Comprehensive Guide To Tipping on a Cruise Ship

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Ah, cruising – what’s not to love? The comfort of your own cabin, endless buffets, and exciting excursions. But, what about tipping on a cruise ship? It may not be the most glamorous aspect of cruising, but it’s an important one, particularly to the crew.

You may be wondering: How much should you tip? How do you tip? What happens if you don’t tip? Do all crew members receive tips?

In this post, we will answer all these questions and more.

Types Of Gratuities

Cruising gratuities can come in several different forms. These include:

• Automatic gratuities charged by the cruise line per person per day of the cruise
• Automatic gratuities for a prepaid specialty dining or beverage package
• Automatic gratuities for services such as spa treatments
• Automatic gratuities for items such as spa products, mini bar, and bar charges
• Optional gratuities for services provided by room service delivery, bartenders, concierge, sommelier, or butler
• Optional gratuities for above-and-beyond service by other crew members

Some of these gratuities are automatically added to your cruise cost prior to the trip, while others are automatically charged to your onboard account at the time of service.

Who To Tip

During your cruise, you will interact with many crew members, although some more than others. Examples are your cabin steward, waiter, assistant waiter, sommelier, concierge, and bartenders. Plus, you may have a butler if you are sailing in a suite. These are the crew members you may wish to tip an additional amount for exceptional service.

It is important to know that there are some crew members who you do not tip. These include the ship’s officers, medical team, and security.

How Much To Tip

Cruise lines typically provide guidelines for gratuities, either as a daily per-person amount or as a recommended total for the duration of the cruise. These amounts can vary, but they generally range from $15 to $25 per person per day, depending on the cruise line and cabin category. Some cruise lines automatically charge gratuities to your onboard account or add it to your cruise fare, while others leave it to your discretion.

The following is a breakdown of automatic gratuities charged by major cruise lines as of 2024:

• Carnival: $18 per person per day for suites; $16 per person per day for other staterooms. More info here.
• Celebrity: $23 per person per day for suites in The Retreat; $18.50 per person per day for concierge class and AquaClass staterooms; and $18.00 per guest per day for all other staterooms. More info here.
• Disney: $15.50 per person per day is recommended for suites and concierge staterooms; $14.50 per person per day is recommended for all other cabins. Disney does not automatically charge gratuities but you can prepay them. More info here.
• Holland America: $17.50 per person per day for suites; $16.00 per person per day for all other staterooms. More info here.
• MSC Cruises: For Caribbean, US, and Canada cruises, $16.00 per adult 12 and over per day; $8.00 per child per day ages 2 to 12; and $0 per child under 2. More info here.
• Norwegian: $25 per person per day for suites in The Haven; $20 per person per day for all other staterooms. More info here.
• Princess: $18 per person per day for suites; $17 per person per day for mini-suite and Reserve Collection staterooms; and $16 per person per day for all other staterooms. More info here.
• Royal Caribbean: $20.50 per person per day for suites; $18 per person per day for non-suites and junior suites. More info here.
• Viking: $17 per person per day for all staterooms. More info here.

Also, a 15%–20% gratuity is added automatically by the cruise lines during your cruise for specialty dining, beverages, beverage package, room service, mini bar purchases, and/or spa purchases, depending on the cruise line. See the above links for additional information on gratuities for your cruise line.

How And When To Tip

As stated above, many cruise lines charge the daily gratuities prior to your tip, so they are added to the cost of your cruise. Others allow you to defer paying the daily gratuities until the last day of the cruise, and those will accrue each day on your account. You can see them on your stateroom’s TV where your daily account balance is available for viewing.

Although you may be able to do it either way, it is preferable to pre-pay the daily gratuities charge before setting sail so that you don’t need to worry about this aspect on the trip.

Do All Crew Members Receive A Portion Of The Daily Gratuities?

Many cruise lines have a tipping pool or gratuity distribution system in place for the daily gratuities. This means that the gratuities you pay to the cruise line are often shared among various crew members, including those working behind the scenes to ensure the ship runs smoothly.

The crew members who are most visible to passengers are usually those that receive the majority of tips, such as cabin stewards, waiters, and assistant waiters. However, there are many other crew members working behind the scenes who also receive a portion of the daily gratuities. These include kitchen staff, laundry attendants, and maintenance workers.

The goal of these systems is to create a fair and equitable distribution of gratuities among the entire crew, recognizing the collective effort that goes into making your cruise enjoyable.

Additional Tipping When Gratuities Are Already Included

Butlers, sommeliers, and concierges are generally not included in the tipping pool, and if you use their services, are crew members that you may want to tip separately. In addition to the standard gratuities already charged, you may also choose to tip individual crew members for exceptional service, such as your cabin steward, waiter, a favorite bartender, and slot attendants in the casino.

It’s important to have cash on hand for these tips, and US dollars are usually the currency of choice for the cruise lines mentioned above.

As to when you should tip additional amounts, that is up to you. Some cruisers give an additional tip to their bartender of choice, butler, or cabin steward early in the cruise, then a little more at the end of the cruise. Others, like myself, wait until the end of the cruise.

A nice gesture is to enclose the cash in a greeting card with a few lines of thanks.

Do You Tip On All Cruise Lines?

It is worth noting that some cruise lines have a culture of tipping, while others prefer not to tip at all. Don’t assume that all cruise lines operate in the same manner.

For example, European and luxury cruise lines are more likely to factor gratuities into the overall cost of the fare, so they won’t charge you daily gratuities. These include Azamara, Crystal, P&O Cruises, Ponant, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Seabourn, Silversea, and Virgin Voyages.

What Happens If You Don’t Tip?

The truth is, your cruise experience may or may not not change dramatically. However, it’s important to remember that tips make up a significant portion of a crew member’s pay, and they rely on tips to make a living. This is why it’s highly recommended that you do tip.

Cruise line employees work long hours with minimal time off, and they often go above and beyond to make your trip special. These hardworking individuals go above and beyond to make your cruise memorable, and tipping is a way to show appreciation for their efforts.

Final Thoughts On Tipping On A Cruise Ship

Always remember to check your cruise line’s policy on tipping before setting sail, and don’t hesitate to tip more for exceptional service. With a generous attitude and an open mind, you’ll have a memorable and enjoyable cruising experience, thanks to the hard-working crew.

Happy cruising!

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