I have written several articles about cruising and on getting the best deals, on what to pack and other things about cruising which are good to know. Today, I want to give you some insights on things that we do when cruising with RCL and address some misconceptions (in particular; gratuities and tips.)

Gratuities:

This is a topic of much contention. Charges for the “mandatory” gratuities have went up sharply during the years and now stands at $18 per day per guest (That is up from $14.50 in 2022). That is $252 for two in a standard cabin on a seven day cruise. At the same time, the amount of service provided has been steadily reduced. For example, stateroom service, was always performed twice a day, now it is once. Additionally, dining room service included some personal services and even some special items being provided, based on your request. Now, everything is standard. Dining room staff can’t do much of anything for you other than bring you your pre-plated food. You will not find a breakdown on-line for how the gratuities are distributed. However, a friend shared a breakdown on gratuities that was provided (probably by mistake) on a cruise last year.

As you can see, much of the gratuities go to “Other Hotel Services”. Not real sure what that is? Now it turns out, that on RCL, tips are automatically added but can be adjusted and/or removed. One of our friends advised us of that and we found that many of our friends remove the mandatory tips and only tip for services they receive directly. Recently, I began to do the same. Reva prefers to have the tips automatically applied. For me, I go to guest services when I Board the ship and have my gratuities removed. Then at the end of the cruise, I tip the wait staff and room attendant appropriately. Typically, more than what they would have received from the “mandatory gratuities”. This also seems fair since if we go to a specialty dinner or have room service, tips are applied. I also tip for our alcoholic drinks (but not sodas or water). Also, if someone goes out of the way for me, I will make a point to give them something. The staff seam to appreciate this.

Boarding:

Everyone is assigned a time when they are expected to arrive and check-in for the cruise. During Covid, this was “kind-of” enforced. We usually arrive at 10 or 10:30 to check-in and board (no matter what time we are assigned). There are almost never any lines and at times we have been on the ship by 10:30 or 11:00. The buffet usually opens at 11:30 and is not crowded. The staterooms are typically ready at 1:00 or 2:00…..this is not consistent. We make a point to pack bathing suites for the hot tubs and pools. Luggage usually won’t be delivered to your room until 4:00…..when the stateroom attendants return from their break. Most people don’t bring bathing suites on with them, which leaves the pools, hot tubs and other water venues empty.

Casino Free Play:

On the first two days of the cruise, every passenger has between $2 and $100 of casino free play loaded on their seapass card. This is addition to what you may have been given based on your “status” with RCL. This free play will disappear after the second day on the ship. To access it, place your sea pass card into any slot or video poker game and access your account. Your password is always your birthday – two digit day and month. You will then be prompted to create a new Pin. After that, select transfer to game and then “Promo”. The machine will then show you what you have available and allow you to transfer it. You must play the promotional credit, but you can remove any winnings. If you have any questions, the cashier or casino host can help you…..or almost any player in the casino.

Requested items for the room:

When we get into our stateroom, we write down a list of requested items to make our stay more relaxing. Our list includes: a paper copy of the “Cruise Compass” every day (this has went electronic, but I prefer the paper.), ice twice a day with extra water cups, mattress topper (if you like softer beds, your stateroom attendant can install a foam mattress topper on your bed), and extra soap. With our status, we also get special toiletries and bath robes….but they are usually already provided. We leave the list in the room or hand it to the attendant when we meet him.

Cruising is a great vacation option. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Float away ducks!