Tips and online check in with RCCL

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aroundtheworld

Guest
Hi!
I'm a first time cruiser (Freedom leaving Jan 6 08) and have a question about the online check-in. There is a section about onboard expense accounts - we were going to just put credit card but after calling VISA/MC they indicated exchange fees are around 2.5% so to avoid that charge we decided to just cash as a payment method. I just read a review online that if you choose cash you have to put a $500 deposit down (which I just called RCCL to confirm).

So we switched back to credit card but are wondering how the tips part of it works? Do they give you the option to pay the tips in cash without having to make the $500 deposit?

Thanks!
 
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suer182

Guest
The ship is a cashless system(other than casino). Meaning, everything you purchase while on the ship will be applied to your Credit Card aka account. So, all your alcoholic beverages, soda that you buy will go towards your account. You use your cabin key to make the actual purchase.

The tips will also be applied to this account. You can have them removed at the pursers desk and pay the staff in cash, without putting down the 500.00 deposit.

Towards the end of the cruise you can down to the pursers desk and pay off your account in cash if you dont want to have a CC bill waiting for you at home.

I am not sure why your CC will charge you 2.5%. Are you Canadian??????
 
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aroundtheworld

Guest
Hi,
Yes I am Canadian so I guess that's why we're being charged for the conversion...

Good to know about removing the tips as we'd rather give in cash in person. Will put the rest on my credit card....

Thanks!
 
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Mbandy

Guest
Hey suer, did Royal Caribbean change their tipping procedure? On Carnival I know they add the tips automatically but on Royal we have always had to go to the Purser to have them add it on to the ship board account. We haven't been on Royal for almost three years :( so I was just wondering.
 
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Gayle V

Guest
Micheal, as of early November, (we were on the Enchantment of the Seas), it was still the way you remember. We paid tips in person in cash. If you wanted to put them on your account, you could easily do so, but you had to arrange it. They made this easy by putting a form in your cabin midway through the cruise. You could fill it out and drop it off at the purser's desk. But the default system on RCCL was "in cash in person".
 
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Mbandy

Guest
Thanks Gayle... I gotta book another RCCL sometime soon. We had to cancel our Liberty of the Seas cruise with lizardstew and Chris back in September when I got a new job :(

They said it was awesome!
 
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suer182

Guest
I have no clue if RCI changed their policy. But if you guys want to send me on a cruise I will let you know for sure. :lol Regardless, the OP does not have to be concerned with the 500.00 cash deposit or the 2.5% exchange rate for the CC.

Happy New Year guys !!!!!!
 
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Mbandy

Guest
I know suer...let's all go on that fact finding mission :thumb

Happy new year to you too.
 
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Jim

Guest
Tipping on RCI.
Yes, you MUST arrange to have the tips added to your account. It is not automatic. So, if you want to tip in cash, you are all set.

Just one more note, don't use $2 bills. Some folks think the crew like the "different" denomination, but they ahve a hard time with them. So stick to $1's, $5's, $10's, $20's and $100 dollar bills.
 
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aroundtheworld

Guest
Thanks for all your advice - that really cleared up our questions!

One week to go! :)
 
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AJ coast

Guest
Just FYI, if you book online, you can choose to include prepaid gratuities. I have not tried this with a travel agent yet.
 
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tgntm

Guest
I am booked for March on Celebrity. My tips are prepaid. My TA told me tht they will simply be on my statement at the end of the Cruise as a prepaid amount.
 
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aroundtheworld

Guest
Just came back and the amount is not put on your credit card (as it is with Carnival) - if you want it on your credit card you have to go to the pursers desk (Guest Relations) to do it. We missed the deadline (Friday evening of the cruise) so we just put cash in all the envelopes. If you prepay, you get vouchers in your envelope so you can still hand deliver them.

Hope that helps.
 
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tmoore4075

Guest
how early can you do online checkin? I know you have to do it by 3 days before but is there a time you can start doing it?
 
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aroundtheworld

Guest
You can do it as soon as you book the cruise! And you can make changes to it as well even after you've printed it in case you change your mind about anything. I read someone on here did it almost 9 months in advance!
 
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mwne2nks

Guest
SO I just want to get this straight. I give them a credit card and they put a hold on it for X amount and then we settle up at the end of the cruise. I basically charge my way through the week and pay at the end?
 
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aroundtheworld

Guest
Yup - when you check in online you have the option of paying your onboard expenses with your credit card or cash (if choosing the cash option you have to give a $500 cash deposit at the start of the cruise). We picked credit card and all our shopping was to be charged on the card. We ended up settling the bill in cash just because we got such a good rate with it so at the end you can pick how you want to settle the bill. They don't actual put any charges on your card like a deposit or anything so it's all put on at the end.

As for tips - those are not mandatory and are totally optional. You can either fill in the tips form that you get mid-week on the cruise or pay in cash. If you fill in the form they give you vouchers which you can then put in the envelopes to hand directly to whomever you want. This is different from Carnival - we had some past Carnival cruisers in our group and they confused everyone up about this!
 
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