We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. One of the most luxurious aspects of cruising is the service of room stewards -- that team of people who often go unseen in their daily mission to keep your cruise cabin sparkling fresh and clean. Royal Caribbean offers three all-inclusive drink packages, a premium coffee package and a water package. If you dont see the cards in your room, ask at the Passenger Services desk, or leave the feedback in your post-cruise survey. What Is a Cabin Steward on a Cruise Ship? 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. If you feel that you want to tip above and beyond the cruise tipping guidelines, go for it. Lets just say from the expression on the drivers face that he was not happy with that amount. The service charge on MSC Cruises is $12.50 per person, per day for guests in standard cabins. If you havent notified your bank, they will usually send you a fraud alert or temporarily freeze your card. Hope you enjoy! Some cruise lines refer to these tips as a service charge. What Is The Average Amount of Cash to Bring on a Cruise? You might want to remove their tips as a punishment for poor service. Hi this was helpful, thank you. The amount is the only thing that tends to vary on service levels. Then you can take your deposit out in cash at the casino cashier. By proceeding, you agree to Cruise Critics. Before Your Royal Caribbean Cruise . I'm sure the crew appreciated your extra tips - they all work so hard! It's always up to you to adjust the number of gratuities at any time while onboard the ship and your tips will be deemed undisputed. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates. #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! We never gave him anything. While each cruise line is different, many include alcoholic drinks, soda and specialty coffee, gratuities, specialty dining and some shore excursions. Treasure Coast of Florida. Grand Suite and above cabin categories pay USD 18,50 pp per day gratuities. What currency should you use to tip on a cruise? If cruising from Australia to the South Pacific, Australian dollars are widely accepted. However, youll want to make sure youve notified your bank that you will be out of the country. Given that most , all ? I believe that often the bartenders will pool their tips b/c there are so many working the crowd but I think it's an individual choice on their parts as to how they handle this. 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. 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. Do you need to tip at the spa on a cruise? separately, near the end of the cruise. Ill definitely look into it and see how I can best do that on this site. 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). Plus, for a limited time, its $10 off. Princess Cruises will automatically charge a crew incentive of $14.50 per person, per day for guests in inside ocean view and balcony cabins. The onboard price of this package varies from $63 to $89 a day, plus an 18% gratuity. During your cruise vacation, youll probably receive services from other people who arent cruise line employeesbut you might not realize it! There is no charge for children under 3 years of age. In reality, the cruise staff on board want you to be satisfied, so this is the time address a problem. For favorite bartenders or waitstaff, I give about $20 to each for a seven-day cruise. After combing through my notes, here's the best tips and tricks for taking a Royal Caribbean cruise. Though automated gratuities are the easiest and most common way to tip, some passengers prefer to instead tip their attendants in cash, either in addition to the automated gratuity or in place of it. However, cruisers dont always see all of the crew who work behind the scenes for them, like the kitchen and laundry workers. ATMs usually charge a $5-6 fee per transaction. Prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted and cruise line gratuities may be referred to a daily service charge or crew incentive. In addition, weve included a list of daily gratuities per cruise line and who else you may wish to tip. Lets just say from the expression on the drivers face that he was not happy with that amount. 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. Display as a link instead, Our Stateroom Attendant on cruise #5 was fabulous, and I showed my appreciation by leaving him (thanks Mahbob!) A The automatic service gratuity is $16.00 USD per person, per day for guests in Junior Suites and below, or $18.50 USD per person, per day for guests in Grand Suites and above, applied to each guest's SeaPass account on a daily basis. Its important to note that, especially on the luxury lines, tipping is not expected. Iwas a waitress for yearslong ago and far away. Having the articles in a printable format is a really interesting idea. This is a good question. MTD and ate in MDR 5 nights. At some North American ports, youll see signs stating that the porters do not accept tips. Could you possibly make your articles printable? I generally tip extra, mostly because I come from a customer service back round and know how hard these people work, compared to their pay. Happy cruising :). Continue with Recommended Cookies. On the flip side, passengers have less control over where their money goes with autogratuities. 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. Pricing varies based on the ship, sail dates, and itinerary. Other cruisers, often people who remember cruising before autogratuities, prefer tipping crew in cash. Many ships also have an abundance of kids' activities including kids clubs that . Cunards daily gratuities are set at $11.50 per person, per day for guests in standard cabins. Disney cruises has a suggested daily gratuity charge of $13.50 per person, per day for all guests. Royal Caribbean charges a gratuity of $16.00 per person, per day. cost cruise much does caribbean royal excursions treatments fees consider drinks spa government All rights reserved. The premium cruise line's fleet of 15 ships sail around the world, from the Galapagos to the Caribbean. While you pay daily gratuities before your cruise ($16 per person, per day in most staterooms), many cruisers like to give something extra. We like to prepay gratuities when we make our final payment for our cruise, but this is optional. Celebrity Cruises is Royal Caribbean's sister brand that provides a slightly more upscale, refined experience onboard. Royal Caribbean: $14.50 per person, per day ($17.50 for guests in grand suites and above). Youre welcome to use a credit or debit card to make purchases in ports of call whenever possible. December 8, 2010. On top of that, there's an 18% gratuity fee. Youll want to factor in the cruise line gratuity charge, sometimes called on board service charges (Norwegian Cruise Line). What is Royal Caribbean's service gratuities (tips) price and policy? While planning a, The weekend is the perfect time to take a short break, so why not go on a cruise too? You can also adjust your gratuities up or down. Im a little over a month out before my next cruise, and while its a little early to start packing (is it though? Have some small bills handy for these times. 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,. Automatic gratuities cover just about every tipped crew member on the ship. Celebrity Cruises isnt a luxury cruise line, however it is a top premium cruise line that markets itself as modern luxury. You may also like: A Cruise Glossary: Cruise Terms You Should Know. They will do extra for you after they realize you are a tipper! Tips are added automatically to the onboard account (SeaPass) on a daily basis. Having worked in the service industry, if people want to extra tip, then doing it at the beginning is the way to go. You can also leave a small gift for your favorite crew member. Some guests may bring $200 extra for gratuities whereas others may bring $50. raahc and lovecruising!!! Look for a link at the bottom of this page or in our privacy policy where you can withdraw consent. You may also like: 26 Hidden Cruise Fees You Should Know About. Originally formed in 1988 by the Chandris Group in Greece, Celebrity Cruises was acquired by Royal Caribbean Group in 1997. 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. Sometimes it cannot be helped ! When we tip them individually, do they get to keep the entire amount for themselvesor do they have to share that too? I guess I was looking for some kind of scale like we have atrestaurants on land. But you should know, that the ship's service staff don't make a salary - your tips are their wages. Given the high level of service, passengers often wonder how much they should plan to tip their cabin steward, especially when they go above and beyond. You'll find an extensive selection of options all over Canada Paste as plain text instead, 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. 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. Rather than reducing the amount payed, they point out on their website that they will work to resolve any service issues experienced. 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. Carrie Ann is the founder of Should Be Cruising and a lifelong travel fanatic. Should you prepay automatic gratuities? How Much Does a Caribbean Cruise Cost? Royal Caribbean says it is raising its suggested crew gratuities by nearly $2 per passenger, per day. Most cruise lines allow guests to remove automatic gratuities. Tips are of course a personal decision. Read more: Should You Prepay Gratuities on a Cruise or Pay Onboard? 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. But if you dont want to prepay, thats fine too. Technically your are not obliged to tip any more than the daily gratuities that have been charged to your room. Additionally, shouldbecruising.com participates in various other affiliate programs, and we sometimes receive a commission from purchases made through our links. I ALWAYS tip extra to the outstanding employees on every cruise I have ever taken. 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. 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. I had prepaid my gratuities, and I assumed the porter was a cruise line employee, so I didnt tip him. If you're staying in a high-category suite, you may be expected to tip . 40 Ocean Quotes for Everyone Who Loves The Sea, 15 Delicious Foods in the Bahamas You Need to Try. Who else should you tip on a cruise ship? Bar, spa and in-room dining for Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara have an 18 per cent gratuity charge. People associate umbrella drinks and colorful tropical concoctions with cruising, and fancy-looking martinis have become a nighttime staple at sea. The balcony is a good size with two chairs. However, a few lines dont add autogratuities for babies and toddlers under age two or three. Learn how your comment data is processed. There are a number of factors which people use to decide how much to tip their Genie. On NCL, passengers who dont want to pay autograts need to file a claim for reimbursement after the cruise. If youre sailing from the United States to the Caribbean, US dollars are widely accepted in popular cruise ports. Because plasma accounts for approximately 90% of total fluid volume, drinking plenty of water after receiving a transplant is beneficial to your body. 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. Cruise gratuities are divided among your cruise cabin steward, waiters and other crew members who work as support behind the scenes. 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. Here's how to get the most out of Royal Caribbean's Deluxe Beverage Package (or Prime Casino Royale free drinks in the casino). Youll often receive change back in local currency even when paying with USD. 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 our "big tip" on this subject is this - if you guys have a service staff problem, speak first with your cabin attendant. How much to tip waiter and his assistant? This is an excellent article, which really clearly explains all the issues around tipping. ), it, So youre planning a family cruise with a $2000 budget is it possible? If you order room service, its customary to give the person that delivers your tray about $1-2 per meal. Thoughts? However, there are a few common practices and guidelines. Posted March 5, 2007. The cruise industry has worked this way for a long time, although the automatic gratuities are only the last few years. 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. The only exception is for passengers with prepaid gratuities (they won't be charged daily). #4. Hi Alex, thanks so much for your lovely comment. Thats a funny thing that weve experienced in the past as well. Tipping is not required, however, customarily some people do choose to tip anywhere from $1 - $5 per order. You cant choose how much each crew member gets. Sometimes a shoddy tip was more insulting than no tip at all. For some of them, depending . When you book your cruise, youll be charged your cruise fare, port fees and taxes. 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. Related: Cruise Line. Theres no need to add an extra tip for each drink. 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. 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! Technically your are not obliged to tip any more than the daily gratuities that have been charged to your room.