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. Happy cruising :). According to RCI's website, of the 2016-updated gratuities (US$13.50), nearly US$8.30 goes to dining / culinary services; suite attendants receive US$6,85; stateroom attendants get US$3,85, and housekeeping service staff - US$1.35. 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. On the flip side, passengers have less control over where their money goes with autogratuities. Cruise line employees are extremely hard working, I agree, and they go above and beyond so often. Cunards daily gratuities are set at $11.50 per person, per day for guests in standard cabins. Cruises from Europe and Australia will still use the US dollar as the official onboard currency, but you should make purchases in port with the destinations local currency. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Ive been cruising for over 15 years, and the practice of tipping on a cruise has certainly evolved. Depending on your cruise ship, you may be able to use the Royal . We like to keep a few dollars handy for this purpose as we board our cruise ship. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Here is a list of the daily gratuity charges by major cruise lines for 2021-22. The amount is based on the service received of course. 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. Lets just say from the expression on the drivers face that he was not happy with that amount. 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. (Admit it: You tend to miss those nightly pillow chocolates and towel animals after you get home.) About $1-2 (or the equivalent in local currency) per bag is fine. Still confused . Royal Caribbean says it is raising its suggested crew gratuities by nearly $2 per passenger, per day. You can post now and register later. Knowing how much cash to bring on a cruise can help you plan your vacation budget and avoid pesky ATM fees along the way. What currency should you use to tip on a cruise? How to Pay: Paid in cruise fare at the time of purchase. In this post, weve gone over how tipping works on a cruise. Gave them US 5 each three nights and US 10 each last night. These cruise line employees are highly compensated, and offering a tip isnt necessary. Luxury cruise lines have a higher upfront cost than most popular cruise lines, however theyll often include many valuable extras. The Dream pioneered the innovative and fun cruise ships that are standard today from Carnival Cruise Lines. If you could use cruise packing lists, to-do checklists, shore excursion forms and more, youll love the Life Well Cruised Ultimate Cruise Planner. Rather than reducing the amount payed, they point out on their website that they will work to resolve any service issues experienced. The Sky Suite on Celebrity was a perfect size for two, at around 320 square feet. 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. If you tip extra, you will get FABULOUS service! Obviously, if you tip a room attendant, that money will go directly to him/her. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Many cruisers opt to give extra cash tips to crew members who made their vacation that much more enjoyable. The only charges that should appear on my final tab are any extras I decided to add on during the voyage. 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. 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. frequentfloaters.com - That Guy. 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. You may also like: A Cruise Glossary: Cruise Terms You Should Know. Im not expecting him to kiss our butts, but come on. The time when youll need the most cash on a cruise vacation is when youre in port. Your email address will not be published. Even though cruise gratuities technically arent mandatory, they are customary on most mainstream cruise lines. Something to note is that although daily gratuities arent charged, there may be a service fee or tip added to certain services onboard. You can just hand over folded cash, or use the tip envelopes youll find in your stateroom or at Passenger Services. 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. Princess Cruises will automatically charge a crew incentive of $14.50 per person, per day for guests in inside ocean view and balcony cabins. Beyond leaving a cash tip for your cabin steward, or favorite server or bartender, some other small gestures will go a long way. Gratuities or a service charge are added onto some onboard services. 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. Hope you enjoy! Cruise lines usually add a service charge, usually 15-18%, to all beverages that arent complimentary. In addition, weve included a list of daily gratuities per cruise line and who else you may wish to tip. raahc and lovecruising!!! The extra cash may or may not end up in your steward's pocket, but he'll appreciate the gesture nonetheless. Hi All, Im Ilana. The cruise where fun means everything. Royal Caribbean offers three all-inclusive drink packages, a premium coffee package and a water package. I dont tend to tip in advance, so this is an interesting way of doing things. The gratuities on Oceania Cruises are $16.00 per person, per day for most staterooms and $23.00 per person, per day for guests in suites. If you transfer money to the slot machine and immediately cash out, you can take your cashout slip to the casino cage and receive the listed amount in cash. There is a lot of included dining location so how do you know which ones to che. There's a wide variety of services that you will receive during your cruise. Whether to or not and then how much. I don't actually agree with th. 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. If you feel that you want to tip above and beyond the cruise tipping guidelines, go for it. How much tip receive in cruise royal caribbean? The porters will assist with your luggage and its customary to tip for their service. In a survey of 850 cruisers, 71% stated that they took over $100 per person per day when cruising. Do I need to tip on a cruise or pay service charges, is a question that comes up often. 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. Disney cruises has a suggested daily gratuity charge of $13.50 per person, per day for all guests. How Much Should You Budget for Cruise Gratuities? 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. 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. Im so glad youre enjoying my blog and find the posts helpful and appreciate the feedback. 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). Viking Ocean: $15.00 per person, per day Virgin Voyages: includes gratuities in the fare. Tipped crew make the majority of their income from gratuities! Credit: Royal Caribbean Show-Stopping Entertainment Here's how it works on Royal Caribbean: 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. If your shore excursion includes lunch, you generally dont have to leave a tipthe tour company takes care of the lunch bill. Grand Suite and above cabin categories pay USD 18,50 pp per day gratuities. In-suite parties are a huge amount of work for the Genie and room attendants. The items and service are provided free of charge (except midnight - 5am when there is a nominal delivery fee). All ships have at least one ATM onboard, which is usually located in the Royal Promenade or Centrum. Later I learned that the porters outside of the cruise terminal are not cruise line employees at all! Royal Caribbean's drink packages include: Deluxe Beverage Package Refreshment Package (No alcohol) Classic Soda Package Even if you try, theyll likely graciously turn down your offer. You will get great service either way. All rights reserved. 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. 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. Let me know in the comments below! Now, with automatic gratuities, the process is much simpler and you dont need to carry all that cash. Is it the 15 day or the 7 day from Honolulu? Unless they are below average and that has happened only one time. Wondering how much gratuities are on a cruise? 15% being the rough standard for satisfactoryservice. You cannot paste images directly. You can adjust this based on the length and complexity of the tour. They will do extra for you after they realize you are a tipper! If you order room service, its customary to give the person that delivers your tray about $1-2 per meal. Ill definitely look into it and see how I can best do that on this site. 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. It was just the two of us. This is an excellent article, which really clearly explains all the issues around tipping. Cruising can be such a relaxing vacation as well as so much fun. 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. A kind word or a drawing costs nothing and is always appreciated. Some cruise lines employ a sommelier or wine steward in the main dining rooms, who isnt included in the tipping pool. The one excursion we had a fifty dollar bill and three ones at the end of the (short) trip. 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. Those can range from about $15 to upwards of $20 for each . Sometimes a shoddy tip was more insulting than no tip at all. 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. 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. How much do people tip a Royal Genie? If theres a crew member who goes above and beyond for you, there are some other ways to show your appreciation. In the main dining room, buffet, specialty restaurants, and other dining venues, your tip is included in the automatic gratuities. 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. I think its pretty bad when thats the only night they make their presence be known. You may also like: Do You Need to Bring Cash on a Cruise? 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. 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). You could also tip based on the length of the tour. Most cruise lines allow guests to remove automatic gratuities. Manage Settings I have to say, we simply prepay or leave the tips as is, so I really dont pay attention these days. 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. So why dont cruise lines just increase the price of fares, and pay their crew a living wage with a decent hourly rate? I put together a 47 page printable cruise travel planner that has everything you need as you plan and get ready for your cruise. You also shouldnt tip the cruise director, the entertainment staff, or any independent entertainers like musical guests, comedians, or magicians. If you go to any slot machine, youre able to transfer money to the game via your onboard account, which is connected to your credit or debit card. There was only one cruise where my sons special request was denied. 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. Please let me know in the comments below. You can also leave a small gift for your favorite crew member. Do you have a favorite bartender? During your cruise vacation, youll probably receive services from other people who arent cruise line employeesbut you might not realize it! 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. 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. .WONDER OF THE SEAS. You cant choose how much each crew member gets. Thats a funny thing that weve experienced in the past as well. On most cruise lines that collect automatic gratuities, youre able to remove or adjust the charges by visiting the passenger services desk. 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. Get expert advice, insider tips and more. We never gave him anything. You can read more about me and about Should Be Cruising here. Keep in mind that cruise crew members live in tight quarters, so small (and edible) gifts are preferred. 1. I'm so glad you found my post! It May be Time for Some Royal Caribbean Elites to Reconsider Paying for Drink Packages. On a cruise, most guests bring between $100-$120 in cash per day to be spent on transportation, tips, gifts, food, and shopping. On Costa Cruises, service charges of $12.50 per person, per day are charged for cruises departing from the US. What do you think about cruise line gratuities and service onboard? Should you tip extra on a cruise? For favorite bartenders or waitstaff, I give about $20 to each for a seven-day cruise. 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. How it works: Gratuities are automatically added to your shipboard account on a daily basis. If you're staying in a high-category suite, you may be expected to tip . We also always tip bar staff even when drinks are complimentary. We always tip cruise staff but in cash not automatic tipping. We rarely do the parties anymore. If you put your tips on your seapass you will get a voucher for each envelope. 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). Just for comparison, by the old RCCL tipping guidelines, the Royal Caribbean suggested tips/gratuities were a total of USD 11,65 per day per passenger (respectively USD 13,90 for suite passengers) and also guests could pay onboard either in cash or via their shipboard account. A tip of 15%-20% is common, so check the bottom of your bill before adding an additional amount. When you book your cruise, youll be charged your cruise fare, port fees and taxes. On top of that, there's an 18% gratuity fee. Could you possibly make your articles printable? In fact, I think most would agree that cruise line staff make a huge difference in the cruise experience. For guests staying in Grand Suites and above, the fee is $18.50 per person, per day. Your previous content has been restored. W. Just remember that cruise ship crew live in very tight quarters, without much room for personal belongings. 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. Thanks! Having worked in the service industry, if people want to extra tip, then doing it at the beginning is the way to go. Im so glad youre here! At the base level, one person can use the service, and the price rises as you add more logins. 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%. The service charge on MSC Cruises is $12.50 per person, per day for guests in standard cabins. Which currency you should bring with you on a cruise depends on your departure port and itinerary. $15.99 per person per day for guests in suites. 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. Royal Caribbean raised the service fees on its ships in August by more than 10% to $16 per person per day for those staying in most cabins. 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. RCCL Crown & Anchor Diamond Member at the end of this cruise! Some things are free, other items are fee-based. What Is The Average Amount of Cash to Bring on a Cruise? They are always pleasant and willing to do whatever they can for you. Get access to the best last minute hotel rates in the USA by becoming a registered member online today. I wouldn't worry about giving "too little" extra, since you are already paying the auto gratuity. 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. After combing through my notes, here's the best tips and tricks for taking a Royal Caribbean cruise. 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. Princess: $14.50 per person, per day ($15.50 for mini-suite guests and $16.50 for suite guests). It has one large sink with two faucets and a large shower with a tub. You wont require cash for 99% of purchases on a cruise, whether specialty restaurants, cocktails, or souvenirs. Service charges for guests ages 4-14 are half of the adult rate. Although cash isnt required for onboard purchases, there are a few scenarios where youll want to have cash available. Although gratuities arent mandatory, and in most cases you can go to guest services and have the amount adjusted, most cruise lines do tend to discourage it. Not based on what we "should" give, more on the fact that they provided very good service. 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). The new RCI tips per day are added to each guest's SeaPass card (shipboard account) automatically. That's a major contrast to the early days of the return to sailing after the cruise line's 15-month . Your email address will not be published. I think this depends on who it is and what their job is. Prior to your cruise, youll connect your onboard account with a credit or debit card, and all payments will be charged to that card at the end of the cruise. 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. For more info, please read myDisclosure Policy. 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. Another drink package option for Royal Caribbean cruisers is the Classic Soda package, which includes fountain soda and refills at any venue, Coca-Cola Freestyle beverages and even a Coca-Cola souvenir cup. Youll likely get much better service by doing that instead of just removing the tip!

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