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This is a convenient option for cruise passengers that don’t want to think about extra charges once onboard. We like to prepay gratuities when we make our final payment for our cruise, but this is optional. While you can adjust the automatic gratuities charged each day, there is no way to change the automatic 18% charge on things like drinks. If there was a legit reason to pay less, you could take it up with Guest Services, but wanting to pay 15% instead of 18% — simply because you think that’s more reasonable – can’t really happen. The charge occurs automatically on your bill without any input from the customer.
Can I opt out of paying gratuities or have them adjusted?
For guests who opt not to prepay, gratuities are posted to their Sail & Sign account (your onboard spending account) toward the end of the cruise. The amount is then charged to the payment method on file for the account at the end of the trip. Carnival guests can prepay gratuities at the time of booking or at any time up to their sail date. This way you don’t have to worry about having an extra charge once you cruise and you can better know your budget.
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Savvy cruisers know that gratuities begin before you board your ship. If you plan to drop off your larger pieces of luggage, be prepared to give the portside luggage handler a $2- $5 tip per bag. Finally, if you order anything from room service, then it’s expected that you give a couple of bucks to the staff member that delivers the food.
Prepaid Tipping and Cruise Gratuities
For this example, the amounts listed below are for standard (non-suite) staterooms, may vary by a dollar or so and subject to change every couple of years. Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Norwegian automatically add a room service delivery fee. Some cruise lines may call this a “Guest Services Fee” on your onboard account statement. The advantage is that you get your payment out of the way ahead of time. So when you’re on the ship, it’s one less charge to worry about. The vast majority of passengers are charged these tips, no matter if they are young, old, have special requests, eat in the main dining room, or only hit the buffet.
Some people prefer this way as it gets the charge out of the way. Others prefer to delay paying the gratuity charges until they are on the ship. Gratuities can impact the overall cost of a cruise and may be an essential factor to consider when budgeting for your vacation. The inclusion of gratuities in the cruise fare ensures that crew members receive fair compensation for their services, while also providing transparency in the overall cost to passengers. Balancing the gratuity amounts with the cruise fare allows for a more comprehensive understanding of the true cost of your cruise experience.
If guests upgrade to the Princess Plus or Princess Premier Packages, they will not pay any additional gratuities once onboard the ship. A 20% gratuity will still be automatically added to all beverages, mini bar purchases, spa and salon services. Though, guests will not pay gratuity for drinks that are part of the complimentary classic beverage package. In addition, guests will pay an 18% gratuity on all beverages, mini bar items, and spa & salon purchases.
Note that as of July 2022 those staying in Retreat or AquaClass rooms have the gratuity amount included with the cruise fare. However, some people disagree with paying a gratuity before they’ve received any service – so this is a matter of personal preference. In addition, Norwegian Cruise Line charges an automatic service charge. Also, if you book the Chef’s Table, an 18% gratuity is added to the cover charge for this multi-course dining experience. AmaWaterways offers cruises on the Mekong River in South East Asia. For Mekong Cruises, it’s recommended to tip $10 per person per day for the staff and $3 per person per day for the Cruise Manager.
The worst thing you can do is wait until you are home from your cruise to address it. 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.
To adjust the amount of your automatic tips or to tip independently, see the purser's office. Casino dealers do not receive a cut of Cunard's automatic gratuities, so consider tipping deserving staff. An automatic 15% charge also applies to spa treatments and services as well as all bar bills. And some cruise lines charge a service charge on spa services, which goes towards the spa staff.
If this is your course of action, consider offering a cash tip to those individuals who provided good service during your voyage. It is not often the case that all interactions with all crew members are substandard. So, take this opportunity to recognize the folks who worked hard to make your cruise pleasant.
It doesn’t discourage extra tipping though, and you’re free to tip any crew members over and above the automatic amounts as you wish. While tipping on Cunard is slightly less expensive than on most other cruises, Cunard also automatically bills you for gratuities. You’re usually free to reduce the automatic tip amount by visiting the guest services desk onboard.
It’s much easier for the cruise lines to charge your card than it is to accept cash. If the cruise line that you’re cruising with doesn’t have an app you are also usually able to check your onboard spend on the cabin TV. Gratuities are added to each person’s account separately even if you are using the same credit card to pay for the whole party/family at the end. If you’ve booked directly with the cruise line you’ll usually be able to select whether you want to pre-pay or not. Gratuities are calculated and charged to your account automatically.
This way, you can budget accordingly and avoid any surprises during your trip. In the past, passengers were expected to pay the gratuities to each crew member individually in cash. Before you cruise, it’s important to understand how much you will be paying per day in gratuities and where that money goes.
AmaWaterways says it’s customary to tip local guides 1 to 2 Euros per tour and bus drivers 1 Euro. That being said, tipping is not typically commonplace in mainland Europe unless the service is exemplary. In Africa, $15 to $20 per day is recommended for the Zambezi Queen onboard staff, and $5 to $10 is recommended for AmaWaterways tour guides.
While each cruise line is different, many include alcoholic drinks, soda and specialty coffee, gratuities, specialty dining and some shore excursions. Royal Caribbean’s daily automatic gratuities are set at $14.50 per person, per day for guests in standard cabins and $17.50 per person, per day for guests in suites. The average daily gratuity on a cruise is $14-15 USD per person – approximately $30 per day, per couple in a cabin. A couple should budget about $200 in gratuities for a 7 day cruise. Most cruise lines charge for children as well, although there are some exceptions for very young children on select cruise lines. If you’re surprised by the tips being charged by your cruise line, know that it is normal in cruising.
These can be a surprise to some people, especially first-time passengers. In fact, the staff will love that you want to give them more money. If you want to pay extra, we suggest simply handing cash directly to the people you want to recognize for their service.
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