The easiest strategy is to buy a Royal Caribbean drink package. Gratuities are normal for most cruise lines, they're either baked into your bill or you pay onboard. I have had some success with removing $1000 for a cabana that was never rented, multiple towels from the pool and also a Royal Up that was never initiated (go figure). 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. There is a 24-hour option, but the unlimited internet for the duration of the cruise is a more popular choice. Or, if youre looking for more information on something you saw displayed around the ship, please contact International Corporate Art by phone at (30 For Photo Inquiries, please contact Customer Service by phone at +1 800 256 6649. I called and they took it off but be careful when you get an email with your fin. Explore our cruise itineraries and choose from a variety of rooms depending on your needs and budget. If you do so, be careful where you drink it. Both lines offer adults-only zones that are available to passengers at no extra charge. Like most cruise lines, Royal Caribbean refunds triggered by guest cancellations are based on length of cruise and the number of days prior to sailing. 1. Some lines, including Celebrity and Royal Caribbean, . They have to get them. At big lines such as Royal Caribbean and Norwegian, its not uncommon for a family of four staying in a single cabin to see around $60 a day in service fees added to its bills (Royal Caribbean recently hiked its service charge to $64 per day for a family of four). I request due to a knee issue that I need 2 more pillows. If youre hoping to have your hair styled for a special occasion or formal night, it might be a good idea to reserve your appointment in advance. Its possible to make phone calls from your staterooms telephone to shore, but it will come at an extra cost. Haircuts, shampoos, style dries, updos, manicures, and pedicures all cost extra. Our ships operate using a cashless system, so these accounts allow you to link a form of payment with your SeaPass Card which is then used for all onboard transactions. If you're not sure, especially when it comes to what is covered under a package, ASK. 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 . They are shown as pending. Another option: Consider one of the growing numbers of lines that include service charges in their base fares. On Carnival, a shirt or blouse will cost $6 to dry-clean and $5 for wash/press. The complete guide to cruise gratuities What do passengers prefer? As opposed to a cover charge, these restaurants charge per-item, giving you more flexibility in how much you spend. Quite often, the cost of alcoholic beverages in the ports you visit is substantially cheaper, especially in the Caribbean. Ultimately what changed my mind is a drink package makes it so easy to budget for a cruise. These photo opportunities cost nothing to stop and take, but if you want a print or digital download, it will cost you extra. 3) If there is an issue, CALMLY & POLITELY discuss it with the staff member (wait staff, guest services, etc. Why do I have a pending authorization on my bank account? These look like the standard gratuities that automatically get added to each guest's sea pass. This was my first cruise. These drink packages offer a one-time flat fee for unlimited drinks on your cruise. Planning a cruise? I personally keep my receipts and make sure the charges/tips are correctly posted to the account and then dispose of the receipts at the end of the cruise. Purchasing internet may not be necessary. At many lines, the extra-fee shocks start even before you get on a ship. Who do I contact? 75% of total price. Seems odd that you would have completed your cruise without ever knowing you had the drink pkg. @mrcrab2022Definitely good advice above from Matt. Youll pay extra for treatments in shipboard spas, for instance, or for guided shore excursions in most cases. Guests may notice pending charges or authorizations on their credit card. A single 8x10 print will cost $19.99, although there are photo packages that will cost you less per print. Upload or insert images from URL. To save on the cost of WiFi, pre-purchase a package before your cruise. However, when we show up they immediately remember our bevs. we just got off the Anthem this morning. There's also nothing Royal can do about it, they have no power to remove pending charges. No. You can also save money buying goods in the ports you visit, where local products and vendors may offer similar options at discounted prices. Powered by Invision Community. Best of luck. Gratuities | Royal Caribbean Blog We sailed Allure in September. The $43.50 looks like it is another gratuity fee even though I already paid for it. Debit card authorization will hold money on your checking account and can (and has had) very bad outcomes and RC is not at fault. Onboard account statement after the cruise? What kind of refund am I entitled to if I cancel my booking? | Royal You could also bypass a tour or activity all together, and simply walk around the port on your own, or hop in a taxi and go to a pre-determined destination. Jkaczanowski, April 10 in Royal Caribbean International. If they turn into actual charges to your card account, call Royal to have them reversed. Room stewards, wait staff, all those in service had far fewer opps for their tip income so we felt compelled to up our game and gladly did so. When we left we got out final bill which was ours but then we got home and got an email with final charges and there was a mini bar charge added for $12.36 which was not ours. Please allow at least 5 business days for the vendor to process your request. Related: 21 tips and tricks to make your cruise go more smoothly. Don't be a night owl. While the holds arent charges, they do reduce your available credit. 50% of total price. Coming back in September after Covid the numbers were small. Current Itineraries If you are holding a confirmed itinerary that sails after September 2022, you can opt to prepay your gratuities now and take advantage of lower rates. On many ships, you can also review it on the Royal Caribbean app. The refreshment package includes unlimited nonalcoholic drinks throughout the cruise, usually at a cost of around $23 per night. Are you making your bed daily, and replenishing your towels, toilet paper, etc? They are shown as pending. We are like many and tip personally certain staff on top of our tips added via RCCL. The Key is priced per day on a sailing, with daily prices ranging from $25 to $42. This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. However, in recent years some lines have started sneaking extra charges into these free eateries. You cannot paste images directly. Posted April 20, 2022 Were you both in same cabin? Cruise line spas charge rates equal to high-end salons, and you might be shocked by the prices. Please view our advertising policy page for more information. For anyone that wants more than just an occasional drink here or there, you have a few options to keep that bar tab lower. All Royal Caribbean ships have an arcade onboard for both kids and adults to enjoy. Luxury lines generally include almost everything in their base fares, from drinks of all kinds to gratuities. ( Ocean Suite balcony on Mardi Gras showing the extended balcony) Usually there are last-day sales at the shops onboard, including discounts on t-shirts. How can I file a claim if my luggage was damaged? Some of the things that come with an additional charge are what you would expect. River cruise lines at many price points also are known for their all-inclusiveness. Therefore, purchasing travel/cruise insurance prior to your cruise is recommended to ensure any medical expenses are reimbursed. Bottom line in the U.S. is simple, the maids cleaning your hotel room, waitstaff in restaurants, shuttle drivers at the airport and hotels and other similar service workers, are underpaid and tips are vital to their comp. I got hit on this pre-pandemic and ordered a glass of wine that the waiter recommended but wasn't something covered by the drink package, and I ASSUMED it was on the drink package list. On many ships, there are a lot of little things and some big things for which youll pay extra. The fastest service on Carnival vessels, for instance, was recently priced at $18.70 per person, per day. Recently returned from a cruise and noticed the charge equaling our statement amount but there was an additional charge pending for a strange sum. Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Paste as plain text instead, There is no way to avoid the upfront cost at the Medical Center, with or without insurance. If taking lots of fitness classes is part of your vacation routine, you might consider the value of trading up to a higher-end cruise line that includes fitness classes (and other extras) in its fare. There is also an American-style breakfast available with foods like pancakes and eggs, but this comes with an extra charge. They will than return to the ship and start their shift that night. 7 Night Western Caribbean Cruise | Royal Caribbean Cruises A secure invitation link to view and do For Spa Product and Services inquiries, please contact OneSpaWorld. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. All shipboard photo products and services can be purchased onboard at the Focus Photo Gallery. ANNOUNCEMENT: Sea the World a Little Differently ~Sponsored by My Cruises. Royal is a business, and they assume when you order something, you know what's up. So did you prepay gratuities with your cruise fare? You can even go to Guest Services at any time and get a printout of your charges, and/or pay them down. RCCL and pending auths from past cruise - Royal Caribbean Blog For example, we tip about 100 to our cabin attendants for 7 nights. Suites: 188 (7%). Carnival and Royal Caribbean now charge extra for filet mignon, lobster or a surf-and-turf combination entree in their main restaurants. The Royal Caribbean person that I spoke to told me the extra $15 and $43 charges to my credit card after the cruise will drop off. While not as convenient as drinking on the ship, you can often get far more value from drinking on land than onboard. If you do explore on your own, ensure you are working with a trusted tour operator (meaning they have a good reputation online), and manage your time to ensure you get back to the ship well before you are required to return. A 50-minute massage is typically about $120 . Each fitness class can be purchased individually once onboard, but the most cost effective way to take advantage of fitness classes is through a Class Pass. You'll need to own a minimum of 100 shares to obtain this benefit, and the value of the OBC will depend on the number of nights you sail: you get $50 OBC per stateroom on sailings of 5 nights or less, $100 on sailings of 6-13 nights and $250 on sailings of 14 nights or more. Below is from my upcoming 3-day cruise confirmation. 7 reasons to eat at specialty restaurants - Royal Caribbean Blog The Royal Caribbean app has a chat feature available to guests for a cost of $1.99 per person, per day. Most arcade games cost between $1-3 per game. Those in suites or The Haven pay $25. Couple days later the pending charge dropped off. Cruises - Amazing Cruises and Cruise Deals | Royal Caribbean Cruises Mysterious Charge? - Royal Caribbean International - Cruise Critic They usually email the statement on debarkation day. In essence for your tip, it equals to a dollar or 2 per hour. It will levy the charge the moment you walk on board with a bottle. That gratuity is shared among many levels. Cruise ship gratuity, service charge and tipping guide: Everything to However, on many ships, there also are a growing number of extra fees that might take you by surprise particularly if you havent been on a ship in a while. While meals are generally included on cruise ships (at least in some onboard eateries), youll pay extra for most drinks and not just alcoholic drinks. While you will not have access to their backdrops, there are lots of good alternatives. For inquiries on art you've purchased onboard our ships, please contact Park West at (800) 521-9654. Two minute rides are available at The North Star for a cost of $49.99 per person. Mad at Royal Caribbean-- charged without consent and overcharged. Have our travel agency partner get you a free quote for a Royal Caribbean cruise. Royal Caribbean last raised its gratuity fee on Jan. 2, 2018. Royal Caribbean, meanwhile, will charge you extra for a 60-second flying experience on Anthem of the Seas' skydiving simulator (after one initial free ride). 11 extra charges on cruise ships that will drive you nuts - The Points Guy Top 30 extra cruise costs that are not included - Royal Caribbean Blog Why do I have a pending authorization on my bank account? On many ships, soda and bottled water come with an extra charge (though, oddly, coffee, iced tea, lemonade and hot chocolate usually are available for free). In the segments below, we look at nearly a dozen different fees that you may encounter when cruising on big-ship cruise lines and offer advice on what to do about them. Checked my email and cant find it so I requested by email. *Please see all applicable Terms & Conditions for Promotions. A line-by-line guide. On Vision, Radiance, Voyager, and Freedom class ships, sauna and steam rooms are complimentary to guests and located within the locker rooms in the fitness center. Then went to casino and cashed in $100 x 2 nights of this OBC. Saves issues post cruise. Royal Caribbean is a fantastic cruise line for families due to the extensive amount of kids activities and programming available onboard. Passengers younger than 3 are exempt from the charges. If you're a late-night partier, you might see those drink charges a couple. However, that doesnt include taxes, fees and port charges of $114.20. While this gratuity is unavoidable, you should be aware of tipping that comes in other venues. One good way to save on onboard purchases is to wait until the end of the cruise. Some of the signature attractions on big cruise ships such as Norwegian Encore and Royal Caribbeans Anthem of the Seas come with extra fees. While the cruise line shore excursions are extremely convenient, they do come at a price. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. If not, you are charged on board. This is the combo my wife and I need but when buying a deluxe package the other must purchase a refreshment package. 23 Mar 2022 By: Jenna DeLaurentis A Royal Caribbean cruise vacation includes a lot of activities, dining, ports to visit, and things to do, but it is not an all-inclusive vacation. We tip our MDR staff at the last night we eat in there , we do specialty so we're not in there every night. Do you know about when you'd like to sail? We would love to hear your feedback. You can post now and register later. The worlds biggest cruise line by passenger capacity, Royal Caribbean, for instance, now levies a $7.95 per order service charge for room service even if all you order is a single side of hash browns. If you w *Please see all applicable Terms & Conditions for Promotions. Cruises offer a great deal of value, but there are extra costs to be aware of, so that you can budget around them. Royal Caribbean is continuing its Cruise with Confidence 48-hour cancellation window on bookings made through May 31, 2021, on sailings through April 30, 2022. The deluxe beverage Pkg requires ALL Adults in same cabin to purchase. NowIf you were in 2 different rooms then perhaps the family member linked both reservations in order to make purchases for both rooms. It can make a sailing significantly more expensive than it initially appears. Carnival charges as much as $59 for a two-hour class in the kitchen classroom on one of its newer ships, Carnival Panorama, and tacks on an 18% gratuity fee on top of that, too. He commented that he was able to get 50% off his package when he also purchased mine (I was charged BEVERAGE PACKAGE 120.36). One of the hallmarks of cruising is that theres always a free meal available somewhere on a ship. Royal Caribbean Raises the Price of Travel Insurance. If you don't prepay gratuities, these will be added to your final bill. Things I've done that I'll never do again on a Royal Caribbean cruise Related: Everything you need to know about tipping on cruise ships. On the Symphony we only had 1600. Like the spa, treatments in the salon at the Vitality Spa are not included in your cruise fare. 12 Cruise Fees That Might Take You By Surprise Nonalcoholic drinks on a Royal Caribbean cruise include fresh-squeezed juices, smoothies, mocktails, soda, specialty coffees and teas, bottled water, and milkshakes. Royal Caribbean International Cruise Line Refund Policies Were any "premium drinks or wine ordered by somebody at the table. Not that this always works: Norwegian charges a $15 corkage fee even if you want to drink your own wine in your own room. Most Royal Caribbean cruise ships have been sailing at (or over) 100% capacity. If you are missing any Crown & Anchor points from one of your previous sailings or have any inquiries regarding your account, please contact us at crown We would love to hear your feedback about your experience on your last sailing with us. If you have questions about getting to the airport on disembarkation day, contact guest services onboard to learn about your options. Starbucks is not included in your cruise fare or with any dining or beverage package, including the Cafe Select Coffee Card. I always have my TA pre-pay these, so I do see the $43.50 already on my confirmation. The size and offerings of the arcade vary by ship, but it always comes at an extra cost. Tipping can be equally confusing and unexpected for cruisers. Speaking of drinks, many cruise lines will allow you to bring your own wine or Champagne on board, usually in limited quantities. Were any "premium drinks or wine ordered by somebody at the table. If you see an issue, resolve it immediately on board! I am trying to complete my online check in process. Note that these internet charges seem to do nothing but rise in cost. Seems they just like to complain and deflect their lack of research onto others. But after 2 weeks without any response I would like to call to an US office. The app for my credit card shows PENDING if the transaction is pending but will show as a charge towards my limit. The taxes, fees and port charges line on invoices covers all the fees that countries, states, towns and ports charge ships and their occupants fees that the line passes on to you. Parents can bring their toddlers to the open play area throughout the day for free provided they are supervising their child. Royal Caribbean International doesnt control how long the holds remain, your bank or financial institution determines the duration of these holds. Do you say no to the wait staff when they walk around picking up empty glasses, but instead do it yourself? Note that the charge is per room and not per item, so you are able to order as much as you like for one charge. Mini Bar charges after we got home from Cruise - Royal Caribbean I went on a cruise with a family member and he was able to buy a drink package for me, without me even agreeing for it. Throughout a sailing, pending authorizations (holds) are issued to cards on file as a way to secure funds for onboard processed transactions. Image source: Dukas/Universal Images Group via Getty Images. One problem - we did not use the Solarium Bar (and 2 charges were made at times that we were not even on the ship). Update: The $15 beverage that I was charged on my final guest statement will be refunded back to me (They made a mistake and said I had wine). When you hit Coco Cay or Labadee before you get to debark you'll see staff leaving. Would like to see how that 29 per day we had recently gets distributed. Adventure Ocean is Royal Caribbeans childrens programming, which provides supervised childcare and activities for guests aged 6 months to 17 years. Discounts can usually be found at the spa on port days, so be on the lookout for discounted treatments listed on the Cruise Compass once onboard. Whether you elect to buy souvenirs on the ship or in the ports you visit, these gifts will cost you extra. mrcrab2022 Sometimes a barista will punch two holes in the card for a large beverage that uses multiple espresso shots, whereas others will only punch one. As extensive and accurate as your response is, I'm guessing the OP won't read it. Advanced flying classes may also be offered onboard which also come with an additional cost. Comparing Carnival's Ocean Suite to Royal Caribbean's - Cruise.blog Carnival charges as much as $59 for a two-hour class in the kitchen classroom on one of its newer ships, Carnival Panorama , and tacks on an 18% gratuity fee on top of that, too. The North Star is an observation pod found on Quantum Class ships that takes guests up to 300 feet above sea level for dramatic 360 degree views of the ship. If this was your first ever Royal cruiseand you plan to cruise again with thembe sure to join the Crown & Anchor Society to begin accruing points. Who can I speak to? 20102023Regal Sea Media LLC. The cost of Zone Zero is $18/person. Cruises offer a great deal of value, but there are extra costs to be aware of, so that you can budget around them. Week-long passes, at $209 per person, are a better deal. Norwegian Encores much-ballyhooed go-cart track (its one of the only ones at sea) will set you back $15 for a single, eight-lap ride. Each successive class of ships is a record-breaking architectural marvel that revolutionizes vacations with the latest technology. 2) As mentioned previously, monitor your charges, whether through the RC App or on the In-Room menu where you can see account charges. Whether you cruise multiple times per year or you're new to cruising, the goal of Royal Caribbean Blog is for it to bea useful resource for keeping up to date with what's new and exciting with Royal Caribbean. Therefore, guests using a drink package or coffee card somewhere like Cafe Promenade can enjoy specialty coffee drinks made with Starbucks coffee. Cruise vacations are all about the memories you make onboard, and Royal Caribbean has plenty of photographers each evening to capture them. Related: How to get free wifi on Royal Caribbean. On many ships, there is no-extra-charge food available nearly around the clock from multiple outlets just steps away from your room, from casual buffet eateries to grab-and-go pizza stands.