Iamcruzin]

Over on the RCI board, it's being reported that RCI is dropping the requirement of pre-paid gratuities for My Time Dining, their version of Select Dining. Folks are already wondering over there whether Celebrity will do the same.

 

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2224252

 

 

I think pre pay grats should be for all or for nobody. I wonder how many Celebrity passengers book traditional just so they don't have to pre pay and switch to select when they board the ship. I understand that these people want to use any OBC towards the gratuity but there should be a way to per pay with the OBC before hand.

[Christine Frances]

They such a missmash of dining options it is no wonder. They were going to "dynamic dining" which was all by reservation and then due to the uproar they deciding to do a compromise which was a traditional dining experience iwhere you rotated between different restaurants with the same servers in addition to the dynamic dining:confused:

It's no wonder that the dropped the pp grats:rolleyes:

Edited June 20, 2015 by Christine Frances

[dkjretired]

Over on the RCI board, it's being reported that RCI is dropping the requirement of pre-paid gratuities for My Time Dining, their version of Select Dining. Folks are already wondering over there whether Celebrity will do the same.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2224252

 

And we have a thread on this board that there is a rumor that Celebrity is eliminating Traditional dining. Tied together or possibly a rumor off the Royal thread???

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2224230

Edited June 20, 2015 by dkjretired

[jelayne]

If I remember correctly Royal eliminated the corkage fee; Celebrity hasn't. So wouldn't count on the elimination of pre-paid gratuities carrying over to X.

[cb at sea]

Once the cruise lines started adding the tips daily to the shipboard account, there is NO reason to make anyone "pre-pay"....

 

It was a totally understandable thing when paying your tips in person on the last night was still "in style"....but nowadays....pre-paid makes no sense.

[cruisestitch]

I wouldn't count on any change to Celebrity policy based on something that is happening on Royal Caribbean. They are two different companies, under the umbrella of the same corporation.

 

Pre-paid gratuities do make sense from the server's point of view. There are dozens of threads elaborating the origin of the policy and the need for it so I won't repeat previous discussions here.

[springfire]

It is terrible to require My Time Dining customers to pre-pay gratuities! It is fine for people to have a choice to prepay but to force people in My Time Dining to pay up front is just not right. Hopefully they will this policy like RCCL is doing.

[Bobocasey]

You know if you get prepaid grats from your TA you can not have select dining on Celebrity Makes no sense except Celebrity gets to bank the grat until after the cruise. You may say that doesn't make much difference but think of the number of people with select dining mulitplied by the number of ships and it is quite a bit of change. RCC(parent company) is the only line that requires you to prepay for select.

[cruisestitch]

"You know if you get prepaid grats from your TA you can not have select dining on Celebrity"

 

That is not accurate. Many people with pre-paid gratuities from their travel agents get Select Dining. Maybe there was something unusual about your booking?

[baldercash]

It is terrible to require My Time Dining customers to pre-pay gratuities! It is fine for people to have a choice to prepay but to force people in My Time Dining to pay up front is just not right. Hopefully they will this policy like RCCL is doing.

 

The ship has the edge with prepaid grats as you cannot cancel them for any reason.

On our last cruise on Royal Caribbean we had not prepaid and struggled to get into My Time it was not over subscribed. We were treated so poorly that I voiced my complaint to the front desk and stopped our tips.

That got the attention of the Maitre D. We ended up getting access but service and seating was so bad that after two seating's we stopped using it.

There are always empty seats and often whole tables in both traditional dinning times.

I have canceled prepaid gratuities on all my future cruises with X and RCCL and asked my agent to convert it to shipboard credit.

[Finabear]

Honestly - they should just add the "tips/service charge" to the up-front cost of the cruise and be done with it.

 

Flame away...

[shipshape sam]

Honestly - they should just add the "tips/service charge" to the up-front cost of the cruise and be done with it.

 

Flame away...

 

I kinda like keeping my money till I have to pay for it. I like the gratuities showing up on my folio and then billed to my credit card at end of cruise, not at final prepayment for the cruise.

Edited June 20, 2015 by shipshape sam

[springfire]

Honestly - they should just add the "tips/service charge" to the up-front cost of the cruise and be done with it.

 

Flame away...

 

Not sure why you had to add the "Flame away"

 

That is your opinion and you have the right to it!

[springfire]

I kinda like keeping my money till I have to pay for it. I like the gratuities showing up on my folio and then billed to my credit card at end of cruise, not at final prepayment for the cruise.

 

I agree! I like using my OBC to help pay!

[AtleeH]

I agree completely. Just add the gratuities charge to the cost of the trip. I think it's silly to have a $12 charge each and every night for gratuity on the final cruise print out.

 

That's just extra paper work that could be eliminated.

 

Honestly - they should just add the "tips/service charge" to the up-front cost of the cruise and be done with it.

 

Flame away...

[shipshape sam]

I agree! I like using my OBC to help pay!

 

That too!

[cruise kitty]

Once the cruise lines started adding the tips daily to the shipboard account, there is NO reason to make anyone "pre-pay"....

 

It was a totally understandable thing when paying your tips in person on the last night was still "in style"....but nowadays....pre-paid makes no sense.

 

Pre paid make sense for me, we always pre pay. With the premium bev. pkg, pre paid tips, & enough OBC to cover the spa, we usually have a close to zero bill, except for laundry & dry cleaning.

 

If X offered an all inclusive laundry pkg. like HAL does, I'd prepay for that too :)

[Finabear]

Not sure why you had to add the "Flame away"

 

That is your opinion and you have the right to it!

 

Sorry. In the past I have been beaten up for posting a comment like that.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Honestly - they should just add the "tips/service charge" to the up-front cost of the cruise and be done with it.

 

Flame away...

 

I completely agree

[Iamcruzin]

Personally I don't mind pre paying for gratuities. It's something that I'm going to pay anyway. It covers so many of the staff. If one member is performing under par I'm not going to stiff the rest of them by removing it. If they added the gratuity in the price of the cruise we would also be charged tax for that amount and for those who purchase insurance this would also increase your premium since you will now be insuring a higher cost. It may not make much difference on a 7 day cruise in an interior but on a longer cruise or staying in a more expensive accommodation it could add up. I just don't understand why select has to pre pay and traditional doesn't.