If you use your credit card, your account is billed what you spend. You receive an itemized statement the last day of the cruise. Special events that surround the dinners such as the Captain's cocktail party and the evening entertainment is repeated so that all passengers get the identical events. For those that don't have tuxes, you can often rent them from the cruise lines. A new industry trend is significantly more flexibility in dining.
Several lines offer open seating dining.
Carnival Cruise Line is instituting four different times to dine from which to choose and each table will have 3 servers vice the usual two. Many cruise lines will now allow you to bill these gratuity charges directly to your on board account. Coffee, Iced tea, milk, water, fruit punch are usually available in the cafes and other venues for no charge. Additionally, cruise lines are starting to offer unlimited soft drink packages for a one time price. Shore excursions .