While you pay daily gratuities before your cruise ($16 per person, per day in most staterooms), many cruisers like to give something extra. Tips are added automatically to the onboard account (SeaPass) on a daily basis. It has one large sink with two faucets and a large shower with a tub. 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. In fact, I think most would agree that cruise line staff make a huge difference in the cruise experience. 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. Disney cruises has a suggested daily gratuity charge of $13.50 per person, per day for all guests. 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. Thank you, Carrie Ann. 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. If theres a crew member who goes above and beyond for you, there are some other ways to show your appreciation. Now if someone goes over and above a little extra is due. Do you need to tip for drinks, meals, or snacks on a cruise? I'm sure the crew appreciated your extra tips - they all work so hard! Ive been surprisedor I probably should say I had forgottenhow many hands have been extended for a tip on these shore excursions. They might feel that it gives them more control over tipping, rewarding the crew based on their level of service. Cruise lines just have contracts with their preferred shore excursion companiesthe guides and drivers arent employees of the line. ATMs usually charge a $5-6 fee per transaction. The one excursion we had a fifty dollar bill and three ones at the end of the (short) trip. 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. $15.99 per person per day for guests in suites. You can also leave a small gift for your favorite crew member. There's a wide variety of services that you will receive during your cruise. Here's how to get the most out of Royal Caribbean's Deluxe Beverage Package (or Prime Casino Royale free drinks in the casino). The premium cruise line's fleet of 15 ships sail around the world, from the Galapagos to the Caribbean. Im a little over a month out before my next cruise, and while its a little early to start packing (is it though? 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'm so glad you found my post! Cruise lines have implemented automatic gratuities, options to prepay gratuities and some popular cruise lines have begun including tips in your cruise fare. A former flight attendant, she now prefers cruise ships over airplanes and spends several months each year cruising and exploring cruise ports. Stay in one of the Royal Suites and room service is included. I don't actually agree with th. They are always pleasant and willing to do whatever they can for you. Some things are free, other items are fee-based. Normally, we tip between $5 to $7 additionally per day for the two of us at the end of the cruise. The new RCI tips per day are added to each guest's SeaPass card (shipboard account) automatically. You can choose to pay in local currency, too, but obtaining money in 3+ currencies before a cruise is not necessary. For many cruise passengers, bars play a pretty large role in their experiences. The amount is the only thing that tends to vary on service levels. If you enjoy tipping in cash, consider giving an extra cash tip to the crew members who gave you excellent service on your cruise. These cruise line employees are highly compensated, and offering a tip isnt necessary. Not only will it improve your cruise experience, but youre also allowing the cruise ship staff the opportunity to make things right. Have some small bills handy for these times. 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. There are 2 adults and 1 child in the room, if this. Obviously, if you tip a room attendant, that money will go directly to him/her. If your shore excursion includes lunch, you generally dont have to leave a tipthe tour company takes care of the lunch bill. This may be rare, however if theres a problem with service or you have a complaint on your cruise, that you should bring this to the attention of the staff member, supervisor, or guest services when it occurs. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates. Related: Cruise Line. The amount is based on the service received of course. ROYAL CARIBBEAN BIGGEST SHIP. Life Well Cruised Ultimate Cruise Planner, YouTube at Life Well Cruised (Vlogs and cruise tips). Its a good idea to hand over your tips the day before disembarkation. First is the ATM. | Royal Caribbean Blog www.royalcaribbeanblog.com. I think its pretty bad when thats the only night they make their presence be known. You may also like: Eight Things That Will Surprise First Time Cruisers. Royal Caribbean International What's Included: Dining, stateroom, and other key crew members. Im an avid cruiser and have been giving out insider tips for more than 10 years! When booking a Celebrity cruise, tips are included in their Always Included program. 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. Depending on your cruise ship, you may be able to use the Royal . The time when youll need the most cash on a cruise vacation is when youre in port. Credit: Royal Caribbean Show-Stopping Entertainment I believe since these are pooled between everybody, additional tipping should only be done if you feel somebody has gone above and beyond. In standard cabins, Carnival charges $14.50 per person, per day in tips. What to Expect: Tipping Crew Members on a Cruise. Note that paying in cash does not necessarily circumvent the pooling system -- attendants are officially required to turn in any cash gratuities to put toward the pool. While each cruise line is different, many include alcoholic drinks, soda and specialty coffee, gratuities, specialty dining and some shore excursions. Thanks so much for sharing your experience! 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. Manchester 3. In their case "tipping" doesn't mean "extra" - it means "salary". Until fairly recently, cruise passengers customarily tipped only in cash, in person. Any chance of that? Happy cruising :). Robinson said mainstream cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean and Holland America Line charge gratuities on a per person, per day basis. When you book your cruise, youll be charged your cruise fare, port fees and taxes. You may want to give them a tip per drink or a larger tip at the end or even the beginning of your cruise. When planning your cruise, check with your travel agent or the cruise line about the tipping policy. 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. Bond with your snorkel guide? 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. Heres what you should know about cash on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Alaska is such a beautiful destination. The drink package works at all onboard bars, restaurants, and even Royal Caribbean's private island CocoCay. 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. If you could use cruise packing lists, to-do checklists, shore excursion forms and more, youll love the Life Well Cruised Ultimate Cruise Planner. Although cards are widely accepted, you may still encounter establishments that do not accept card payments. 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. 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. 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. There may be cases where you'd like to tip your cabin steward more than what he or she will receive after your automated gratuity is pooled and shared out. If sailing in a reg. Your link has been automatically embedded. Cindi 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.". if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'shouldbecruising_com-leader-2','ezslot_15',606,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-shouldbecruising_com-leader-2-0');Since you cant remove the automatic tips for just that one crew member, removing or lowering your automatic gratuities hurts all the tipped employees. Should you tip extra on a cruise? Hi this was helpful, thank you. But if you dont want to prepay, thats fine too. balyasny aum TRAVEL PROTECTION PROGRAM. How much do people tip a Royal Genie? They often work 7-10 months at a time and 12-14 hours per day for seven days straight before having a half or even a whole day off. 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,. 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). 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. Disclaimer: I may receive a small commission when you make a purchase from a link on this site, at no added charge to you. However, extra tipping and being a jerk do not go hand in hand. We usually tip between $500-700 depending on what we do. They pay their crew (usually recruited from countries with limited economic opportunities) per contract, not by the hour. 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%. 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. 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. By We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Afrikaans; Alemannisch; ; ; Azrbaycanca; ; Banjar; ; () I dont tend to tip in advance, so this is an interesting way of doing things. You could also tip based on the length of the tour. December 8, 2010. Is it the 15 day or the 7 day from Honolulu? How Much Does a Caribbean Cruise Cost? Every stateroom has a room service menu. Are very professional, what should a tip look like at the end of a 10 day cruise? Could you possibly make your articles printable? For more info, please read myDisclosure Policy. Unless they are below average and that has happened only one time. Cruise gratuities are divided among your cruise cabin steward, waiters and other crew members who work as support behind the scenes. 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). They did a really good job and I would like to tip them. Ive got you covered! Whether to or not and then how much. 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, a few lines dont add autogratuities for babies and toddlers under age two or three. Tipping extra is not necessary, and theres no right or wrong amount to give a crew member. Who else should you tip on a cruise ship? I give my room steward $5 at the very beginning of the cruise. 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. Royal Caribbean Cruise Holiday Deals 2020 & 2021 - Cruise Nation www.cruisenation.com. After 50 cruises I know they really mean it! cabin (not suite) recommended amount would be $39 pp times two equals $78 for a 4 night cruise. This cruise ship was the first of Carnival's unique Dream Class cruise ships. Royal Caribbean Royal Caribbean charges a $7.95 service fee and room service is available 24-hours a day. Typically, this is associated with your credit card which youll be prompted to set up when you complete your online check in. Some cruise lines refer to these tips as a service charge. However, your cruise vacation expenses wont end there. We sail Celebrity and opt to prepay gratuities. Iwas a waitress for yearslong ago and far away. The best advice I can give Americans and Canadians, if they are tipping questions arise either on the ship or ashore, follow the lead of Aussies and ask their advice. 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.