Table Of Content
- Why Cruise Lines Charge Gratuities on Cruise Ships – Everything You Need To Know
- Princess Cruises Teams Up to Offer Easy Transportation to Florida Ports
- Which Roles Don’t Receive Part of the Automatic Gratuity?
- How Can I Know How Much I Will Be Charged in Tips?
- Norwegian Cruise Line Just Added 1,000 Solo Cabins...
Holland America calls it a “Daily Service Fee.” Princess calls it “Crew Appreciation.” Basically, it’s a gratuity fee; how much you’ll pay for tips on a cruise ship. However, for the majority of mass market cruise lines the gratuities are extra charges on the price of your cruise. These can be a surprise to some people, especially first-time passengers. But even still, this cash-in-hand practice often left key service staff empty-handed. The average passenger does not come into contact with all the crew members that can positively impact their vacation; many key players are located behind the scenes. This is why most cruise lines today pool the tips to reward more positions.
Why Cruise Lines Charge Gratuities on Cruise Ships – Everything You Need To Know
This motivates employees to provide excellent service and keeps cruise prices more affordable by passing the cost of tips on to passengers. Most cruise lines allow you to remove (or increase) prepaid gratuities, but remember crew members rely heavily on tips for their income as they make up a significant portion of their pay. Before removing gratuities, talk to guest service to see if there are any solutions to your particular issues. If opting for this, remember that while standard gratuities cover the basics like your housekeeping and dining teams, add-ons like spa services and specialty dining are typically not included. When giving gratuities on a cruise, it’s important to acknowledge that your money goes beyond the housekeeping and dining staff. “Alternative services” refer to positions that enhance your cruise but aren’t covered by the automatic daily service charge.
Princess Cruises Teams Up to Offer Easy Transportation to Florida Ports
Other luxury cruise lines like Silversea, Seabourn, and Regent include all gratuities except on spa services. In addition, a 20% service gratuity is automatically added to all beverage purchases, spa services, and dinner at La Reserve. Currently, the gratuity is $16.50 per guest for suites and $15.50 per guest for mini-suites.
Which Roles Don’t Receive Part of the Automatic Gratuity?
Navigating gratuity expectations can be both rewarding and challenging. 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. Similar to Celebrity Cruises, Princess cruises offers more all-inclusive packages that include crew appreciation. If guests upgrade to the Princess Plus or Princess Premier Packages, they will not pay any additional gratuities once onboard the ship. Every cruise line has different policies regarding tipping, so be sure to research before you embark on your journey.
How Can I Know How Much I Will Be Charged in Tips?
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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. 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.
Can I opt out of paying gratuities or have them adjusted?
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. The cost is $13.50 per person, per day for guests in Grill Class suites. Here is a list of the daily gratuity charges by major cruise lines. However, these charges can be modified or removed by guests while on the ship in the event that they did not receive satisfactory service.
Whether your cruise line calls them daily service fees, cruise ship gratuities or crew appreciation, it’s simply tipping on a cruise. Nearly every cruise line has a name for these automatically-added service fees. If you don’t decide to prepay the tips, then the amount is automatically charged to your onboard account each day. When it comes time to settle your final bill at the end of the cruise, you’ll have the gratuity charges to pay as well.
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. When handing out gratuities on a cruise ship, it is important to observe proper etiquette.
Consider the factors that may influence the gratuity amount, such as cruise length, cabin category, and any special requests or packages you anticipate availing. By factoring gratuities into your budget from the outset, you can ensure that you are adequately prepared and avoid any financial surprises during your cruise. While specific cruise lines may have their own recommended gratuity amounts, there are general guidelines that can help you navigate the process. As a starting point, it is common to allocate around $10 to $15 per person per day for gratuities. However, it is crucial to consider the factors mentioned earlier, such as cruise length, cabin category, and service quality, to determine an appropriate gratuity amount. Your chosen cabin category can also affect the recommended gratuity amounts.
This helps to create a positive work environment and encourages crew members to provide excellent service. For instance, in recent years, Norwegian often ran Free at Sea promotions that included free crew tips in addition to free shipboard Wi-Fi and a free drinks package. The line hasn't been doing that as much lately, but these offers often come back at times when brands need to drum up more business. 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.
Here's everything you need to know about cruise gratuities, with an ultimate guide covering how it all works. Similarly, if you use room service or a cruise concierge, you may want to consider tipping those staff directly. Cruise ships are like small cities, and the crew members work tirelessly to ensure that you have a great vacation. Piano bar regulars know that a cash tip will increase the chances of the pianist choosing and performing your song request. Bring envelopes (and thank you notes) from home in case the ship’s front desk doesn’t have any to give for tips. Bring a stack of small bills from home and keep separate from your other cash, to avoid the last night panic line at the Purser’s Desk.
If you want to reduce the amount of gratuities you are paying, please consider this carefully. The daily cruise gratuities are split among a number of crew members, including stateroom attendants, dining room servers, and others. So, if you want to adjust your gratuities, be sure to consider the impact it will have on the crew. Cunard, Costa, Holland America, and Oceanic Cruise Lines add gratuities to your onboard account. However, the rates vary depending on the cruise line and stateroom category.
Upcoming Changes in Celebrity Cruises Spark Debate - Cruise Critic
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If you are new to cruising, you should know that not everything is included in your cruise vacation. In addition to your cruise fare, there are other services charges for which you will need to budget. This includes daily per person cruise gratuities as well as service charges added to purchases like drinks and spa treatments.
Cruise lines split the gratuity charge amongst the hardworking crew members, including servers, stateroom attendants, and the entertainment staff. You might be shocked when you receive the final bill if you’re unaware of the automatic gratuity charge. While automatic tipping is supposed to streamline crew appreciation, it’s a little confusing.
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