A Unusual Question about Tipping

[HaveFunAndSmile]

Not a question on if you should or should not. But what does Royal expect from you, if you are on a cruise and Royal extends your cruise due to weather and you are on the ship longer. Does Royal continue to charge the tips each day? Or do they just cover it and not bother charging you?

[BND]

30 minutes ago, HaveFunAndSmile said:

Not a question on if you should or should not. But what does Royal expect from you, if you are on a cruise and Royal extends your cruise due to weather and you are on the ship longer. Does Royal continue to charge the tips each day? Or do they just cover it and not bother charging you?

Pretty sure they do not automatically charge you.  It happens so rarely that a cruise gets extended.  But, I will say if we were, we would gladly pay it.

Edited October 10, 2022 by BND

[Ret MP]

55 minutes ago, BND said:

But, I will say if we were, we would gladly pay it.

It hasn't happened to me.  But, I know people that have and they say that that is when the crew really really shine.  The turn themselves into pretzels bending over backwards for everyone, trying to entertain and pacify.

[billslowsky]

52 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

It hasn't happened to me.  But, I know people that have and they say that that is when the crew really really shine.  The turn themselves into pretzels bending over backwards for everyone, trying to entertain and pacify.

I try to bring along extra bottles of nyquil to give crew members in these situations.

[jean87510]

7 hours ago, billslowsky said:

I try to bring along extra bottles of nyquil to give crew members in these situations.

Or skittles.

[Joseph2017China]

If this situation would happen to me.......which is extremely unlikely, I would decide at that extra day or two what to do, and not worry about it for the rest of my life

[moposh]

If I'm on the ship longer, I would expect to continue to pay gratuities.  If I wasn't charged, that'd be nice, but if I were, it'd be fine.

 

I guess it also depends how much longer.  If was stuck on the ships due to COVID when it first happened and it was months, I might not feel so agreeable to continue paying.  

[billslowsky]

15 minutes ago, Joseph2017China said:

If this situation would happen to me.......which is extremely unlikely, I would decide at that extra day or two what to do, and not worry about it for the rest of my life

I agree, I'd be more concerned with my arrangements to get home, especially if my airfare goes up, extra parking, miss a day of work, extra family and pet care, etc.

[jalves]

I'd expect to pay additional gratuities for every extra day I'm on board.  

 

Also, thinking about those on the next sailing who get fewer days, I'd expect they would not have to pay for the days they aren't on board.

[cruisegirl1]

Five years ago our cruise was extended three days. Royal said that they were covering the gratuities for those days. Just about everyone I spoke to was giving  extra gratuities to all the staff.

 

Royal had reduced all of the specialty dining and bar drinks to  50% off. So not only were the drinks inexpensive but the gratuity was on the 50% off price. The gratuity to the bar staff was SO low that we added more. 
 

m

 

[Ret MP]

36 minutes ago, jalves said:

I'd expect to pay additional gratuities for every extra day I'm on board.  

 

Also, thinking about those on the next sailing who get fewer days, I'd expect they would not have to pay for the days they aren't on board.

That's why, I believe, they bill everything (specifically, gratuities if you didn't pre-pay them) on a daily basis.  If you are scheduled to cruise until let's say the 11th but the cruise ends early, say the 8th, they can only charge your Set Sail Account up to the 8th, the 9th, 10th, and the 11th can't happen on that/your account.  

[Armac]

We had an extra day on Serenade in 2019 as we were rerouted because of a hurricane. No gratuities  charged for the extra day. Everyone on board was given free internet for the day so they could re book their air.  We also  received a loyalty point for the extra day   

[pcur]

I feel the same way about this as I do tipping the bar staff when I use my free drink coupons.  They do the exact same work to bring me my drink that they do to bring someone who doesn't have the drink perks.  I tip them in cash for each drink.

 

Same would go if the cruise had to be extended for some reason.  They work HARDER in this circumstance, and I would definitely tip them for that.

[OddHack]

2 hours ago, Armac said:

We had an extra day on Serenade in 2019 as we were rerouted because of a hurricane. No gratuities  charged for the extra day. Everyone on board was given free internet for the day so they could re book their air.  We also  received a loyalty point for the extra day   

 

We were on the same cruise - it wasn't made clear whether RC was covering the gratuities or the crew members would just not receive any tips for that extra day.  We assumed the latter, and tipped extra.

[rudeney]

The way RCCL handles gratuities creates so much confusion.  We don't really know if gratuities are used to fund the crew's minimum contract salary or if they are on top of that.  If they fund the contract salary, then of course RCCL would "cover" gratuities for extra days because they are contractually obligated to pay the crew their minimum salary.