Royal Caribbean - Gratuities included?

[SonomaMist]

Hello, we are planning some cruises around Australia and someone mentioned that their recent 2020 Royal Caribbean cruise included the gratuities in the price.  However, according to the Australian RC website, they are in addition.  Does anyone know if this was a recent change or are gratuities included in the price under the the Australian terms?

Here's the RC Australian website:  
https://www.royalcaribbean.com/aus/en/faq/questions/onboard-service-gratuity-expense

 

Thank you and happy cruising when it resumes.  
https://www.royalcaribbean.com/aus/en/faq/questions/onboard-service-gratuity-expense
https://www.royalcaribbean.com/aus/en/faq/questions/onboard-service-gratuity-expense

[Gwendy]

Gratuities are included in the cruise fare for Australians (we are averse to tipping, lol), but I believe if you are from another country you get to pay them separately.

Can’t see cruising starting in Australia for a very long time.  International borders are closed and some state borders are closed as well.

[Chiliburn]

If you book a RC cruise in Australia the gratuities are included along with tax and port fees.

But if you book through a American agent they can be extra.

 

Plus any voluntary purchase onboard have 18% gratuity.

Edited September 1, 2020 by Chiliburn

[SinbadThePorter]

More info.

 

"Service charges for stateroom attendants and dining room staff are included in the fare. Guests will still have the option to reward crew for exceptional service by choosing to provide a gratuity at their own discretion. Guests will simply pay one inclusive cruise fare; incorporating our award-winning service, main meals, accommodation, kids club and entertainment, as well as the variety of extras that Australians have come to know and love on Royal Caribbean Cruises. All pre-cruise purchases, including beverage packages, already include a service charge of 18%. Any beverages purchased onboard sailings from Australia or New Zealand have service charges included in the listed price. Sailings from other countries may have additional service charges added."

 

Fares bought from RC Australia include gratuities in the price. For cruises within Australia/NZ service charges for extras like drinks are included in the initial cost. Outside of Australia/NZ they incur extra charges.

Edited September 1, 2020 by SinbadThePorter

[NSWP]

You will find North Americans pay less for the actual cruise as gratuities are an extra for them, same on Princess.  But on Princess you can take them off with a visit to the purser.  Can you do that with Royal Caribbean? I have not travelled with RCI.

 

We don't want to start another tipping thread.

Edited September 2, 2020 by NSWP

[mr walker]

13 minutes ago, NSWP said:

You will find North Americans pay less for the actual cruise as gratuities are an extra for them, same on Princess.  But on Princess you can take them off with a visit to the purser.  Can you do that with Royal Caribbean? I have not travelled with RCI.

 

We don't want to start another tipping thread.

RC cruises booked in Australia (thru RC website or local TA) since I think Dec 2016, have an 'all-inclusive' fare so there is nothing to be taken off.

Of course on-board menu prices for drinks etc have a built-in tip, which is already included in the menu price.

 

Only 5 hours to happy hour Uncle Les 🙂 

[Chiliburn]

13 minutes ago, NSWP said:

You will find North Americans pay less for the actual cruise as gratuities are an extra for them, same on Princess.  But on Princess you can take them off with a visit to the purser.  Can you do that with Royal Caribbean? I have not travelled with RCI.

 

We don't want to start another tipping thread.

Yes you can take the gratuity off on Royal ships but no one bothers because it’s included.

A mate years ago ,went and caused a seen and removed the gratuity.

When he got home ,hackers got into his bank accounts and cleaned them out and made his life hell for 3 months.

But that was only a coincidence?????   He said there’s only one place the information come from.

[NSWP]

45 minutes ago, mr walker said:

RC cruises booked in Australia (thru RC website or local TA) since I think Dec 2016, have an 'all-inclusive' fare so there is nothing to be taken off.

Of course on-board menu prices for drinks etc have a built-in tip, which is already included in the menu price.

 

Only 5 hours to happy hour Uncle Les 🙂 

G'day young Mr Walker,  yes I realise with an all inclusive price that most Australian based cruises now have, gratuities are included in the fare make up and not negotiable, but when they are an add on, different issue. I noted with Princess home cruising when the 15% gratuity was absorbed into the drink price, the drink price shot up.   

 

Yes mate, happy hour 5pm.  I overindulged in happy hour with the motel owner/manager and the only one other guest staying in the motel these last 3 nights at Merimbula, plus a few too many wines with dinner, I wish the winemakers would reintroduce the 375ml half bottles of wine we used to be able to get, they hard to find these days, just right for a solo traveller, a 750ml bottle is a bit too much, but I could not waste it.🍷

Edited September 2, 2020 by NSWP

[SonomaMist]

Thank you for all your replies.  One would think it would all even out but it doesn't in this case.  In looking at the April 15, 2022 sailing from Brisbane to Hawaii, the Australian cruise would be about $176 less with all fares, taxes and gratuities.  The snapshot below is based on an inside room for comparison purposes only.  

Since the Australian website indicates that the gratuities will be added at the time of cruise, I am still wondering if this may have been a post covid change.  

 

Thanks again.  Happy cruising to all of us in the not too distant future.

 

[OzKiwiJJ]

52 minutes ago, NSWP said:

G'day young Mr Walker,  yes I realise with an all inclusive price that most Australian based cruises now have, gratuities are included in the fare make up and not negotiable, but when they are an add on, different issue. I noted with Princess home cruising when the 15% gratuity was absorbed into the drink price, the drink price shot up.   

 

I think Princess use a fudge factor with their Australian pricing. I looked at US prices plus gratuity converted to AUD and there was no logic that worked to match the AUD price of each wine I checked. I think they just look at the end result and decide if that's too high or too low and adjust it to where they think it should be. And it's different for every wine.

[GUT2407]

That difference could just as easily be attributed to slight fluctuations in the exchange rate used and prices set for different target markets.

[OzKiwiJJ]

I think the latter is the key. That's why I called it a fudge factor. 😋 I played around with differing exchange rates but couldn't get anything that was consistent across all the wines I looked at. 

[GUT2407]

2 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

I think the latter is the key. That's why I called it a fudge factor. 😋 I played around with differing exchange rates but couldn't get anything that was consistent across all the wines I looked at. 

Yep a bit of each but I think their target market is the key. Talking of fares a they ikely to get more Aussies that Americans flying half way round the world, and is one more lkly t sell here or there and then, having worked in hospitality about a million years ago, ou would price a dish, but at the end of they day it was “what will hey pay for it?”.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Exactly!

[GUT2407]

Ad then does the chef enjoy or hate making it would change the price yet again.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Anyway we found plenty of wines to enjoy at what I considered were very reasonable restaurant prices. Plus the Barolo which, although quite expensive, was a bargain for that type of wine.

[GUT2407]

There were nights I could have put a plate of seafood out costing me less than sausages, guess which got the highest price???

[GUT2407]

2 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Anyway we found plenty of wines to enjoy at what I considered were very reasonable restaurant prices. Plus the Barolo which, although quite expensive, was a bargain for that type of wine.

Wines can be a bit different when it comes to pricing them one issue was availability of supply and another was again my target market because the hotel I ran was in the Hunter we charged more for Hunter wines than WA or SA, our hotels there would do the opposite, whereas the ones not in a wine region would more closely align selling price to cost. If someone came to the Hunter they wanted to try Hunter wines, if they went to Margaret River they wanted to try local wines, so you could charge a bit extra. 
 

But then even a chain like Coles will charge different prices on those same item in different stores.

[NSWP]

7 minutes ago, GUT2407 said:

Wines can be a bit different when it comes to pricing them one issue was availability of supply and another was again my target market because the hotel I ran was in the Hunter we charged more for Hunter wines than WA or SA, our hotels there would do the opposite, whereas the ones not in a wine region would more closely align selling price to cost. If someone came to the Hunter they wanted to try Hunter wines, if they went to Margaret River they wanted to try local wines, so you could charge a bit extra. 
 

But then even a chain like Coles will charge different prices on those same item in different stores.

Whilst on the subject of wines and Coles, some of the big winemakers, e.g. Hardys make exactly the same wine in 1 litre bottles for Coles inc 1st Choice and Woolworths inc BWS and Dan Murphys.   They put different labels on the wine, VR  (used to be RR) for Coles and Stamp for Woolworths.  I enquired with Hardys as I buy both for every day quaffers, both red and white.

Edited September 2, 2020 by NSWP

[GUT2407]

5 minutes ago, NSWP said:

Whilst on the subject of wines and Coles, some of the big winemakers, e.g. Hardys make exactly the same wine in 1 litre bottles for Coles inc 1st Choice and Woolworths inc BWS and Dan Murphys.   They put different labels on the wine, VR  (used to be RR) for Coles and Stamp for Woolworths.  I enquired with Hardys as I buy both for every day quaffers, both red and white.

Most home brand stuff is made by known makers, sometimes to a lower standard sometimes just a different label

[NSWP]

1 minute ago, GUT2407 said:

Most home brand stuff is made by known makers, sometimes to a lower standard sometimes just a different label

When we visited Banrock Station winery in SA a few years ago, did the tour and saw the reds and whites being bottled and packed, same drop in the bottle as in the 2 litre cask and a decent vino for the price.

[SinbadThePorter]

2 hours ago, SonomaMist said:

Since the Australian website indicates that the gratuities will be added at the time of cruise, I am still wondering if this may have been a post covid change.  

 

I don't think it does. Certainly if it had changed recently you would be seeing a riot on this board.

[Docker123]

I think it became inclusive because of ACCC pressure. Legalise requirement to display the fully inclusive pricing.

 

They made the airlines do it a few years ago with all the taxes and charges.

 

 

[Chiliburn]

3 hours ago, SonomaMist said:

Thank you for all your replies.  One would think it would all even out but it doesn't in this case.  In looking at the April 15, 2022 sailing from Brisbane to Hawaii, the Australian cruise would be about $176 less with all fares, taxes and gratuities.  The snapshot below is based on an inside room for comparison purposes only.  

Since the Australian website indicates that the gratuities will be added at the time of cruise, I am still wondering if this may have been a post covid change.  

 

Thanks again.  Happy cruising to all of us in the not too distant future.

 

Have you tried a Australian online agent,I have them found them to be equal or cheaper than a US agent or the RC website.

[bl262000]

Hi,

The rate you used for your calcs at 0.74us is the rate at the exchange. Usually the end rate  (at the 74c figure) would reach you the end used at around 0.70US.

Maybe thats where some of the difference in costs are.