Plus, for a limited time, its $10 off. Virgin Voyages does a lot of things differently than its mainstream peers. Most cruisers wouldnt dream of removing the automatic gratuities. When you book your cruise, youll be charged your cruise fare, port fees and taxes. Your link has been automatically embedded. If you go on a tour or shore excursion, its nice to tip the driver or shore excursion staff if youve appreciated their service. Princess Cruises also has the Princess Plus fare, which includes gratuities or the crew incentive, Medallion Net wifi and Princess premium beverage package. 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. I would imagine wed see prices increase overall if they did this, but perhaps it amounts to this anyway. So something edible (maybe a favorite candy or snack from your home region?) I believe this to be true, too. The onboard price of this package varies from $63 to $89 a day, plus an 18% gratuity. But lets say you have a negative experience with your server in the dining room, or you feel that the cabin steward isnt doing their job. You can post now and register later. In their case "tipping" doesn't mean "extra" - it means "salary". 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. Some guests may bring $200 extra for gratuities whereas others may bring $50. Cindi Youll often receive change back in local currency even when paying with USD. 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. No worries about "shoddy tips" since you have already paid the standard tip. Do you need to tip at the spa on a cruise? For more info, please read myDisclosure Policy. You may want to give them a tip per drink or a larger tip at the end or even the beginning of your cruise. 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. Royal Caribbean says it is raising its suggested crew gratuities by nearly $2 per passenger, per day. Ill definitely look into it and see how I can best do that on this site. On a 7 day cruise we usually give $50 to the waiter and $30 to the asst. Royal Caribbean Royal Caribbean charges a $7.95 service fee and room service is available 24-hours a day. Cruise lines usually add a service charge, usually 15-18%, to all beverages that arent complimentary. Until fairly recently, cruise passengers customarily tipped only in cash, in person. Any chance of that? Most mainstream cruise lines bill passengers between $12 and $15 per person, per day for. Cruise line employees work their butts off to earn those tips. 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. This is a personal decision and Im not sure if theres a tipping etiquette for it. Instead, passengers can tipor notat their own discretion. Others just prefer the face-to-face experience of handing over a cash tip. What currency should you use to tip on a cruise? I ALWAYS tip extra to the outstanding employees on every cruise I have ever taken. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. 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 dont have a drink package, theyll add the price of each drink plus the service fee to your onboard tab. flipped into Ren de Lambert. However ,usually you can have at least 2 cabin stewards. 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. Carrie Ann is the founder of Should Be Cruising and a lifelong travel fanatic. What do you think about cruise line gratuities and service onboard? How much? Could you please go into tipping for the haven ncl staff , butlers and more. Hi this was helpful, thank you. Related: Whats included in your Royal Caribbean cruise fare. Just did 8 nights on Voyager. If sailing in a reg. I always prepay the gratuities. IMPORTANT: Since September 7, 2022, Royal Caribbean International (RCI) cruise ship passengers pay USD 16 pp per day in tips (service charge for staterooms Junior Suites and below). 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. I go into more detail about this topic in this post:Can You Refuse to Pay Gratuities on a Cruise? I put together a 47 page printable cruise travel planner that has everything you need as you plan and get ready for your cruise. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Please check MSCs website for details. Sometimes a shoddy tip was more insulting than no tip at all. Iwas a waitress for yearslong ago and far away. About $1-2 (or the equivalent in local currency) per bag is fine. Children under 4 are not charged. Credit: Royal Caribbean Show-Stopping Entertainment Here's a guide to help you navigate ways to show your appreciation for these hard workers. One of these differences is that cruise gratuities are included. RCCL Crown & Anchor Diamond Member at the end of this cruise! A tip of 15%-20% is common, so check the bottom of your bill before adding an additional amount. I'm so glad you found my post! ), it, So youre planning a family cruise with a $2000 budget is it possible? Do I need to tip on a cruise or pay service charges, is a question that comes up often. 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. In this post, Ill be going through the cruise tipping policies by cruise line and answer some of the most common questions people have about gratuities on a cruise. Each passenger is charged for these tips, including kids. On Costa Cruises, service charges of $12.50 per person, per day are charged for cruises departing from the US. You will get great service either way. You can choose to pay in local currency, too, but obtaining money in 3+ currencies before a cruise is not necessary. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. When people think of cruises,, Theres nothing quite like relaxing on a Caribbean beach with no worries in the world except deciding which tropical, A lot of cruise ship passengers will drive to their port of embarkation, whether with their own vehicle or in a ride, Royal Caribbean cruises are known for the wide-array of entertainment, dining and things to do onboard, and it got us. Service charges for guests ages 4-14 are half of the adult rate. What to Expect: Tipping Crew Members on a Cruise. However, a few lines dont add autogratuities for babies and toddlers under age two or three. All ships have at least one ATM onboard, which is usually located in the Royal Promenade or Centrum. Cunards daily gratuities are set at $11.50 per person, per day for guests in standard cabins. Im not expecting him to kiss our butts, but come on. Your email address will not be published. Pricing varies based on the ship, sail dates, and itinerary. Cruise Ship Engine Power, Propulsion, Fuel, Royal Caribbean Drinks Prices, Beverage Menus, Alcohol Policy, Carnival Cruise WiFi Internet Packages Prices. Most are experienced cruisers and, as a group, theyre very well-liked. 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. cruise. Royal Caribbean International What's Included: Dining, stateroom, and other key crew members. Outdoor Activities If outdoor fun is your thing, the Carnival Dream offers a near endless array of ways to fill both day and night with fun. The cruise line will assess your fee each day, then theyll charge your credit card on file at the end of the cruise. Not only will it improve your cruise experience, but youre also allowing the cruise ship staff the opportunity to make things right. You cannot paste images directly. Some vendors may process your personal data on the basis of legitimate interest, which you can object to by managing your options below. Can you remove or adjust autogratuities on a cruise? Porters: $1-5 per bag Room service delivery: $2-4 per tray i understand what you are saying.and I know we are paying roughly 15 dollars a day each as a tip already. The gratuity applies to individual guests of all ages and . The staff learns real quick who tips extra, and who does not. Then you can take your deposit out in cash at the casino cashier. The service charge on MSC Cruises is $12.50 per person, per day for guests in standard cabins. The only exception is for passengers with prepaid gratuities (they won't be charged daily). Cruise line employees are extremely hard working, I agree, and they go above and beyond so often. 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. This should provide enough money for transportation, food, and small souvenirs in port. When youre on a cruise, you shouldnt tip the captain or the officers. The average daily gratuity on a cruise is $14-15 USD per person - approximately $30 per day, per couple in a cabin. Just remember that a cash tip goes to your server, and a charged tip gets added to the tip pool. Hi All, Im Ilana. Heres what you should know about cash on a Royal Caribbean cruise. 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. However, there are a few common practices and guidelines. Now if someone goes over and above a little extra is due. Automatic gratuities, also called autogratuities or autograts, is the cruise term for the system most cruise lines now use to simplify tipping for passengers. The cruise industry has worked this way for a long time, although the automatic gratuities are only the last few years. The premium cruise line's fleet of 15 ships sail around the world, from the Galapagos to the Caribbean. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. Cruise Line Gratuities: What's the Point? Heres a video which answers many questions that you may have about cruise gratuities and tipping on a cruise ship. Cruise lines have implemented automatic gratuities, options to prepay gratuities and some popular cruise lines have begun including tips in your cruise fare. If you dont see the cards in your room, ask at the Passenger Services desk, or leave the feedback in your post-cruise survey. Royal Caribbean charges a gratuity of $16.00 per person, per day. That is a very personal question. Keep a few dollars handy to tip the cruise porters on embarkation day. Typically, this is associated with your credit card which youll be prompted to set up when you complete your online check in. Thanks! In the main dining room, buffet, specialty restaurants, and other dining venues, your tip is included in the automatic gratuities. Like what you see? Cruises in Europe, World cruises and those departing from a non-US Caribbean port charge 10 Euros per person, per day. I dont tend to tip in advance, so this is an interesting way of doing things. Royal Caribbean's drink packages include: Deluxe Beverage Package Refreshment Package (No alcohol) Classic Soda Package We usually tip between $500-700 depending on what we do. A couple should budget about $200 in gratuities for a 7 day cruise. Unless they are below average and that has happened only one time. We are a middle class, retirement age couple (63 and 62) who are not retired with no plans to in the near future. (Want to get the most from your cabin steward? Often cruise lines provide additional envelopes to tuck a little extra cash at the end of the cruise just for this purpose. 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. I prefer waiting to see how the service is before deciding on an extra tip, but thats just my preference. On the flip side, passengers have less control over where their money goes with autogratuities. Thoughts? Often, these crew members are part of the tip pool, and they lose part of their expected income each time a passenger removes autogratuities. 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. Why taking a weekend cruise is a great escape, 11 of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean, How to get to Royal Caribbean's cruise terminals and how much parking will cost, Top 16 things on a Royal Caribbean cruise everyone needs to do at least once. 4 Ways to Tip Extra on a Non-Tipping Cruise Ship, What to Expect on a Cruise: Onboard Spending, Service on a Luxury Cruise: What to Expect. 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 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. I choose to add the gratuities ahead, just to get them out of the way. Although cards are widely accepted, you may still encounter establishments that do not accept card payments. Every stateroom has a room service menu. Cruise line tipping policies vary from one cruise company to another. 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. Cruises in Europe are charged in Euros. Stay in one of the Royal Suites and room service is included. 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. These feedback cards mean a lot and sometimes lead to a stellar crew member getting a raise or even a promotion! I was very surprised. Lets just say from the expression on the drivers face that he was not happy with that amount. 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. There is no service charge applied for children under 2 years of age. How much cash should you bring on a cruise? You can just hand over folded cash, or use the tip envelopes youll find in your stateroom or at Passenger Services. Hope you enjoy! Lets just say from the expression on the drivers face that he was not happy with that amount. Get access to the best last minute hotel rates in the USA by becoming a registered member online today. Look for a link at the bottom of this page or in our privacy policy where you can withdraw consent. Royal Caribbean's VOOM service has two different levels of service with two different prices. Id love to connect with you on Instagram and Facebook @lifewellcruised. If you want to adjust the amount, go to the reception desk. If you could use cruise packing lists, to-do checklists, shore excursion forms and more, youll love the Life Well Cruised Ultimate Cruise Planner. 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. The amount is the only thing that tends to vary on service levels. 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). You can also leave a small gift for your favorite crew member. There are 2 adults and 1 child in the room, if this. Robinson said mainstream cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean and Holland America Line charge gratuities on a per person, per day basis. This includes drinks at the bar or cafe, spa services and salon visits. As much as some people opt to remove gratuities on their account, some give extra. 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 can purchase the drink package online pre-cruise or once onboard during the first day (or two) of your trip. Viking Cruises gratuities are $15.00 per person, per day for all staterooms. Princess: $14.50 per person, per day ($15.50 for mini-suite guests and $16.50 for suite guests). Id 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. I do think its a very personal choice, but we can talk about this in a future video for sure! There was only one cruise where my sons special request was denied. For many cruise passengers, bars play a pretty large role in their experiences. Love this! There aren't any hard-and-fast guidelines for this type of tip since it's contingent on your experience, but 25 to 40 on behalf of a couple roughly works out to an extra 2 to 3 per person, per day, for a seven-night cruise. They will seldom steer you wrong. 1 1 Quote Cindi Members 12 Author Posted April 16, 2019 MTD and ate in MDR 5 nights. How much shouldwe tip? Whether to or not and then how much. So why dont cruise lines just increase the price of fares, and pay their crew a living wage with a decent hourly rate? 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. Jan 6. Sometimes a shoddy tip was more insulting than no tip at all. Alaska is such a beautiful destination. Theres no need to add an extra tip for each drink. 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). 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. Luxury cruise lines have a higher upfront cost than most popular cruise lines, however theyll often include many valuable extras. Tipped crew make the majority of their income from gratuities! We also always tip bar staff even when drinks are complimentary. IMPORTANT: Since September 7, 2022, Royal Caribbean International (RCI) cruise ship passengers pay USD 16 pp per day in tips (service charge for staterooms Junior Suites and below). 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. With the exception of a couple cruise lines on this list, most cruises that include gratuities are luxury lines. If you're staying in a high-category suite, you may be expected to tip . Should Be Cruising is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Who else should you tip on a cruise ship? Check out the latest web stories from Should Be Cruising! frequentfloaters.com - That Guy. I guess I was looking for some kind of scale like we have atrestaurants on land. They pay their crew (usually recruited from countries with limited economic opportunities) per contract, not by the hour. While you pay daily gratuities before your cruise ($16 per person, per day in most staterooms), many cruisers like to give something extra. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. 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. Its customary to tip the waiters generously at specialty restaurants. 40 Ocean Quotes for Everyone Who Loves The Sea, 15 Delicious Foods in the Bahamas You Need to Try. ROYAL CARIBBEAN BIGGEST SHIP. Most of the biggest cruise lines automatically add some type of service or gratuity fee onto passenger bills. 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. Thank you, Carrie Ann. Because plasma accounts for approximately 90% of total fluid volume, drinking plenty of water after receiving a transplant is beneficial to your body. Each person you tip gets their own envelope. Once you book your cruise, there are some things you'll need to do in advance to prepare. You cant choose how much each crew member gets. ~ janet Viking Ocean: $15.00 per person, per day Virgin Voyages: includes gratuities in the fare. I agree with Kelli. 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). (Admit it: You tend to miss those nightly pillow chocolates and towel animals after you get home.) 2% would be a shoddy tip, but it's fine for the "extra tip" line if that 2% was to bring the 18% service charge up to 20%. How much to tip waiter and his assistant? #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! What is Royal Caribbean's service gratuities (tips) price and policy? A better solution is to have a discreet word with the crew members supervisor about your concerns. In this post, weve gone over how tipping works on a cruise. 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. Grand Suite and above cabin categories pay USD 18,50 pp per day gratuities. Im so glad youre here! 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. Your glowing review can help a hardworking crew member earn a promotion or raise. Passengers sometimes plan in advance to bring small gifts to leave with their cabin stewards, either at the beginning or end of the cruise. Tipping is not required, however, customarily some people do choose to tip anywhere from $1 - $5 per order. You may also like: Do You Need to Bring Cash on a Cruise? Hi All, I just wanted to share something with new cruisers (and old if they do not know this). US$13,50 (increased from US$12,95) for standard cabins and US$16,50 (increased from US$15.95) for upper-tier suites. Or you can plan ahead and take enough cash in the correct currency to cover any tips you might want to pay.