tipping cruise ship staff

Tipping on a cruise: What to know about cruise ship gratuities

How much to tip on a cruise is a question that trips up many first-timers. That's because some cruise lines tack daily service fees onto passenger bills — yet many travelers still hand out additional cash gratuities, either as a matter of course or for exemplary service.

The extra cost of the automatic gratuity charges can be a shock to first-time cruisers. At some lines, these charges run as high as $25 per day. And, unlike the typical service fee or resort fee found at a land resort, they are not per room. They are per person .

At some big lines, such as Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line , it's not uncommon for a family of four staying in a single cabin to see more than $70 a day in service fees added to their bills. On a typical seven-night cruise, that's around $500 in fees.

That's before you add in any additional tips you wish to give to your room service or favorite bartender or automatic gratuities tacked on to bar, restaurant and spa bills.

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Still, not all lines have service fees that high. Some don't charge a service fee at all. In many cases, the service charges are adjustable.

Tipping on a cruise does not have to be complicated, but you need to understand the big picture to budget for your vacation appropriately. Read on to learn all about cruise ship tipping culture and how much you'll need to tip on your next cruise, based on which cruise line you're sailing.

Tipping on a cruise ship: The big picture

Most of the biggest cruise lines automatically add some type of service or gratuity fee onto passenger bills. Lines with such charges include both of the two giants of the cruise business, Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line , as well as the next three biggest lines MSC Cruises , Norwegian and Princess Cruises .

That said, the total number of lines with a service fee has been shrinking over the years. Many smaller and higher-end cruise operators are folding tips and gratuities into their base fares.

Lines that now cover gratuities in their fares include Azamara , Ponant, Regent Seven Seas Cruises , Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours, Seabourn , SeaDream Yacht Club , Silversea Cruises and Virgin Voyages .

For lines that do have them, service and gratuity charges are touted as a convenient alternative to the practice of cash tipping on cruise ships — something that once was common.

Related: A beginners guide to picking a cruise line

Cruise lines say they pass the money collected from service charges to the shipboard crew. They say the money is shared not just with front-of-house crew, such as room attendants and waitstaff, but also with behind-the-scenes workers. In that sense, the current system is more equitable than the old system of cash tipping, which favored certain workers, lines say.

Still, some critics see the charges as a sneaky way for cruise lines to make their fares appear lower than they really are. In this line of thinking, lines with these charges are essentially breaking out a good chunk of onboard labor costs as a separate line item on your bill.

Related: The best credit cards for booking cruises

How service charges are levied

At most lines, you can pay your service charges before sailing (at the same time you pay your cruise fare). Alternatively, you can have the charges added to your room bill on board.

The big advantage to paying cruise tips in advance is that you lock in the current rate. If your line raises the rate between the time you pay and the time you sail, you won't pay more.

Some people also like to pay their service charges in advance for budgeting purposes. It'll be one less thing on your final bill at the end of the cruise.

If you prefer to pay for tips once you're on board your cruise, you'll generally find that the gratuities automatically appear on your bill. You don't have to do anything.

That said, if you want to, you can often adjust the charges (either up or down) while you're on board by visiting the guest relations desk. If you are adjusting a gratuity charge downward, expect to be asked about the reasons behind the adjustment. The guest relations staff will want to know if you've experienced particular service issues.

If you leave the service charge on your room bill, you are not expected to leave additional cruise tips for your room attendant or waiters. That's the whole point of the service charge.

Similarly, if you're on a higher-end ship that lists gratuities as being included in the fare, that means just what it says. You don't have to tip on these cruises because the line is already paying gratuities to the staff on your behalf. Additional cash gifts are not expected.

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. How much to tip extra on a cruise is entirely up to you because it is in no way required.

Related: 10 times you do not need to tip on a cruise

Included cruise tips as a booking perk

If you dislike tipping on cruise ships but can't afford to sail on an all-inclusive line, look for promotions when cruise lines with service charges throw in free gratuities as a booking incentive.

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.

Additionally, several major lines in the past couple of years have begun offering bundle pricing to customers who pay for cruise tips, Wi-Fi charges and an onboard drinks package all at once in advance of sailing, potentially at a discount.

Princess, for example, has added a Princess Plus plan as a booking option. It gives passengers prepaid gratuities (Princess calls these "crew appreciation" fees), a single-device Wi-Fi plan and a basic beverage package for a single bundled price of $60 per person, per day.

Don't worry: When lines offer such deals, it doesn't mean the crew will receive fewer tips the week you cruise. The lines that offer these deals say they'll pay a normal gratuity to the crew on your behalf.

Related: The best cruise booking perks — and which ones are actually free

Additional cruise ship tipping

Daily service charges are not the only cruise tips you will pay on board. Many cruise lines will tack an automatic gratuity charge onto the bill for extra-fee drinks, restaurant meals and spa treatments.

The included tip amount varies by cruise line but is typically 15% to 20% of the bill. Be warned that the receipt often includes a line for an additional gratuity, even when one is automatically added. This can trick many cruisers into tipping twice. Never feel pressured to add an extra tip when you've already paid one.

Note that if you purchase a dining or beverage package, most cruise lines will charge you gratuities based on a percentage of the package price. If you get one of these packages for free as a booking perk, as with Norwegian Cruise Line's Free at Sea promotion, you might still be required to pay the gratuities on the free perk.

For example, Norwegian offers a complimentary Open Bar drinks package for travelers who book its Free at Sea promotion. The cost of that package is typically $109 per person, per day. The mandatory 20% gratuity comes out to nearly $22 per day. That means two people sharing a room on a seven-night cruise would pay $308 in tips for an otherwise free drinks package — on top of their daily service charge fees.

Cruisers should also bring cash to tip the porters who bring their bags onto the ship (usually $2 per bag), as well as tour guides in port ($5 to $10 per person for half-day tours, $10 to $20 for full-day excursions and $2 for non-guide drivers). Piano bar regulars know that a cash tip will increase the chances of the pianist choosing and performing your song request.

How much should you tip on each cruise line?

If you're wondering how much you should tip on the specific cruise line you're considering or have already booked, we've compiled that information here. Below is a line-by-line look at policies for automatic gratuity charges (called service charges or "crew appreciation" charges at some lines). The rates listed are per person, per day. They were accurate as of the publishing of this story.

Remember that all additional tipping is at your discretion. Any amount is fine and will be appreciated by the hard-working crew.

Alaskan Dream Cruises

• Automatic gratuity charge : None.
• Details : Gratuities for the crew are not included in the fare and are at the discretion of travelers.
• Details : Gratuities for the crew are included in the fare. One area of exception: An 18% gratuity is added to bills for spa services.

Carnival Cruise Line

• Automatic gratuity charge : $16 to $18 per person, per day.
• Details : Passengers in most cabins pay $16. Those in suites pay $18. Children younger than 2 are exempt from the charges. Also, an 18% gratuity is added to bar bills, the cover charges for the Chef's Table and Bonsai Teppanyaki restaurants and the a la carte fee at Bonsai Sushi, Emeril's Bistro, Guy's Pig & Anchor Smokehouse | Brewhouse and Seafood Shack.

Related: Cruise giant Carnival joins Princess, Norwegian in sharply hiking service fees

Celebrity Cruises

• Automatic gratuity charge : $18 per person, per day.
• Details : Passengers in most cabins pay $18. Passengers in Concierge Class pay $18.50 and, for bookings made after Oct. 4, 2023, passengers in AquaClass cabins also pay $18.50 (for AquaClass bookings made before that date, there is no charge for gratuities). For bookings made after Oct. 4, 2023, passengers in The Retreat suites pay $23 (for The Retreat bookings made before that date, there is no charge for gratuities). Note that passengers who book a Celebrity cabin under the line's pricier All Included rate plan also do not pay gratuity charges. Additionally, a 20% gratuity is added when a passenger orders a drink that's not included in the line's All-Included rate plan, as well as when purchasing a minibar item. An 18% gratuity will be added for spa and salon services.

Celestyal Cruises

• Details : Gratuities for crew and bar staff are included in the fare.

Costa Cruises

• Automatic gratuity charge : $12.50 to $17.50 per person, per day.
• Details : Passengers on ships operating on the U.S. dollar generally pay $12.50. Ships operating on the euro have an 11 euro charge ($11.60 at current exchange rates). On cruises departing from China, Japan and Singapore, the charges range from $13.50 to $17.50, depending on the cabin category. Passengers younger than 4 are exempt from the charges. Gratuities for children between 4 and 14 (up to 12 on cruises departing from Japan, China and Singapore) are half the adult rate. Additionally, a 15% gratuity is added to beverage purchases.

Cunard Line

• Automatic gratuity charge : $14.50 to $16.50 per person, per day.
• Details : Passengers in most cabins pay $14.50. Passengers in Grill Class suites pay $16.50. Additionally, a 15% gratuity is added to bar, wine and salon bills.

Disney Cruise Line

• Details : While Disney doesn't add an automatic gratuity charge, it suggests that passengers staying in most cabins pay $14.50 per day in total when tipping various dining staff and room attendants. The suggested amount for passengers staying in concierge cabins and suites is $15.50. Passengers can prepay the amount in advance or on board. Also, an 18% gratuity is added to bar, beverage, wine and deck service bills, and an 18% gratuity is added to bills for spa services.

Holland America Line

• Automatic gratuity charge : $17 to $19.00 per person, per day.
• Details : Passengers in most cabins pay $17 for what the line now calls a "crew appreciation" charge. Passengers staying in suites pay $19.00. Additionally, an 18% gratuity is added to bar bills and dining room wine purchases.

Related: Is this love? Holland America chooses Valentine's Day for service charge price hike

Lindblad Expeditions

• Details : Gratuities are included in the fare for passengers on National Geographic Explorer, National Geographic Endurance and National Geographic Orion. On other ships, gratuities are at the passenger's discretion.

MSC Cruises

• Automatic gratuity charge : about $13 (12 euros) to $16.
• Details : Gratuity charges are $16 on voyages from and to the U.S., with the exception of sailings with pricing in euros, which have a gratuity charge of 12 euros ($12.66 at current exchange rates). Gratuities for children between 2 and 11 are half the adult rate on most cruises. Gratuities are not charged for children younger than 2.

Norwegian Cruise Line

• Automatic service charge : $20 to $25 per person, per day.
• Details : Passengers in most cabins pay $20. Those in suites or The Haven pay $25. Passengers younger than 3 are exempt from the charges. Additionally, a 20% gratuity is added to bills at bars, extra-charge specialty restaurants and ship spas. Cruises to Hawaii will also pay a 4.275% prepaid service charge called a general excise tax.

Oceania Cruises

• Automatic gratuity charge : $18 to $23 per person, per day.
• Details : Passengers staying in most cabins pay $18. Passengers in top suites with butler service pay $23. Additionally, a 20% gratuity is added to bills at bars, the extra-charge La Reserve restaurant and at ship spas.

Paul Gauguin Cruises

• Details : Gratuities are included in the fare.
• Details : Gratuities are included in the fare. However, passengers can give more at their discretion; Ponant recommends $10 to $12 per passenger, per day.

Princess Cruises

• Details : Passengers in most cabins pay $16 for what the line now calls a "crew appreciation" charge . Passengers in mini-suites pay $17, while those in bigger suites pay $18. Additionally, an 18% gratuity is added to bar bills, dining room wine purchases and Lotus Spa services.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Royal caribbean.

• Automatic gratuity charge : $18 to $20.50 per person, per day.
• Details : Passengers staying in most cabins, including junior suites, pay $18 per day. Passengers in higher-level suites pay $20.50. Additionally, an 18% gratuity is added to bills at bars, minibars, salons and spas.

Related: Royal Caribbean quietly raises automatic gratuity charges

Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours

Seadream yacht club, silversea cruises.

• Details : Gratuities are included in the fare, except for beauty salon and spa treatments.

Star Clippers

• Details : The line recommends that passengers pay 8 euros ($8.44 at current exchange rates) per day in gratuities, but the payment is at the passenger's discretion. There is a 15% gratuity added for bar purchases.

UnCruise Adventures

• Details : UnCruise recommends that passengers pay $35 per person, per day in gratuities, but the payment is at the passenger's discretion.
• Automatic gratuity charge : $17 per person, per day.
• Details : Passengers pay $17 in gratuities for all cabin types. Also, a 15% gratuity is added to bar bills.

Virgin Voyages

Windstar cruises.

• Automatic gratuity charge : $16 per person, per day.
• Details : Passengers pay a "hotel service charge" of $16 for all cabin types. Additionally, an 18% gratuity is added to bar, beverage, wine and deck service bills. Alternately, Windstar cruisers can upgrade their bookings with an all-in package that includes unlimited beverages, Wi-Fi and the hotel service charge for $89 per person, per day.

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Gratuties and tipping on a Cruise ship. A Guide to Extra Tips for Crew Members & Staff

To tip (extra), or not to tip, the dilemma on a cruise.

Bring up the topic of tips & tipping on a cruise ship and you’ll get a wide variety of recommendations and no shortage of opinions on both ends of the gratuity spectrum. For some people, even the mere mention of how much to tip on a cruise evokes panic and stress. We’re here to help out with that a little.

Before we get into tipping etiquette when you go on a cruise vacation, it’s important to point out that attitudes on extra tipping are largely cultural and vary greatly. Americans have tipping engrained in their DNA whereas Europeans don’t consider tipping a requirement. For Europeans, it is more of a gesture of simple “thanks” no matter how small the amount is.

There is no right or wrong when it comes to tipping extra on a cruise. It’s a very individual choice.

The most compelling comment I’ve heard regarding tipping crew members on a cruise was from a fellow passenger from the UK. She simply stated that everyone’s economic situations are different. Someone from the UK who has saved 2 years for a cruise vacation and has paid for gratuities during booking won’t necessarily have significant extra resources to continue tipping people and will likely believe the cruise line-imposed gratuities are sufficient. Conversely, an American passenger will normally budget extra money for their cruise to accommodate additional gratuities while on board.

Most, if not all, major cruise lines impose automatic gratuities now. These are in addition to the cruise fare, port taxes, and general taxes. These automatic gratuities or ‘service charges’ are split, in theory, among all service staff on the ship as well as behind-the-scenes staff. These extra service charges don’t come cheap either! For your average cruise, expect to spend $15 per passenger per DAY. For a family of 4 on a seven-day vacation, this adds up to an extra $420 to the vacation cost.

Each cruise line distributes these gratuities differently among front-of-house and back-of-house staff, so it’s impossible to really know how much of this mandatory service fee goes to each person you come in contact with every day.

All of this complicates the question of which crew members to tip extra and when it’s appropriate to tip on a cruise. So we have put together a quick guide on what we have experienced in 20 years of cruising when it comes to tips for the crew.

If you’re a first-time cruiser reading this guide, check out our 20 great tips for first-time cruisers !

On a Cruise, Who to Tip & how much :

Most importantly, when you spend money for anything on most cruises, there is generally an automatic gratuity added to the bill. First and foremost, if you’re feeling generous and want to leave an extra tip for a service, don’t accidentally double-tip! Inspect your receipt before adding any gratuities. Beyond that, don’t feel pressured or obligated for additional tipping. Reserve it for exceptional service if you feel the need.

Should you tip a room steward / cabin attendant?

Dig through Facebook groups and Reddit threads about tipping on a cruise, and how to handle extras for a room steward. It’s a hot topic! While most cruise lines have a per-passenger daily gratuity added to the cruise fare, many people assume that is for the steward exclusively. In reality that is a shared gratuity. This leads a lot of people to give additional money to their stewards. I’ve talked to so many passengers over the years and the consensus is that giving SOMETHING extra is the norm. What that SOMETHING extra amounts to is so subjective. Here’s how we do it:

If a steward goes out of their way to introduce themselves at the start of the cruise and makes sure you have a bucket of ice or some other small convenience available immediately, generally on the first day we’ll give them $10-$20. While many people will feel like this is ‘greasing the palm’ of the cabin steward, it’s showing appreciation for their proactive attempt at starting the cruise right! Beyond that, if everything is exceptionally clean and we are provided the expected service, mid-cruise we generally contribute another $10-$20 +/- and at the end of the cruise, if the steward has been attentive and performed ABOVE expectations, and maybe makes a towel animal here and there, we’ll leave more! Generally, the total adds up to about $50-$75 for a 7-day cruise in addition to the prepaid gratuities.

However, If we enter our cabin with a steward nowhere to be seen and we don’t ask for anything above basic service, we’ll sometimes leave nothing extra. This will be controversial to many experienced cruisers. So let me put it in perspective.

As a rule, we generally are very clean and tidy up our cabin. On some cruises, we ask for no service for several nights and sometimes never see the steward. I believe we are doing as much or more than financially rewarding them by not asking for anything at all.

Just remember the concept of exceptional. It goes both ways. If your steward is outstanding in what they provide you, they deserve a little extra. If you are an exceptionally messy person and your steward is taking a lot of time sorting out your cabin every day, then they deserve extra. To round this out, if you are difficult as a passenger, they probably deserve a lot more than you’re going to give them!

At the end of the day, the choice is always yours on whether or not to tip the cabin steward extra.

Should you tip bartenders on a cruise?

Tips for cruise ship bartenders are generally more common. Passengers, especially those from the United States equate bar service with tipping. Therefore, it’s not uncommon to see bartenders getting tipped frequently on a cruise.

We’ve been on cruises where we’ve witnessed the typical tipping behavior, leaving a dollar or two per drink or per round for a bartender. That’s definitely mighty generous considering that you’re going to be paying an automatic gratuity for that beverage or if you have a beverage package, you’ve paid substantial gratuities in that package cost.

Here are our thoughts on extra tipping for cruise ship bartenders :

As with other service people working on a cruise ship, those who give exceptional service are those we often tip extra. This includes bartenders. Our standard practice is if we’ve discovered a specific bar location and staff that really go out of their way to either give prompt service or make drinks to our liking, we usually tip a little extra a few days into the cruise then towards the end. ($10-$20) If the bartender(s) do something special, we’ll often leave more. However, if we’re on a cruise where we literally just have a beer here and there or a glass of wine on occasion, we’re less likely to tip much extra if any at all.

It’s worth noting that in general, if you tip a bartender, that tip may be pooled with other bartenders at that bar. It’s always worth asking if you intend your tip to go to a specific server or bartender.

Remember, you’re never going to get treated poorly if you do not tip extra! You will still receive great service. Some passengers just choose to tip extra to feel like they’re getting priority service, but in reality, I rarely see anyone get served ahead of another customer because they’re tippers.

Should you tip the main dining room servers?

The automatic service charges you pay when you book a cruise are divided among many staff members, including the main dining room servers and assistants. Though it’s not uncommon to leave extra for a server that has been. your dedicated server for the duration of your cruise vacation. Some people will leave nothing extra while I’ve witnessed passengers give a server $100+ at the end of a cruise. Again, this to me comes down to service level. I’ve had a wide variety of service quality over the years and If the server is the same server every night, I’ll often leave them around $25 at the end of the cruise IF the service has been really good. When there is an assistant server, I’ll usually give them a bit as well. If the service is just average, I’ll sometimes leave nothing extra.

This gets even more complicated on cruises where you can choose your own dining time like on Norwegian Cruise Lines with their freestyle dining. You may never encounter the same server twice, so tipping becomes more difficult.

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Should you tip in the specialty dining restaurants?

Remember! When you pay for specialty dining on your, even if it’s a perk in a package from cruise lines like Norwegian, you’re going to be paying a mandatory gratuity when booking. It makes this tipping advice a bit trickier. Knowing we’re paying an automatic tip means that the service should be special to consider tipping extra in the specialty dining restaurants on a ship. Many may disagree with this since the experience is supposed to be “elevated” and believe gratuities should better reflect that, but I stick with the personal opinion that the service should be above and beyond my expectations to consider tipping extra. When that happens, I’ll generally leave an extra $10 +/- for a specialty dining restaurant tip.

Tipping Musicians & Performers on a Cruise

Generally speaking, the entertainment staff is very well paid and on contract from an outside entertainment company. These talented folks don’t rely on tips and don’t expect any additional gratuities while performing on board. There are a few occasions, however, when we’ve observed passengers & guests tipping singers and musicians. This usually can be seen when there is live music in one of the bars. It’s not uncommon to see a passenger hand a musician singing solo a few dollars or even buy them a drink (depending on the rules of the cruise line).

Other cruise gratuity advice

You are going to encounter hundreds of crew members on a cruise ship, many of whom are paid a living wage and do not ever expect anything extra! These include :

• The Cruise Director
• Entertainment Staff & Performers
• Maintenance Staff
• The Captain

There are other services where people generally give staff a tip and those are:

Room service on a cruise – Remember, it’s never required to tip, but usually people who make use of onboard room service leave a small tip of $1-$5 per delivery.

Baggage handlers at embarkation port – It’s customary to tip a little to a baggage handler, especially at American ports. On average, $5 is usually sufficient. However, some passengers will insist that $5 per bag is more appropriate. I’m somewhere in the middle on this. I generally tip a minimum of $5 if I have a couple of bags, but on a transatlantic cruise where I might have 5 or 6 bags, I’ll definitely tip extra.

Automatic service charges & gratuities by the major cruise lines

Each major cruise line has a slightly different policy and fee for per-day automatic service charges and gratuities .

MSC Cruises Daily Service Charge / Gratuities:

MSC Cruises doesn’t call this “gratuities”, they call this a hotel service charge. These charges also vary by region. In typical MSC fashion, there’s nothing straightforward about their service fees <insert huge eyeroll>

For the Caribbean, South America, and Asia MSC daily gratuities are:

• $14.50 per night per adult and $7.25 per night per child (2yrs or older)
• 12 Euro per night per adult / 6 Euro per night per child (2yrs or older) for European booked clients

European Itineraries, MSC bills and books all gratuities in Euro only:

• 12 Euro per night per adult
• 6 euro per night per child

South African cruises have a slightly different daily gratuity amount with MSC:

• $10 per adult per night
• $5 per child (2 and over) per night

MSC Cruises charges a little more for Grand Voyages depending on the itinerary, it’s best to confirm this with them at the time of booking.

What is Royal Caribbean’s service & gratuities daily amount?

The Royal Caribbean automatic service gratuity is as follows:

• $14.50 USD per person, per day for guests in Junior Suites and below, or
• $17.50 USD per person, per day for guests in Grand Suites and above.

Read the full automatic gratuity policy at the Royal Caribbean website.

How much are the required daily gratuities and service charges on Norwegian Cruise Line?

Norwegian has steadily raised their daily service charge per person depending on cabin type.The service fees are as follows:

• $20.00 USD per person per day for The Haven and Suites;
• $18.00 USD per person per day for Club Balcony Suite;
• $16.00 USD per person per day for all other stateroom types

For the complete service charge information with NCL, see the Norwegian Cruise automatic service charge rates & information .

What are the per-day service fees for Carnival Cruises?

• Standard Staterooms: $16 USD per person, per day
• Suite Staterooms: $18 USD per person, per day

How much is the Celebrity Cruise automatic gratuity?

Celebrity automatically adds gratuities to guests’ onboard SeaPass® account, except for guests in Excluded Bookings*, as defined below, in the following amounts:

• $17.50USD per person, per day for Inside, Ocean View, and Veranda staterooms
• $18.00USD per person, per day for Concierge Class and AquaClass staterooms
• $21.00USD per person, per day for guests of The Retreat.

A 20% gratuity will be added to all beverages, mini bar purchases, and beverage packages.

But WAIT! Celebrity also has an all-inclusive program called “All Included rate” (formerly Always Included) where these fees are part of the rate. You’ll have an option at booking to go the all, or nearly all-inclusive rate or select a cruise-only booking where the above automatic tips are added.

For a complete service charge policy, visit the Celebrity Website

Still have questions? Here are a few that we hear being asked regularly. If you still have more, please comment and we’ll add your tipping questions to this list!

Holland America Line Daily Gratuity Amount:

The cruise line calls this “Crew Appreciation” which is the most appropriate across all cruise lines.

The daily Crew Appreciation charge is $16.00 per guest per day on Holland America for non-suite stateroom guests and $17.50 per guest per day for suite guests. The charges are subject to change without notice.

Holland America Line explains their gratuity policy and how it’s adjustable on their website, which makes it feel a little better about being charged extra fees.

Do you have a comment?

Did we miss something? Have you had a different experience? Did we get it wrong?

Recently we were asked this by a fellow passenger – so let’s elaborate :

For the Room Steward, you give “about $50-$75 for a 7-day cruise in addition to the prepaid gratuities” for services above expectations. This converts to a daily range of about $7-$11, helpful for shorter / longer cruise calculations. For MDR waiters, you often leave ~$25 at the end of the cruise for really good service. But you don’t indicate the length of cruise you are referring to. Is that figure also for a 7-day cruise, which would convert to about $3.60 per day? CR Christian

As for the question, I use this as a guideline regardless of the cruise length actually. With gratuities already being added to the cruise, and they are ever-increasing, I’ve become more selective on how I choose to tip extra. If our room steward goes out of their way for anything, I’ll tip extra… and if they frequently go out of their way, I’ll possibly leave an extra $75 regardless of the cruise length.

For the waiters, I use the same rule of thumb. If I am particularly needy during a trip, I’ll leave extra. But I often dine at the specialty restaurants that have gratuity already added, so it’s not unusual for me to only visit the main dining room 2-3 times on a 7-10 day cruise.

This is all discretionary, don’t feel compelled to tip if you don’t feel like it, it’s up to you as the passenger. The topic is frequently discussed and devolves into a heated debate, just remember it’s your money and your experience, tip or not, do what’s best for you!

Cruise Gear Editor

I'm a global nomad at heart, and the dedicated editor behind CruiseGear. For the past two decades, I've experienced exciting voyages across the world, discovering countless ports from the decks of dozens of ships, visiting 40+ countries (and living in some of them for years). It's been an exhilarating journey to say the least! I want to share everything I've learned and hope to make your next cruise vacation as enjoyable as possible.

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Well, on the one hand, cruise workers don’t get a good salary like that. But sometimes people work really well, which makes you leave a tip. The main thing is not to tip employees who are hypocritical – it is immediately written on their face. I usually tip the steward or the photographers who can take cool photos of me and my partner from time to time! I really adore this. But usually, in general, tips are already included in the cruise ticket, so it’s up to you to leave a tip or not.  But it’s never a bad thing, in fact, if a person does his job well and helps you feel relaxed during the cruise.

I think that it’s ok to tip the photographers. There was a team of 4 on our ship. They worked tirelessly and was always so friendly. Thanks to them we have a wonderful set of photos from our trip. Plus we did a professional photo shoot while aboard. They turned out so beautiful. We tipped them for their work. They seemed surprised as if they never see tips.

I don’t entirely disagree about photographers, especially when they do a great job! But like you said, they’ll probably be surprised as they don’t usually get tips.

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• Cruise Advice

Cruise Gratuities: Navigating Tipping & Service Charges

Doug Parker

• September 2, 2023

You booked your cruise and are diving into the planning phase, but what about the cruise gratuities? One area that often prompts questions, even among veteran cruisers, is the topic of tipping and service charges. Let’s clarify what you need to know.

This cruise tipping guide breaks down what’s included in cruise gratuities and service charges, what to expect, and how to maximize your time and money. 

Understanding Cruise Gratuities and Service Charges

It’s important to understand the tipping culture onboard. Most contemporary and premium cruise lines will automatically charge a daily gratuity to each passenger’s account for the crew’s service. In contrast, luxury cruise lines tend to take a more all-inclusive approach.

If you want to give extra appreciation for exceptional service, cash tips are appreciated and can be delivered directly to a waiter, porter, or stateroom steward.

Reviewing your cruise line’s tipping policy before boarding is essential, as guidelines vary on how much is expected daily for cruise gratuities.

Remember that with the “pool system” (where tips are collected for multiple individuals or departments), crew members may not receive all of the automatic gratuities, so consider leaving additional cash tips for butler service, for example, or those who work behind the scenes, like the galley staff or laundry workers.

How gratuities are paid depends on the type of cruise line you are sailing. Luxury lines may include gratuities in the price of your cruise, while it’s a separate charge on mainstream cruise lines. 

There is also a difference in gratuity rates depending on your accommodations. Gratuity rates for standard staterooms are often less than suites.

Why Tipping Matters on a Cruise Ship

The role of tips in compensating cruise ship staff must be considered. 

Tipping can impact the quality of service you receive on a cruise ship and support hard-working crew members who rely heavily on tips for fair compensation and often support their families back home.

It’s important to note that many low-level crew members rely heavily on gratuities as they are usually paid lower wages than other industries. 

Many cruisers argue that cruise gratuities should be included in the cost of the cruise fare to ensure equal payment. Virgin Voyages is one of the few mainstream cruise lines that include gratuities and service charges in their sailing cost.

How Cruise Lines Charge for Gratuities 

Automatic gratuity charges are standard on cruise ships and typically range from $15 to $20 per person daily. These charges are automatically added to your onboard account and distributed among the guest-facing crew members who provide services during your trip and select behind-the-scenes employees.

If you prefer to opt-out or adjust these automatic gratuities, most cruise lines allow you to do so by simply visiting the guest services desk. 

Cruise gratuity and service charge breakdown on standard cabins (September 2023):

Cruise gratuities are charged to guests, although the rate may be discounted for those 12 and under. Check with the cruise line for specifics during your initial research. 

While automatic gratuity charges may be convenient for some passengers, others prefer alternative tipping onboard. 

Cash tips can be given directly to crew members who provide exceptional services, such as room attendants or waitstaff.

However, cruise lines encourage paying the flat per-day gratuity rate to support all workers, including those working in the laundry room, washing dishes, or cleaning the ship late at night.

Additionally, some cruise lines offer prepaid packages that include daily cruise gratuities in the overall cost of your voyage. It’s important to consider which method works best for you and plan accordingly before setting sail on a cruise ship.

Who to Tip on a Cruise Ship

When tipping on a cruise ship, showing appreciation for the hardworking crew members who make your cruise vacation enjoyable is important. Stateroom stewards are the ones who keep your room clean and tidy throughout your stay, so it’s appreciated–though not mandatory–to tip them an additional $5 per day per person. 

The cruise lines separate gratuities into three areas: housekeeping, dining, and alternate services. 

Bartenders and baristas may not be as visible as other crew members, but they still play an important role in creating a fun atmosphere onboard. While there typically is a separate gratuity for beverages, tipping these employees around $1-2 per drink is appreciated. 

Housekeeping Team (Stateroom Steward)

When tipping your stateroom steward or butler on a cruise ship, the standard amount is $5 per day. However, if you feel your stateroom steward went above and beyond in their service, feel free to increase the tip accordingly.

The best time to leave a tip for your cabin steward is usually at the end of the cruise during disembarkation.

If you are unsatisfied with the service your stateroom steward provides, be sure to address any issues immediately. Speak directly with your steward or their supervisor or contact guest services onboard to resolve problems before leaving a lower-than-expected tip. 

Dining Team (Servers)  

When tipping your waitstaff on a cruise ship, knowing whether your gratuity is included in your specialty dining package is important. In most cases, a standard gratuity fee will be automatically added to your bill for each specialty restaurant meal.

However, an additional tip is always appreciated if you receive exceptional service or dine at specialty restaurants where the gratuity isn’t included.

For instance, the steakhouse on Carnival Cruise Line is $48 per guest, including the 18 percent service charge. At the same time, at Cagney’s Steakhouse on Norwegian Cruise Line, you will pay for a la carte menu items plus a 20 percent added gratuity. 

Alternative Services 

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.

These services may include laundry workers, dishwashers, galley attendants, and below-deck positions. 

Cruise Gratuities for Special Services 

Spa treatments and shore excursions are popular diversions during your cruise, and each has its own set of tipping guidelines. Although tipping for most of the extra services these employees provide is not required, an additional tip is always appreciated. 

Bartenders and Coffee Shop

When tipping on a cruise ship, bartenders and baristas are an important part of your vacation experience. Carnival Cruise Line, for example, charges an 18 percent gratuity for drinks – any additional tip is appreciated.

Spa Services

When tipping in the cruise line spa, it’s important to remember that a standard gratuity fee is often automatically added to your bill each day. For instance, an added gratuity of 18 to 20 percent will be included if you purchase a massage or salon service. 

An additional tip is always appreciated if you receive exceptional service during your spa treatments.

The amount you should tip varies depending on the cruise line and its specific policies. As a general rule of thumb, 15-20% of the total cost of your spa treatments is considered appropriate.

It’s also a good idea to tip your spa attendant separately if they go above and beyond to make your spa experience memorable.

Other Crew Members

Many people wonder how tips work for other crew members on a cruise ship, such as housekeeping, laundry, or spa staff. While it may vary depending on the cruise line and its policies, these tips are often pooled together with the rest of the gratuities and distributed among crew members. 

It’s important to note that cruise lines — Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Holland America, Celebrity, Regent, and Disney — have mandatory gratuities that apply to all guests regardless of who they choose to tip. 

Most allow you to adjust the amount given to each crew member – increasing or decreasing – based on your experience with them. 

Factors Affecting Tipping Amounts

The amount you should tip can be affected by several factors, including the duration and type of cruise line you’re sailing with – be it mass market, premium, or luxury.

Even the size of your stateroom or suite may also come into play when considering how much to tip, as these larger staterooms tend to have more amenities and even butler service . Lastly, the number of people in your party will also impact gratuities, as tips are paid per person. 

Drink Package Tipping and Gratuities

While most non-alcoholic beverages are included in your cruise fare, alcoholic drinks cost extra. Most premium drink packages include unlimited alcohol (or a 15-drink limit over 24 hours). If you purchase a beverage package, you must pre-pay the gratuity amount for the package’s total. 

Example: If the beverage package costs $59.95 per day and your cruise is seven days (a total of $419.65 for your week-long cruise) , you will be charged the gratuities and service charges in addition to the package cost. 

Alternative Tipping Strategies

One alternative tipping strategy is to prepay your gratuities before departing on your cruise. This can help you budget for additional costs and ensure that all crew members receive their fair share of tips. Some cruise lines offer discounts or incentives for prepaid tipping.

Another option is to tip individuals directly instead of relying on automatic gratuity charges. This allows you to show appreciation for exceptional service and tailor your tipping based on personal experience rather than a set daily amount.

Remember that some cruise lines may not allow individual tipping, so check their policies.

Prepaid Tipping and Cruise Gratuities

• Prepaid tipping is an option many cruise lines offer where guests pay a set amount for tips upfront.
• The cost of prepaid tipping on a cruise ship typically ranges from $14 to $25 per person, per day, depending on the cruise line and stateroom type.
• You can adjust the prepaid tipping up or down at guest services once you’re on board. 

Individual Tipping

Tipping individuals on a cruise ship can be confusing, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are some general guidelines you need to remember:

When should you tip individuals on a cruise ship?  

It’s customary to tip at the end of your cruise, either by leaving cash in an envelope in your room or adding it to your bill. However, if someone goes above and beyond during your trip (such as a particularly helpful stateroom steward), feel free to give them extra.

Is it appropriate to withhold tips from an individual if their service is poor?  

If you’re dissatisfied with the service, it’s always best to speak with the management before deciding not to leave a tip. The crew member may have had extenuating circumstances outside their control that affected their performance or the service they could deliver.

In general, withholding tips is only recommended if there was no effort towards good service. Remember, crew members are not paid the same as in the US and rely on tips for their livelihood.

Keep in mind that tipping is at your discretion. These are only suggestions based on cruise industry standards.

Included Cruise Tips as a Booking Perk

Many cruise lines are moving toward bundling gratuities and other add-ons as part of the overall cruise fare, allowing guests to feel like they’re getting more value for their dollar. 

Lately, we are seeing this practice not just with the luxury lines but also with premium operators like Holland America Line and Princess Cruises. 

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. 

Key Takeaways for Cruise Tipping

Every cruise line has different policies regarding tipping, so be sure to research before you embark on your journey. And most importantly, don’t forget to pack extra cash for tipping, as not all crew members are covered under automatic gratuity charges. 

• Remember to budget for daily automatic gratuities. These fees are typically $15 to $20 per person per day and will be added to your onboard spending account if you do not pre-pay. 
• Don’t assume you don’t need to tip for additional services, such as spa treatments or drinks at the bar, as they may also include an additional service charge. 
• Consider prepaying your gratuities to save money and make it easier to budget for your cruise. When tipping in cruise ports, follow local customs, as tipping may not be expected or less than in the US or Canada. 

RELATED: Gratuities — How much is too much?

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it mandatory to tip the stateroom steward on a cruise ship.

Tipping your stateroom steward on a cruise is customary and appreciated for their housekeeping, turndown, and other services. The standard tip for a stateroom steward is $3 to $5 per person per day, but you can tip more for exceptional service. If you need additional guidance on how much to tip, you can ask your stateroom steward for a recommendation.

Is it cheaper to prepay gratuities on a cruise?

The cost is the same whether gratuities are paid onboard or before your cruise. The decision to prepay gratuities is ultimately yours. It may be a good option if you think it will help with budgeting and are confident in the service.

Can I remove my cruise ship gratuities?

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.

Why don’t cruise lines pay employees a salary? 

Unlike the U.S., cruise lines do not have to pay a minimum wage but instead pay their crew members a salary often supplemented with tips, plus free room, board, and medical care. This motivates employees to provide excellent service and keeps cruise prices more affordable by passing the cost of tips on to passengers. 

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Tips on Ships: Everything You Need to Know About Cruise Gratuities

What to expect—and what to budget—when it comes to tipping on the high seas

By Tiffany Leigh

Updated February 24, 2023

Figuring out which service employees you should tip—and how much you should give—is a perennial head scratcher in travel. To help remove some of the guesswork, many cruise lines now automatically apply recommended “crew appreciation” amounts to your stateroom account.

But those amounts vary by ship, cruise line, stateroom, and other factors. What’s more, although the gratuity charges are automatically applied to your account in most cases, you can opt out of paying those fees, provided you haven’t purchased a prepaid gratuities package (those are nonrefundable). So confusion remains a possibility. 

To help you sort things out, the following guidelines will give you an idea of what to expect with tipping on cruises and provide some answers to frequently asked questions.  

How much am I expected to tip?

In general, plan on giving $16–$23 in gratuities per day for each passenger. Note that the amount should be tabulated for each individual in your party—don’t try to tip once per couple or group.

So if you’re planning to go on a 7-day cruise, expect to give a total of between $112 and $161 per person in gratuities. Don’t forget to factor those charges into your overall vacation budget. 

How do I tip?

For most cruises—including those operated by Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Princess Cruises, and Disney Cruise Line to name a few—service gratuities in the amounts mentioned above are automatically added to your stateroom account each day.

On top of the daily service rate, you may also see automatic gratuities (often an additional 15%–20%) for specialty services such as spa treatments, alcoholic beverages, specialty dining (at restaurants not included in the overall cruise rate), and other extras you partake in.   

At the end of your cruise, you’ll be given a document (usually slipped under your door) that lists various charges, including gratuities, for your review. Once reviewed and approved with guest services, payment is completed with a credit card before you depart the ship on the final day. 

Do tipping amounts vary by cruise line?

Yup—and the range of your gratuity total depends on the stateroom category you’re staying in, too.

With Princess Cruises , for instance, the current tip amount for each passenger staying in interior, ocean-view, and balcony staterooms is $16 per day; for mini suites it’s $17 per day; and for suites it’s $18 per day.

The gratuities ranges with Celebrity Cruises , meanwhile, start at $17.50 per day for inside, ocean-view, and veranda units; $18 per day for Concierge Class and Aqua Class rooms; and $21 per day for suites in The Retreat area.

On the higher end of the spectrum, Oceania Cruises charges $18 per day in tips for passengers in regular staterooms, $23 per day for customers in suites.

Cruise lines frequently raise those amounts, too. 

How do I find out how much my ship charges for tips?

You should be able to find that info on the cruise line’s website. Below, we’ve linked to the web pages containing the prices and policies relating to service charges and gratuities for some of the most popular companies. 

• Royal Caribbean

• Norwegian Cruise Line

• Disney Cruise Line

• Princess Cruises

• Celebrity Cruises

• Holland America Line

Do the daily tipping amounts apply to every single passenger? Even kids?

Depends on the cruise line. According to Disney Cruise Line, for instance, tipping applies to everyone—even infants.

But other ships do make exceptions for little ones. Passengers ages 2 and younger are exempt from tipping aboard Carnival cruises, for example, while Norwegian excuses kids ages 3 and younger, and Costa Cruises exempts kids ages 4 and younger.

Consult the cruise company’s online FAQ or your travel agent for more info, but, generally speaking, you shouldn’t expect any youngsters older than toddlerhood to get out of tipping. 

Service charges, gratuities, crew appreciation fees—what’s the difference?

The terminology gets confusing because it doesn’t seem to be consistent across cruise lines. Just know that there are usually two types of fees in this area: 1.) the flat daily fee charged to each passenger and then pooled among crew members (including room attendants and waitstaff at restaurants included in your cruise rate) and 2.) service tips (amounting to 15%–20% of the total) automatically added to your account when you opt for extras such as specialty dining, premium alcoholic beverages, spa or salon services, and so on. Obviously, you’ll only be charged the latter type of gratuity for extras you actually participate in.

How are tips divided among crew members?

If you agree to the automatic gratuities, the people who tend to you the most—your housekeeping and dining teams—get the largest share.

When my family of three (two adults and one 16-month-old baby) sailed with Disney Cruise Line in December 2022, we received the following breakdown of who would get what:

• Dining Room Server: $4.75 per person per day

• Assistant Dining Room Server: $3.75 per person per day

• Dining Room Head Server: $1.25 per person per day

• Stateroom Host: $4.75 per person per day

Note that because we didn’t opt for nonrefundable prepaid gratuities for the trip, we were free to visit guest services to change the amounts if we wanted to.

These amounts were also printed on perforated paper and we were supplied with envelopes in case we wanted to tip in cash or give gratuities to attendants in person as a gesture of appreciation.

What if I don’t want to pay the automatically generated tip amount?

If you'd rather have control over how much you tip, stop by the onboard guest services desk at the beginning of your voyage and inform the agents that you want to opt out of electronic gratuities and dole out tips on a case-by-case, à la carte basis. 

Also, if you find that you’re unsatisfied with the service you’re getting, you can ask guest services to modify the amount you’re being charged each day. Royal Caribbean lets you make changes up to the morning of your departure—but to avoid confusion, you should contact guest services as soon as possible to make these types of changes. 

The exception: passengers who purchased prepaid gratuities as part of a package. You can’t get a refund for tips you pay upfront. 

Can I tip in cash?

Cash tips are certainly still welcomed—especially if that’s what you’re more comfortable with or if you don't want to rely on the cruise line’s predetermined amounts.

It’s just important to remember that if you go this route, it's on you to opt out of the ship’s gratuities program by going to guest services at the beginning of your sailing. 

What if I want to tip some crew members more than the automatically generated amounts?

Cash is also a good option if you want to tip some workers extra for service that warrants it. If you’ve dined in mostly one spot every night of the cruise, you might want to give tips to especially attentive waitstaff on the last evening of the cruise. On a recent voyage with our baby, my family gave an additional in-person tip to our stateroom attendant for above-and-beyond service such as helping us set up the baby monitor—not to mention all the times the attendant whisked away potent diapers without so much as a grimace.

Are gratuities included in all prepaid packages for dining, drinks, and other services?

Not necessarily. 

More and more ships now offer passengers prepaid packages for a bundle of specialty dining, top-shelf drinks, Wi-Fi, and other perks (for an example, take a look at prepaid packages available from Princess Cruises ). The advantage here is that you lock in a discounted overall daily rate that throws in several extras that could otherwise add up—though you should calculate ahead of your trip whether you’ll actually use everything in the bundle to justify buying the package.

But don’t assume that gratuities are part of every prepaid package. Some companies, such as Disney, have stand-alone prepaid gratuities packages intended to make your trip relatively worry-free in the tip department because you’ve already paid for all gratuities in advance.

But with other packages, tips are only covered where specified. Royal Caribbean’s dining-and-drinks package, for instance, only covers tips for restaurant and bar staff, not housekeeping crew—so you’ll still have the automatic service charge added to your stateroom account each day unless you purchase a supplementary gratuities package.

Always make sure to review everything that’s included in the package—and what’s not—so you won’t get any unpleasant surprises. 

It’s also important to remember that gratuities included in prepaid packages are nonrefundable, so you won’t be able to modify tip amounts even if you get bad service during the cruise.

Should I tip a porter who helps me with my luggage?

Porters are contracted by the port, not the cruise line. They usually work independently of the ship, unless otherwise indicated. So if you solicit a porter for help toting your luggage from a vehicle to the ship’s check-in area, express your appreciation with $1–$3 per bag, depending on its weight.

Should I tip ship bartenders?

These days, you’ll rarely see a tip jar on the bar, and, as noted above, an automatic service charge of 15%–20% is already added to your account for alcoholic and specialty drinks. However, if you had a go-to bartender who learned your drink by heart or gave you stellar service throughout the voyage, consider expressing your gratitude with $1–$2 per drink. 

Should I tip guides for shore excursions?

The tipping advice we solicited from Princess provides some solid guidelines: For half-day tours, budget $3–$5 per person for guides, and for full-day tours plan on $6–$10 per person. Drivers should get $1–$2 per person.

Do I need to tip for onboard spa and salon treatments?

As previously noted, spa and salon staff members get a portion of the automatic service charge added to your stateroom bill for these treatments. You are free, however, to tip staff members extra if you’re especially impressed with their work.

Do I need to tip the ship's daycare workers and kids’ camp counselors?

There is no gratuity required but, again, you can offer a cash tip if staff members went out of their way to make your kiddo’s sailing extra special.

Are there crew members I shouldn’t tip?

It’s considered poor form to tip the ship’s professional sailing members, such as the cruise director, executive chef, and captain. Giving those folks gratuities would be like tipping your doctor or lawyer. 

Are predetermined tipping amounts calculated in U.S. dollars?

In most cases, though some Europe-based lines, such as MSC Cruises and Costa Cruises, charge in euros. Keep that in mind when calculating your budget.

Are there cruises where you’re not expected to tip?

Bundled package deals seem like a precursor to a future of tip-free cruising. As a matter of fact, many luxury and high-end lines such as Seabourn, Celestyal Cruises, Lindblad Expeditions, Paul Gaugin, Ponant, Regent Seven Seas, SeaDream Yacht Club, Silversea, and Virgin Voyages have already implemented gratuity-free cruises with tips built into the total cost of all-inclusive sailings.

That might make the cruise’s base rate higher, but the practice helps eliminate confusion and awkwardness for passengers and ensures that crew members will get a full wage from their employers rather than relying on customers to make up the difference.

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Cruise Ship Etiquette: Breaking Down Tip Culture

By Scott Laird

Tipping on cruise ships has changed over the years. Cash used to be king, dispensed at a passenger’s whim. But nowadays, many large lines are both cash-free and have automated tipping as part of the daily dues, meaning passengers no longer need to carry around a wad of bills. But, there are caveats. For example, not all crew is included in the general tip—some are actually forbidden from accepting gratuities—and sometimes, currency matters. Below, what you need to know about tipping on a cruise, and how to make sure no onboard tip gets lost in the shuffle.

Standard tips

A large number of cruise lines, including Carnival, Celebrity, Cunard, Disney , Holland America, Princess, Norwegian, MSC Cruises, and Royal Caribbean include gratuities for stateroom attendants and dining room staff in onboard charges on a passenger’s stateroom account. The amounts, starting around $11.50 to $16, are generally paid per passenger, per day, and vary among cruise lines and stateroom categories (larger staterooms and suites are generally a couple dollars per day more than standard accommodations).

These cruise lines also add gratuities as a percentage—ranging from 15 to 20 percent—to most specialty dining, bar, and spa charges; those amounts cannot be adjusted.

Who to tip and not tip onboard

So stateroom attendants, dining room and bar staff, and spa attendants are taken care of, but who else should be tipped separately? Onboard casino staff are not part of the larger tip pool, so passengers should tip as they play, in cash or chips. Many cruise lines also suggest tipping separately for room service deliveries, a few dollars per person. As most tips are cashless, just sign the receipt and add your tip amount on the line provided. And to note—shoreside porters are not cruise line employees, and many ports have signage indicating it is not necessary to tip them. But of course, that is the passenger's decision and a few bucks per bag is customary.

Cruise lines generally prefer to have tips given electronically to maintain cashless environments onboard their ships, but passengers who do prefer to tip in cash should give cash in the ship’s stated onboard currency. On most large, global cruise lines that’s US dollars, but some of those lines change onboard currencies based on the region they’re sailing. Princess, for example, uses US dollars onboard virtually all sailings—except for a select few departures in Australia, where Australian dollars are the onboard currency.

There are also staff onboard for whom it is not customary to tip. Royal Caribbean spokesperson Susan Lomax explains that gratuity systems onboard their ships are modeled after land-based resorts, adding that “guests are welcome to tip anyone,” but that “officers, the medical team, and security team are a hard ‘no’.” She also noted that some officers and crew may decline tips, and guests shouldn’t take offense. It may also be awkward if guests continue to attempt to tip after a worker has politely declined.

Tipless cruise lines

Some cruise lines eschew the practice of tipping. Azamara, Seabourn, Silversea , Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Virgin Voyages , Paul Gauguin Cruises, Crystal, P&O Cruises, P&O Cruises Australia, and Ponant include tips in the cruise fares, although it’s important to note that each line does not prohibit passengers from tipping crew members personally in cash if they provide above-and-beyond service. Many of these cruise lines automatically add gratuities to bills for spa services.

Tom Baker, president of Cruise Center, notes that when guests wish to tip on a “tipless” cruise line, “this is personal and there’s no rule or guideline for this.” On some cruise lines, gratuities may go into a “staff fund” that is used to purchase equipment, events, and other things that benefit the collective crew.

It’s worth noting that cruise lines that do not add gratuities or have any expectation of tipping onboard tend to promote this. Baker further explains that the majority of passengers stick to what’s customary, whether gratuities are on the bill or not: “Most guests who prepay or pay onboard for the tips, don’t tend to tip much unless they have a butler, a favored waiter or bar staff team member.” He again notes that the desire to tip is highly personal.

Adjusting gratuities

Most cruise lines that apply gratuities automatically to shipboard accounts do allow cruisers to adjust the amount of the daily gratuity up or down depending on their satisfaction with the service they have received—but only if they haven’t prepaid the gratuities as an optional add-on with the purchase of their cruise fare. An exception is Costa Cruises, which considers the service charge integral to the cruise fare, and does not allow adjustments.

Many cruise lines are now offering fare bundles that include prepaid gratuities, so it’s worth considering when selecting a fare type, although the vast majority of cruisers do not elect to reduce the daily gratuity amounts. Gratuities that are included for free as part of a booking promotion are also not eligible to be reduced or refunded for credit.

But when should cruisers adjust the amounts downward? That can be tricky, considering the automatic charges cover services provided by stateroom attendants and dining room attendants—services the overwhelming majority of cruisers will benefit from during their voyage. Cruise lines that allow passengers to adjust the amounts downward if they’re dissatisfied with the service will have to make the request to the purser or hotel staff.

Passengers who are considering reducing the gratuity amounts due to service deficiencies should also present their concerns early during the voyage to give the cruise line ample time to address their complaints. They should also consider that gratuities are pooled across several groups, so that deficiencies in one particular area may not warrant the complete elimination or significant reduction of the gratuities.

It's also not advisable to request removal or reduction of the gratuities on principle. The cruise lines have published detailed information on how the gratuities go toward compensation packages for their staff, and train their staff to provide excellent service in any case. Rather than stiffing the hardworking crew members by reducing the charges, passengers wishing to stand on principle can always choose a cruise line that includes tips in fares, or encourages passengers to tip individually—for the experience that most closely matches their expectations.

Tipping on a Cruise Ship: What You Need to Know About Cruise Gratuities

By: Author Carrie Ann Karstunen

Posted on Published: July 26, 2021  - Last updated: June 3, 2022

If you’re new to cruising, or it’s been a while since your last cruise, it’s important to know about cruise tipping guidelines before you sail. Tipping on a cruise ship isn’t mandatory, but it is customary, and many crew members rely on tips as a large part of their income.

I’ll explain everything you need to know about cruise gratuities—from who you should tip, how much you should tip, and who you should never tip on a cruise ship.

Why is tipping on a cruise even a thing?

The practice of tipping is controversial, even in the United States where paying tips is part of the culture. 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.

Tipping is supposed to encourage excellent customer service from workers, because (in theory at least) customers will tip generously for friendly, prompt service.

Most mainstream cruise lines have their headquarters in the US. So they follow this model with many of their crew members who perform services for passengers. Tipped crew on many cruise lines include housekeeping, dining, and laundry workers.

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.

So why don’t cruise lines just increase the price of fares, and pay their crew a living wage with a decent hourly rate?

Cruise lines typically flag their ships in countries with lax employment laws. They pay their crew (usually recruited from countries with limited economic opportunities) per contract, not by the hour.

If mainstream cruise lines decided to abolish tipping and pay all crew members a reasonable rate per hour, they would have to significantly raise the cost of cruise fares.

Many luxury all-inclusive cruise lines include gratuities in their cruise fares, or have a “tips neither expected nor required” policy. But the sticker price of their fares tends to scare off many budget-minded travelers. 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.

For many cruises that operate in the Australian market where tipping isn’t part of the culture, automatic gratuities aren’t added on to passenger bills. Instead, passengers can tip—or not—at their own discretion.

What are automatic gratuities?

Automatic gratuities, also called autogratuities or autograts, is the cruise term for the system most cruise lines now use to simplify tipping for passengers. Some cruise lines refer to these tips as a “service charge”.

Until fairly recently, cruise passengers customarily tipped only in cash, in person. Cruisers would have to tip each of their service personnel (the cabin steward, restaurant servers, bartenders, etc.) separately, near the end of the cruise.

Now, with automatic gratuities, the process is much simpler and you don’t need to carry all that cash. The cruise line assesses a daily fee and divides the money among the tipped crew.

With the autograt system, many crew members who rarely received tips before now get a share—like the laundry or kitchen staff on some cruise lines.

On the flip side, passengers have less control over where their money goes with autogratuities. You can’t choose how much each crew member gets.

You may also like: A Cruise Glossary: Cruise Terms You Should Know

How much are automatic gratuities on a cruise?

Most mainstream cruise lines will charge you about $14 to $15 per person per day for automatic gratuities. Each passenger is charged for these tips, including kids. However, a few lines don’t add autogratuities for babies and toddlers under age two or three.

Here are some daily automatic gratuity costs for several popular ocean cruise lines in USD (prices accurate as of summer 2021):

• Carnival:  $13.99 per person, per day ($15.99 for suite guests). Gratuities waived for kids under 2.
• Celebrity: now includes gratuities in the fare. (guests who booked prior to November 17, 2020 will pay $15.50 per person, per day ($16.00 for Concierge Class and AquaClass guests, and $19.00 for The Retreat).
• Disney: $40.50 per person for 3-day cruises. $54.00 per person for 4-day cruises. $94.50 per person for 7-day cruises. (This equates to $13.50 per person, per day)
• Holland America:  $14.50 per person, per day ($16.00 for suite guests).
• MSC Cruises:  $12.50 per person, per day. Kids 2-11 pay $6.25 per day. Gratuities waived for kids under 2.
• Norwegian: $15.50 per person, per day ($18.50 for guests in suites, Concierge, and The Haven). Gratuities waived for kids under 3.
• Princess: $14.50 per person, per day ($15.50 for mini-suite guests and $16.50 for suite guests).
• Royal Caribbean: $14.50 per person, per day ($17.50 for guests in grand suites and above).
• Viking Ocean: $15.00 per person, per day
• Virgin Voyages: includes gratuities in the fare.

Should you prepay automatic gratuities?

Unlike with the deals you can get for prepaying for drink packages and some other add-ons, you won’t get a discount for prepaying your automatic gratuities. But many cruisers (including myself) choose to prepay to avoid a big charge at the end of the cruise.

I like knowing that my bill is all set before I sail! The only charges that should appear on my final tab are any extras I decided to add on during the voyage.

But if you don’t want to prepay, that’s fine too. The cruise line will assess your fee each day, then they’ll charge your credit card on file at the end of the cruise.

Can you remove or adjust autogratuities on a cruise?

On most cruise lines that collect automatic gratuities, you’re able to remove or adjust the charges by visiting the passenger services desk. One notable exception is Norwegian Cruise Line . On NCL, passengers who don’t want to pay autograts need to file a claim for reimbursement after the cruise.

For other cruise lines, you’ll be able to adjust your autogratuities at the Passenger Services desk. You can raise them, lower them, or remove them altogether.

What you can’t do is adjust or remove automatic gratuities for a specific crew member.

You may also like: 26 Hidden Cruise Fees You Should Know About

Why you shouldn’t remove autogratuities

Most cruisers wouldn’t dream of removing the automatic gratuities. It’s a part of our cruise vacation cost and helps the hardworking crew make a living. Tipped crew make the majority of their income from gratuities!

But let’s say you have a negative experience with your server in the dining room, or you feel that the cabin steward isn’t doing their job. You might want to remove their tips as a punishment for poor service.

Since you can’t remove the automatic tips for just that one crew member, removing or lowering your automatic gratuities hurts all the tipped employees. A better solution is to have a discreet word with the crew member’s supervisor about your concerns. You’ll likely get much better service by doing that instead of just removing the tip!

Other cruisers, often people who remember cruising before autogratuities, prefer tipping crew in cash. They might feel that it gives them more control over tipping, rewarding the crew based on their level of service. Others just prefer the face-to-face experience of handing over a cash tip.

However, cruisers don’t always see all of the crew who work behind the scenes for them, like the kitchen and laundry workers. Often, these crew members are part of the tip pool, and they lose part of their expected income each time a passenger removes autogratuities.

If you enjoy tipping in cash, consider giving an extra cash tip to the crew members who gave you excellent service on your cruise.

Who else should you tip on a cruise ship?

Automatic gratuities cover just about every tipped crew member on the ship. There are a couple of exceptions, though. If you order room service, it’s customary to give the person that delivers your tray about $1-2 per meal.

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.

It’s also a nice gesture to tip the maître d’ or head waiter in the main dining room, especially if they were helpful with special menus or seating arrangements.

Do you need to tip for drinks, meals, or snacks on a cruise?

Cruise lines usually add a service charge, usually 15-18%, to all beverages that aren’t complimentary. If you don’t have a drink package, they’ll add the price of each drink plus the service fee to your onboard tab. There’s no need to add an extra tip for each drink.

With a beverage package, you’ve already paid the service fee when you bought the package, so the tip is included.

In the main dining room, buffet, specialty restaurants, and other dining venues, your tip is included in the automatic gratuities.

Some cruise lines employ a sommelier or wine steward in the main dining rooms, who isn’t included in the tipping pool. $10-20 at the end of the cruise is a nice gratuity for their service.

In for-a-fee specialty dining restaurants, you might see a spot on your bill (if you get one) to add a tip. Tips are either covered by the autogratuities or there’s a service fee tacked on, so you don’t need to tip again. You can always add extra for exceptional service, though! Just remember that a cash tip goes to your server, and a charged tip gets added to the tip pool.

If you have a special in-room dining experience, like Ultimate Balcony Dining on Princess (which I highly recommend, by the way), it’s a nice gesture to add an extra cash tip for the servers who brought your meals up and made your dinner a special experience.

Do you need to tip at the spa on a cruise?

Some cruise ship spas, like those on NCL and Royal Caribbean, add on a service fee or gratuity, usually about 18%. Check your bill after your services to see if your tip is already included. If not, 15-20% of the bill (excluding any products that you buy) is customary.

Should you tip extra on a cruise? How much?

Many cruisers opt to give extra cash tips to crew members who made their vacation that much more enjoyable. You might want to reward your cabin steward, favorite bartender or MDR server, or any other crew member you think did a great job.

The amount you tip is up to you—I generally give about $5 per person per day to my stateroom steward. For favorite bartenders or waitstaff, I give about $20 to each for a seven-day cruise.

Some cruisers swear by tipping at the beginning of the cruise to ensure excellent service. That’s up to you! I prefer waiting to see how the service is before deciding on an extra tip, but that’s just my preference.

You can just hand over folded cash, or use the tip envelopes you’ll find in your stateroom or at Passenger Services. It’s a good idea to hand over your tips the day before disembarkation. On disembarkation day, you probably won’t find your fave crew members in their usual spots!

What currency should you use to tip on a cruise?

When you’re tipping in cash on a cruise, it’s always best to use the official currency on the ship. Giving service staff tips in a currency they can’t easily use means they’ll have to pay a fee to change your cash tip into another currency.

Most cruise ships have ATMs, and some have currency exchanges on board. Or you can plan ahead and take enough cash in the correct currency to cover any tips you might want to pay.

Tip: Want to avoid paying hefty ATM fees on the cruise ship to get cash for tips? Some cruise lines allow you to use your cruise card to deposit money in the casino. Then you can take your deposit out in cash at the casino cashier.

Who should you never tip on a cruise?

When you’re on a cruise, you shouldn’t tip the captain or the officers. These cruise line employees are highly compensated, and offering a tip isn’t necessary. Even if you try, they’ll likely graciously turn down your offer.

You also shouldn’t tip the cruise director, the entertainment staff, or any independent entertainers like musical guests, comedians, or magicians. One exception is the piano player in the lounge—most accept tips for song requests or if you enjoyed their music.

What else can you do to show the crew your appreciation?

If there’s a crew member who goes above and beyond for you, there are some other ways to show your appreciation. Beyond leaving a cash tip for your cabin steward, or favorite server or bartender, some other small gestures will go a long way.

Near the end of your cruise, you’ll probably receive some comment cards in your stateroom that you can use to leave feedback about a member of the crew. You don’t need to write a novel—just a few sentences about how the crew member made your cruise even better will do.

These feedback cards mean a lot and sometimes lead to a stellar crew member getting a raise or even a promotion!

If you don’t see the cards in your room, ask at the Passenger Services desk, or leave the feedback in your post-cruise survey. (You’ll often see a survey pop up in your email inbox a few days after your cruise.)

You can also leave a small gift for your favorite crew member. Just remember that cruise ship crew live in very tight quarters, without much room for personal belongings. So something edible (maybe a favorite candy or snack from your home region?) will be more appreciated than something they would have to store.

But honestly, they’d prefer cash over a gift basket—no matter how yummy your treats are!

Other people you should tip during your cruise

During your cruise vacation, you’ll probably receive services from other people who aren’t cruise line employees—but you might not realize it! Here are some other people you should tip during your cruise.

1. Luggage porters

On embarkation day of my very first cruise, a porter came up to my taxi and whisked my luggage away, seconds after I got out of the car. I had prepaid my gratuities, and I assumed the porter was a cruise line employee, so I didn’t tip him.

Later I learned that the porters outside of the cruise terminal are not cruise line employees at all! In North America, most cruise terminal porters are longshoremen. At some North American ports, you’ll see signs stating that the porters do not accept tips. However, most cruisers do tip them for their service.

About $1-2 (or the equivalent in local currency) per bag is fine.

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2. Shore excursion guides and drivers

Even if you prepay for your shore excursions directly through the cruise line, it’s customary to tip your tour guides and drivers in cash after each excursion. Cruise lines just have contracts with their preferred shore excursion companies—the guides and drivers aren’t employees of the line.

Most cruisers tip anywhere from $2-$10 per person (or the equivalent in the local currency) to the tour guide, and hand a couple of dollars to the driver. You can adjust this based on the length and complexity of the tour. I’d 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.

If your shore excursion includes lunch, you generally don’t have to leave a tip—the tour company takes care of the lunch bill.

But if your excursions include free time where you eat lunch on your own, it’s a good idea to research the local tipping customs in the countries you’ll be visiting before your cruise.

You may also like: Do You Need to Bring Cash on a Cruise?

What do you think about the custom of tipping on a cruise ship? Do you tip above and beyond the automatic gratuities? Or do you remove them altogether? Let me know in the comments below!

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Alex Quenault

Tuesday 9th of August 2022

Thank you, Carrie Ann. This is an excellent article, which really clearly explains all the issues around tipping. In the UK, tips are completely discretionary and are only to reward service that goes above the normal expectations. For this reason, I have always found being expected to pay tips, on an already expensive cruise, very irritating and have sometimes had them reduced at the service desk. Your article has done a lot to change my philosophy and increase my understanding of why there is this charge and what the implications of reducing it might be.

Thursday 11th of August 2022

Hi Alex, thanks so much for your lovely comment. It really made my day! The tipping culture in North America and on cruise ships is flawed, but (as you mentioned) reducing or eliminating tips only hurts the hardworking crew and their families - and does nothing to change the system. I'm so glad you found my post! Happy cruising :)

Janet Patrick

Sunday 28th of November 2021

I ALWAYS tip extra to the outstanding employees on every cruise I have ever taken. I just arrived on board for our 6th cruise, after my 5th cruise just 2 months ago. Our Stateroom Attendant on cruise #5 was fabulous, and I showed my appreciation by leaving him (thanks Mahbob!) a $200 gratuity on top of my prepaid gratuities. I also tipped my wait staff very generously in the main dining room and specialty restaurants, as well as my drink waiters! These kind, helpful, generous, employees work extremely hard to make sure guests like myself have a fabulous time, and since I do, the very least I can do is show my appreciation in a way that benefits them the most!

Cheers to the Staff of RCCL!

~ janet RCCL Crown & Anchor Diamond Member at the end of this cruise!

Monday 29th of November 2021

Hi Janet! I'm sure the crew appreciated your extra tips - they all work so hard! Congrats on reaching Diamond :) Happy cruising!