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Download the app or check on your cabin’s TV for up-to-date charges. When it comes to tipping on a cruise, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. First, if you are paying the standard gratuities then any additional tips are entirely optional. This means that you don’t have to worry about carrying cash around with you to tip crew members if you choose not to. It’s important to note that some cruise lines like Royal Caribbean and Carnival also offer drinks packages that include gratuities for bar staff. Make sure to check the details of your drinks package to see if gratuities are included.
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The only time you would be better off waiting is if you want to use any onboard credit towards the gratuity amount. There’ll be an option to add extras to your booking, one of which will be prepaid gratuities. If you can’t find it, or you have any problem adding it to your account, you should call the cruise line to find out more. The Royal Caribbean prepaid gratuities are the most well-known example.
What Do Gratuities Cost in Total Per Cruise?
Lately, we are seeing this practice not just with the luxury lines but also with premium operators like Holland America Line and Princess Cruises. Guests staying in Concierge Staterooms and Suites are recommended a gratuity amount of $15.50 per night. Also, anytime you hire transportation onshore, gratuities for the driver are appropriate (public transit excepted). Look for a tip jar at the front of the bus or van; if you are on an extended tour with other shipmates, passing around an envelope to collect tips may be in order. The tipping culture in Europe and Asia isn’t as robust as it is in the United States, so you may tip less (or not at all) in these locations. Viking Ocean Cruises has been making waves for bundling a whole bunch of freebies into their cruise price.
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As a general rule of thumb, 15-20% of the total cost of your spa treatments is considered appropriate. Keep in mind that gratuities will be deemed undisputed unless a request to modify is received prior to disembarking the ship. If you are cruising to another destination with MSC, you will want to visit the cruise line’s website. This fee is applied to each guest’s SeaPass account on a daily basis.
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For example, a couple traveling in a balcony cabin would see a charge of $32 per day. Over the course of a week-long cruise, that would be a total of $224. To avoid surprises on your final bill, set aside a portion of your budget for gratuities. Consider the length of your cruise and the number of staff you'll interact with daily. The recommended tipping amounts vary, but a general guideline is between $3 and $5 per day, per person for various services. When you're enjoying the high seas, understanding gratuity guidelines ensures you appreciate the hardworking crew in a way that aligns with cruise culture.
Near the end of your cruise, you’ll probably receive some comment cards in your stateroom that you can use to leave feedback about a member of the crew. You don’t need to write a novel—just a few sentences about how the crew member made your cruise even better will do. Some cruisers swear by tipping at the beginning of the cruise to ensure excellent service. I prefer waiting to see how the service is before deciding on an extra tip, but that’s just my preference. If you enjoy tipping in cash, consider giving an extra cash tip to the crew members who gave you excellent service on your cruise.
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Beyond leaving a cash tip for your cabin steward, or favorite server or bartender, some other small gestures will go a long way. However, cruisers don’t always see all of the crew who work behind the scenes for them, like the kitchen and laundry workers. Often, these crew members are part of the tip pool, and they lose part of their expected income each time a passenger removes autogratuities. The practice of tipping is controversial, even in the United States where paying tips is part of the culture. In some service industries where wages are substandard, customers are expected to pay a gratuity, typically 15 to 20% of the bill, to augment the workers’ low hourly wages. If you’re someone who isn’t a fan of tipping in general, you should understand that these crew members rely on tips for their salary.
Which Cruise Lines Include Gratuities?
The amount you should tip can be affected by several factors, including the duration and type of cruise line you’re sailing with – be it mass market, premium, or luxury. Of note, Windstar Cruises also has an option for an all-inclusive package. On Princess Cruises, the crew appreciation will cost more for voyages departing after February 20, 2023. Depending on the cruise line, these charges are usually applicable to guests 2-3 years of age and older.
On the majority of cruise lines that charge gratuities, they are charged per person per night with all adults being expected to pay. I fully agree that a gratuity payment should not be billed at the end of a cruise and if so not per person but per family or one off payment per cabin . When booking a cruise you are booking an all inclusive service and the price you pay should be the price already payed including the service . PLEASE NO ADDED GRATUITY IMPOSING A COMPULSORY LEVY TO BE ASKED FOR . On the flip side, and like I stated before, I 100% agree with tipping cruise ship staff.
That way you don’t need to worry about withholding gratuities from crew members who really do deserve them. There are three main reasons why you might not want to prepay gratuities. One of those is absolutely valid, but I disagree with the other two. There is no need for you to pay extra and go to a speciality restaurant at all – the food in the ship’s main dining rooms is normally very good.
I create cruise content across YouTube, this website and my social accounts, all with the aim of helping you to find, and take your perfect cruise. I took my first cruise when I was 11 and I’ve been hooked ever since. If you do have a spa treatment on a cruise one thing to be aware of is that the treatment is often followed by a sales pitch for various products. Cruise gratuities are split across multiple departments with varying proportions depending on the cruise line.
As mentioned, instead of the old days of depending on people to tip on their own with cash in envelopes, the process is now done automatically based on a set daily rate. So if you purchase a drink costing $10 on the menu, you’ll actually be charged $11.80 in total once the gratuity is added in. In the case of a couple traveling on a week-long cruise, they can mean hundreds of dollars out of your pocket.
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