What benefits are included in each Royal Suite Class Tier? He investigated and got us reserved seats. Not at all insulting. . So, I will tip the steward, starting at $20.00 per day and it goes up or down from there. Tips or gratuities can be one of the more confusing elements of taking a cruise, especially for first timers. Others leave thetip up to you. #1 Posted January 27, 2010 We are going a cruise next week and our concierge has already been so helpful arranging reservations. Pasted as rich text. I mentioned earlier that the suite concierge can reserve specialty dining, but one of my favorite "hacks" is to have the concierge reserve specialty dining if you have purchased a dining package. Royal Caribbean (and Carnival) cruises have some clear and some very unclear tipping/gratuity policies. That's sort of how tipping works on Royal Caribbean (RCL) - Get Free Report and Carnival Cruise Line (CCL) - Get Free Report ships. Here's what you need to know. By jnojr, April 10, 2016 in Royal Caribbean International. Jump to: Things to keep in mind about cruise gratuities How much you should tip on your cruise in 2023 Surprise! under the guise of not letting them feel lonely.. (he was sailing alone), was on the phone before I finished mentioning that the restrooms on the deck below were not flushing( yes, Virginia, even Royal has loo issues), Provided us with advance looks at the dinner menus for the entire week( not his fault the DR made weird changes to when formal night was as well as replaced a few main entrees). If you are, UPDATE: Royal Caribbean has reached out and informed me that the information posted earlier on Royal Caribbean's, Royal Caribbean has opened membership in its customer loyalty program, the Crown and Anchor Society, to all guests,, Royal Caribbean is updating the loyalty benefits for Crown and Anchor Society members beginning on March 10, 2023, with, One person has reached the top echelon of Royal Caribbean's customer loyalty program that no one has ever gotten to, I think Royal Caribbean has arguably one of the best loyalty programs in the cruising industry. FAQs: Gratuity & Tips for Onboard Staff | Celebrity Cruises Find a Cruise. $1-2 per drink when ordering in a bar (especially if you're in the bar for a while and build a relationship with the waiter). So, they make a good amount of money to begin with, I've heard, not that that should change how I judge good service or not. But for the concierge, it is not a pre-requisite. (See Patti's article on all-inclusive pricing.) Passengers in AquaClass cabins . Started in 2010, Royal Caribbean Blog offers daily coverage of news and information related to the Royal Caribbean cruise line along with other relevant topics of cruising, such as entertainment, news, photo updates and more. Powered by Invision Community, Thank you, sorry to hijack Marc. The Crown & Anchor. What is Royal Caribbean's gratuity price and policy? - Cruises The amenities range from in-cabin bathrobes and name-brand toiletries to an exclusive restaurant . We've heard that tips are sometimes included on your spa treatment bill and sometimes not so ask. By $1-$20 for solo guitarists and piano players (tip at least $5 if your request is played). This will be my first cruise with access to a Concierge (in the Concierge Lounge). both of them more than earned the tips we gave them that week. Known as a Genie, this crew member works with just three cabins or so to manage every need onboard. But is that something we can do? That could be traditional service personnel, or it might be a deck worker who replaces your wet towel with a fresh one, who gets you a bottle of water or provides another service. I don't know if is unique to Oasis class since they have so many more suites. Should you choose to, for a seven-night cruise, consider tipping about $2 to $3 per person, per day. That is where I try to figure in how much I throw in the tip jar. :(. Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features, Dan & Amy, NCL Gem, Greek Isles, June 2023, Dawn, Daniel, & Christy, NCL Gem, Greek Isles, June 2023, Izak & Trayce, NCL Gem, Greek Isles, June 2023, Katherina & Sebastian, NCL Gem, Greek Isles, June 2023. Depending on my experience onboard, I pick an amount and multiply it by the amount of people I'm travelling with and go from there. However, if you take a taxi to the pier and use the assistance of luggage porters to help you get your bags from the curb to the ship, it is customary to tip them $1-$2 per bag. There's all sorts of ideas on what is appropriate and the amounts are all over the place. You can post now and register later. 5 best cruise ship suites on Royal Caribbean, How to maximize the value of a cruise ship suite. Do you tip your concierge? - Royal Caribbean International - Cruise Cabanas are limited, and they sell out quickly. Moreover, the Genie spends time every day with your family. If you don't use their services..no tip needed. Royal Caribbean International; Celebrity Cruises; Silversea; ALL INCLUDED. In practice, this benefit had been mostly taken away anyway, since the line reserved the right to prohibit access to Diamond Plus members if there were too many members onboard. and all while battling a fever/flu. Learn more about this exclusive service only available to Star class suite guests from when it becomes available to how much you should tip. Yes Daghis, sorry for highjacking your thread. The cruise line does not explicitly say that you can modify or have those charges removed, but you can by visiting guest services (that's a fairly terrible thing to do even if one crew member provided bad service, because you are also punishing people who you may never even meet.). I didn't ask the question, no need to reply to my quote. Thanks. Some cruise lines will automatically apply a tip to your account, others will leave it to your discretion. Each Genie has their own style and approach to offering their services, and that means your experience can vary between different Genie's. I even asked my Genie to reserve seats at the Mason Jar bar because it was busy. :). Powered by Invision Community. We usually give something for each drink. Depending on your genie and how vocal you are, the experience can vary significantly from person to person. You SHOULD know what gratuities cover So when we saw her in May we brought her a bag full of girly goodies that she was so excited about. Royal Caribbean. We usually do not use the concierge on our cruises so I really. News. We're here to help. I don't know for sure but I've heard, (I'll ask my Genie in May) that a Genie is actually a Ship's Officer in rank and paid as such. Royal Caribbean announced the details of its revamped suite program entitled, Royal Suite Class.The Royal Suite Class, Guests sailing on Symphony of the Seas this week noticed a new option to allow select guests faster boarding back, While we love cruising in any type of cabin, theres something magical about cruising in one of Royal Caribbeans, If you are lucky enough to book a suite on Royal Caribbean, a variety of perks and amenities are waiting for you, but, Royal Caribbean suites provide a range of benefits that can greatly enhance your cruise experience, from an exclusive, Staying in a suite will get you the most expansive and luxurious accommodations Royal Caribbean, but it also comes with. Guests may adjust gratuities while on board at their sole discretion. Royal Caribbean deals on inside cabins start at around $60 per person per night (before taxes and port fees). We also tipped her a bit on top of that $50 bag of goodies! Each Genie can do everything the suite concierge can do, while also visiting with the family in their room, and around the ship. Extra charges:An 18% gratuity is added for all beverage purchases, spa services and dinner at La Reserve. It depends. Do you tip each time they do something special for you or just wait until the end of the cruise? You can tip as you go or tip at the end. The concierge is there to escort you off the ship at any port you visit. Do you tip the Concierge after every visit or do you tip at the end of the cruise? Are there other things they do that have helped make your cruise spectacular? This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies. Is it typical / customary to tip the concierge? MSC crew members greeting arriving passengers. Generally no, because the tip is automatically added to your bill. There will be people who leave very little because they prepay others will say they leave $1000 per person in cabin. What's included and what's not? Then it depends on what I ask them to do did they make reservations at Chops or Portofino, did they have pull a few strings to get you the time/day you wanted, did they book a number of tours for you, did the internet gobble up your minutes in error and he reapplied the credit for you? We tipped him $20 at the end of the cruise. On Oasis, both concierge sat at the desk the entire time - never ever saw them interacting with guests other than to answer questions if you walked up to the desk. Have our travel agency partner get you a free quote for a Royal Caribbean cruise. We gave the room attendant $20 to start and another $140 when we departed. $20 (or more) per waiter in the main dining room. I should of guessed that when I read your first post also. Was always ensuring everything was perfect for our vacation. If not, just leave blank, Royal Caribbean removes Concierge Lounge access for Diamond Plus members, How Royal Caribbean's free drink vouchers for Diamond and higher members works, Royal Caribbean temporarily suspends certain Crown and Anchor Society benefits for health reasons, Royal Caribbean opens Crown and Anchor Society membership to everyone, Royal Caribbean updates loyalty program perks with new designs for crystal blocks & changes to other freebies, Man who has cruised the most with Royal Caribbean reaches 10,000 points, I used my Royal Caribbean loyalty perks on Celebrity Cruises. 9 things you should know about Royal Caribbean suites. all sorts of ideas on what is appropriate, Royal Caribbean announces new Royal Suite Class program, 5 best cruise ship suites on Royal Caribbean. The gratuity applies to individual guests of all ages and stateroom categories. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. Q&A with James Rodriguez, President & CEO of Atlas Ocean Voyages, Q&A: Cruise Insurance with Steve Dasseos of the TripInsuranceStore.com - Summer Session '23. Tips for wait staff are automatically added to your shipboard account. Note that anysoft drinks, bottled water or alcohol that you order from room service will have a gratuity automatically added. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Royal Caribbean Blog. The Royal Genie is available to guests booked in Star Class rooms only, and their services are shared between just a few staterooms. He/she often saves us a trip to guest services and usually takes care of minor issues so it is worth some amount of gratuity. If the Concierge does more for us, the tip goes up. I figure your tip should reflect your appreciation. Not only is this a step-up, but it will save you time once you get onboard from having to deal with making reservations. An added tip in specialty dining rooms for excellent service (an 18% tip is charged when you pay for the meal). With the Genie, I usually tip $100.00 per person in the room, again, that could go up or down. you can tip your cabin steward extra if you like just as if you were in a regular cabin. Share . Receive full access to our market insights, commentary, newsletters, breaking news alerts, and more. Private parties - can't see doing that either! If you are in a suite or aboard a luxury cruise, you may have a butler assigned to your room . I can only remember one cruise where we never even spoke to the concierge in the CL once in seven days. If you stop in a couple nights only, give less. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Royal Caribbean Blog. Daghis, March 14, 2013 in Royal Caribbean International. If your Royal Caribbean cruise visits Labadee, the concierge is your primary means of reserving a cabana. welp lemme tell you what Reyno did for us over Christmas: got us reservations for the Wine tasting( not his fault there was a major miscommunication and we never actually got to attend), kept us supplied with daily print outs of our sign n sail bill( including one day when his printer had died and he went all the way down to GS to get it), Chit chatted amiably with everyone, both morning and night. :confused: No tip. I normally just snag the envelopes in the desk that goes with the stationary. Oceania teeters on the line between luxury line and premium line, and this is an exception to the general all-inclusive pricing policy found on luxury lines. Everything you need to know about tipping and service charge policies at Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, Carnival, MSC Cruises, Princess, Holland America and other lines. "While we are excited for the growth of our program, we must remain mindful of our onboard operations to ensure that we continue to deliver the award-winning experience you know and love. All rights reserved. Your previous content has been restored. They're basically a walking and talking Guest Services that you can message anytime. I think that's exactly what Royal Caribbean wants guests to feel like after they try Star Class. We tipped more and there were more people to tip. Well, I do use the CL on a daily basis for a couple of cappuccinos and a few drinks, and I think that $50 as a baseline for a week is pretty steep as well if the Concierge isn't visibly doing something for me. On the last night of your cruise you'll receive a statement showing you how much your crew attendants received in the way of gratuities; if you want to leave more, you can use envelopes provided for that purpose. I also give ~$20 per bartender. Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. Both Royal Caribbean and Carnival have slightly different daily gratuities. Its what you decide to do. Among them is the opportunity to book a cabana at Barefoot Beach, the exclusive beach area for suite guests in Labadee. My advice for someone using a Royal Genie on a Royal Caribbean cruise Tip the concierge? :D. On our last cruise, the waiters in the CL were fantastic and we tipped accordingly. Of course, getting access to a Royal Genie means booking Star Class and that is not cheap at all. 20102023Regal Sea Media LLC. The $20 - $50 range as indicated also by others would be appropriate IMO. If the tip goes down, I'll make sure I let the Steward know why. Tip amount:Star Clippers recommends tipping 8 euros per person per day, thoughgratuities are at the sole discretion of thepassenger. All rights reserved. 20102023Regal Sea Media LLC. Royal Caribbean Group. I figure $20 for 5-7 nights is about right for that level of service. Regardless of your check-in time with the Royal Caribbean app, your Genie will ask you what time you want to arrive. What is the difference between suite concierge and a Royal Genie? $16 for concierge and Aqua . You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. And am I correct in my understanding that the gratuity is typically offered on the last day of the cruise? Thanks. I could write an entire article just about what the Royal Genies can provide, but if you happen to book one of the suites that has access to them, you should know there is little they cannot deliver. ", "The first projected date that could allow them access to the Concierge Lounge was in September, but that is subject to change as the ship continues to book up. If you never use the lounge and don't use their services, they are likely not going to be expecting anything, but if you are using their services then they will definitely appreciate the tip. Each time I've stayed in Star Class I come to the same conclusion: it was a wonderful way to spend my cruise, and it spoiled us. Howit works: Gratuities are automatically added to your shipboard account on a daily basis. They've been very helpful! Reviews. We've tipped between $25 and $100, with the latter being for a concierge who went way above and beyond for us and spent a lot of time solving a very frustrating problem in our suite. Cruiseable team After 23 Royal Caribbean Cruises, What I've Learned About Tipping It is up to you whether you tip the. He or she can also deliver any food from a specialty restaurant to your stateroom as long as the restaurant is open. It also establishes that you appreciate their efforts. First of all, if you're feeling a little confused, don't worry you aren't alone. Another major benefit of booking Star Class is all the specialty dining is included with your cruise fare. Made sure the poor girl who was stuck cleaning up after the ginormous MESS some private event had the night before got our compliment/kudos in writing for her boss. It's also polite to tip, say, $2 for room service when it's delivered, but check the chit sheet to see if it's already included. While the overall "rules" are fairly consistent, the specific amenities do tend to vary by ship and even among Genies on the same ship. There are many ways they can cut through the red tape of the guest services desk saving you a boat load of time from standing in line. Your Guide to Royal Caribbean Deals - Cruise Critic We only had the concierge schedules our shows and CK dinners before we boarded. My standard answer, if they earn it, they get it. unless you're in an especially generous mood. The amounts below, however, post to you onboard account on the second-to-last day of the cruise: Carnival does not add gratuities for guests under the age of 2. If you are in the mood for steak, hibachi, or lasagna, you could try calling the restaurants directly, or simply let the concierge handle it for you. She always was available and greeted us by name whenever we saw her aboard the shipnot only in the lounge. As stated by the cruise line in today's announcement, the benefit had already been rescinded on a sailing-by-sailing basis for many cruises. Like what you see? Howit works: Gratuities are automatically added to your shipboard account on a daily basis. I can remember two relatively recent cruises..and one of them had two concierge's in the loungenow that was a double no tip.but the waitstaff was amazing.generous tips to them. Jump to content. A Royal Caribbean cruise ship is home to many impressive suites, but which one is the most expensive, Royal Caribbean has begun adding virtual stateroom tours for select staterooms on the Royal Caribbean website that, Perhaps no stateroom category is as enticing to book as a suite, but is all that space and service worth the bigger, While we love cruising in any type of cabin, theres something magical about cruising in one of Royal Caribbeans, Royal Caribbean's suites are the top echelon of cruise ship cabins, and it includes many perks and benefits for booking, Booking a suite on a cruise ship means enjoying some of the most lavish and expansive cabins available onboard. It's traditional to tip servers in the restaurants Palo and Remy at the end of your meal by charging it to your shipboard account. Generally speaking, you'll get one point per night of the cruise, and suite guests get two points per night. 10 Surprising things you didn't know the Royal Caribbean concierge can do for you, I stayed in a luxurious cruise ship suite for $870 per nightsee what my room looked like on Royal Caribbeans Liberty of the Seas, Royal Caribbean increases suite deposit policy. In-suite parties are a huge amount of work for the Genie and room attendants. Write a Review; Boards; Log In Log Out; Deals. In the end it is what you feel comfortable with. Like what you see? Do you know about when you'd like to sail? although I rarely saw anyone tip each night, those that did tended to be ones that had no intention of coming back on the last night. As others have posted it is subjective as to amounts but there will likely be 2 bartenders all week in the CL along with the Concierge. Tip amount:Gratuities amount to $11.50 per person per day (including children) in Britannia accommodations and $13.50per person in Grill Class accommodations. You made me laugh, especially after the thread the other day.:). Dumb follow-up question, I'm assuming you bring cash if you are tipping with each drink since they aren't billed to your account? 20102023Regal Sea Media LLC. While today's change on paper means less benefits than before, the reality was Concierge Lounge access had been on its way out for a long time up until today. **** VOOM Surf + Stream package. A waiter in Enchanted Garden on Disney Dream. 410 LocationColumbus, Ohio Posted November 13, 2017 So, although we have stayed in a suite before, we had never utilized the concierge services and we had barely darkened the door of the lounge. You can adjust the amount at the guest services desk. Howit works: Gratuities are automatically added to your shipboard account on a daily basis. This means you can be escorted into events, and past lines. Tip amount:As of July 1, 2016, gratuities amount to $13.50 per person per day in standard rooms, $14 for passengersin Concierge Class and AquaClass staterooms and $17 for guests in suites. I will give a beverage deliverer a $2.00 bill, remember, that's above and beyond the 18% that is automatically added to your check. This helps reduce the wait time during busy disembarkation, and is extremely helpful in ports where you tender. Depending on the ship, there is usually reserved seating for suite guests in the theater, so speak to the concierge about getting in on specific show times. There is no right or wrong answer! Other than that, we spoke to him occasionally, when we were in the lounge, but didn't really request any assistance with anything. 9 times you do not need to tip on a cruise. Tipping on a cruise ship: what you should and shouldn't do Tip amount:Gratuities amount to $13.50 per person per day (including children) in standard rooms (interior, junior suite, balcony, ocean view) and$16.50 per person in suites. Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. My advice is to email back a cabana request as soon as possible. The Ultimate Guide to Tipping on a Cruise - Cruise Critic For oceanview rooms, fares under $90 per person per . Star Class cabins are large, and offer a ton of living space coupled with beautiful views, so enjoy them as much as you can. Just like first class on an airplane, or buying a Corvette, you're doing these things because you can and it's nice to reward yourself sometimes. Carnival has a slightly different policy. If you never used their services for anything, blow it off. Forums. I am never in any hurry for my vacation to end, but waiting in lines to disembark is the pits. When transfers to and from your ship are included in your package, gratuities are generally included for luggage handling. On the luxury cruise lines Crystal, Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn, Silversea, SeaDream the rule is simple.