Please note that gratuities are charged in US dollars for Caribbean, US and Canada cruises. I guess I was looking for some kind of scale like we have atrestaurants on land. $15.99 per person per day for guests in suites. There was only one cruise where my sons special request was denied. Once you book your cruise, there are some things you'll need to do in advance to prepare. If you feel you would like to give more that is fine and I am sure they will appreciate anything you decide to tip beyond the daily gratuity. You may want to give a small tip to the person who delivers your room service order. Now if someone goes over and above a little extra is due. How much do people tip a Royal Genie? Royal Caribbeans daily automatic gratuities are set at $14.50 per person, per day for guests in standard cabins and $17.50 per person, per day for guests in suites. Pasted as rich text. Royal Caribbean's drink packages include: Deluxe Beverage Package Refreshment Package (No alcohol) Classic Soda Package If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Please check MSCs website for details. That's a major contrast to the early days of the return to sailing after the cruise line's 15-month . Cruises in Europe are charged in Euros. Sometimes a shoddy tip was more insulting than no tip at all. Required fields are marked *. Most US lines that base ships in the UK over the summer -- Royal Caribbean, Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, for example -- offer automated gratuity options that charge a standard daily gratuity fee to the credit card you've placed on file for each day of your cruise. 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. Ill definitely look into it and see how I can best do that on this site. (Admit it: You tend to miss those nightly pillow chocolates and towel animals after you get home.) The extra cash may or may not end up in your steward's pocket, but he'll appreciate the gesture nonetheless. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Hi this was helpful, thank you. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog and leave a comment! During your cruise vacation, youll probably receive services from other people who arent cruise line employeesbut you might not realize it! If you feel that you wish to give an extra amount to anyone who you feel has done a great job, they will be appreciative. You wont require cash for 99% of purchases on a cruise, whether specialty restaurants, cocktails, or souvenirs. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. In the UK, tips are completely discretionary and are only to reward service that goes above the normal expectations. I think its pretty bad when thats the only night they make their presence be known. Disclaimer: I may receive a small commission when you make a purchase from a link on this site, at no added charge to you. It was just the two of us. Cruisers would have to tip each of their service personnel (the cabin steward, restaurant servers, bartenders, etc.) Beyond leaving a cash tip for your cabin steward, or favorite server or bartender, some other small gestures will go a long way. Disney cruises has a suggested daily gratuity charge of $13.50 per person, per day for all guests. I believe this to be true, too. Learn how your comment data is processed. Come join my Facebook Cruise Community Thanks for reading and Happy Cruising!! Check out the latest web stories from Should Be Cruising! About $1-2 (or the equivalent in local currency) per bag is fine. Tips are either covered by the autogratuities or theres a service fee tacked on, so you dont need to tip again. It's all on the room service menu. We sail Celebrity and opt to prepay gratuities. #1 Bring a bathing suit on embarkation day On embarkation day, the pools are open so be sure to pack a bathing suit in your carry-on luggage so that you can enjoy them with less crowds! Similarly, in the main dining room, we tip our waiter around $6 to $8 per day for the two of us, averaging around $50 for a 7-night cruise. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. The price increases during August to approximately $773 (619) per person, excluding taxes. But if your excursions include free time where you eat lunch on your own, its a good idea to research the local tipping customs in the countries youll be visiting before your cruise. Here are some other people you should tip during your cruise. But if you dont want to prepay, thats fine too. The amount is very personal. In addition to the automatic daily gratuities, a tip or service fee of 15-20% is added to drinks and/or drink packages as well as spa services on a cruise. How much are automatic gratuities on a cruise? Its important to note that, especially on the luxury lines, tipping is not expected. If you could use cruise packing lists, to-do checklists, shore excursion forms and more, youll love the Life Well Cruised Ultimate Cruise Planner. The only charges that should appear on my final tab are any extras I decided to add on during the voyage. Hi Alex, thanks so much for your lovely comment. Related: Cruise Line. Weve been on 4 cruises with our 5th. Some cruise ship spas, like those on NCL and Royal Caribbean, add on a service fee or gratuity, usually about 18%. Our Best Royal Caribbean Cruise Tips And Tricks. On top of that, there's an 18% gratuity fee. Cruise Tipping and Salaries Dissected, Tipping On Cruises: Cruise Line Policies Revealed, Tipping on Ships: An Australian Culture Clash, Cabin Stewards on a Cruise: What to Expect, How Not to Be Rude on a Cruise: 10 Ways to Make the Crew Love You. The auto gratuity goes not only to your cabin steward but is also shared among the entire crew that works to make your cruise successful: the dining room, buffet and specialty restaurant wait staff, cooks, laundry staff and the general housekeeping staff that cleans the ship's common areas, for example. The amount you tip is up to youI generally give about $5 per person per day to my stateroom steward. 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. Whether $2 to a bartender, $20 to your waiter, or $50 to your stateroom attendant, its common to tip crew members extra for excellent service. Every stateroom has a room service menu. Cruise line employees are extremely hard working, I agree, and they go above and beyond so often. Unless they are below average and that has happened only one time. cruise. For many cruises that operate in the Australian market where tipping isnt part of the culture, automatic gratuities arent added on to passenger bills. Critics of this system (which has evolved in the last several decades from strictly cash-based gratuities) say that under this tip pooling arrangement, cabin attendants and wait staff aren't getting recognized for exemplary work the same as they were in the old days. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Here's a guide to help you navigate ways to show your appreciation for these hard workers. You can just hand over folded cash, or use the tip envelopes youll find in your stateroom or at Passenger Services. W. Tipped crew on many cruise lines include housekeeping, dining, and laundry workers. Tip amount: Gratuities amount to $13.50 per person per day (including children 3 and older) in standard rooms and $15.50 per person in suites. A cruise only rate may be available on select cruises, which would not include gratuities. Have some small bills handy for these times. The thing that gets me so mad is we never were approached by the Maitred..except the last night when the extra tipping comes in. Hi Janet! Some cruisers swear by tipping at the beginning of the cruise to ensure excellent service. Given the high level of service, passengers often wonder how much they should plan to tip their cabin steward, especially when they go above and beyond. By proceeding, you agree to Cruise Critics. Check your bill after your services to see if your tip is already included. Thoughts? The gratuity applies to individual guests of all ages and . The cruise line will assess your fee each day, then theyll charge your credit card on file at the end of the cruise. Please check Costas website for details. Thanks so much for your input on this. Your glowing review can help a hardworking crew member earn a promotion or raise. Related: Whats included in your Royal Caribbean cruise fare. Whether to or not and then how much. Im so glad youre enjoying my blog and find the posts helpful and appreciate the feedback. Now, with automatic gratuities, the process is much simpler and you dont need to carry all that cash. As it is with most cruise shipping companies, RCI's tourists can remove the daily gratuity but know that these tips are for all the housekeeping and dining staff. If you want to adjust the amount, go to the reception desk. What is Royal Caribbean's service gratuities (tips) price and policy? I dont think anyone will think youre rude for not tipping over and above this. Tips on Cruise Ship Tipping - Who and How Much to Tip! On Costa Cruises, service charges of $12.50 per person, per day are charged for cruises departing from the US. Crew members work really hard and make the difference between an ok and a memorable cruise vacation. I also tipped my wait staff very generously in the main dining room and specialty restaurants, as well as my drink waiters! The cruise where fun means everything. 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. They might feel that it gives them more control over tipping, rewarding the crew based on their level of service. 1 Royal Caribbean Travel Protection is an optional travel protection add-on to your cruise booking and is available through Royal Caribbean for residents in all states except New York. Some claim they are making less money than they formerly did with cash tips. Depending on what you plan to do in port, you might need cash for the following: We recommend bringing around $100-200 in cash with you on a port day. Plus, for a limited time, its $10 off. This should provide enough money for transportation, food, and small souvenirs in port. I was thinking of giving ours a $20 at the beginning, not sure if this is about the "norm", or if I should give a little more. I always prepay the gratuities. On a 7 day cruise we usually give $50 to the waiter and $30 to the asst. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'shouldbecruising_com-leader-2','ezslot_15',606,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-shouldbecruising_com-leader-2-0');Since you cant remove the automatic tips for just that one crew member, removing or lowering your automatic gratuities hurts all the tipped employees. Whether you cruise multiple times per year or you're new to cruising, the goal of Royal Caribbean Blog is for it to bea useful resource for keeping up to date with what's new and exciting with Royal Caribbean. These cruise line employees are highly compensated, and offering a tip isnt necessary. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'shouldbecruising_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_8',602,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-shouldbecruising_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0');With the autograt system, many crew members who rarely received tips before now get a sharelike the laundry or kitchen staff on some cruise lines. Typically, this is associated with your credit card which youll be prompted to set up when you complete your online check in. December 8, 2010. Even if you try, theyll likely graciously turn down your offer. Below are just some of the people you may want to tip in this way, and some rough guidelines regarding how much - though know this is very subjective, and of course should be commensurate with the level of service that a given person provided. Tipping on a cruise ship: The big picture. 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. We never gave him anything. Royal Caribbean: $14.50 per person, per day ($17.50 for guests in grand suites and above). Of course, as always, its at your discretion. On luxury cruise lines, such as Azamara, Crystal, Seabourn, Silversea, Tauck World Discovery and Uniworld, gratuities are already included in the cost of the cruise, and additional tipping is not expected. A As of September 7 th, 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. A couple should budget about $200 in gratuities for a 7 day cruise. Royal Caribbean states the current pricing for 2022 sailings is between $12.99 and $15.00 per day of the cruise. Celebrity Cruises is Royal Caribbean's sister brand that provides a slightly more upscale, refined experience onboard. How much you tip on cruise excursions is entirely up to you, but a suggested starting price is $3 per person for a half-day tour and $6 per person for a full-day tour for the guide and $1 to $2 for the bus driver. (Want to get the most from your cabin steward? In the wake of the increase, a family of four in a . This is a personal decision and Im not sure if theres a tipping etiquette for it. Thanks for sharing your view on this. Technically your are not obliged to tip any more than the daily gratuities that have been charged to your room. Do you need to tip at the spa on a cruise? And while you dont need to visit a port with $1000 in your wallet, youll want to make sure you have enough money to account for expenses throughout the day. Olsen Cruise Lines and Cruise & Maritime Voyages charge substantially less -- 7 per person per day; while Marella, Saga and P&O Cruises now include tips (MSC Cruises also includes tips for its UK-based ship, Preziosa). What you cant do is adjust or remove automatic gratuities for a specific crew member. Just remember that cruise ship crew live in very tight quarters, without much room for personal belongings. Im not expecting him to kiss our butts, but come on. As for tipping above and beyond prepaid gratuities, I agree completely that there is no expectation. If you put your tips on your seapass you will get a voucher for each envelope. Many luxury all-inclusive cruise lines include gratuities in their cruise fares, or have a tips neither expected nor required policy. Our Hawaiian cruise in April will be the first weve been on in 15 years, so, obviously, things have changed a lot. When planning your cruise, check with your travel agent or the cruise line about the tipping policy. But the sticker price of their fares tends to scare off many budget-minded travelers. Posted September 17, 2021. 1 1 Quote Cindi Members 12 Author Posted April 16, 2019 Youll likely get much better service by doing that instead of just removing the tip! Royal Caribbean cruise ships have been sailing at nearly 100% capacity for the past few months. Some vendors may process your personal data on the basis of legitimate interest, which you can object to by managing your options below. How much tip receive in cruise royal caribbean? Do I need to tip on a cruise or pay service charges, is a question that comes up often. Im Carrie Ann, the writer behind Should Be Cruising. Whats included in your Royal Caribbean cruise fare, 30 Do's and Don'ts for the first day of your cruise, The 20 worst cruise mistakes that will ruin your cruise vacation, The best cruise itineraries for every type of traveler, How to plan a Royal Caribbean cruise on any budget, Best shore excursion in every Caribbean cruise port. The fact is, the tips that crew get from passengers make up a good part of their wage. Children aged 2-11 will be charged $6.25 per day. Tipping extra is not necessary, and theres no right or wrong amount to give a crew member. There are 2 adults and 1 child in the room, if this. Heres a video which answers many questions that you may have about cruise gratuities and tipping on a cruise ship. In North America, most cruise terminal porters are longshoremen. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. Cruise Line Gratuities: What's the Point? Royal Caribbean's VOOM service has two different levels of service with two different prices. With the exception of a couple cruise lines on this list, most cruises that include gratuities are luxury lines. If youre new to cruising, you might be wondering who to tip on a cruise, how much to tip, and exactly how onboard gratuities work. Grand Suite and above cabin categories pay USD 18,50 pp per day gratuities. 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. Lets just say from the expression on the drivers face that he was not happy with that amount. 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. The cruise line assesses a daily fee and divides the money among the tipped crew. Those can range from about $15 to upwards of $20 for each . 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. Keep a few dollars handy to tip the cruise porters on embarkation day. The cruise line makes no recommendation for tipping room service. Which currency you should bring with you on a cruise depends on your departure port and itinerary. I believe since these are pooled between everybody, additional tipping should only be done if you feel somebody has gone above and beyond. MTD and ate in MDR 5 nights. Hope you enjoy! If you found this helpful, please dont keep it to yourself ;-). I also tip constantly while on the cruise. Viking Ocean: $15.00 per person, per day Virgin Voyages: includes gratuities in the fare. You can post now and register later. They did a really good job and I would like to tip them. However ,usually you can have at least 2 cabin stewards. Is it the 15 day or the 7 day from Honolulu? if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'shouldbecruising_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_13',603,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-shouldbecruising_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0');Most mainstream cruise lines will charge you about $14 to $15 per person per day for automatic gratuities. Many ships also have an abundance of kids' activities including kids clubs that . If you tip extra, you will get FABULOUS service! Your personal data will be processed and information from your device (cookies, unique identifiers, and other device data) may be stored by, accessed by and shared with third party vendors, or used specifically by this site or app. Tipping on a cruise ship can be a confusing endeavor, especially for those sailing for the first time. Here are some daily automatic gratuity costs for several popular ocean cruise lines in USD (prices accurate as of summer 2021): Unlike with the deals you can get for prepaying for drink packages and some other add-ons, you wont get a discount for prepaying your automatic gratuities. 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. Afrikaans; Alemannisch; ; ; Azrbaycanca; ; Banjar; ; () Most of the biggest cruise lines automatically add some type of service or gratuity fee onto passenger bills. In fact, I think most would agree that cruise line staff make a huge difference in the cruise experience. A The automatic service gratuity is $16.00 USD per person, per day for guests in Junior Suites and below, or $18.50 USD per person, per day for guests in Grand Suites and above, applied to each guest's SeaPass account on a daily basis. 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. Each passenger is charged for these tips, including kids. Im an avid cruiser and have been giving out insider tips for more than 10 years! Even if you prepay for your shore excursions directly through the cruise line, its customary to tip your tour guides and drivers in cash after each excursion. Though automated gratuities are the easiest and most common way to tip, some passengers prefer to instead tip their attendants in cash, either in addition to the automated gratuity or in place of it. If you dont prepay your gratuities, they will be added to your onboard account. Beyond that, consider writing a heartfelt note of thanks or a drawing from your child (many have children they do not see for months at a time).