Thursday, April 18, 2024

The Ultimate Guide to Tipping on a Cruise

cruise gratuities

That means two people sharing a room on a seven-night cruise would pay $308 in tips for an otherwise free drinks package — on top of their daily service charge fees. Daily service charges are not the only cruise tips you will pay on board. Many cruise lines will tack an automatic gratuity charge onto the bill for extra-fee drinks, restaurant meals and spa treatments. Cruise gratuities are services charges that are not included in a standard cruise fare on most contemporary cruise lines, similar to a hotel resort fee.

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While automatic tipping is supposed to streamline crew appreciation, it’s a little confusing. If you prefer to pay for tips once you're on board your cruise, you'll generally find that the gratuities automatically appear on your bill. That said, the total number of lines with a service fee has been shrinking over the years. Many smaller and higher-end cruise operators are folding tips and gratuities into their base fares.

Can I remove my cruise ship gratuities?

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Alternatively, you can have the charges added to your room bill on board. On all cruise lines, additional gratuities may be added at your discretion. Beyond the standard service charges put forth by the cruise line, we always tip above and beyond for excellent service. Whether you opt for pre-paying cruise gratuities, having them added to your charges during the voyage or passing out tips along the way, bring small bills (lots of them!). Waiting in line to exchange large denominations at guest services can be a hassle.

Princess Cruises

If you get one of these packages for free as a booking perk, as with Norwegian Cruise Line's Free at Sea promotion, you might still be required to pay the gratuities on the free perk. Similarly, if you're on a higher-end ship that lists gratuities as being included in the fare, that means just what it says. You don't have to tip on these cruises because the line is already paying gratuities to the staff on your behalf. However, an 18% service charge still applies to bar charges, dining room wine accounts, and Lotus Spa services. Currently, the gratuity is $16.50 per guest for suites and $15.50 per guest for mini-suites.

Crew perspectives on gratuities

Roughly speaking, you can expect to pay anywhere from $11.50 – $20.00 per passenger per day for onboard gratuities. As mentioned, cruise lines automatically add gratuities to your onboard account. Other than that, your gratuity charges cover the housekeeping and dining staff. So when you leave the room you don’t have to put down any extra cash (unless you want to). And when you leave the dining room, no need to drop down any money on the table. However, for the majority of mass market cruise lines the gratuities are extra charges on the price of your cruise.

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This happens regularly for passengers feeling generous or thankful for the staff’s work during their trip. In fact, your cruise line might leave a few envelopes in your room exactly for this purpose. Instead, gratuities on a cruise ship are highly automated, with most people just electing to prepay or being charged a set amount for each day on the ship. Celebrity charges and 18% additional gratuity on spa and salon purchases. These charges are a pre-set amount that acts as a tip that’s paid by each passenger and then distributed to the crew.

cruise gratuities

You can pass these by hand or get a tip envelope from guest services. An 18% Bar Service Charge is automatically added to bar charges and Dining Room wine purchases. Since all purchases on cruise ships are “cashless” (with the possible exception of the casino), it is a good idea to keep an eye on your onboard account. Download the app or check on your cabin’s TV for up-to-date charges. The first is to pre-pay cruise gratuities when you book your reservation.

What about Aussie cruises?

The gratuity is $15.50 per person, per day for guests in mini-suites and $16.50 per person, per day for guests in suites. Please note that gratuities are charged in US dollars for Caribbean, US and Canada cruises. The service charge on MSC Cruises is $12.50 per person, per day for guests in standard cabins. There is no service charge applied for children under 2 years of age. Cunard‘s daily gratuities are set at $11.50 per person, per day for guests in standard cabins.

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In addition, a portion of the tips are given to those who work behind the scenes or may serve you in different areas of the ship. Carnival’s daily gratuities are $13.99 per person, per day for guests in standard cabins. I’ve been cruising for over 15 years, and the practice of tipping on a cruise has certainly evolved. Cruise lines have implemented automatic gratuities, options to prepay gratuities and some popular cruise lines have begun including tips in your cruise fare.

For most luxury lines, there’s no separate (additional) automatic gratuity charge on cruises. Personal experiences can provide valuable insights into the world of cruise ship gratuities. Every cruise line has different policies regarding tipping, so be sure to research before you embark on your journey. And most importantly, don’t forget to pack extra cash for tipping, as not all crew members are covered under automatic gratuity charges. Another option is to tip individuals directly instead of relying on automatic gratuity charges. This allows you to show appreciation for exceptional service and tailor your tipping based on personal experience rather than a set daily amount.

A 20% gratuity is automatically added to specialty dining, beverage, beverage package, room service, mini bar purchases, and spa & salon purchases. Welcome to the Ultimate Cruise Tipping Guide, where we answer all your questions about cruise gratuities. Are you curious about a particular cruise line's tipping policy -- how much you'll pay and whether tips are automatically added to your onboard account? Do you want to brush up on your tipping etiquette, learning when it's appropriate to reward a particular crew member who's gone above and beyond for you?

Since these are people that you may interact with on a daily basis, it’s nice to add them to your gratuity list. For some cruise lines (usually luxury lines), gratuities actually are included in the fare — you don’t pay anything extra apart from your cruise fare. MSC Cruises has also included gratuities for guests booking from the UK for this reason.

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