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When it comes to cruise gratuities, the question of tipping—how much, and to whom—always seems to be one of the most popular topics of conversation among tourists. This is a significant improvement from the practice that was common in the past when people went on cruises. It's also not advisable to request removal or reduction of the gratuities on principle. The cruise lines have published detailed information on how the gratuities go toward compensation packages for their staff, and train their staff to provide excellent service in any case.
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Cruises in Europe, World cruises and those departing from a non-US Caribbean port charge 10 Euros per person, per day. These start at $18 per person per day for Junior Suite passengers (and categories below that). Tips on Royal Caribbean rise to $20.50 per person per day for passengers in Grand Suites and above. The daily gratuities are applied to all passengers, regardless of age. Because gratuity is already included in the price of these purchases onboard, it’s not necessary to tip extra. However, many passengers still like to tip a few dollars with a drink or specialty restaurant dinner to show their appreciation.
Tipping on a Cruise Ship: What You Need to Know About Cruise Gratuities
Instead of handing over the charges well in advance of your sailing, you can keep it until you’re actually on your cruise. The amount you pay will vary by cruise line, but they are all in the same ballpark. Most lines charge $16 at the moment, but it steadily rises each year. If you’re a first-time cruiser, then there’s little doubt that you have questions about gratuities and tipping on your cruise. If you are in a suite or aboard a luxury cruise, you may have a butler assigned to your room.
Should You Tip the Room Service Delivery Person?
Bringing small bills is recommended on a cruise, as it allows you to tip crew members easily throughout the sailing. Having $1 and $5 bills handy is helpful when you want to give a bartender a small tip with your drink or tip a porter for handling your baggage on embarkation day. Guests in non-suite staterooms (including Junior Suites) pay $18 USD per person, per day for gratuities. Those in Grand Suites and above pay $20.50 USD per person, per day. Second, any time that you purchase anything service related — such as dinner at a specialty restaurant or a service at the spa — expect there to be a tip added on to the cost.
Below is a line-by-line look at policies for automatic gratuity charges (called service charges or "crew appreciation" charges at some lines). At most lines, you can pay your service charges before sailing (at the same time you pay your cruise fare). Alternatively, you can have the charges added to your room bill on board.
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Included Cruise Tips as a Booking Perk
Many cruise lines add an automatic tip to bar and spa bills; check your bill, as you do not need to add an additional tip. Prepaid gratuities mean you’re all set before stepping on the ship. It’s straightforward – you sort out your thank-yous early, so once you’re onboard, it’s all about the cruise life, no bills hanging over your head.
& Ireland passengers from October 2019, gratuities are still applied to U.S. cruisers' bills. Auto-gratuities vary by destination and onboard currency (USD or euros). Passengers are at liberty to tip staff members personally if they wish to do so, and envelopes for this purpose are available at reception. Certain onboard purchases are subject to an 18% gratuity on top of the listed price, including beverages, mini bar items, and spa and salon purchases.
You SHOULD know how much gratuities cost per day
These services may include laundry workers, dishwashers, galley attendants, and below-deck positions. After the cruise, if you ask a porter to load your luggage and wheel it to the outdoors or motor coach, you’ll need to dip into your wallet one more time. On the last night or on the morning of departure, I always give an extra tip to my room steward when I say goodbye. Hopefully, these folks will then hand out cash to those who have worked hard for them during the cruise. This way, you’re ready to personally hand it to the room service delivery person.
On some ships, the cost of many gratuities is already factored into the fare. Cash tips are certainly still welcomed—especially if that’s what you’re more comfortable with or if you don't want to rely on the cruise line’s predetermined amounts. These amounts were also printed on perforated paper and we were supplied with envelopes in case we wanted to tip in cash or give gratuities to attendants in person as a gesture of appreciation. Passengers ages 2 and younger are exempt from tipping aboard Carnival cruises, for example, while Norwegian excuses kids ages 3 and younger, and Costa Cruises exempts kids ages 4 and younger. In general, plan on giving $16–$23 in gratuities per day for each passenger.
If you choose to pay tips in cash, there are usually some envelopes available at the guest service desk. When paying the automatic daily gratuities, cruise lines tell us this amount gets divided by your cabin attendant, waiter and other dining staff. 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. 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. Passengers can request to adjust the daily amount if they have not received satisfactory service by visiting guest services onboard.
It doesn't help that tipping etiquette and different cruise line policies on the practice can be baffling. Whether you're wondering how much to tip a cruise porter or the waiter on a cruise ship, there is a lot of gray area. That's why Cruise Critic's experts have broken down when to tip, how much to tip and whom to tip. Read on for our tips on tipping, so you won't be lost at sea when it comes time to show your appreciation for the cruise crew. Still, some people do leave a little extra for crew members who go above and beyond. Others tip their room service or waitstaff at their favorite bar, either early in the cruise in the hope of getting better service or at the end to thank them for enhancing the vacation experience.
Many people wonder how tips work for other crew members on a cruise ship, such as housekeeping, laundry, or spa staff. While it may vary depending on the cruise line and its policies, these tips are often pooled together with the rest of the gratuities and distributed among crew members. While automatic gratuity charges may be convenient for some passengers, others prefer alternative tipping onboard. What I can say, on a personal level, is that we have found that the majority of cabin stewards, waiters, assistant waiters and ship staff have given us amazing service. In fact, I think most would agree that cruise line staff make a huge difference in the cruise experience. Cruise line tipping policies vary from one cruise company to another.
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