Most of the biggest cruise lines automatically add some type of service or gratuity fee onto passenger bills. However, most cruisers do tip them for their service. Even though cruise gratuities technically arent mandatory, they are customary on most mainstream cruise lines. Can You Refuse to Pay Gratuities on a Cruise? We always tip cruise staff but in cash not automatic tipping. I'm so glad you found my post! Critics of this system (which has evolved in the last several decades from strictly cash-based gratuities) say that under this tip pooling arrangement, cabin attendants and wait staff aren't getting recognized for exemplary work the same as they were in the old days. You can also adjust your gratuities up or down. Since most cruise passengers follow the tipping guidelines, that amounts to an increase $13.30 . Other people you should tip during your cruise, Nine Things You Need to Check Before Your Cruise, Eight Things That Will Surprise First Time Cruisers, How to Have the Best Embarkation Day on a Cruise, Giada De Laurentiis Named Godmother of Oceania Cruises New Ship Vista, Norwegian Cruise Line Announces 2023 Meet the Winemaker Series, P&O Arvia Naming Ceremony Will Feature Olly Murs, Carnival Now Offering Guy Fieri and Sammy Hagars Santo Tequila Fleetwide, Princess Cruises Introduces Welcome Home Program, https://shouldbecruising.com/privacy-policy/, A Cruise Glossary: Cruise Terms You Should Know, 26 Hidden Cruise Fees You Should Know About. However, extra tipping and being a jerk do not go hand in hand. If you buy a $5 souvenir with a $20 bill in Mexico, for example, youll receive change in Mexican pesos. When youre on a cruise, you shouldnt tip the captain or the officers. Those can range from about $15 to upwards of $20 for each . (Admit it: You tend to miss those nightly pillow chocolates and towel animals after you get home.) Up the tip to $20. I prefer waiting to see how the service is before deciding on an extra tip, but thats just my preference. Now if someone goes over and above a little extra is due. It was just the two of us. Tipped crew on many cruise lines include housekeeping, dining, and laundry workers. $10-20 at the end of the cruise is a nice gratuity for their service. For some of them, depending . If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Cruise lines pay these workers very low wages for the long hours that they work each day, and expect that passengers will tip to increase the crew members earnings to a reasonable rate. We like to prepay gratuities when we make our final payment for our cruise, but this is optional. But I also feel like people will think Im rude for not doing so in reality tho, they are already being tipped 18%. Even if you try, theyll likely graciously turn down your offer. You can adjust this based on the length and complexity of the tour. And if the problem still remains unsolved - then adjust the tips. A better solution is to have a discreet word with the crew members supervisor about your concerns. However, youll want to make sure youve notified your bank that you will be out of the country. one in 2023. In addition to this, an 18% gratuity is automatically added to all drinks, spa and salon services. Posted March 5, 2007. Should you tip extra on a cruise? Cruisers would have to tip each of their service personnel (the cabin steward, restaurant servers, bartenders, etc.) Life Well Cruised Ultimate Cruise Planner, YouTube at Life Well Cruised (Vlogs and cruise tips). Hi All, I just wanted to share something with new cruisers (and old if they do not know this). Follow me on Facebook at Life Well Cruised, Follow me onYouTube at Life Well Cruised (Vlogs and cruise tips), Follow me on Pinterest at Life Well Cruised, Follow me on Instagram at Life Well Cruised. Read more: Should You Prepay Gratuities on a Cruise or Pay Onboard? Could you possibly make your articles printable? Both beautiful cruise options! But if your excursions include free time where you eat lunch on your own, its a good idea to research the local tipping customs in the countries youll be visiting before your cruise. Although cards are widely accepted, you may still encounter establishments that do not accept card payments. Paste as plain text instead, They cheerfully attend to your requests, tidying your home away from home from the moment you leave in the morning to the last turn-down before bed. Your email address will not be published. on board service charges (Norwegian Cruise Line). Heres what you should know about cash on a Royal Caribbean cruise. The amount you tip is up to youI generally give about $5 per person per day to my stateroom steward. Why taking a weekend cruise is a great escape, 11 of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean, How to get to Royal Caribbean's cruise terminals and how much parking will cost, Top 16 things on a Royal Caribbean cruise everyone needs to do at least once. Which family cruise can you book for $2000? Prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted and cruise line gratuities may be referred to a daily service charge or crew incentive. Princess Cruises also has the Princess Plus fare, which includes gratuities or the crew incentive, Medallion Net wifi and Princess premium beverage package. They have the insider tips to match so that you can make the most of everything that'll be at your fingertips. Sometimes a shoddy tip was more insulting than no tip at all. Children under 4 are not charged. On luxury cruise lines, such as Azamara, Crystal, Seabourn, Silversea, Tauck World Discovery and Uniworld, gratuities are already included in the cost of the cruise, and additional tipping is not expected. While each cruise line is different, many include alcoholic drinks, soda and specialty coffee, gratuities, specialty dining and some shore excursions. While not obligatory, there are some of the workers you may want to recognize with a tip when cruising. Royal Caribbeans 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. Are very professional, what should a tip look like at the end of a 10 day cruise? There are instances of passengers who prefer not to tip, usually either because they disagree with tipping on principle or they've experienced unsatisfactory service. 1 Royal Caribbean Travel Protection is an optional travel protection add-on to your cruise booking and is available through Royal Caribbean for residents in all states except New York. Celebrity Cruises is Royal Caribbean's sister brand that provides a slightly more upscale, refined experience onboard. It has one large sink with two faucets and a large shower with a tub. There may be cases where you'd like to tip your cabin steward more than what he or she will receive after your automated gratuity is pooled and shared out. a $200 gratuity on top of my prepaid gratuities. The cruise line assesses a daily fee and divides the money among the tipped crew. Jan 6. Depending on your bank, the ATM transaction fee may be waived. How much shouldwe tip? Maybe your cabin attendant delivered when you made a special request, or you loved how your steward always sweetly arranged your children's stuffed animals before bed every night -- or maybe you just want to show a little extra appreciation in the universal language of money. We usually do the prepaid tipping and also give some extra at the end of our cruises. Royal Caribbean's drink packages include: Deluxe Beverage Package Refreshment Package (No alcohol) Classic Soda Package Just did 8 nights on Voyager. Beyond leaving a cash tip for your cabin steward, or favorite server or bartender, some other small gestures will go a long way. In-suite parties are a huge amount of work for the Genie and room attendants. But the sticker price of their fares tends to scare off many budget-minded travelers. Im Carrie Ann, the writer behind Should Be Cruising. Your articles are so helpful at navigating the cruise world. Holland Americas daily gratuity is $14.50 per person, per day for guests in standard cabins and $16.00 per person, per day for guests in suites. According to Royal Caribbean, the last increase put the company "in line with its competitors in the industry and recognize the exceptional work that Royal Caribbean's staff and crew does to deliver unforgettable vacations every day.". Carnival cruise gratuities are automatically added to onboard accounts for those in all rooms. I would imagine wed see prices increase overall if they did this, but perhaps it amounts to this anyway. Read our best tips.). Thoughts? Princess Cruises will automatically charge a crew incentive of $14.50 per person, per day for guests in inside ocean view and balcony cabins. Beyond that, consider writing a heartfelt note of thanks or a drawing from your child (many have children they do not see for months at a time). Like what you see? Lines with such charges include both of the two giants of the cruise business, Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line, as well as Norwegian, MSC Cruises and Princess Cruises. Im not expecting him to kiss our butts, but come on. Thanks so much! Learn how your comment data is processed. Travelers in suites are. Later I learned that the porters outside of the cruise terminal are not cruise line employees at all! I always prepay the gratuities. Cruise lines have implemented automatic gratuities, options to prepay gratuities and some popular cruise lines have begun including tips in your cruise fare. On most cruise lines that collect automatic gratuities, youre able to remove or adjust the charges by visiting the passenger services desk. But many cruisers (including myself) choose to prepay to avoid a big charge at the end of the cruise. Tipping on a cruise ship can be a confusing endeavor, especially for those sailing for the first time. Youre right an 18% gratuity is added each time you purchase a drink. Is it the 15 day or the 7 day from Honolulu? Credit: Royal Caribbean Show-Stopping Entertainment If you are one to give your room attendant a little extra (on top of auto gratuities), how much do you typically give. If your kids had a great time at the kids club on board, giving a tip at the end of the cruise to their favorite staff members is always appreciated. You cannot paste images directly. The article also reviews major changes in the RCI's gratuities policy implemented fleetwide/on all liners. Most mainstream cruise lines have their headquarters in the US. Its customary to tip the waiters generously at specialty restaurants. 4 Ways to Tip Extra on a Non-Tipping Cruise Ship, What to Expect on a Cruise: Onboard Spending, Service on a Luxury Cruise: What to Expect. Given that most , all ? Posted September 17, 2021. In North America, most cruise terminal porters are longshoremen. This is a personal decision and Im not sure if theres a tipping etiquette for it. The extra cash may or may not end up in your steward's pocket, but he'll appreciate the gesture nonetheless. You also shouldnt tip the cruise director, the entertainment staff, or any independent entertainers like musical guests, comedians, or magicians. Pasted as rich text. The bar service personnel still gets their 15% tips from each bar sale. So something edible (maybe a favorite candy or snack from your home region?) You cant choose how much each crew member gets. If you wait to the end to tip, then the servers wont know and you possibly missed out of knowing how wonderful the cabin steward or others could be. Royal Caribbean charges a gratuity of $16.00 per person, per day. If you feel that you wish to give an extra amount to anyone who you feel has done a great job, they will be appreciative. Or do you remove them altogether? Great points about luxury lines and that gratuities are included. For guests staying in Grand Suites and above, the fee is $18.50 per person, per day. So they follow this model with many of their crew members who perform services for passengers. (Learn more about when and when not to pay auto-gratuities.). Im so glad youre here! First is the ATM. If you opt for a specialty restaurant, the tip isnt usually included. Tips are added automatically to the onboard account (SeaPass) on a daily basis. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Royal Caribbean Blog. HomeBlogCruise Tips Cruise News Cruise DestinationsAboutContactResourcesFeatured PressPrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyDisclosure PolicyTerms of Use. 1 1 Quote Cindi Members 12 Author Posted April 16, 2019 However, the price of getting online can be expensive. Come join my Facebook Cruise Community Thanks for reading and Happy Cruising!! Do you tip above and beyond the automatic gratuities? How Much Should I Tip My Room Steward on a Cruise? Royal Caribbean says it is raising its suggested crew gratuities by nearly $2 per passenger, per day. Having small bills handy is helpful if you plan to tip crew members throughout your sailing. I do think its a very personal choice, but we can talk about this in a future video for sure! We did prepaid gratuities, and then I also see that bar tabs will have the auto 18% added so I feel like it wont be necessary to leave an extra tip on the bar tab. Started in 2010, Royal Caribbean Blog offers daily coverage of news and information related to the Royal Caribbean cruise line along with other relevant topics of cruising, such as entertainment, news, photo updates and more. Most cruise lines charge for children as well, although there are some exceptions for very young children on select cruise lines. It really made my day! You can also leave a small gift for your favorite crew member. How much tip receive in cruise royal caribbean? If you found this helpful, please dont keep it to yourself ;-). We are a middle class, retirement age couple (63 and 62) who are not retired with no plans to in the near future. For many cruise passengers, bars play a pretty large role in their experiences. It's always up to you to adjust the number of gratuities at any time while onboard the ship and your tips will be deemed undisputed. Below are just some of the people you may want to tip in this way, and some rough guidelines regarding how much - though know this is very subjective, and of course should be commensurate with the level of service that a given person provided. There is no charge for children under 3 years of age. Whether to or not and then how much. With the exception of a couple cruise lines on this list, most cruises that include gratuities are luxury lines. Do you need to tip at the spa on a cruise? If you tip extra, you will get FABULOUS service! It includes who to tip, who not to tip, and some tips to help as you plan your cruise vacation. Your link has been automatically embedded. Another drink package option for Royal Caribbean cruisers is the Classic Soda package, which includes fountain soda and refills at any venue, Coca-Cola Freestyle beverages and even a Coca-Cola souvenir cup. Whether $2 to a bartender, $20 to your waiter, or $50 to your stateroom attendant, it's common to tip crew members extra for excellent service. Hi this was helpful, thank you. Here are some daily automatic gratuity costs for several popular ocean cruise lines in USD (prices accurate as of summer 2021): Unlike with the deals you can get for prepaying for drink packages and some other add-ons, you wont get a discount for prepaying your automatic gratuities. Your email address will not be published. Hi All, Im Ilana. (For line by line information, read more about cruise line tipping policies.). The best advice I can give Americans and Canadians, if they are tipping questions arise either on the ship or ashore, follow the lead of Aussies and ask their advice. How much people tip a Royal Genie on their Royal Caribbean cruise tends to vary, although many American guests tend to fall at around the $75-$100 per day. Its a good idea to hand over your tips the day before disembarkation. By proceeding, you agree to Cruise Critics. I just arrived on board for our 6th cruise, after my 5th cruise just 2 months ago. However, if you prefer to pay off your account and daily gratuities in cash, you can do so by going to guest services. By The cruise line will assess your fee each day, then theyll charge your credit card on file at the end of the cruise. But honestly, theyd prefer cash over a gift basketno matter how yummy your treats are! There is no service charge applied for children under 2 years of age. You can purchase the drink package online pre-cruise or once onboard during the first day (or two) of your trip. No worries about "shoddy tips" since you have already paid the standard tip. I generally tip extra, mostly because I come from a customer service back round and know how hard these people work, compared to their pay. On a cruise, most guests bring between $100-$120 in cash per day to be spent on transportation, tips, gifts, food, and shopping. Disclaimer: I may receive a small commission when you make a purchase from a link on this site, at no added charge to you. There are a couple of exceptions, though. Some cruise lines allow you to use your cruise card to deposit money in the casino. I also tipped my wait staff very generously in the main dining room and specialty restaurants, as well as my drink waiters! We usually tip between $500-700 depending on what we do. Have some small bills handy for these times. Id give a much larger tip to a knowledgeable tour guide who led us on an intensive nine-hour experience compared to a guide who did a basic three-hour city walking tour. Keep in mind that cruise crew members live in tight quarters, so small (and edible) gifts are preferred. Either way, expect to spend about $15-20 per day. During your cruise vacation, youll probably receive services from other people who arent cruise line employeesbut you might not realize it! Stay in one of the Royal Suites and room service is included. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'shouldbecruising_com-leader-2','ezslot_15',606,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-shouldbecruising_com-leader-2-0');Since you cant remove the automatic tips for just that one crew member, removing or lowering your automatic gratuities hurts all the tipped employees. Other cruisers, often people who remember cruising before autogratuities, prefer tipping crew in cash. Gratuities or a service charge are added onto some onboard services. If youre new to cruising, you might be wondering who to tip on a cruise, how much to tip, and exactly how onboard gratuities work. Cunards daily gratuities are set at $11.50 per person, per day for guests in standard cabins. Related: Whats included in your Royal Caribbean cruise fare. cabin (not suite) recommended amount would be $39 pp times two equals $78 for a 4 night cruise. Note that paying in cash does not necessarily circumvent the pooling system -- attendants are officially required to turn in any cash gratuities to put toward the pool. I have to say, we simply prepay or leave the tips as is, so I really dont pay attention these days. Tips are added automatically to the onboard account (SeaPass) on a daily basis. frequentfloaters.com - That Guy. Started in 2010, Royal Caribbean Blog offers daily coverage of news and information related to the Royal Caribbean cruise line along with other relevant topics of cruising, such as entertainment, news, photo updates and more. If not, just leave blank. The amount is based on the service received of course. Royal Caribbean's VOOM service has two different levels of service with two different prices. Love this! For example, Royal Caribbean (www.royalcaribbean.com) recently increased its tip recommendations and now suggests $3.75 per day for your main waiter, $5 per day for the cabin housekeeping staff, $2.15 per day for the assistant waiter, and $0.75 per day for the head waiter. Do you know about when you'd like to sail? Bar, spa and in-room dining for Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara have an 18 per cent gratuity charge. Cash is rarely required on a Royal Caribbean cruise, as all payments onboard are made via your SeaPass account. If you feel you would like to give more that is fine and I am sure they will appreciate anything you decide to tip beyond the daily gratuity. Cruise lines just have contracts with their preferred shore excursion companiesthe guides and drivers arent employees of the line. You might want to reward your cabin steward, favorite bartender or MDR server, or any other crew member you think did a great job.

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