If you want to give an additional tip to your cabin steward (or two), Im sure its very appreciated. For example, you might give the guide $5 to $10 for a half-day excursion or $10 to $20 for a full-day tour. This cruise ship was the first of Carnival's unique Dream Class cruise ships. Have our travel agency partner get you a free quote for a Royal Caribbean cruise. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. I don't actually agree with th. But you should know, that the ship's service staff don't make a salary - your tips are their wages. Passengers sometimes plan in advance to bring small gifts to leave with their cabin stewards, either at the beginning or end of the cruise. You cannot paste images directly. Technically your are not obliged to tip any more than the daily gratuities that have been charged to your room. As for tipping above and beyond prepaid gratuities, I agree completely that there is no expectation. Princess Cruises also has the Princess Plus fare, which includes gratuities or the crew incentive, Medallion Net wifi and Princess premium beverage package. Have some small bills handy for these times. Normally, we tip between $5 to $7 additionally per day for the two of us at the end of the cruise. How Much Should You Budget for Cruise Gratuities? Disclaimer: I may receive a small commission when you make a purchase from a link on this site, at no added charge to you. How Much Does a Caribbean Cruise Cost? The new RCI tips per day are added to each guest's SeaPass card (shipboard account) automatically. Just like with the Carnival's tipping policy, under the new Royal Caribbean tipping policy guests who believe they've been serviced poorly while onboard their "Of The Seas" ship has the right to ask Guest Services personnel to reduce or even to remove their automatic gratuities. A better solution is to have a discreet word with the crew members supervisor about your concerns. 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. Related: Cruise Line. 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. 40 Ocean Quotes for Everyone Who Loves The Sea, 15 Delicious Foods in the Bahamas You Need to Try. Credit: whmuc.blogspot.com. 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. I also tipped my wait staff very generously in the main dining room and specialty restaurants, as well as my drink waiters! Who else should you tip on a cruise ship? $15.99 per person per day for guests in suites. If you dont prepay your gratuities, they will be added to your onboard account. Celebrity Cruises isnt a luxury cruise line, however it is a top premium cruise line that markets itself as modern luxury. About $1-2 (or the equivalent in local currency) per bag is fine. You can post now and register later. If youre booked with Celebritys Always Included, the gratuities are included. Great points about luxury lines and that gratuities are included. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. The service charge on MSC Cruises is $12.50 per person, per day for guests in standard cabins. Youre welcome to use a credit or debit card to make purchases in ports of call whenever possible. If you choose to pay tips in cash, there are usually some envelopes available at the guest service desk. The cruise industry has worked this way for a long time, although the automatic gratuities are only the last few years. Which currency you should bring with you on a cruise depends on your departure port and itinerary. Whether in Mexico, St. Maarten, Italy, or Vanuatu, having cash is recommended. We rarely do the parties anymore. With your support, we can create more exciting content and share with everyone! Should you prepay automatic gratuities? The extra cash may or may not end up in your steward's pocket, but he'll appreciate the gesture nonetheless. 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. The one excursion we had a fifty dollar bill and three ones at the end of the (short) trip. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. A former flight attendant, she now prefers cruise ships over airplanes and spends several months each year cruising and exploring cruise ports. We never gave him anything. ROYAL CARIBBEAN BIGGEST SHIP. I just arrived on board for our 6th cruise, after my 5th cruise just 2 months ago. Do you tip above and beyond the automatic gratuities? Here's a guide to help you navigate ways to show your appreciation for these hard workers. While you pay daily gratuities before your cruise ($16 per person, per day in most staterooms), many cruisers like to give something extra. Princess: $14.50 per person, per day ($15.50 for mini-suite guests and $16.50 for suite guests). Depending on your cruise ship, you may be able to use the Royal . 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. The only charges that should appear on my final tab are any extras I decided to add on during the voyage. I go into more detail about this topic in this post:Can You Refuse to Pay Gratuities on a Cruise? The cruise line will assess your fee each day, then theyll charge your credit card on file at the end of the cruise. In North America, most cruise terminal porters are longshoremen. 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. Often, these crew members are part of the tip pool, and they lose part of their expected income each time a passenger removes autogratuities. Here are some other people you should tip during your cruise. Please check MSCs website for details. 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'm so glad you found my post! Cash is rarely required on a Royal Caribbean cruise, as all payments onboard are made via your SeaPass account. 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. 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. Once you book your cruise, there are some things you'll need to do in advance to prepare. 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. 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. 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). US$13,50 (increased from US$12,95) for standard cabins and US$16,50 (increased from US$15.95) for upper-tier suites. As a cruise passenger, you want to be aware and set your budget expectations to include these amounts for the cruise ship staff. The COST Series: Cruise Ship TIPPING | Who to tip on a cruise and how much | Royal Caribbean Tipping The Weekend Cruiser 8.96K subscribers Subscribe 588 Share 10K views 8 months ago. 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. 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. Alaska is such a beautiful destination. The porters will assist with your luggage and its customary to tip for their service. There are some exceptions. 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. There is a lot to know before you even step foot on a Royal Caribbean Cruise. The bar service personnel still gets their 15% tips from each bar sale. Is it the 15 day or the 7 day from Honolulu? On top of that, there's an 18% gratuity fee. They will do extra for you after they realize you are a tipper! The one excursion we had a fifty dollar bill and three ones at the end of the (short) trip. However, your cruise vacation expenses wont end there. Having small bills handy is helpful if you plan to tip crew members throughout your sailing. Cruises in Europe, World cruises and those departing from a non-US Caribbean port charge 10 Euros per person, per day. Royal Caribbean charges a gratuity of $16.00 per person, per day. Many passengers rave long after their hoilday is over about the service of stewards who go above and beyond. You could also tip based on the length of the tour. Prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted and cruise line gratuities may be referred to a daily service charge or crew incentive. 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. separately, near the end of the cruise. The amount is very personal. Most mainstream cruise lines have their headquarters in the US. 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. Paste as plain text instead, ATMs usually charge a $5-6 fee per transaction. Plus, for a limited time, its $10 off. See details here: Ultimate Cruise Planner -Whats Included, What to Pack for a Caribbean Cruise (with packing list), 7 Cruises to Avoid and What to Do Instead, Cruise Line Stocks Shareholder Benefits for Cruisers (FREE onboard credit). 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. If you have a special in-room dining experience, like Ultimate Balcony Dining on Princess (which I highly recommend, by the way), its a nice gesture to add an extra cash tip for the servers who brought your meals up and made your dinner a special experience. How much tip receive in cruise royal caribbean? 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. Keep in mind that cruise crew members live in tight quarters, so small (and edible) gifts are preferred. Either way, expect to spend about $15-20 per day. 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. This is an excellent article, which really clearly explains all the issues around tipping. 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,. one in 2023. In the main dining room, buffet, specialty restaurants, and other dining venues, your tip is included in the automatic gratuities. Check out the latest web stories from Should Be Cruising! For favorite bartenders or waitstaff, I give about $20 to each for a seven-day cruise. Youll often receive change back in local currency even when paying with USD. If you want to adjust the amount, go to the reception desk. Hi All, I just wanted to share something with new cruisers (and old if they do not know this). Cruise line employees work their butts off to earn those tips. 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. What you cant do is adjust or remove automatic gratuities for a specific crew member. Read our best tips.). You may want to give a small tip to the person who delivers your room service order. Please let me know in the comments below. For many cruises that operate in the Australian market where tipping isnt part of the culture, automatic gratuities arent added on to passenger bills. The onboard price of this package varies from $63 to $89 a day, plus an 18% gratuity. Look for a link at the bottom of this page or in our privacy policy where you can withdraw consent. The worst thing you can do is wait until you are home from your cruise to address it. Are very professional, what should a tip look like at the end of a 10 day cruise? April 16, 2019 in Royal Caribbean Dining. Celebrity Cruises now includes daily gratuities in its Always Included cruise fare. For this reason, I have always found being expected to pay tips, on an already expensive cruise, very irritating and have sometimes had them reduced at the service desk. Whether $2 to a bartender, $20 to your waiter, or $50 to your stateroom attendant, it's common to tip crew members extra for excellent service. However, if you prefer to pay off your account and daily gratuities in cash, you can do so by going to guest services. Upload or insert images from URL. Having worked in the service industry, if people want to extra tip, then doing it at the beginning is the way to go. During your cruise vacation, youll probably receive services from other people who arent cruise line employeesbut you might not realize it! However, the price of getting online can be expensive. 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. Sometimes a shoddy tip was more insulting than no tip at all. How much are gratuities on Royal Caribbean cruises? cruise. On embarkation day of my very first cruise, a porter came up to my taxi and whisked my luggage away, seconds after I got out of the car. Related: Whats included in your Royal Caribbean cruise fare. Some people are retired or on a fixed income, some are well off, some have to save for years for a cruise. 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. 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. So they follow this model with many of their crew members who perform services for passengers. Cruise lines have implemented automatic gratuities, options to prepay gratuities and some popular cruise lines have begun including tips in your cruise fare. Hi this was helpful, thank you. Or you can plan ahead and take enough cash in the correct currency to cover any tips you might want to pay. However, cruisers dont always see all of the crew who work behind the scenes for them, like the kitchen and laundry workers. 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). 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. If you put your tips on your seapass you will get a voucher for each envelope. P.S. cabin (not suite) recommended amount would be $39 pp times two equals $78 for a 4 night cruise. It May be Time for Some Royal Caribbean Elites to Reconsider Paying for Drink Packages. Bar, spa and in-room dining for Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara have an 18 per cent gratuity charge. Can you remove or adjust autogratuities on a cruise? Hi Janet! i understand what you are saying.and I know we are paying roughly 15 dollars a day each as a tip already. By proceeding, you agree to Cruise Critics. But if your excursions include free time where you eat lunch on your own, its a good idea to research the local tipping customs in the countries youll be visiting before your cruise. Like what you see? Most cruise lines charge for children as well, although there are some exceptions for very young children on select cruise lines. Unless they are below average and that has happened only one time. 15% being the rough standard for satisfactoryservice. Or do you remove them altogether? The items and service are provided free of charge (except midnight - 5am when there is a nominal delivery fee). Some vendors may process your personal data on the basis of legitimate interest, which you can object to by managing your options below. You can adjust this based on the length and complexity of the tour. Sometimes a shoddy tip was more insulting than no tip at all. I always prepay the gratuities. Royal Caribbean: $14.50 per person, per day ($17.50 for guests in grand suites and above). 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. While you pay daily gratuities before your cruise ($16 per person, per day in most staterooms), many cruisers like to give something extra. Happy cruising :). Im so glad youre enjoying my blog and find the posts helpful and appreciate the feedback. balyasny aum TRAVEL PROTECTION PROGRAM. 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. Celebrity Cruises is Royal Caribbean's sister brand that provides a slightly more upscale, refined experience onboard. Jan 6. 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. RCCL Crown & Anchor Diamond Member at the end of this cruise! In fact, I think most would agree that cruise line staff make a huge difference in the cruise experience. 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. Something to note is that although daily gratuities arent charged, there may be a service fee or tip added to certain services onboard. 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. Royal Caribbeans daily automatic gratuities are set at $14.50 per person, per day for guests in standard cabins and $17.50 per person, per day for guests in suites. On a cruise, most guests bring between $100-$120 in cash per day to be spent on transportation, tips, gifts, food, and shopping. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog and leave a comment! Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. 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.