Room Service Charge??

[nelblu]

I don't agree.

 

I think that this is a way for RCI to control room service. Even people here on CC admitted to ordering room service for one plate of cookies.

 

Before this, reports were of over an hour to get room service. Now, it seems it comes much more quickly.

 

Not for breakfast.

[time4u2go]

Are you seriously saying everyone should tip on top of the fee and service charge? When a company adds a service charge, my moral obligation to add a tip goes away.

I agree. When the company decides that there's a mandatory tip, that means I don't leave an extra tip.

[Milwaukee Eight]

We ordered morning coffee, fruits, and pastries. We got a call that they were on the way. They were always on time. Came into the room to set it up for us. In GS so no charge. I tipped $5 each time. Service continued excellent. We left our tray and plates inside the cabin and they were removed shortly after we left the cabin.

 

 

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[voyager70]

Please provide some evidence of reduced cruise fares.

 

I'd like to know as well.

[JonRegister]

I agree with the nickel and dining. Just more fees for Royal. Sure they throw out some rationalizations but it is greed that is motivating Royal. First it was $3.95 or so for late night delivery. Then it was $7.95, then a service charge on the service charge. Next will no doubt be a menu price plus the service charges.

 

 

 

I know it is a for profit business but this is one instance where they made cruising less special. Just like no chocolates on your pillow. I don’t want a budget vacation, I want extraordinary. Where is the WOW?

 

 

 

I usually tip extra on cruises but am beginning to wonder why. If a restaurant at home imposes a mandatory fee, on principle I will not add to it. Not sure why I change my rule on cruises.

 

 

 

You are choosing one of the lower cost cruise lines. You have several to choose from if you want extraordinary, you will be paying for that.

 

 

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[Merion_Mom]

Another aspect of this "issue" :

 

The older/smaller ships.

 

Voyager class, Freedom class, Oasis class, Quantum class - all have a Café Promenade which is open almost 24/7.

 

They have Sorrentos, which is open quite late.

 

Vision class ships? Park Café that is open until 1 if you are lucky.

 

Room service used to be a reasonable late night option.

 

BTW, the Windjammer on Grandeur closes at 8:30. EIGHT THIRTY. :o

[SRF]

Actually I’m a very good tipper but I don’t tip for hotel room service when there is a service charge. That is the tip.

 

Then you are stiffing the waiter.

 

Some hotels Do add a gratuity, but the service charge is not a gratuity.

[CruiseGal999]

Not asking to start a debate: do you tip on top of the fee? Wondering if the service fee goes to the server or to RC...

 

YES .... please, YES you tip the delivery person. Do you tip the pizza hut driver? Typically, yes. Same scenario.

 

The $7.95 goes to cruise line and for a full tray of food or 3 full trays of food for a single $7.95 charge ... it can't be beat. Not even by Sizzler or Golden Corral standards.

[CruiseGal999]

Cruise fares are the cheapest they've ever been because they're making premium services a la carte. I don't use room service so I don't want my cruise fare to include room service.

 

If every activity on board were a la carte, you could probably get on the boat for a couple hundred in a JS. Problem is, this would make the cruise experience less valuable since you're less likely to see a show/event if you have to pay up for it vs having it included in the fare. However, maybe RC would get the hint that nobody wants to see Cats on Oasis OTS if they implemented this :)

 

I have to agree with you. Especially about fares being the cheapest, ever. 1982 I paid $500 for a quad cabin. A bunch of us from work cruised to Bermuda out of Boston. Me and another woman from work were put into a quad (4 bunks) with 2 women we'd never met! That was Carnival Mardi Gras.

 

1985 (?) I did a 3 day land/4 day cruise or 4 day land/3 day cruise (don't remember exactly), for not much over $500. Me & 27 of my closest friends. Actually, it was my friend whose dad owned a travel agency. Her friends, her brother, his friends, their friends, and so on and so on.

[adamrosie]

YES .... please, YES you tip the delivery person. Do you tip the pizza hut driver? Typically, yes. Same scenario.

 

 

 

The $7.95 goes to cruise line and for a full tray of food or 3 full trays of food for a single $7.95 charge ... it can't be beat. Not even by Sizzler or Golden Corral standards.

 

 

So who actually receives the $7.95 service charge? From the prospective of the customer, it is outrageous to expect someone to pay $7.95 for a service that should be free AND then to expect a tip on top. Eliminate the service charge and I’ll gladly tip.

 

 

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[Milwaukee Eight]

So who actually receives the $7.95 service charge? From the prospective of the customer, it is outrageous to expect someone to pay $7.95 for a service that should be free AND then to expect a tip on top. Eliminate the service charge and I’ll gladly tip.

 

 

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Why do you feel you are “entitled “ to Room Service for free?

 

If one has experience ordering Room Service from a Hotel, there is almost always an up charge to the food ordered. Why shouldn’t a cruise line conduct business a similar fashion?

 

If I recall correctly, you also don’t like the charges for alcohol onboard.

 

 

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[adamrosie]

Because 1) room service used to be free 2) food on the ship is still free so I can go to the windjammer and get my own stuff and bring it back to the room... which is what I do. But it’s nice when someone does that for you and I’m glad to tip that person- just not give a “service charge” to a service that should be included. Next thing you know we’ll be paying pool attendants a “service charge” to set up our chairs or a “service charge” to ride the elevators.

 

 

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[Lordnlkon]

Because 1) room service used to be free 2) food on the ship is still free so I can go to the windjammer and get my own stuff and bring it back to the room... which is what I do. But it’s nice when someone does that for you and I’m glad to tip that person- just not give a “service charge” to a service that should be included. Next thing you know we’ll be paying pool attendants a “service charge” to set up our chairs or a “service charge” to ride the elevators.

 

 

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Royal is allowed to run this business however they want. If you’re not happy about it, take your money somewhere else. It’s a simple as that but you’ll continue to bitch about it and then continue to give Royal your money and the cycle will continue.

[adamrosie]

You are right they can run this business however they want. And I’m also allowed to complain about it. I think we still have freedom of speech?

 

 

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[grapau27]

thank you every body for the information.

The new chargeable room service breakfast is far superior to the original hot breakfast.

We get the room service breakfast every morning,they ring a few minutes before it is delivered and i always give the server $3 for themselves.

 

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[grapau27]

Yay! No need for room service.

 

Am I allowed to pack tea bags?

You can but there are plenty of satchets of tea bags and hot chocolate in the buffet (WJ) you can take back to your cabin.

 

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[Milwaukee Eight]

Why thanks for clearing that up. We know how you feel about authoritarianism.

 

 

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Actually, I believe in the Rule of Law. We don’t pick and choose which laws or rules we don’t like, or choose to follow.

 

 

 

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[shirleygr]

I expect that the charge will reduce the number of small orders; but it will probably also tend to cause passengers to overreact to the charge and use the charge to justify over-ordering additional food when they are not sure exactly how much they expect to eat. So it could well increase the amount of food wasted.

 

That is also a good point. That is certainly the case at the buffet where people take far more food than they can eat to justify the "I paid for it and I am eating the value of my cruise fare this week" and then leave half-eaten plates of food on the table. Knowing there are hungry people in my own community makes it hard to see food being wasted.

[Rancher Dave]

Thanks! Good to know. I don't love the added service fee BUT I also think it prevents people from ordering a ton of stuff from room service and then not eating it. I have seen room service people knocking on doors with no answer or trays in the hallways full of half-eaten food. Having worked in shelters and food banks, it pains me to see so much food get wasted.

 

There are 4 of us on this cruise, so if we order a full breakfast that's only a few dollars per person for the convenience.

 

You hit the nail on the head. RCCL and others saw tons of room service waste before adding the fee so the fee was added to hopefully cut down on excess waste. Even thru the other dining venues the wasted food on ships is pretty bad.

 

As a business RCCL has to maximize returns to shareholders so keeping food wastes within budget is part of their job. At the same time they have to produce a good cruise experience for all passengers. So there are things that happen aboard that some folks don’t like but to balance the cruise experience and base fare to sell as many cabins as possible.

 

Personally I don’t like the fee but understand the reasoning for it. Will just make sure we order for the family when we do since our cabins are across the hall from each other next cruise. The cost is less than a drink at the bar so I can’t complain much.

[Mcdonaldbam]

Absolutely they should be tipped. Do you tip for Room Service at a hotel? Room Service food at every hotel I have stayed has an up charge to the food and tip on top of that.

 

 

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So you are saying one should tip on top of the 18% gratuity that is already added to the service charge.

[time4u2go]

Actually, I believe in the Rule of Law. We don’t pick and choose which laws or rules we don’t like, or choose to follow.

 

 

 

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Actually most people do.

[grapau27]

Doesn't matter - don't like the rules on RCI? Go back to Disney. Don't like the rules on these Boards? Sign off. Quite simple.

Your right, very well explained and it is relatively simple to keep within the rules.

 

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[CruiseGal999]

So who actually receives the $7.95 service charge? From the prospective of the customer, it is outrageous to expect someone to pay $7.95 for a service that should be free AND then to expect a tip on top. Eliminate the service charge and I’ll gladly tip.

 

 

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The $7.95 goes to the cruise line .... revenue ... income .... to pay operating costs.

 

Just like the 'delivery fee' that Pizza Hut charges you does NOT go to the driver and it DOES go to Pizza Hut.

[Milwaukee Eight]

So you are saying one should tip on top of the 18% gratuity that is already added to the service charge.

 

 

 

I wasn’t aware one gets charged and additional 18% on top of the service charge of $7.95. We get Room Service for Free but I tipped $5 each time. The servers seemed very happy to deliver our orders.

 

 

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[Milwaukee Eight]

Or try to create change!

 

 

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Let me see if I recall correctly. You don’t like Royals price for Alcohol onboard nor the price of the Drink Package. The way you try to create change is to smuggle alcohol onboard. These are your words. As you said, you don’t abide by some rules.

 

Nice attitude.... I guess you consider yourself as an asset to mankind.

 

You seem to complain a lot about what Royal does. Personally, as a shareholder I am very pleased with for the most part they are doing. Thank goodness Royal doesn’t report to you.

 

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