Price: $14.50 per person/day in standard cabins, $17.50 per person/day in suites, and 18% on beverages and spa and salon services. Some cruise lines allow you to use your cruise card to deposit money in the casino. Automatic gratuities cover just about every tipped crew member on the ship. Plus, for a limited time, its $10 off. Although cash isnt required for onboard purchases, there are a few scenarios where youll want to have cash available. Automatic gratuities, also called autogratuities or autograts, is the cruise term for the system most cruise lines now use to simplify tipping for passengers. In their case "tipping" doesn't mean "extra" - it means "salary". Tipping on a cruise ship can be a confusing endeavor, especially for those sailing for the first time. The service charge on MSC Cruises is $12.50 per person, per day for guests in standard cabins. Your link has been automatically embedded. Started in 2010, Royal Caribbean Blog offers daily coverage of news and information related to the Royal Caribbean cruise line along with other relevant topics of cruising, such as entertainment, news, photo updates and more. Tips are either covered by the autogratuities or theres a service fee tacked on, so you dont need to tip again. I always prepay the gratuities. Princess Cruises will automatically charge a crew incentive of $14.50 per person, per day for guests in inside ocean view and balcony cabins. Im so glad youre enjoying my blog and find the posts helpful and appreciate the feedback. And just like with the Carnival case, this will reflect directly on the ship's serving staff (cabin stewards, Room Service, and Main Dining Room wait staff, as well as kitchen, entertainment, passenger services and other hotel personnel). If youre going on a cruise, you can expect daily gratuities to be charged automatically to your onboard account. Display as a link instead, Gratuities or a service charge are added onto some onboard services. If you choose to pay tips in cash, there are usually some envelopes available at the guest service desk. Our last few cruises on Celebrity and Princess, we actually had lots of interaction from the Maitred and we did appreciate the work they did. 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. 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. Our Best Royal Caribbean Cruise Tips And Tricks. Your cruise in April sounds amazing! If you opt for a specialty restaurant, the tip isnt usually included. While most people know it for being a cruise destination, shadowing the coastline to see the glaciers, there is so much Hi All, Im Ilana. As for tipping above and beyond prepaid gratuities, I agree completely that there is no expectation. 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. With your support, we can create more exciting content and share with everyone! Youll want to factor in the cruise line gratuity charge, sometimes called on board service charges (Norwegian Cruise Line). If you put your tips on your seapass you will get a voucher for each envelope. The gratuity applies to individual guests of all ages and . Posted September 17, 2021. Both beautiful cruise options! If you found this helpful, please dont keep it to yourself ;-). The staff learns real quick who tips extra, and who does not. Viking Cruises gratuities are $15.00 per person, per day for all staterooms. 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. On most cruise lines that collect automatic gratuities, youre able to remove or adjust the charges by visiting the passenger services desk. First is the ATM. Some cruise lines refer to these tips as a service charge. Having small bills handy is helpful if you plan to tip crew members throughout your sailing. I have a video on my YouTube channel about this and people have commented amounts they give so his could be helpful (just check YouTube and search cruise gratuities Life Well Cruised). 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. I give my room steward $5 at the very beginning of the cruise. Tips on Cruise Ship Tipping - Who and How Much to Tip! If you dont prepay your gratuities, they will be added to your onboard account. The amount you tip is up to youI generally give about $5 per person per day to my stateroom steward. Many ships also have an abundance of kids' activities including kids clubs that . 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. How much cash should you bring on a cruise? MTD and ate in MDR 5 nights. You can post now and register later. I think this depends on who it is and what their job is. A couple should budget about $200 in gratuities for a 7 day cruise. Ive been surprisedor I probably should say I had forgottenhow many hands have been extended for a tip on these shore excursions. Some guests may bring $200 extra for gratuities whereas others may bring $50. 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! Please check MSCs website for details. 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. For favorite bartenders or waitstaff, I give about $20 to each for a seven-day cruise. Ive been cruising for over 15 years, and the practice of tipping on a cruise has certainly evolved. 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. Royal Caribbean states the current pricing for 2022 sailings is between $12.99 and $15.00 per day of the cruise. Plus, youre never required to make any extra purchases in the first place if you take advantage of the complimentary options available on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Do you know about when you'd like to sail? cost cruise much does caribbean royal excursions treatments fees consider drinks spa government Cunards daily gratuities are set at $11.50 per person, per day for guests in standard cabins. Norwegian Cruise Line has onboard service charge will is charged automatically for guests 3 and up, and distributed among staff that serve you in various ways. Royal Caribbean's VOOM service has two different levels of service with two different prices. Just did 8 nights on Voyager. Most mainstream cruise lines bill passengers between $12 and $15 per person, per day for. How much people tip a Royal Genie on their Royal Caribbean cruise tends to vary, although many American guests tend to fall at around the $75-$100 per day. Its also a nice gesture to tip the matre d or head waiter in the main dining room, especially if they were helpful with special menus or seating arrangements. Royal Caribbean's drink packages include: Deluxe Beverage Package Refreshment Package (No alcohol) Classic Soda Package With the exception of a couple cruise lines on this list, most cruises that include gratuities are luxury lines. W. Keep in mind, the venues are not always the same between Royal Caribbean ships, but each of my tips can. That's a major contrast to the early days of the return to sailing after the cruise line's 15-month . However, a few lines dont add autogratuities for babies and toddlers under age two or three. Technically your are not obliged to tip any more than the daily gratuities that have been charged to your room. There are also usually comment cards available at the purser's desk or online for additional recognition -- or post a review on Cruise Critic. 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. Thanks so much for sharing your experience! Its important to note that, especially on the luxury lines, tipping is not expected. However, youll want to make sure youve notified your bank that you will be out of the country. The balcony is a good size with two chairs. 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. However, the price of getting online can be expensive. This is a good question. Please note that gratuities are charged in US dollars for Caribbean, US and Canada cruises. If you want to give an additional tip to your cabin steward (or two), Im sure its very appreciated. 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. Im not expecting him to kiss our butts, but come on. Some people are retired or on a fixed income, some are well off, some have to save for years for a cruise. But I also feel like people will think Im rude for not doing so in reality tho, they are already being tipped 18%. (Want to get the most from your cabin steward? if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'shouldbecruising_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_6',199,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-shouldbecruising_com-medrectangle-4-0');Tipping is supposed to encourage excellent customer service from workers, because (in theory at least) customers will tip generously for friendly, prompt service. In the wake of the increase, a family of four in a . Today is day 10 of a 12 day cruise on grandeur. This is a personal decision and Im not sure if theres a tipping etiquette for it. We sail Celebrity and opt to prepay gratuities. We never gave him anything. 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. Required fields are marked *. Porters: $1-5 per bag Room service delivery: $2-4 per tray Hi All, I just wanted to share something with new cruisers (and old if they do not know this). That was the only time I didn't give an additional cash tip to the wait staff. 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. A cruise only rate may be available on select cruises, which would not include gratuities. Rather than reducing the amount payed, they point out on their website that they will work to resolve any service issues experienced. We rarely do the parties anymore. Then you can take your deposit out in cash at the casino cashier. 20102023Regal Sea Media LLC. Tips are of course a personal decision. On NCL, passengers who dont want to pay autograts need to file a claim for reimbursement after the cruise. Grand Suite and above cabin categories pay USD 18,50 pp per day gratuities. If you havent notified your bank, they will usually send you a fraud alert or temporarily freeze your card. UK lines such as Fred. Having worked in the service industry, if people want to extra tip, then doing it at the beginning is the way to go. Heres what you should know about cash on a Royal Caribbean cruise. You can choose to pay in local currency, too, but obtaining money in 3+ currencies before a cruise is not necessary. Before that, in 2015 RCI upped its gratuities from USD 12 to USD 12,95 (standard cabins) and from USD 14,25 to USD 15,95 (suites). Most cruise lines charge for children as well, although there are some exceptions for very young children on select cruise lines. Because plasma accounts for approximately 90% of total fluid volume, drinking plenty of water after receiving a transplant is beneficial to your body. The porters will assist with your luggage and its customary to tip for their service. What is Royal Caribbean's service gratuities (tips) price and policy? These feedback cards mean a lot and sometimes lead to a stellar crew member getting a raise or even a promotion! There is no service charge applied for children under 2 years of age. Until fairly recently, cruise passengers customarily tipped only in cash, in person. For guests staying in Grand Suites and above, the fee is $18.50 per person, per day. There are a couple of exceptions, though. Grand Suite and above cabin categories pay USD 18,50 pp per day gratuities. Lines with such charges include both of the two giants of the cruise business, Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line, as well as Norwegian, MSC Cruises and Princess Cruises. Royal Caribbean: $14.50 per person, per day ($17.50 for guests in grand suites and above). Norwegian Cruise Line. You might want to reward your cabin steward, favorite bartender or MDR server, or any other crew member you think did a great job. Have some small bills handy for these times. Viking Ocean: $15.00 per person, per day Virgin Voyages: includes gratuities in the fare. cabin (not suite) recommended amount would be $39 pp times two equals $78 for a 4 night cruise. i understand what you are saying.and I know we are paying roughly 15 dollars a day each as a tip already. You can raise them, lower them, or remove them altogether. Depending on your cruise ship, you may be able to use the Royal . In addition, a portion of the tips are given to those who work behind the scenes or may serve you in different areas of the ship. There is no charge for children under 3 years of age. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'shouldbecruising_com-leader-3','ezslot_16',605,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-shouldbecruising_com-leader-3-0');For other cruise lines, youll be able to adjust your autogratuities at the Passenger Services desk. #4. 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. I was even more surprised that it was a Disney cruise, where they are used to kids, and generally have a good reputation for service. You might want to remove their tips as a punishment for poor service. 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. Started in 2010, Royal Caribbean Blog offers daily coverage of news and information related to the Royal Caribbean cruise line along with other relevant topics of cruising, such as entertainment, news, photo updates and more. Most mainstream cruise lines have their headquarters in the US. You may want to give them a tip per drink or a larger tip at the end or even the beginning of your cruise. For example, you might give the guide $5 to $10 for a half-day excursion or $10 to $20 for a full-day tour. Don't be Held Back on Arrival Royal Caribbean requires you to do an online check-in, at least three days before your published sail date. Often, these crew members are part of the tip pool, and they lose part of their expected income each time a passenger removes autogratuities. 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. However ,usually you can have at least 2 cabin stewards. Cruise lines have implemented automatic gratuities, options to prepay gratuities and some popular cruise lines have begun including tips in your cruise fare. You cant choose how much each crew member gets. It would be so helpful if I could print just the blog to read at random timescar trip, etc. How much shouldwe tip? Treasure Coast of Florida. What I can say, on a personal level, is that we have found that the majority of cabin stewards, waiters, assistant waiters and ship staff have given us amazing service. While not obligatory, there are some of the workers you may want to recognize with a tip when cruising. Please share on Facebook or PIN to your favorite Pinterest board (share buttons at the top). The gratuity is $15.50 per person, per day for guests in mini-suites and $16.50 per person, per day for guests in suites. Many passengers rave long after their hoilday is over about the service of stewards who go above and beyond. Do you tip above and beyond the automatic gratuities? Although cards are widely accepted, you may still encounter establishments that do not accept card payments. Carrie Ann is the founder of Should Be Cruising and a lifelong travel fanatic. If youre sailing from the United States to the Caribbean, US dollars are widely accepted in popular cruise ports. Jan 6. Technically your are not obliged to tip any more than the daily gratuities that have been charged to your room. If you enjoy tipping in cash, consider giving an extra cash tip to the crew members who gave you excellent service on your cruise. P.S. We usually do the prepaid tipping and also give some extra at the end of our cruises. Some vendors may process your personal data on the basis of legitimate interest, which you can object to by managing your options below. December 8, 2010. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. Cruise Line Gratuities: What's the Point? 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. You can just hand over folded cash, or use the tip envelopes youll find in your stateroom or at Passenger Services. 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. 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.. Most cruisers wouldnt dream of removing the automatic gratuities. The time when youll need the most cash on a cruise vacation is when youre in port. 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. On a 7 day cruise we usually give $50 to the waiter and $30 to the asst. This practice can eat into the regular wages and livelihood of hardworking crew and is not advised. Tipped crew make the majority of their income from gratuities! Most of the biggest cruise lines automatically add some type of service or gratuity fee onto passenger bills. While you pay daily gratuities before your cruise ($16 per person, per day in most staterooms), many cruisers like to give something extra. 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. However, you might end up paying a similar total price on a mainstream line when you factor in gratuities, drink packages, shore excursions, and the like. The only exception is for passengers with prepaid gratuities (they won't be charged daily). Cindi How much are automatic gratuities on a cruise? This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. There is a lot of included dining location so how do you know which ones to che. Here are the top travel tips for a Royal Caribbean cruise from the experts themselves: At the AquaTheater, acrobats, high divers, slackliners and more put on shows that make a splash. Most cruise lines allow guests to remove automatic gratuities. These cruise line employees are highly compensated, and offering a tip isnt necessary. Not based on what we "should" give, more on the fact that they provided very good service. $15.99 per person per day for guests in suites. According to Royal Caribbean, the last increase put the company "in line with its competitors in the industry and recognize the exceptional work that Royal Caribbean's staff and crew does to deliver unforgettable vacations every day.". The items and service are provided free of charge (except midnight - 5am when there is a nominal delivery fee). Other people you should tip during your cruise, Nine Things You Need to Check Before Your Cruise, Eight Things That Will Surprise First Time Cruisers, How to Have the Best Embarkation Day on a Cruise, Giada De Laurentiis Named Godmother of Oceania Cruises New Ship Vista, Norwegian Cruise Line Announces 2023 Meet the Winemaker Series, P&O Arvia Naming Ceremony Will Feature Olly Murs, Carnival Now Offering Guy Fieri and Sammy Hagars Santo Tequila Fleetwide, Princess Cruises Introduces Welcome Home Program, https://shouldbecruising.com/privacy-policy/, A Cruise Glossary: Cruise Terms You Should Know, 26 Hidden Cruise Fees You Should Know About. I have to say, we simply prepay or leave the tips as is, so I really dont pay attention these days. I think it's more like when you go to a restaurant and they added the automatic service charge to the bill, but there is still a line for additional tipping. The one excursion we had a fifty dollar bill and three ones at the end of the (short) trip. Whether in Mexico, St. Maarten, Italy, or Vanuatu, having cash is recommended. 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. It is best to drink 9 to 13 cups of water before donating money in the 24 hours preceding the event. If you dont have a drink package, theyll add the price of each drink plus the service fee to your onboard tab. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Even if you try, theyll likely graciously turn down your offer. 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. 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. Do you have a favorite bartender? We had the my time diningsame waiter and assistant every night. Read our best tips.). As I am sure you are aware each cruiser will have gratuities & tips added to their SeaPass account every day (unless you have paid these in advance with your booking). Payments on cruise ships have almost entirely gone digital, but there are still a few situations where cash comes in handy. I believe since these are pooled between everybody, additional tipping should only be done if you feel somebody has gone above and beyond. Im an avid cruiser and have been giving out insider tips for more than 10 years! Service charges for guests ages 4-14 are half of the adult rate. What currency should you use to tip on a cruise? Youll often receive change back in local currency even when paying with USD. Sometimes a shoddy tip was more insulting than no tip at all. Something you will need cash for on a Royal Caribbean cruise are any extra tips you give to crew members. Should you tip extra on a cruise? When we tip them individually, do they get to keep the entire amount for themselvesor do they have to share that too? Your email address will not be published. The cost is $13.50 per person, per day for guests in Grill Class suites. flipped into Ren de Lambert. How Much Does A Cruise Cost? 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. Its unlikely to do any good by this point. 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. Do you need to tip at the spa on a cruise? separately, near the end of the cruise. Cruise line employees are extremely hard working, I agree, and they go above and beyond so often. 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. I think its pretty bad when thats the only night they make their presence be known. Luxury cruise lines have a higher upfront cost than most popular cruise lines, however theyll often include many valuable extras. Congrats on reaching Diamond :) Happy cruising! Thats a funny thing that weve experienced in the past as well. Just remember that cruise ship crew live in very tight quarters, without much room for personal belongings. While each cruise line is different, many include alcoholic drinks, soda and specialty coffee, gratuities, specialty dining and some shore excursions. For both of us, we usually tip between $30-$50 for head waiter, and slightly less for assistant waiter and then even slightly less for the drink waiter (as we are non-drinkers but still want to. At some North American ports, youll see signs stating that the porters do not accept tips. You just cant help being extra nice or helpful when you know the people are going to be extra nice to you, ie the extra tips. How much? 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. You will get great service either way. If you dont see the cards in your room, ask at the Passenger Services desk, or leave the feedback in your post-cruise survey. The rule of thumb is to tip the guide 10% to 20% of the tour cost, depending on how much you enjoyed the experience. Royal Caribbean offers three all-inclusive drink packages, a premium coffee package and a water package. Cruising can be such a relaxing vacation as well as so much fun. cruise. A tip of 15%-20% is common, so check the bottom of your bill before adding an additional amount. Thanks for sharing your view on this. Our Hawaiian cruise in April will be the first weve been on in 15 years, so, obviously, things have changed a lot. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. They will seldom steer you wrong. Every stateroom has a room service menu. 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. This is a review of RCI-Royal Caribbean International's gratuities (paid for the crew services), tipping policy and tips (per day/reduced/removed). However, your cruise vacation expenses wont end there. (Learn more about when and when not to pay auto-gratuities.). Celebrity Cruises isnt a luxury cruise line, however it is a top premium cruise line that markets itself as modern luxury. We always tip cruise staff but in cash not automatic tipping. For example, Royal Caribbean (www.royalcaribbean.com) recently increased its tip recommendations and now suggests $3.75 per day for your main waiter, $5 per day for the cabin housekeeping staff, $2.15 per day for the assistant waiter, and $0.75 per day for the head waiter. They pay their crew (usually recruited from countries with limited economic opportunities) per contract, not by the hour. It really made my day! I had prepaid my gratuities, and I assumed the porter was a cruise line employee, so I didnt tip him. Up the tip to $20. 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. Many luxury all-inclusive cruise lines include gratuities in their cruise fares, or have a tips neither expected nor required policy. .WONDER OF THE SEAS. Note that we are Australian, so therefore not inclined to tip unless the service warrants it. Come join my Facebook Cruise Community Thanks for reading and Happy Cruising!! 15% being the rough standard for satisfactoryservice. Cruise line tipping policies vary from one cruise company to another. How much tip receive in cruise royal caribbean? The bar service personnel still gets their 15% tips from each bar sale. The price increases during August to approximately $773 (619) per person, excluding taxes. Many cruisers opt to give extra cash tips to crew members who made their vacation that much more enjoyable. We did prepaid gratuities, and then I also see that bar tabs will have the auto 18% added so I feel like it wont be necessary to leave an extra tip on the bar tab. Celebrity Cruises is Royal Caribbean's sister brand that provides a slightly more upscale, refined experience onboard. I choose to add the gratuities ahead, just to get them out of the way. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. All ships have at least one ATM onboard, which is usually located in the Royal Promenade or Centrum. I was very surprised. People associate umbrella drinks and colorful tropical concoctions with cruising, and fancy-looking martinis have become a nighttime staple at sea. Children under 4 are not charged. Learn how your comment data is processed. April 16, 2019 in Royal Caribbean Dining. Then (if your problem continues to bother you) contact the hotel manager. This cruise ship was the first of Carnival's unique Dream Class cruise ships. 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.