Heres a video which answers many questions that you may have about cruise gratuities and tipping on a cruise ship. UK lines such as Fred. W. Its customary to tip the waiters generously at specialty restaurants. Typically, this is associated with your credit card which youll be prompted to set up when you complete your online check in. In addition to this, an 18% gratuity is automatically added to all drinks, spa and salon services. The practice of tipping is controversial, even in the United States where paying tips is part of the culture. 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. Im not expecting him to kiss our butts, but come on. Often, these crew members are part of the tip pool, and they lose part of their expected income each time a passenger removes autogratuities. They pay their crew (usually recruited from countries with limited economic opportunities) per contract, not by the hour. Every stateroom has a room service menu. Near the end of your cruise, youll probably receive some comment cards in your stateroom that you can use to leave feedback about a member of the crew. 1 Royal Caribbean Travel Protection is an optional travel protection add-on to your cruise booking and is available through Royal Caribbean for residents in all states except New York. 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. Related: Whats included in your Royal Caribbean cruise fare. Who To Tip On Your Cruise, and How Much | CruiseHabit raahc and lovecruising!!! Royal Caribbean Cruises Tipping Policy - CruiseCheap.com Thanks for taking the time to read my blog and leave a comment! Cruise gratuities are divided among your cruise cabin steward, waiters and other crew members who work as support behind the scenes. Who else should you tip on a cruise ship? But if you dont want to prepay, thats fine too. We always tip cruise staff but in cash not automatic tipping. How much? Thanks so much! The Smart Cruiser's Guide to Tipping on a Cruise | Cruisewatch Cruises in Europe are charged in Euros. I would imagine wed see prices increase overall if they did this, but perhaps it amounts to this anyway. They are always pleasant and willing to do whatever they can for you. Read more: Should You Prepay Gratuities on a Cruise or Pay Onboard? Now if someone goes over and above a little extra is due. However, the price of getting online can be expensive. Although cash isnt required for onboard purchases, there are a few scenarios where youll want to have cash available. 1. Tips are of course a personal decision. 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). Top Cruise Tips | Royal Caribbean Blog (Learn more about when and when not to pay auto-gratuities.). Sometimes a shoddy tip was more insulting than no tip at all. ATMs usually charge a $5-6 fee per transaction. Children under 4 are not charged. There are 2 adults and 1 child in the room, if this. On a cruise, most guests bring between $100-$120 in cash per day to be spent on transportation, tips, gifts, food, and shopping. Carnival cruise gratuities are automatically added to onboard accounts for those in all rooms. Its unlikely to do any good by this point. At the base level, one person can use the service, and the price rises as you add more logins. Because plasma accounts for approximately 90% of total fluid volume, drinking plenty of water after receiving a transplant is beneficial to your body. on board service charges (Norwegian Cruise Line). 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,. There is a lot to know before you even step foot on a Royal Caribbean Cruise. When did royal mail stop delivering on christmas day? - JacAnswers You can just hand over folded cash, or use the tip envelopes youll find in your stateroom or at Passenger Services. I believe this to be true, too. Ill definitely look into it and see how I can best do that on this site. The amount you tip is up to youI generally give about $5 per person per day to my stateroom steward. 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. Get expert advice, insider tips and more. Sometimes a shoddy tip was more insulting than no tip at all. Ren de Lambert. Wondering how much gratuities are on a cruise? How much tip receive in cruise royal caribbean? On top of that, there's an 18% gratuity fee. Most cruise lines allow guests to remove automatic gratuities. Ive been surprisedor I probably should say I had forgottenhow many hands have been extended for a tip on these shore excursions. New York state residents who wish to purchase the product may visit https://travelcruisecare.com to enroll directly with . Should you prepay automatic gratuities? Can Drinking Beer The Night Before Donor Plasma Donation Interfere With Other cruisers, often people who remember cruising before autogratuities, prefer tipping crew in cash. Its a good idea to hand over your tips the day before disembarkation. Some cruise lines allow you to use your cruise card to deposit money in the casino. Our Best Royal Caribbean Cruise Tips And Tricks. 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). People associate umbrella drinks and colorful tropical concoctions with cruising, and fancy-looking martinis have become a nighttime staple at sea. On a 7 day cruise we usually give $50 to the waiter and $30 to the asst. If you go on a tour or shore excursion, its nice to tip the driver or shore excursion staff if youve appreciated their service. 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. It was just the two of us. We like to prepay gratuities when we make our final payment for our cruise, but this is optional. Some cruise ship spas, like those on NCL and Royal Caribbean, add on a service fee or gratuity, usually about 18%. Most cruise lines charge for children as well, although there are some exceptions for very young children on select cruise lines. $10-20 at the end of the cruise is a nice gratuity for their service. 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. I agree with Kelli. In addition, weve included a list of daily gratuities per cruise line and who else you may wish to tip. How Much Should You Budget for Cruise Gratuities? So something edible (maybe a favorite candy or snack from your home region?) Tipping Etiquette on Cruise Ships - TripSavvy Beyond leaving a cash tip for your cabin steward, or favorite server or bartender, some other small gestures will go a long way. However, extra tipping and being a jerk do not go hand in hand. There are a couple of exceptions, though. Having small bills handy is helpful if you plan to tip crew members throughout your sailing. It is best to drink 9 to 13 cups of water before donating money in the 24 hours preceding the event. Treasure Coast of Florida. Our Best Royal Caribbean Cruise Tips And Tricks Travelers in suites are. If you dont see the cards in your room, ask at the Passenger Services desk, or leave the feedback in your post-cruise survey. That lets him / her know upfront that we tip, and there is more to come at the end of the cruise! Please check MSCs website for details. 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. Royal Caribbean Drink Package: Ultimate Guide - High Seas Cruising What you cant do is adjust or remove automatic gratuities for a specific crew member. cost of royal caribbean around the world cruise Cruise prices msc This is for a good reason as it ensures that proper. Between January 2, 2018, and Sept 7, 2022, RCI's daily (per passenger) crew gratuities were US$14,50 (standard staterooms) and US$17,50 (Grand Suites+). Tipping on a cruise ship can be a confusing endeavor, especially for those sailing for the first time. For many cruise passengers, bars play a pretty large role in their experiences. 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. Congrats on reaching Diamond :) Happy cruising! 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. How Much Should I Tip My Room Steward on a Cruise? By general rule of thumb, the big ship mainstream cruise lines charge it as an extra payment above and beyond the base cruise fare while luxury lines adopt an all-inclusive approach. However, a few lines dont add autogratuities for babies and toddlers under age two or three. If sailing in a reg. Theres no need to add an extra tip for each drink. Some cruise lines refer to the gratuities as a crew incentive or a service fee, but essentially these are tips for crew members that are used to augment their low wages. Im Carrie Ann, the writer behind Should Be Cruising. If youre sailing from the United States to the Caribbean, US dollars are widely accepted in popular cruise ports. 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. Iwas a waitress for yearslong ago and far away. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates. Let me know in the comments below! You may also like: A Cruise Glossary: Cruise Terms You Should Know. Later I learned that the porters outside of the cruise terminal are not cruise line employees at all! Can You Refuse to Pay Gratuities on a Cruise? However, cruisers dont always see all of the crew who work behind the scenes for them, like the kitchen and laundry workers. When we tip them individually, do they get to keep the entire amount for themselvesor do they have to share that too? How much are gratuities on Royal Caribbean cruises? In a survey of 850 cruisers, 71% stated that they took over $100 per person per day when cruising. (For line by line information, read more about cruise line tipping policies.). How much cash should you bring on a cruise? | Royal Caribbean Blog This is a personal decision and Im not sure if theres a tipping etiquette for it. Royal Caribbean Cruise Holiday Deals 2020 & 2021 - Cruise Nation www.cruisenation.com. On Costa Cruises, service charges of $12.50 per person, per day are charged for cruises departing from the US. Tips are added automatically to the onboard account (SeaPass) on a daily basis. When youre on a cruise, you shouldnt tip the captain or the officers. I always prepay the gratuities. Some people are retired or on a fixed income, some are well off, some have to save for years for a cruise. During your cruise vacation, youll probably receive services from other people who arent cruise line employeesbut you might not realize it! Our Stateroom Attendant on cruise #5 was fabulous, and I showed my appreciation by leaving him (thanks Mahbob!) All rights reserved. Many passengers rave long after their hoilday is over about the service of stewards who go above and beyond. How Much Money Should I Take on a Cruise? - Windstar Cruises Travel Blog 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. There's a wide variety of services that you will receive during your cruise. 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. When paying the automatic daily gratuities, cruise lines tell us this amount gets divided by your cabin attendant, waiter and other dining staff. Royal Caribbean: $14.50 per person, per day ($17.50 for guests in grand suites and above). cost cruise much does caribbean royal excursions treatments fees consider drinks spa government Iwas a waitress for yearslong ago and far away. I prefer waiting to see how the service is before deciding on an extra tip, but thats just my preference. What Is a Cabin Steward on a Cruise Ship? The Dream pioneered the innovative and fun cruise ships that are standard today from Carnival Cruise Lines. The average daily gratuity on a cruise is $14-15 USD per person approximately $30 per day, per couple in a cabin. Learn how your comment data is processed. That is a very personal question. For example, you might give the guide $5 to $10 for a half-day excursion or $10 to $20 for a full-day tour. Some claim they are making less money than they formerly did with cash tips. A couple should budget about $200 in gratuities for a 7 day cruise. The average price of a 7 night Caribbean cruise, on a mainstream cruise line, in April is approximately $616 (493) per person, excluding taxes. When planning your cruise, check with your travel agent or the cruise line about the tipping policy. We usually do the prepaid tipping and also give some extra at the end of our cruises. But many cruisers (including myself) choose to prepay to avoid a big charge at the end of the cruise. Once you book your cruise, there are some things you'll need to do in advance to prepare. I also tipped my wait staff very generously in the main dining room and specialty restaurants, as well as my drink waiters! Royal Caribbean cruise ships have been sailing at nearly 100% capacity for the past few months. December 8, 2010. What do you think about the custom of tipping on a cruise ship? Royal Caribbean charges a gratuity of $16.00 per person, per day. Thoughts? The one excursion we had a fifty dollar bill and three ones at the end of the (short) trip. The cruise industry has worked this way for a long time, although the automatic gratuities are only the last few years. The worst thing you can do is wait until you are home from your cruise to address it. Tipping Please Help!!! - Royal Caribbean International - Cruise Critic Have our travel agency partner get you a free quote for a Royal Caribbean cruise. If you havent notified your bank, they will usually send you a fraud alert or temporarily freeze your card. 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. 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. flipped into Ren de Lambert. 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. 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. 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). 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. After 23 Royal Caribbean Cruises, What I've Learned About Tipping Grand Suite and above cabin categories pay USD 18,50 pp per day gratuities. Royal Caribbean Biggest Ship. .wonder of The For many cruises that operate in the Australian market where tipping isnt part of the culture, automatic gratuities arent added on to passenger bills. Viking Ocean: $15.00 per person, per day Virgin Voyages: includes gratuities in the fare. After 50 cruises I know they really mean it! You can always add extra for exceptional service, though! 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. Prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted and cruise line gratuities may be referred to a daily service charge or crew incentive. If you opt for a specialty restaurant, the tip isnt usually included. There are a number of factors which people use to decide how much to tip their Genie. The premium cruise line's fleet of 15 ships sail around the world, from the Galapagos to the Caribbean. Payments on cruise ships have almost entirely gone digital, but there are still a few situations where cash comes in handy. Those can range from about $15 to upwards of $20 for each . It May be Time for Some Royal Caribbean Elites to Reconsider Paying for Drink Packages. Just did 8 nights on Voyager. The extra cash may or may not end up in your steward's pocket, but he'll appreciate the gesture nonetheless. Iwas a waitress for yearslong ago and far away. This practice can eat into the regular wages and livelihood of hardworking crew and is not advised. If not, just leave blank. 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. How Much Should You Tip Crew Members - Cruise Hive 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. Robinson said mainstream cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean and Holland America Line charge gratuities on a per person, per day basis. 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. The only charges that should appear on my final tab are any extras I decided to add on during the voyage. Do you tip above and beyond the automatic gratuities? What do you tip your royal genie? - Cruise Critic Community Hi this was helpful, thank you. Whether to or not and then how much. Royal Caribbean Drink Package Guide & Tips | Cruise.Blog You can purchase the drink package online pre-cruise or once onboard during the first day (or two) of your trip. You may want to give them a tip per drink or a larger tip at the end or even the beginning of your cruise. Having worked in the service industry, if people want to extra tip, then doing it at the beginning is the way to go. a $200 gratuity on top of my prepaid gratuities. (Youll often see a survey pop up in your email inbox a few days after your cruise.). The Sky Suite on Celebrity was a perfect size for two, at around 320 square feet. Some cruise lines refer to these tips as a service charge. Automatic gratuities, also called autogratuities or autograts, is the cruise term for the system most cruise lines now use to simplify tipping for passengers. Cruises in Europe, World cruises and those departing from a non-US Caribbean port charge 10 Euros per person, per day. Posted September 17, 2021. Still confused . In standard cabins, Carnival charges $14.50 per person, per day in tips. You dont need to write a noveljust a few sentences about how the crew member made your cruise even better will do. About $1-2 (or the equivalent in local currency) per bag is fine. Here is a list of the daily gratuity charges by major cruise lines for 2021-22. If you dont have a drink package, theyll add the price of each drink plus the service fee to your onboard tab. Note that we are Australian, so therefore not inclined to tip unless the service warrants it. 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. Our Best Royal Caribbean Cruise Tips And Tricks - MSN Here's a guide to help you navigate ways to show your appreciation for these hard workers. I don't actually agree with th. 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. Required fields are marked *. 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. 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. Jan 6. 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. 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. One notable exception is Norwegian Cruise Line. The cruise director will also remind passengers about how much and whom the cruise .