I wouldn't worry about giving "too little" extra, since you are already paying the auto gratuity. There are a couple of exceptions, though. There are also usually comment cards available at the purser's desk or online for additional recognition -- or post a review on Cruise Critic. In fact, I think most would agree that cruise line staff make a huge difference in the cruise experience. If you choose to pay tips in cash, there are usually some envelopes available at the guest service desk. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. You may want to give a small tip to the person who delivers your room service order. However ,usually you can have at least 2 cabin stewards. 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). I also tip constantly while on the cruise. But if you dont want to prepay, thats fine too. I had prepaid my gratuities, and I assumed the porter was a cruise line employee, so I didnt tip him. #4. The average daily gratuity on a cruise is $14-15 USD per person - approximately $30 per day, per couple in a cabin. I love reading your blog and learning, but I dont often have time to sit down at the computer to read. 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. 20102023Regal Sea Media LLC. Today is day 10 of a 12 day cruise on grandeur. One exception is the piano player in the loungemost accept tips for song requests or if you enjoyed their music. When paying the automatic daily gratuities, cruise lines tell us this amount gets divided by your cabin attendant, waiter and other dining staff. In the wake of the increase, a family of four in a . Most are experienced cruisers and, as a group, theyre very well-liked. 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. Additionally, shouldbecruising.com participates in various other affiliate programs, and we sometimes receive a commission from purchases made through our links. If you found this helpful, please dont keep it to yourself ;-). Im so glad youre here! Want to give something beyond cash? The service charge on MSC Cruises is $12.50 per person, per day for guests in standard cabins. The industry should pay fair wages so that our tips are in fact tips and not wages. If your shore excursion includes lunch, you generally dont have to leave a tipthe tour company takes care of the lunch bill. Royal Caribbean Cruise Holiday Deals 2020 & 2021 - Cruise Nation www.cruisenation.com. (Admit it: You tend to miss those nightly pillow chocolates and towel animals after you get home.) flipped into Ren de Lambert. Cindi Youll likely get much better service by doing that instead of just removing the tip! Thanks so much for sharing your experience! Later I learned that the porters outside of the cruise terminal are not cruise line employees at all! Check out the latest web stories from Should Be Cruising! You might want to remove their tips as a punishment for poor service. 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. If not, 15-20% of the bill (excluding any products that you buy) is customary. You can, of course, increase that amount based on your experience on the excursion. The average price of a 7 night Caribbean cruise, on a mainstream cruise line, in April is approximately $616 (493) per person, excluding taxes. Some cruise lines refer to these tips as a service charge. Heres what you should know about cash on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Still confused . one in 2023. If you buy a $5 souvenir with a $20 bill in Mexico, for example, youll receive change in Mexican pesos. If you feel that you wish to give an extra amount to anyone who you feel has done a great job, they will be appreciative. We rarely do the parties anymore. Often cruise lines provide additional envelopes to tuck a little extra cash at the end of the cruise just for this purpose. 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. Should you prepay automatic gratuities? 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. What else can you do to show the crew your appreciation? US$13,50 (increased from US$12,95) for standard cabins and US$16,50 (increased from US$15.95) for upper-tier suites. Obviously, if you tip a room attendant, that money will go directly to him/her. Your personal data will be processed and information from your device (cookies, unique identifiers, and other device data) may be stored by, accessed by and shared with third party vendors, or used specifically by this site or app. These cruise line employees are highly compensated, and offering a tip isnt necessary. Ill definitely look into it and see how I can best do that on this site. You wont require cash for 99% of purchases on a cruise, whether specialty restaurants, cocktails, or souvenirs. Id give a much larger tip to a knowledgeable tour guide who led us on an intensive nine-hour experience compared to a guide who did a basic three-hour city walking tour. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. 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. In North America, most cruise terminal porters are longshoremen. The Sky Suite on Celebrity was a perfect size for two, at around 320 square feet. Theres no need to add an extra tip for each drink. Cash is rarely required on a Royal Caribbean cruise, as all payments onboard are made via your SeaPass account. Any chance of that? Gratuities or a service charge are added onto some onboard services. So they follow this model with many of their crew members who perform services for passengers. Read our best tips.). If youre sailing from the United States to the Caribbean, US dollars are widely accepted in popular cruise ports. 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. i understand what you are saying.and I know we are paying roughly 15 dollars a day each as a tip already. 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. 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. However, youll want to make sure youve notified your bank that you will be out of the country. Most cruisers wouldnt dream of removing the automatic gratuities. If you dont see the cards in your room, ask at the Passenger Services desk, or leave the feedback in your post-cruise survey. Thats up to you! Cruising in 2022: Why Onboard Tipping is More Important Than Ever, Cabin Stewardess on Princess Cruises (Photo: Princess Cruises), A Cash Tip Which is Common on Cruises (Photo: elwynn/Shutterstock). The big three, including Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean expect guests to foot the bill and tips are added to their onboard account. Knowing how much cash to bring on a cruise can help you plan your vacation budget and avoid pesky ATM fees along the way. The gratuity applies to individual guests of all ages and . Keep a few dollars handy to tip the cruise porters on embarkation day. Are very professional, what should a tip look like at the end of a 10 day cruise? It was just the two of us. You dont need to write a noveljust a few sentences about how the crew member made your cruise even better will do. However, there are a few common practices and guidelines. The practice of tipping is controversial, even in the United States where paying tips is part of the culture. 15% being the rough standard for satisfactoryservice. I give my room steward $5 at the very beginning of the cruise. P.S. A better solution is to have a discreet word with the crew members supervisor about your concerns. New York state residents who wish to purchase the product may visit https://travelcruisecare.com to enroll directly with . 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. Normally, we tip between $5 to $7 additionally per day for the two of us at the end of the cruise. Can you remove or adjust autogratuities on a cruise? Lets just say from the expression on the drivers face that he was not happy with that amount. Technically your are not obliged to tip any more than the daily gratuities that have been charged to your room. There are instances of passengers who prefer not to tip, usually either because they disagree with tipping on principle or they've experienced unsatisfactory service. What currency should you use to tip on a cruise? One notable exception is Norwegian Cruise Line. Plus, youre never required to make any extra purchases in the first place if you take advantage of the complimentary options available on a Royal Caribbean cruise. They are always pleasant and willing to do whatever they can for you. You might want to reward your cabin steward, favorite bartender or MDR server, or any other crew member you think did a great job. 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. 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. A cruise only rate may be available on select cruises, which would not include gratuities. 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. There are a number of factors which people use to decide how much to tip their Genie. 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(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'shouldbecruising_com-mobile-leaderboard-2','ezslot_21',676,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-shouldbecruising_com-mobile-leaderboard-2-0');Tip: Want to avoid paying hefty ATM fees on the cruise ship to get cash for tips? Should you tip extra on a cruise? 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 go on a tour or shore excursion, its nice to tip the driver or shore excursion staff if youve appreciated their service. 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. The fact is, the tips that crew get from passengers make up a good part of their wage. How much shouldwe tip? Related: Whats included in your Royal Caribbean cruise fare. Because plasma accounts for approximately 90% of total fluid volume, drinking plenty of water after receiving a transplant is beneficial to your body. For many cruises that operate in the Australian market where tipping isnt part of the culture, automatic gratuities arent added on to passenger bills. If youre booked with Celebritys Always Included, the gratuities are included. A tip of 15%-20% is common, so check the bottom of your bill before adding an additional amount. 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. Thanks so much! 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. So why dont cruise lines just increase the price of fares, and pay their crew a living wage with a decent hourly rate? Its a good idea to hand over your tips the day before disembarkation. Most mainstream cruise lines bill passengers between $12 and $15 per person, per day for. Posted September 17, 2021. Thanks for sharing your view on this. Plus, for a limited time, its $10 off. 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. 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. Could you possibly make your articles printable? There is a lot to know before you even step foot on a Royal Caribbean Cruise. Norwegian Cruise Line. Sometimes a shoddy tip was more insulting than no tip at all. 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. Gave them US 5 each three nights and US 10 each last night. Either way, expect to spend about $15-20 per day. Iwas a waitress for yearslong ago and far away. Depending on your cruise ship, you may be able to use the Royal . Passengers sometimes plan in advance to bring small gifts to leave with their cabin stewards, either at the beginning or end of the cruise. By proceeding, you agree to Cruise Critics. In addition, weve included a list of daily gratuities per cruise line and who else you may wish to tip. 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.