gkbiiii Posted November 1, 2023 #226 Share Posted November 1, 2023 Soon Royal will add a "$50 a day, Service/Amenity Charge," like the Vegas casinos do. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gkbiiii Posted November 1, 2023 #227 Share Posted November 1, 2023 4 hours ago, iscruisingdunzo said: Except this is an American company largely profiting off of international staff. Just a lil bit different than the majority of America... No, it is a Liberian company, fleecing both their American/International guests and their International crew! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeyancho Posted November 1, 2023 #228 Share Posted November 1, 2023 23 minutes ago, exm said: Absolutely agree. Did MSC (Seaside) once. Great experience. Next year going on RC Wonder (first time Oasis class, and I'm Diamond with young kids!) and MSC Meraviglia also: I'm sure the Wonder is much nicer, everything is "better" but for a family of 5 I am looking at 5k MSC vs 12k Wonder (including drink packages and internet). At that point I rather cruise twice on MSC over once on Royal. That much savings buys a lot of drink package, specialty dining, etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare iscruisingdunzo Posted November 1, 2023 #229 Share Posted November 1, 2023 5 minutes ago, gkbiiii said: No, it is a Liberian company, fleecing both their American/International guests and their International crew! Lol right. With a corporate HQ in Miami. Hopefully Desantis hits them hard like Disney! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisetorelax44 Posted November 1, 2023 #230 Share Posted November 1, 2023 58 minutes ago, bgoff60 said: How does one "officially" remove the prepaid gratuity from their tab so that we can pay in cash later to those we feel have earned it? Is there a timing issue once we board? You just go to guest services. I usually go early in the morning day 2 or 3, and just ask them to remove them. I've never been questioned as to why or received any pushback. I like to go when it's quiet on the ship and empty at guest services. It may take 24-36 hours for whatever has been already charged to be removed, but it always comes off. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gkbiiii Posted November 1, 2023 #231 Share Posted November 1, 2023 Just now, iscruisingdunzo said: Lol right. With a corporate HQ in Miami. Hopefully Desantis hits them hard like Disney! I would, at least Disney pays American wages and Corporate Income Taxes in California. Royal pays none of this and is a true Foreign Corporation. Gotta love the o'l "Flags of Convivence." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gkbiiii Posted November 1, 2023 #232 Share Posted November 1, 2023 1 minute ago, cruisetorelax44 said: You just go to guest services. I usually go early in the morning day 2 or 3, and just ask them to remove them. I've never been questioned as to why or received any pushback. I like to go when it's quiet on the ship and empty at guest services. It may take 24-36 hours for whatever has been already charged to be removed, but it always comes off. I just was on Carnival Celebration, this was very popular with passengers, many openly talked about it, I witnessed it too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky1987 Posted November 1, 2023 #233 Share Posted November 1, 2023 5 minutes ago, iscruisingdunzo said: Lol right. With a corporate HQ in Miami. Hopefully Desantis hits them hard like Disney! 🤣 Now we all now you're not serious. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bretts173 Posted November 1, 2023 #234 Share Posted November 1, 2023 (edited) 1 hour ago, Ocean Boy said: The price of gas may go up but they didn't cut the octane buy 50% like they did with my cabin service. So you would prefer the same service but a 50% increased cost. Edited November 1, 2023 by bretts173 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neverbeenhere Posted November 1, 2023 #235 Share Posted November 1, 2023 I knew I was going to love this raise in grats, pages and pages of fun reading to come. The end of it is, that you will be you and I will be me.(or something like that) So many saying who they are with so few words. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikew0805 Posted November 1, 2023 #236 Share Posted November 1, 2023 55 minutes ago, iscruisingdunzo said: Lol right. With a corporate HQ in Miami. Hopefully Desantis hits them hard like Disney! Yes.. because that worked out so well for DeSantis. 🤣 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PompeySailor Posted November 1, 2023 #237 Share Posted November 1, 2023 Might as well join in So we have always pre paid gratuities and we pretty much always do speciality dining that has the 18% gratuity included when we pre purchase PCP So my conscience is clear and we are whole and all who serve our food and attend our digs are duly compensated accordingly FYI specialty typically get a $20 as well for dinner So where does the portion of my $18.50 go to with regards dining staff NOW and where will the extra $2.00 end up Anyone Anyone Bueller (Liberty) Royal we have 13 cruises booked, if we remove all the pre paid gratuities 7 nights x 2 PAX at a thanks for locking us in at $18.50 I think I might cancel all the PCP gratuities and cash me out a tidy little sum of $3367 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soxin2000 Posted November 1, 2023 #238 Share Posted November 1, 2023 8 hours ago, cruiselvr04 said: We tip a $1 per DP drink and that won’t change. But since I don’t eat breakfast and use the buffet for a very light lunch, usually not in the windjammer, I feel I’m over tipping for the room being done once a day and one meal served from the wait staff. Who are all those people behind the scenes I’m supposed to be tipping? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashland Posted November 1, 2023 #239 Share Posted November 1, 2023 Those that think they should just raise cruise prices...they already have...right? 7 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kruzgal Posted November 1, 2023 #240 Share Posted November 1, 2023 “ I know tipping is a hot topic but if everyone would just pay their part the ones that do what the cruise line suggests wouldn't take the hit for everyone.” Or alternatively Royal could go ‘gratuities included’ and add a smaller amount on to every cruise they sell to share the cost evenly across everyone who sails and pay staff properly. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slidell_Cruiser Posted November 1, 2023 #241 Share Posted November 1, 2023 The HARD working staff is deserving of every penny…. BUT I find it interesting after posting a BILLON dollars in profit, they give the staff a raise by raising what the guests already pay… Opine of old man TA and PC member.. Pure corporate creed….Covid debt or not.. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare ReneeFLL Posted November 1, 2023 #242 Share Posted November 1, 2023 11 hours ago, leisuretraveler223 said: This thread will hit 20 pages by morning. All people offering nonsense pontifications that mean and change nothing. Feel free to just contribute your garbage hot air here..... And here you are adding to it. 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bretts173 Posted November 1, 2023 #243 Share Posted November 1, 2023 They made the messaging function in the app free (previously not) a couple of years ago. Only 2 pages on here regarding that when it dropped. No one likes positive news Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swoopy2110 Posted November 1, 2023 #244 Share Posted November 1, 2023 (edited) Crazy stuff. Onboard service / offering getting worse and they're increasing the salary supplement scheme. Prices getting higher all the time. I've always prepaid (which I know a lot of UK guests don't do), but the time has come I feel where I'd just remove and tip directly onboard to those that deserve it imo. After our NZ cruise in 2025, may genuinely book another line. Even with the D+ drinks, the value is really not great anymore. Edited November 1, 2023 by swoopy2110 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ocean Boy Posted November 1, 2023 #245 Share Posted November 1, 2023 8 hours ago, joeyancho said: To service their massive debt. The billion dollar profit was not enough. How much of Mr. Liberty's approximate 11 million in yearly compensation is he foregoing to help alleviate the company's debt? 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ocean Boy Posted November 1, 2023 #246 Share Posted November 1, 2023 8 hours ago, joeyancho said: MSC is run differently than other cruise lines. It is privately owned. MSC is a massive commercial shipping company with over 760 ships worldwide. Those ships did not stop sailing during the pandemic. They had an income stream. They were positioned much better to deal with the shut down of cruising. Being privately owned means they are not obligated to stock holders. There is no pressure to pay dividends. They don't answer to anyone. They mainly operate in the European market. Only recently have they ventured in to the US market. So their product is a bit different than Americans are used. I would not say they are not "as nice". I would say they are different. They have 5 different drink packages. Much more reasonable than Royal. Their drinks are cheaper than Royal if you are paying out of pocket. There are not as many places to get free food, but the buffet stays open from 6 am to late at night. Their pizza is crazy good. Rooms are serviced twice per day. I have taken one MSC cruise and was impressed. I am booked to go again in December. This time in the Yacht Club experience, the most elevated experience of any of the major cruise lines. Even though I am diamond + on Royal, I am not Royal loyal. I am always ready to venture beyond my comfort zone. I am not upset if everything is not the same as what I am used to. So if you are fed up with rising costs and fees, why not try something different? After all you will still be on a cruise. Bon Voyage. MSC is high on my radar. I wonder if it could turn out that different is better. RCI keeps giving me reasons to find out. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ocean Boy Posted November 1, 2023 #247 Share Posted November 1, 2023 7 hours ago, bretts173 said: So you would prefer the same service but a 50% increased cost. Actually I am paying just about double, that would be 100% more for the mathematically challenged, for my up coming Feb cruise (same ship, number of days, and even same cabin) than what I payed last winter so I have zero clue what you are talking about or what your point is. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Baltic Posted November 1, 2023 #248 Share Posted November 1, 2023 3 hours ago, Slidell_Cruiser said: BUT I find it interesting after posting a BILLON dollars in profit, they give the staff a raise by raising what the guests already pay… And the staff may not even see a cent more of this increase. It could easily go to servicing the debt. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ocean Boy Posted November 1, 2023 #249 Share Posted November 1, 2023 4 hours ago, kruzgal said: “ I know tipping is a hot topic but if everyone would just pay their part the ones that do what the cruise line suggests wouldn't take the hit for everyone.” If 100% of passengers paid the suggested amount it wouldn't change RCI's increases in the slightest. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nelblu Posted November 1, 2023 #250 Share Posted November 1, 2023 11 hours ago, Bruin Steve said: But you don't have to carry around a bunch iof singles--you can just add an extra tip to the receipt when you sign for it. 95% of the time I do not get a chit to sign. The only places that I occasionally get a chit to sign is on Coco Cay, Sorrento's and Central Park Cafe. My sails have been mostly on Oasis, Anthem and Allure. Ps, I'm one of them that carries $ bills.🤣 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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