When did the gratituites increase?

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Reading the edocs for our August 28 cruises,  I don’t remember the announcement about the increase 

Gratuities
A $16.00 per guest, per day gratuity will automatically be added to each guest’s SeaPass® account for our dining, bar & culinary services staff, stateroom attendants and other hotel services teams who work behind the scenes to give you the best possible cruise experience. Suite guests will see a $18.50 daily gratuity.
Guests who prepaid gratuities prior to boarding their cruise will not see a daily charge onboard.
An 18% gratuity is also automatically added to beverages, room service, and the mini bar. Beverage gratuities are pooled and shared by various dining and beverage service staff. An 18% gratuity is also automatically added to spa and salon purchases. Gratuities for other service personnel are at your discretion.
*Guests who booked prior to July 15, 2022 can pre-pay gratuities before their sailing at the previous rates, which are $14.50 for standard staterooms and $17.50 for suites.

[boscobeans]

Considering the increases we are faced with just buying a week's worth of groceries or 5 gallons of gas to mow our lawns this $1.50 a day seems almost inconsequential.

 

They are at least grandfathering the earlier rates for bookings made before July 15, 2022..

[smokeybandit]

I see you're from Canada. Are you sure those prices aren't CAD?

[Ex-Airbalancer]

1 minute ago, boscobeans said:

Considering the increases we are faced with just buying a week's worth of groceries or 5 gallons of gas to mow our lawns this $1.50 a day seems almost inconsequential.

 

They are at least grandfathering the earlier rates for bookings made before July 15, 2022..

Funny how the guest in steerage pay $1.50 more but Suites increase is only $1 
🤔🙄

in Canadian dollars for 2 it is $54 

[nelblu]

4 minutes ago, boscobeans said:

Considering the increases we are faced with just buying a week's worth of groceries or 5 gallons of gas to mow our lawns this $1.50 a day seems almost inconsequential.

 

They are at least grandfathering the earlier rates for bookings made before July 15, 2022..

I don't think that the OP is complaining about the increase, but about the announcement.  If I had gotten the announcement, I would have pre-paid the grats. for my September 3 sail.

[LEMJMcC]

There is no such thing as gratuities within RCI; they are service fees and are at the mercy of RCI's whim.  Unless of course you request that automatic "gratuities" are removed from your account once onboard and truly tip those whose service deserves it out of pocket.
 

[sunlover2]

2 minutes ago, nelblu said:

I don't think that the OP is complaining about the increase, but about the announcement.  If I had gotten the announcement, I would have pre-paid the grats. for my September 3 sail.

I agree. We were grandfathered in for our upcoming cruise because of when we booked and paid

[sunlover2]

1 minute ago, LEMJMcC said:

There is no such thing as gratuities within RCI; they are service fees and are at the mercy of RCI's whim.  Unless of course you request that automatic "gratuities" are removed from your account once onboard and truly tip those whose service deserves it out of pocket.
 

True!!  They truly earn the "gratuities" 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Just now, LEMJMcC said:

There is no such thing as gratuities within RCI; they are service fees and are at the mercy of RCI's whim.  Unless of course you request that automatic "gratuities" are removed from your account once onboard and truly tip those whose service deserves it out of pocket.
 

RCL call them a gratuities, but you are correct it is service fee

[not-enough-cruising]

Still $14.50 and $17.50 on the website

[Ex-Airbalancer]

9 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

I see you're from Canada. Are you sure those prices aren't CAD?

In FAQ , The automatic service gratuity is $14.50 USD per person, per day for guests in Junior Suites and below, or $17.50 USD per person, per day for guests in Grand Suites 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

3 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Still $14.50 and $17.50 on the website

I copied and pasted a section of the edoc for a August 28 , 2022 Voyager of seas cruise 

 

I do not mined paying the gratuities( service fees 😁) I was surprised when I read that 

Edited July 29, 2022 by Ex-Airbalancer

[Project-College]

I do THANK those veteran cruisers who suggested I prepay the Gratuities!

 

I don't need any other 'surprises' hitting me once I sail in August!

 

Don't take this as a stupid question but.... for those that prepay, have GRATITIES ever gone down later?   (Think I know the answer but wanted to throw it out there just to see)

[Tlbecker1]

4 minutes ago, Project-College said:

I do THANK those veteran cruisers who suggested I prepay the Gratuities!

 

I don't need any other 'surprises' hitting me once I sail in August!

 

Don't take this as a stupid question but.... for those that prepay, have GRATITIES ever gone down later?   (Think I know the answer but wanted to throw it out there just to see)

Gratuities have never went down later since we started cruising in 1997.

[Project-College]

4 minutes ago, Tlbecker1 said:

Gratuities have never went down later since we started cruising in 1997.

Thanks.... kinda thought that was the answer 😇

[boscobeans]

.

1 hour ago, nelblu said:

  If I had gotten the announcement, I would have pre-paid the grats. for my September 3 sail.

"" *Guests who booked prior to July 15, 2022 can pre-pay gratuities before their sailing at the previous rates, which are $14.50 for standard staterooms and $17.50 for suites.""

 

Can't you still prepay at the old rate, as long as the booking was before the 15th ?

Edited July 29, 2022 by boscobeans

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

 I don’t remember the announcement about the increase. 

There wasn't one - the increase happened in the last couple of days. The edocs from 7/24 have the old rate - updated docs from yesterday have the new rate.

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

4 hours ago, LEMJMcC said:

There is no such thing as gratuities within RCI; they are service fees and are at the mercy of RCI's whim.  Unless of course you request that automatic "gratuities" are removed from your account once onboard and truly tip those whose service deserves it out of pocket.
 

Exactly what we do on every cruise. 

[vettesale]

Any way to prepay gratuities on the web/app or do I have to call RCL to pay them?

[Biker19]

2 minutes ago, vettesale said:

Any way to prepay gratuities on the web/app or do I have to call RCL to pay them?

Other than at initial booking, no, you have to call.

[like2cruise99]

So can I call my TA and ask them to prepay them for my September 2023 cruise?

[Biker19]

Just now, like2cruise99 said:

So can I call my TA and ask them to prepay them for my September 2023 cruise?

Yes, unless RCI has put some limit on far out a sailing you can prepay for (unaware of one).

[coaster]

Just got my edocs today for Allure next month. Never would of noticed the change in all the contract stuff. Thank you OP! I will call and prepay. 

[njkruzer]

Just looked at our edocs that arrived today and has the new gratuities.  Was planning on using our obc to pay them but don't think I can prepay using them.  Already booked an excursion and not planning on much else.  If I remember there's a way to get those nonrefundable obc from the casino,  correct?  How?

[Biker19]

2 minutes ago, njkruzer said:

How?

Via the slot machine - download the OBC to it and cash out.