Prepaying Specialty Restaurants-Do you get a bill for additional gratuity?

[RMLERL]

I have pre-booked Chops and Portofinos for our Freedom sailing next month. I am wondering since I have pre-paid, will we presented with a bill for $0 and a place for additional tips or how does it work when you pre/book and pre/pay?

[DC2OC]

We got a bill for 0.00 and were able to add a tip ................Frank:)

[PrincesScuba]

I have pre-booked Chops and Portofinos for our Freedom sailing next month. I am wondering since I have pre-paid, will we presented with a bill for $0 and a place for additional tips or how does it work when you pre/book and pre/pay?

Yes, that is what you will get.

[cb at sea]

The tip is included in the surcharge----if there are 2 of you, the surcharge is $40-50(the tip!)...You may add an additional amount, if you think you need to.

[TBSCruiser]

we always tip extra, it is that good.

[wisconsindisneyfan]

They will bring you bottle water selzer and Evian.

You have to pay extra for the water.

We had no clue.

We saw the other table just drinking ice water.

So we ended up with a $23 bill.

I tipped an extra $10 to each waitress on top of the 18% gratuity also.

This was at Chops.

I cancelled Portofino. I saw the menu, and lots of strange food on the menu.

[phoenix1181]

We always have a bill because of our choice of beverages however, we always leave a cash tip.

[PrincesScuba]

I have pre-booked Chops and Portofinos for our Freedom sailing next month. I am wondering since I have pre-paid, will we presented with a bill for $0 and a place for additional tips or how does it work when you pre/book and pre/pay?

 

The tip is included in the surcharge----if there are 2 of you, the surcharge is $40-50(the tip!)...You may add an additional amount, if you think you need to.

 

I think that RMLERL knows that the line is for an ADDITIONAL amount, since he wrote "additional tips" in his post.

[PrincesScuba]

They will bring you bottle water selzer and Evian.

You have to pay extra for the water.

We had no clue.

We saw the other table just drinking ice water.

So we ended up with a $23 bill.

I tipped an extra $10 to each waitress on top of the 18% gratuity also.

This was at Chops.

I cancelled Portofino. I saw the menu, and lots of strange food on the menu.

 

There is no "18% gratuity". It is said that the $20 or $25 pp at Portofino/Chops INCLUDES the gratuity, but no amount is ever detailed.

 

Please define "strange food". :)

[RMLERL]

Thanks for everyones help. We always like to recognize exceptional service and we have already pre-purchased a wine package, so I didn't think we would have a bar tab but you never know... And I like that seafood skewer tower at Portofino, it is odd, but delicous anyways I have them take off the salmon and add more scallops and shrimp.

[PrincesScuba]

Thanks for everyones help. We always like to recognize exceptional service and we have already pre-purchased a wine package, so I didn't think we would have a bar tab but you never know... And I like that seafood skewer tower at Portofino, it is odd, but delicous anyways I have them take off the salmon and add more scallops and shrimp.

You know that you have complete flexibility with that wine package, right?

 

You can order your bottle(s) in the MDR or the specialty restaurant. You can start a bottle in one, and have it sent, re-sealed, to the other. They will even send it back and forth, if you haven't finished it after two tries. They really want to help you enjoy your wine!!!!

 

:)

[RMLERL]

You know that you have complete flexibility with that wine package, right?

 

You can order your bottle(s) in the MDR or the specialty restaurant. You can start a bottle in one, and have it sent, re-sealed, to the other. They will even send it back and forth, if you haven't finished it after two tries. They really want to help you enjoy your wine!!!!

 

:)

 

Most likely not a problem regarding sending it back and forth... We love the wine and the wine packages.

[PrincesScuba]

Oh, I see that you did the Cozumel cooking excursion with Luis!!!!! :D

[wisconsindisneyfan]

There is no "18% gratuity". It is said that the $20 or $25 pp at Portofino/Chops INCLUDES the gratuity, but no amount is ever detailed.

 

Please define "strange food". :)

:) :) We truly enjoyed Chops, tenderloin, steak, shrimp. etc.

 

Portofino-I looked at the pictures of the food and many anti/pasta foods, olives, figs, very meditarian, italian selections. I was willing to try new foods on the trip-tried "lamb chops"-captains choice one evening. But the food looks like food that you may just try and set aside, or really like. We had a ressie for our last nite and I just couldn't sit and eat anymore, for some reason, I really lost my appetite.

[wisconsindisneyfan]

Watching "America's Got Talent",

Freedom's magician is competing.

Hope he makes it.

We sat in the 2nd row way off the the right side of the theater and we saw how he did some of this magic. They didn't cover the trap door to well.:D

[RMLERL]

Oh, I see that you did the Cozumel cooking excursion with Luis!!!!! :D

 

We did, it was fabulous. We would love to do it again on an one of those really long port days so we could enjoy Playa Mia a little more. Hoping also that they would change the menu although they may have done that and I don't know. It was great fun going head to head with cruisers from the "Fun Ship" for tequila shots. We won but we had a few honeymooners and 20 somethings on our side. Oh and my DH kept pace and regretted it on the bus ride back to the ship.

[Tucker in Texas]

We were comped a dinner at Portofinos (won it at Mix and Mingle) and had coupons for wine out of the booklet. We had a great dinner but didn't have an extra charges to sign for. Not having cash on us, we had to ask for a "tab" so we could add a tip on our sea card.

 

Tucker in Texas

[63galaxie]

We were comped a dinner at Portofinos (won it at Mix and Mingle) and had coupons for wine out of the booklet. We had a great dinner but didn't have an extra charges to sign for. Not having cash on us, we had to ask for a "tab" so we could add a tip on our sea card.

 

Tucker in Texas

Wow, they give away prizes like a free dinner at Portofinos? What great motivation for showing up to the M&M!! Was it a drawing?

[steponboard]

The tip is included so you don't have to do anything, you're paid in full.

[Tucker in Texas]

It gets even better. I had one ticket, husband had another ticket. His ticket won the dinner, my ticket a bottle of champagne! FWIW, we took it to our dinner table to share and we were not charged a corkage fee which I have heard some were charged that took gift champagne to the dining table on other sailings.

 

I think this was a "special" at M&M because the Captain came and he was the one that added the "extra" prize of the dinner. However, they gave away another one on our last trans-Atlantic in April and neither the Captain nor the CD were there.

 

Didn't do so well on that drawing. Won a stuffed "seal" which gave me a bunch of discounts on things I didn't want like Bingo games. Cute seal, though, nice souvenir. They sell them at Bingo for $12 to get extra things.

 

What amazes me is that I always have said if there were three names in the hat and two were mine the other would be drawn. Or, if I did win something, I would try to walk away from it--like some art. I have enough trivia prizes to start a shop. Anyone want a passport case, water wallet, key ring?

 

Tucker in Texas

[Cristo4e]

You know that you have complete flexibility with that wine package, right?

 

You can order your bottle(s) in the MDR or the specialty restaurant. You can start a bottle in one, and have it sent, re-sealed, to the other. They will even send it back and forth, if you haven't finished it after two tries. They really want to help you enjoy your wine!!!!

 

:)

I am on the Enchantment of the Seas for my first cruise next month.

I am looking at a wine flight I did see on the RCI site you can take unopened bottles home with you. What I can't seem to find an answer to is if the wine flight is for dinning only or if you can bring it to your cabin? I want to sit on my balacony and enjoy some wine. Can anyone tell me if you can arrange to have a bottle from your wine package in your cabin?

 

Thanks in advance for anyones input or past expereince.

[Gonzo70]

I am on the Enchantment of the Seas for my first cruise next month.

I am looking at a wine flight I did see on the RCI site you can take unopened bottles home with you. What I can't seem to find an answer to is if the wine flight is for dinning only or if you can bring it to your cabin? I want to sit on my balacony and enjoy some wine. Can anyone tell me if you can arrange to have a bottle from your wine package in your cabin?

 

Thanks in advance for anyones input or past expereince.

 

A wine flight is a group of small samples of various wines served together (i.e. four 1.5 to 2.0 ounce pours of four different wines - you get the glasses all served to you at once. Often the wines have a theme - i.e. four merlots.

 

I assume you are talking about bringing a bottle of wine to your stateroom, not a flight? If so, yes, you can order bottles of wine to your stateroom either from a wine package or simply purchasing a bottle at a bar/restaurant on the ship. You can also do this prior to your cruise via gifts and gear section of Royal's website.

[Cristo4e]

Thank you. Yes I meant to say pre paid wine package. I saw on the RCI website that the package was available in the dinning room, wind jammer and the bar. I did some searches and got conflicting sources so thought I would go to some one that has pre purchased the wine package and find out if we can use that prebought wine in our state room as well as chops. Sorry for not being clearer and thank you for taking the time to answer my inquiry.