CHANGES TO CROWN AND ANCHOR BENEFITS

[long4acruise]

11 minutes ago, Lady Hudson said:

What I will miss about the SL is a quiet place to hang out on sea days - and the lattes!  The Quantum class SL on deck 12 is especially lovely

Yes, the Suite Lounges on the Quantum class are some of the best in the fleet! Very quiet and relaxing during the day.  And the restrooms are inside the lounges.

[smokeybandit]

5 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

How is that? I've always tipped the bartenders when I had a voucher drink.

You might. Many passionate cruisers on these forums might. But many others knowing they have "free" drinks aren't likely to tip. And with less drinks now available, less drinks to earn a tip from

[smokeybandit]

33 minutes ago, Lady Hudson said:

What I will miss about the SL is a quiet place to hang out on sea days - and the lattes!  The Quantum class SL on deck 12 is especially lovely.  The 12 drinks for DH and me plus prime status in casino is more than enough.  My drinks are mostly Coke but I hate to pay around $4 for a can of Coke.  What will be will be — Royal will decide.  Katherine

I'm an early riser compared to the rest of the family. Going to the suite lounge for a cup of coffee (even if crappy coffee) before most are awake is quite relaxing

[MaritimeR&R]

I wonder how Mario Salcedo feels about this. He, for the most part, books insides unless he has a guest which he sometimes does when he uses his Pinnacle free cruise for a JS. 

[John&LaLa]

56 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

This is a very good point.  Bartenders will be making less money with this change. 

 

I doubt it, unless you mean less tips due to lack of unlimited. I will continue to tip as i go in cash

[smokeybandit]

Just now, John&LaLa said:

 

I doubt it, unless you mean less tips due to lack of unlimited. I will continue to tip as i go in cash

Yes, less tips due to lack of unlimited. Especially now that the vouchers can be used at any time of day.

 

Someone who went to the DL and got say 5 drinks, $5 in tips, now may only be getting 1-2 drinks in the DL since they had a bloody at breakfast and had a light beer by the pool in the afternoon

[John&LaLa]

2 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Yes, less tips due to lack of unlimited. Especially now that the vouchers can be used at any time of day.

 

Someone who went to the DL and got say 5 drinks, $5 in tips, now may only be getting 1-2 drinks in the DL since they had a bloody at breakfast and had a light beer by the pool in the afternoon

 

Wait staff in the other venues, like pool, will get tips though.

 

We've always tipped on vouchers

Edited June 8, 2021 by John&LaLa

[livingonthebeach]

13 minutes ago, MaritimeR&R said:

I wonder how Mario Salcedo feels about this. He, for the most part, books insides unless he has a guest which he sometimes does when he uses his Pinnacle free cruise for a JS. 

 

I imagine since he does some PR for the cruise line, he might get more than regular folks. 

[molly361]

45 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

.

 

We've always tipped on vouchers

We do as well.  Not sure why all the chatter about no tipping now with vouchers.

[pstone1]

When we get a drink from a bartender/bar server, they ALWAYS get a cash tip for each drink from us.  Doesn’t matter if it’s a voucher at a bar, or if we’re sitting in a lounge.

[clochette]

9 minutes ago, pstone1 said:

When we get a drink from a bartender/bar server, they ALWAYS get a cash tip for each drink from us.  Doesn’t matter if it’s a voucher at a bar, or if we’re sitting in a lounge.

same with us, we always carry lots of $1 and $5 generally tip $1 per drink or $5 if the 4 of us are ordering, smae in the DL lounge or at any bars where we used the vouchers

[yogimax]

Do away with the little hot dogs in the DL?

 

Oh no!

[nelblu]

1 hour ago, smokeybandit said:

Yes, less tips due to lack of unlimited. Especially now that the vouchers can be used at any time of day.

 

Someone who went to the DL and got say 5 drinks, $5 in tips, now may only be getting 1-2 drinks in the DL since they had a bloody at breakfast and had a light beer by the pool in the afternoon

But other bartenders will get, from Paxs that tip, the $5 from the 5 drinks on the seapass.

 

Paxs that use the DL will tip at end of cruise not only to bartenders but also DL gatekeeper.

Edited June 8, 2021 by nelblu

[yogimax]

29 minutes ago, clochette said:

same with us, we always carry lots of $1 and $5 generally tip $1 per drink or $5 if the 4 of us are ordering, smae in the DL lounge or at any bars where we used the vouchers

Interesting...  in my experience in the CL and DL, a significant majority do not tip waiters with every drink.  Here, it seems like everyone does.

[nelblu]

2 minutes ago, yogimax said:

Interesting...  in my experience in the CL and DL, a significant majority do not tip waiters with every drink.  Here, it seems like everyone does.

I used to tip at the end.  However, found out that the envelope that I gave was put in pot to be shared.  Changed as I wanted to reward the person that provided the service.

[livingonthebeach]

1 minute ago, yogimax said:

Interesting...  in my experience in the CL and DL, a significant majority do not tip waiters with every drink.  Here, it seems like everyone does.

 

I have seen very few tip for each drink in the CL and DL.  Maybe they tip upfront or on their way out? or at the end of the cruise or not at all?  The non tippers might be the same ones who have their gratuities removed from their account?  Who knows. 

[Big_G]

17 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Between 5 vouchers and casino drinks, do you still need pkg?

 

I was thinking the same thing. We always bought the drink package because I didn't like the SL/DL offerings. With addition of 2 more drinks anytime I might have to revisit my cost-benefit analysis.

[piercetc4]

we would put $ in the tip jar as we left the dl -  the last 2 cruises it was so crowded we walked in and walked back out..... 

[4774Papa]

1 hour ago, molly361 said:

We do as well.  Not sure why all the chatter about no tipping now with vouchers.

We always tip for voucher drinks at happy hour.  I take many dollar bills or if we are in Europe, Euros for tips.

[Blue Eyed Belfast Belle]

All being well I will turn Diamond Plus on my next cruise.  As a solo traveller I have paid 200% for most of my cruises and it has taken me 13 years to get to this point. I enjoy the perks as a Diamond and am looking forward to attaining Diamond Plus.

 

I love the Diamond Lounge. I enjoy the buffet, I enjoy the drinks, I enjoy the company.  

 

It is where I feel safe chatting with fellow cruisers in the evening.  Prior to becoming Diamond it was very difficult as a solo lady traveller to interact with people in the bars as I always felt I was intruding into peoples company.  (Also I received many dirty looks from wives who thought I was trying to chat up their husbands!! LOL)

 

I hope these changes are just for the initial sailings on Adventure and not rolled out fleet wide. 

 

[nelblu]

13 minutes ago, piercetc4 said:

we would put $ in the tip jar as we left the dl -  the last 2 cruises it was so crowded we walked in and walked back out..... 

Really?  Never saw/noticed  a tip jar in the DL or Cl. 

[John&LaLa]

38 minutes ago, nelblu said:

I used to tip at the end.  However, found out that the envelope that I gave was put in pot to be shared.  Changed as I wanted to reward the person that provided the service.

 

It was my understanding that the only way to avoid poiling tips was to find them at another venue and give them an envelope 

[Colorado Babe]

We have always tipped as we got our drinks.  We will continue.  

[neverbeenhere]

13 minutes ago, nelblu said:

Really?  Never saw/noticed  a tip jar in the DL or Cl. 

 

I've never seen this mysterious jar on cruises. I guess that's why I've always handed my tips to individuals in the Diamond and Suite Lounges.

[John&LaLa]

2 minutes ago, neverbeenhere said:

 

I've never seen this mysterious jar on cruises. I guess that's why I've always handed my tips to individuals in the Diamond and Suite Lounges.

 

Often a champagne bucket