Ill explain everything you need to know about cruise gratuitiesfrom who you should tip, how much you should tip, and who you should never tip on a cruise ship. Celebrity Cruises isnt a luxury cruise line, however it is a top premium cruise line that markets itself as modern luxury. If you transfer money to the slot machine and immediately cash out, you can take your cashout slip to the casino cage and receive the listed amount in cash. This fee ranges anywhere from $12.50 to upward of $20 per person, per day, depending on the cruise line -- usually on the higher end if you're staying in a suite. For guests staying in Grand Suites and above, the fee is $18.50 per person, per day. While not obligatory, there are some of the workers you may want to recognize with a tip when cruising. If youre sailing from the United States to the Caribbean, US dollars are widely accepted in popular cruise ports. The amount is very personal. Often cruise lines provide additional envelopes to tuck a little extra cash at the end of the cruise just for this purpose. Hope you enjoy! There is no charge for children under 2 years of age. Note that we are Australian, so therefore not inclined to tip unless the service warrants it. If you tip extra, you will get FABULOUS service! Others just prefer the face-to-face experience of handing over a cash tip. On disembarkation day, you probably wont find your fave crew members in their usual spots! So something edible (maybe a favorite candy or snack from your home region?) If you enjoy tipping in cash, consider giving an extra cash tip to the crew members who gave you excellent service on your cruise. Thanks for sharing your view on this. Ive been surprisedor I probably should say I had forgottenhow many hands have been extended for a tip on these shore excursions. We had the my time diningsame waiter and assistant every night. Just like with the Carnival's tipping policy, under the new Royal Caribbean tipping policy guests who believe they've been serviced poorly while onboard their "Of The Seas" ship has the right to ask Guest Services personnel to reduce or even to remove their automatic gratuities. Question for those who tip at beginning of cruise - Royal Caribbean Its important to note that, especially on the luxury lines, tipping is not expected. Ren de Lambert. #4. Cruise lines just have contracts with their preferred shore excursion companiesthe guides and drivers arent employees of the line. With the exception of a couple cruise lines on this list, most cruises that include gratuities are luxury lines. Or do you remove them altogether? If your shore excursion includes lunch, you generally dont have to leave a tipthe tour company takes care of the lunch bill. Windstar Cruises daily gratuities are $12.00 per person, per day for all cabin types. The amount is based on the service received of course. 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. On NCL, passengers who dont want to pay autograts need to file a claim for reimbursement after the cruise. The average price of a 7 night Caribbean cruise, on a mainstream cruise line, in April is approximately $616 (493) per person, excluding taxes. I was very surprised. How Much Does a Caribbean Cruise Cost? Cruising in 2022: Why Onboard Tipping is More Important Than Ever, Cabin Stewardess on Princess Cruises (Photo: Princess Cruises), A Cash Tip Which is Common on Cruises (Photo: elwynn/Shutterstock). Now if someone goes over and above a little extra is due. 1) Get a Free Balcony Upgrade Promotion and How to Find Them Occasionally cruise lines will run special promotions on particular ships, itineraries, and/or destinations offering balcony staterooms at the same price as an outside or inside cabin. Treasure Coast of Florida. Since most cruise passengers follow the tipping guidelines, that amounts to an increase $13.30 . Life Well Cruised Ultimate Cruise Planner, YouTube at Life Well Cruised (Vlogs and cruise tips). Do you know about when you'd like to sail? Your link has been automatically embedded. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. In addition, a portion of the tips are given to those who work behind the scenes or may serve you in different areas of the ship. Prior to your cruise, youll connect your onboard account with a credit or debit card, and all payments will be charged to that card at the end of the cruise. You can purchase the drink package online pre-cruise or once onboard during the first day (or two) of your trip. In a survey of 850 cruisers, 71% stated that they took over $100 per person per day when cruising. 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.". Royal Caribbean Gratuities,Tipping Policy,Tips | CruiseMapper Outdoor Activities If outdoor fun is your thing, the Carnival Dream offers a near endless array of ways to fill both day and night with fun. Lets just say from the expression on the drivers face that he was not happy with that amount. They often work 7-10 months at a time and 12-14 hours per day for seven days straight before having a half or even a whole day off. Wondering how much gratuities are on a cruise? Youll often receive change back in local currency even when paying with USD. We like to prepay gratuities when we make our final payment for our cruise, but this is optional. There aren't any hard-and-fast guidelines for this type of tip since it's contingent on your experience, but $25 to $40 on behalf of a couple roughly works out to an extra $2 to $3 per person,. Who To Tip On Your Cruise, and How Much | CruiseHabit Cruisers would have to tip each of their service personnel (the cabin steward, restaurant servers, bartenders, etc.) 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. People associate umbrella drinks and colorful tropical concoctions with cruising, and fancy-looking martinis have become a nighttime staple at sea. Automatic gratuities cover just about every tipped crew member on the ship. What do you think about the custom of tipping on a cruise ship? How much shouldwe tip? royal caribbean cruise cruises deals 2021. But I also feel like people will think Im rude for not doing so in reality tho, they are already being tipped 18%. You dont need to write a noveljust a few sentences about how the crew member made your cruise even better will do. We like to keep a few dollars handy for this purpose as we board our cruise ship. The price increases during August to approximately $773 (619) per person, excluding taxes. How it works: Gratuities are automatically added to your shipboard account on a daily basis. However, you might end up paying a similar total price on a mainstream line when you factor in gratuities, drink packages, shore excursions, and the like. The article also reviews major changes in the RCI's gratuities policy implemented fleetwide/on all liners. Plus, for a limited time, its $10 off. One of these differences is that cruise gratuities are included. If not, 15-20% of the bill (excluding any products that you buy) is customary. 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. Many ships also have an abundance of kids' activities including kids clubs that . Clear editor. You'll find an extensive selection of options all over Canada There was only one cruise where my sons special request was denied. Pricing varies based on the ship, sail dates, and itinerary. Royal Caribbean Cruises Tipping Policy As of September 7th, 2022, the automatic service gratuity of $16.00 USD per person, per day for guests in non-suites staterooms, or $18.50 USD per person, per day for guests in Suites, will be applied to each guest's SeaPass account on a daily basis. Your glowing review can help a hardworking crew member earn a promotion or raise. A Guide for Tipping on a Cruise for Each Cruise Line Ill definitely look into it and see how I can best do that on this site. When paying the automatic daily gratuities, cruise lines tell us this amount gets divided by your cabin attendant, waiter and other dining staff. Often, these crew members are part of the tip pool, and they lose part of their expected income each time a passenger removes autogratuities. How Much Should I Tip My Room Steward on a Cruise? - Cruise Critic Typical extra tips may be $15-20 per passenger for a seven-day cruise paid to the cabin steward for exceptional work, or an extra $10-20 per passenger to a waiter who offered spectacular dining. Most cruise lines allow guests to remove automatic gratuities. You can just hand over folded cash, or use the tip envelopes youll find in your stateroom or at Passenger Services. If theres a crew member who goes above and beyond for you, there are some other ways to show your appreciation. Depending on your bank, the ATM transaction fee may be waived. If you have a special in-room dining experience, like Ultimate Balcony Dining on Princess (which I highly recommend, by the way), its a nice gesture to add an extra cash tip for the servers who brought your meals up and made your dinner a special experience. One of the most luxurious aspects of cruising is the service of room stewards -- that team of people who often go unseen in their daily mission to keep your cruise cabin sparkling fresh and clean. Cruising can be such a relaxing vacation as well as so much fun. 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. Though cruise lines usually state up front that tipping is still at the discretion of the passenger, keep in mind: As with most employees in the service industry (at least in the U.S.), most of the wages cruise employees make come from these tips. ~ janet Posted March 5, 2007. Royal Caribbean: $14.50 per person, per day ($17.50 for guests in grand suites and above). The worst thing you can do is wait until you are home from your cruise to address it. Keep a few dollars handy to tip the cruise porters on embarkation day. I almost alwaysgive my dining staff a bit extra, my kids generally have some special requests that take extra time and effort for the wait staff. Complete Guide to Tipping on a Cruise | Eat Sleep Cruise Sometimes a shoddy tip was more insulting than no tip at all. A couple should budget about $200 in gratuities for a 7 day cruise. Cruises in Europe are charged in Euros. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'shouldbecruising_com-mobile-leaderboard-1','ezslot_20',609,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-shouldbecruising_com-mobile-leaderboard-1-0');In for-a-fee specialty dining restaurants, you might see a spot on your bill (if you get one) to add a tip. This is a review of RCI-Royal Caribbean International's gratuities (paid for the crew services), tipping policy and tips (per day/reduced/removed). HomeBlogCruise Tips Cruise News Cruise DestinationsAboutContactResourcesFeatured PressPrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyDisclosure PolicyTerms of Use. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Credit: Royal Caribbean Show-Stopping Entertainment Most mainstream cruise lines have their headquarters in the US. How do cruise gratuities work? Do I have to tip? | Miami Herald Holland America Line, whose ships Noordam and Maasdam are regular visitors to Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific, has the same tipping policy aboard all its ships.