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Tax levied on bad service by RCCL
 
Reviewed By: Goldsmith, London on 25th Jun 2009
Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean Cruises Times cruised before: 10+
Cruise Ship: Oasis of the Seas Sailed: June, 2009
Destination: Caribbean Age: 46-55
Cabin: Outside Occasion: Annual/regular holiday
Why is Royal Caribbean insisting on prepaid gratuities on Oasis of the Seas for february 2010?? Only dining options offered ar 'My Time Dining' and with this option one has to prepay gratuities!! I have no problem tipping if the service is as good as should be expected, BUT, having had a cabin steward who spent all his time on the phone and made a bad job of cleaning the cabin, and this year on Brilliance of the Seas, our table waiter couldn't manage a single course for our table of 8 without forgetting something, or messing up, I want to tip ONLY if they deserve it!!
Prepsaid gratuities are a tax on passengers for receiving bad service!!

My 'set sail' date here is the attempted booking date as the ship isnt built yet!!
Quality of Foodn/a
Entertainmentn/a
Shore Excursionsn/a
Staffn/a
Children's Facilitiesn/a
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Question by Fox, Chester (07 Dec 09 21:42) about this REVIEW
We are booked on the Oasis in May 2010. Can anyone tell me what the smoking policy is please. Been on the Navigator round the med and there was a no smoking policy. None of us smoke and I dont fancy dining or dancing in a room full of smog.
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Opinion: Disagree Comment by Robins, Barnet. london (07 Nov 09 11:07) about this REVIEW
Most waiters and cruise staff earn pitifully low wages of around 50 dollars a week so they really rely on their tips. We have just returned from the Independence of the Seas cruise to the canaries and all the staff went out of their way to make our cruise a very special experience. If everyone stopped paying or reducing the level of tipping see how fast it would take for the cruise companies to increase prices to compensate for the meaness of the passengers. Ray - London
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Comment by Wilba, N (26 Jun 09 09:37) about this REVIEW
Why is this in the Review section when the rest of the world posts comments of this nature in the Q&A section?
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Comment by hammond, nottingham (25 Jun 09 19:54) about this REVIEW
we have booked through Virgin for next Feb on Oasis- we have opted for 2nd sitting evening meal- i don't blame you for not wanting to pay gratuities 1st, i wouldnt either. We have been told by virgin that the gratuities are 10 dollors per day each, but once one board we go to the purser and ask them to remove them- we will then pay who we like at the end of the cruise. Actually we are having a week in Florida and then a weeks sailing eastern carib. Its quite expensive, but really have to try this monster of a ship. Will you be booking to go on the ship?
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Comment by richards, bolton le sands (02 Nov 09 18:51) about a COMMENT by hammond (25 Jun 09 19:54)
We have booked Oasis for 2nd January providing British Airways don't go on strike and spoil our fun. We have opted to prepay the grats. A first for us as we always pay on board if we feel it is deserved. When booking 16 months ago the grats were £35.00 each. is this what you have paid. If we don't like the service we will ask to have it taken off and pay seperately. Will let you know when we get back what it is like.
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Comment by hammond, wollaton (04 Nov 09 17:18) about a COMMENT by richards (02 Nov 09 18:51)
we havent had to pay any grats upffront , but 10 dollars daily each is whhat is expected. as i said earlier, we can go to the purser and have them removed and pay what we want to. lets hope that Virgin are correct here- infact i wouldnt mind that in writing from them! our date is for 22nd feb , i look forward to hearing from you on your return and hopefully you will have a fantastic time. Who have you booked with? Do you normally sail on the big liners? Are you western or eatsren carib?? Gosh this is getting like 20 questions...ha ha
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Comment by Adan, Aberdeen (10 Nov 09 23:07) about a COMMENT by hammond (04 Nov 09 17:18)
Lets be serious, the gratuities are part of these peoples wages. If you pick and choose who you tip your ruining the system. I dont agree with it either, but thats the way it works. RCI should just add £35 to fare, and leave it at that but they go the gratuity route. 15% on the SPA prices is the one that really gets me.
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Comment by richards, bolton le sands (05 Nov 09 09:46) about a COMMENT by hammond (04 Nov 09 17:18)
This time we have booked with cruise deals.co.uk The flights were part of the package and we seem to have got a good deal as the flights were included. Also we are booked in a the Hilton Marina when we get there and have a day room at the Wyndham Miami on return. We have opted to fly Manchester to Heathrow and then Direct to Miami less hastle we feel. We have cruised with RCI several times and had no problems. By using them for the flights if there is any delay apparantly they have to sort out your flights. I believe Virgin give you a car to drive down from Orlando and then you drive back up there for a few more days. We have done the Western Carib in the past several years ago and had no problems with hotel transfers this time we are doing Eastern
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Comment by branham, bromley (25 Jun 09 12:30) about this REVIEW
The Americans are under the same constraints as well; and presumably have been on the receiving end of the same bad service also. That being said, they still seem to have no problems with what looks to be a tweaking of policies by RCI. It does not take the ability to solve differential equations via the use of the Runge-Kutta method to discern why RCI is starting to implement such policies, and I think we all know why. I would suggest voting with my feet and sticking to the UK based lines that don't resort to such chicanery.
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