The time when youll need the most cash on a cruise vacation is when youre in port. Something to note is that although daily gratuities arent charged, there may be a service fee or tip added to certain services onboard. There are also usually comment cards available at the purser's desk or online for additional recognition -- or post a review on Cruise Critic. Have some small bills handy for these times. About $1-2 (or the equivalent in local currency) per bag is fine. Given that most , all ? Technically your are not obliged to tip any more than the daily gratuities that have been charged to your room. We also always tip bar staff even when drinks are complimentary. Normally, we tip between $5 to $7 additionally per day for the two of us at the end of the cruise. Tipping on a cruise ship isnt mandatory, but it is customary, and many crew members rely on tips as a large part of their income. Jan 6. Do you need to tip at the spa on a cruise? The amount you tip is up to youI generally give about $5 per person per day to my stateroom steward. Our Stateroom Attendant on cruise #5 was fabulous, and I showed my appreciation by leaving him (thanks Mahbob!) Norwegian Cruise Line charges a daily service fee of $15.50 per person, per day for guests in standard cabins and $18.50 per person per day for guests in suites and The Haven. Our Best Royal Caribbean Cruise Tips And Tricks. Not based on what we "should" give, more on the fact that they provided very good service. Its customary to tip the waiters generously at specialty restaurants. Cruise line tipping policies vary from one cruise company to another. Having worked in the service industry, if people want to extra tip, then doing it at the beginning is the way to go. raahc and lovecruising!!! If you go on a tour or shore excursion, its nice to tip the driver or shore excursion staff if youve appreciated their service. Iwas a waitress for yearslong ago and far away. It May be Time for Some Royal Caribbean Elites to Reconsider Paying for Drink Packages. 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. If you found this helpful, please dont keep it to yourself ;-). Upload or insert images from URL. Youll want to factor in the cruise line gratuity charge, sometimes called on board service charges (Norwegian Cruise Line). Even if you try, theyll likely graciously turn down your offer. Related: Whats included in your Royal Caribbean cruise fare. How much? Many cruisers opt to give extra cash tips to crew members who made their vacation that much more enjoyable. Each person you tip gets their own envelope. UK lines such as Fred. The cruise line makes no recommendation for tipping room service. Virgin Voyages does a lot of things differently than its mainstream peers. on board service charges (Norwegian Cruise Line). What Is The Average Amount of Cash to Bring on a Cruise? 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. Depending on your cruise ship, you may be able to use the Royal . Celebrity Cruises is Royal Caribbean's sister brand that provides a slightly more upscale, refined experience onboard. If your shore excursion includes lunch, you generally dont have to leave a tipthe tour company takes care of the lunch bill. Although cards are widely accepted, you may still encounter establishments that do not accept card payments. I also tipped my wait staff very generously in the main dining room and specialty restaurants, as well as my drink waiters! All ships have at least one ATM onboard, which is usually located in the Royal Promenade or Centrum. If you're staying in a high-category suite, you may be expected to tip . ATMs usually charge a $5-6 fee per transaction. When booking a Celebrity cruise, tips are included in their Always Included program. On NCL, passengers who dont want to pay autograts need to file a claim for reimbursement after the cruise. If cruising from Australia to the South Pacific, Australian dollars are widely accepted. Here is a list of the daily gratuity charges by major cruise lines for 2021-22. You also shouldnt tip the cruise director, the entertainment staff, or any independent entertainers like musical guests, comedians, or magicians. If you wait to the end to tip, then the servers wont know and you possibly missed out of knowing how wonderful the cabin steward or others could be. This amount varies by cruise line, however the average daily gratuity is $14-15 US per day, per passenger for a standard cabin and $17-18 a day for guests in suites. I choose to add the gratuities ahead, just to get them out of the way. Cindi Pasted as rich text. The Dream pioneered the innovative and fun cruise ships that are standard today from Carnival Cruise Lines. Here are some other people you should tip during your cruise. Carrie Ann is the founder of Should Be Cruising and a lifelong travel fanatic. Cruising in 2022: Why Onboard Tipping is More Important Than Ever, Cabin Stewardess on Princess Cruises (Photo: Princess Cruises), A Cash Tip Which is Common on Cruises (Photo: elwynn/Shutterstock). A former flight attendant, she now prefers cruise ships over airplanes and spends several months each year cruising and exploring cruise ports. The service charge on MSC Cruises is $12.50 per person, per day for guests in standard cabins. Lets just say from the expression on the drivers face that he was not happy with that amount. Based on the amount of the bill. This is a convenient option for cruise passengers that dont want to think about extra charges once onboard. If not, 15-20% of the bill (excluding any products that you buy) is customary. This is a personal decision and Im not sure if theres a tipping etiquette for it. Often the recommended tips, which run from about $10 to $20 per passenger per day, are published either in the cruise brochure or on the cruise line web page. What is Royal Caribbean's service gratuities (tips) price and policy? if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'shouldbecruising_com-mobile-leaderboard-1','ezslot_20',609,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-shouldbecruising_com-mobile-leaderboard-1-0');In for-a-fee specialty dining restaurants, you might see a spot on your bill (if you get one) to add a tip. cabin (not suite) recommended amount would be $39 pp times two equals $78 for a 4 night cruise. You might want to remove their tips as a punishment for poor service. #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! Of course, as always, its at your discretion. All rights reserved. Tipped crew on many cruise lines include housekeeping, dining, and laundry workers. Had same two waiters 4 of those nights. What Is a Cabin Steward on a Cruise Ship? 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. Some cruise lines refer to these tips as a service charge. Cruise Ship Engine Power, Propulsion, Fuel, Royal Caribbean Drinks Prices, Beverage Menus, Alcohol Policy, Carnival Cruise WiFi Internet Packages Prices. Automatic gratuities cover just about every tipped crew member on the ship. A couple should budget about $200 in gratuities for a 7 day cruise. We like to keep a few dollars handy for this purpose as we board our cruise ship. You can adjust this based on the length and complexity of the tour. There are instances of passengers who prefer not to tip, usually either because they disagree with tipping on principle or they've experienced unsatisfactory service. Typical extra tips may be $15-20 per passenger for a seven-day cruise paid to the cabin steward for exceptional work, or an extra $10-20 per passenger to a waiter who offered spectacular dining. Norwegian Cruise Line. 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). To avoid currency confusion, especially if youre traveling to multiple countries on one cruise, we recommend using a credit or debit card to make purchases in port whenever possible. In North America, most cruise terminal porters are longshoremen. They pay their crew (usually recruited from countries with limited economic opportunities) per contract, not by the hour. You could also tip based on the length of the tour. Viking Ocean: $15.00 per person, per day Virgin Voyages: includes gratuities in the fare. A couple should budget about $200 in gratuities for a 7 day cruise. Clear editor. How to Pay: Paid in cruise fare at the time of purchase. Giving service staff tips in a currency they cant easily use means theyll have to pay a fee to change your cash tip into another currency. 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. In the main dining room, buffet, specialty restaurants, and other dining venues, your tip is included in the automatic gratuities. Have our travel agency partner get you a free quote for a Royal Caribbean cruise. Any chance of that? Just remember that cruise ship crew live in very tight quarters, without much room for personal belongings. Tips are of course a personal decision. 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. Often cruise lines provide additional envelopes to tuck a little extra cash at the end of the cruise just for this purpose. So glad this was helpful. If youre going on a cruise, you can expect daily gratuities to be charged automatically to your onboard account. How Much Water Should I Drink Before Donating Plasma. After 50 cruises I know they really mean it! There are a number of factors which people use to decide how much to tip their Genie. By But honestly, theyd prefer cash over a gift basketno matter how yummy your treats are! Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates. Gratuities or a service charge are added onto some onboard services. Additionally, shouldbecruising.com participates in various other affiliate programs, and we sometimes receive a commission from purchases made through our links. Read our best tips.). How it works: Gratuities are automatically added to your shipboard account on a daily basis. Maybe your cabin attendant delivered when you made a special request, or you loved how your steward always sweetly arranged your children's stuffed animals before bed every night -- or maybe you just want to show a little extra appreciation in the universal language of money. This may be rare, however if theres a problem with service or you have a complaint on your cruise, that you should bring this to the attention of the staff member, supervisor, or guest services when it occurs. Payments on cruise ships have almost entirely gone digital, but there are still a few situations where cash comes in handy. We have also taken a few of the ship's "backstage" tours and could see where the crew members reside, dine, kick back to relax, etc. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Tipped crew make the majority of their income from gratuities! We never gave him anything. Cruise line employees work their butts off to earn those tips. Once you book your cruise, there are some things you'll need to do in advance to prepare. I believe that often the bartenders will pool their tips b/c there are so many working the crowd but I think it's an individual choice on their parts as to how they handle this. However ,usually you can have at least 2 cabin stewards. We always tip cruise staff but in cash not automatic tipping. Do I need to tip on a cruise or pay service charges, is a question that comes up often. (For line by line information, read more about cruise line tipping policies.). A kind word or a drawing costs nothing and is always appreciated. On a cruise, most guests bring between $100-$120 in cash per day to be spent on transportation, tips, gifts, food, and shopping. Royal Caribbean charges a gratuity of $16.00 per person, per day. You can just hand over folded cash, or use the tip envelopes youll find in your stateroom or at Passenger Services. Some things are free, other items are fee-based. Even though cruise gratuities technically arent mandatory, they are customary on most mainstream cruise lines. The worst thing you can do is wait until you are home from your cruise to address it. Not only will it improve your cruise experience, but youre also allowing the cruise ship staff the opportunity to make things right. This practice can eat into the regular wages and livelihood of hardworking crew and is not advised. When youre tipping in cash on a cruise, its always best to use the official currency on the ship. Each passenger is charged for these tips, including kids. If you want to give an additional tip to your cabin steward (or two), Im sure its very appreciated. Tips are added automatically to the onboard account (SeaPass) on a daily basis. It would be so helpful if I could print just the blog to read at random timescar trip, etc. The best advice I can give Americans and Canadians, if they are tipping questions arise either on the ship or ashore, follow the lead of Aussies and ask their advice. Ill definitely look into it and see how I can best do that on this site. You cant choose how much each crew member gets. Im Carrie Ann, the writer behind Should Be Cruising. The automatic service gratuity is $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, applied to each guest's SeaPass account on a daily basis. As much as some people opt to remove gratuities on their account, some give extra. Tipping extra is not necessary, and theres no right or wrong amount to give a crew member. Some cruisers swear by tipping at the beginning of the cruise to ensure excellent service. The article also reviews major changes in the RCI's gratuities policy implemented fleetwide/on all liners. A tip of 15%-20% is common, so check the bottom of your bill before adding an additional amount. Tips are added automatically to the onboard account (SeaPass) on a daily basis. I just arrived on board for our 6th cruise, after my 5th cruise just 2 months ago. Disclaimer: I may receive a small commission when you make a purchase from a link on this site, at no added charge to you. Let me know in the comments below! The amount is based on the service received of course. When paying the automatic daily gratuities, cruise lines tell us this amount gets divided by your cabin attendant, waiter and other dining staff. If youre new to cruising, or its been a while since your last cruise, its important to know about cruise tipping guidelines before you sail. Should you tip extra on a cruise? i understand what you are saying.and I know we are paying roughly 15 dollars a day each as a tip already. Im a little over a month out before my next cruise, and while its a little early to start packing (is it though? Afrikaans; Alemannisch; ; ; Azrbaycanca; ; Banjar; ; () Youll often receive change back in local currency even when paying with USD. I put together a 47 page printable cruise travel planner that has everything you need as you plan and get ready for your cruise. The Sky Suite on Celebrity was a perfect size for two, at around 320 square feet. Tipping on a cruise ship: The big picture. The one excursion we had a fifty dollar bill and three ones at the end of the (short) trip. Windstar Cruises daily gratuities are $12.00 per person, per day for all cabin types. 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. You may also like: Do You Need to Bring Cash on a Cruise? 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. Your cruise in April sounds amazing! The cost is $13.50 per person, per day for guests in Grill Class suites. Carnivals daily gratuities are $13.99 per person, per day for guests in standard cabins. Service charges for guests ages 4-14 are half of the adult rate. I think this depends on who it is and what their job is. Some cruise lines allow you to use your cruise card to deposit money in the casino. Which family cruise can you book for $2000? One of the most luxurious aspects of cruising is the service of room stewards -- that team of people who often go unseen in their daily mission to keep your cruise cabin sparkling fresh and clean. 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. $10-20 at the end of the cruise is a nice gratuity for their service. The cruise where fun means everything. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Royal Caribbean Blog. royal caribbean cruise cruises deals 2021. Your glowing review can help a hardworking crew member earn a promotion or raise. Bond with your snorkel guide? I dont tend to tip in advance, so this is an interesting way of doing things. You can do so by going to guest services and making the request. Credit: whmuc.blogspot.com. There may be cases where you'd like to tip your cabin steward more than what he or she will receive after your automated gratuity is pooled and shared out.
