Royal Caribbean has announced an increase in gratuity rates for all passengers, regardless of when the booking was created. Starting November 11, 2023, the automatic daily gratuity charge will be increased for standard cabins (Junior Suites and below) from 16.00 to 18.00 per day, per person. Suite gratuity rates will change from 18.50 to 20.50 per day per person.
For new reservations, the adjusted gratuity amounts will take effect as of November 11th, 2023. Guests who booked prior to November 11th will see an automatic service gratuity of 18.00 USD per person, per day for non-suite staterooms and Junior Suites, or 20.50 USD per person, per day.
Guests who choose not to prepay gratuities at the time of booking will have a service gratuity automatically applied to their respective SeaPass® account on a daily basis. Starting November 11, 2023, gratuity charges will rise 12.5% for most cabins, or 2 per person, per day.
The company plans to hike the automatic gratuity for staff by more than 10% to 16 per person per day for those staying in most staterooms. A 20% gratuity will be automatically added to all pre-cruise and onboard spa and salon purchases.
Guests who booked prior to November 11th can opt to prepay gratuities prior to sailing to take advantage of the current rates. The current gratuity rate at Royal Caribbean is 16 for standard cabins and 18.50 for suites. Prepaying gratuities is also smart if booking a cruise far in advance, as Royal Caribbean does increase the rate every so often.
📹 What We Didn’t Know About Cruise Ship Gratuities..
If you’ve ever wondered about where cruise ship gratuities go & if crew members really get them, this video is for you. While not a …
Do cruise gratuities actually go to staff?
Cruise lines say they pass the money collected from service charges to the shipboard crew. They say the money is shared not just with front-of-house crew, such as room attendants and waitstaff, but also with behind-the-scenes workers. In that sense, the current system is more equitable than the old system of cash tipping, which favored certain workers, lines say.
Still, some critics see the charges as a sneaky way for cruise lines to make their fares appear lower than they really are. In this line of thinking, lines with these charges are essentially breaking out a good chunk of onboard labor costs as a separate line item on your bill.
How service charges are levied. At most lines, you can pay your service charges before sailing (at the same time you pay your cruise fare). Alternatively, you can have the charges added to your room bill on board.
Do you tip on a cruise if gratuity is included in Royal?
Similarly, if you’re on a higher-end ship that lists gratuities as being included in the fare, that means just what it says. You don’t have to tip on these cruises because the line is already paying gratuities to the staff on your behalf. Additional cash gifts are not expected.
Still, some people do leave a little extra for crew members who go above and beyond. Others tip their room service or waitstaff at their favorite bar, either early in the cruise in the hope of getting better service or at the end to thank them for enhancing the vacation experience. How much to tip extra on a cruise is entirely up to you because it is in no way required.
Related: 10 times you do not need to tip on a cruise.
What happens if you don’t tip on a cruise ship?
What happens if you don’t tip on a cruise?. Most cruiselines work on the basis that the crew members’ pay structure is based on receiving tips. If youchoose not totip, for whatever reason,youare impacting the salaries of the crew who have servedyouso well during your cruise.
Do all cruise lines automatically charge gratuities?. Nowadays most of the major cruise lines do have automatic systems to whereby gratuities get added to your onboard account. However, Some All-Inclusive cruise lines include all gratuities in the cruise fare.
How much do you tip at the end of a cruise?. It depends on your cruise line as they are all different. Some cruise lines are now inclusive so you do not need to worry about tips as they are all taken care of.
What is the daily gratuity rate on Royal Caribbean?
As of February 2024, the daily gratuity for passengers in standard staterooms (i.e., interior cabins to Junior Suites) is $18.00 per person, per day, and $20.50 per person, per day for guests in Grand Suites and above.
The only exception is if you booked a Star Class suite onboard a ship with the Royal Suite Class. In that case, your luxury and (mostly) all-inclusive experience begins with complimentary gratuities and drink packages, among many, many other perks that will leave you wondering if you can ever cruise in a regular suite again!
In late 2023, Royal Caribbean raised gratuities by a few dollars. Prior to this, the $16.00 daily rate for standard cabins was broken up by $3.55 going to your cabin steward, $5.95 going to dining staff, and $6.50 to other hotel-related services.
Today, a family of four in a balcony cabin on a 7-night cruise will pay $504 in gratuities, whereas the same family in a suite will pay $574. While pricey, Royal Caribbean doesn’t have the most expensive gratuities in the industry. Norwegian Cruise Line currently charges $20.00 for standard cabins and $25.00 for The Haven, while sister brand Celebrity charges $18.00 for standard cabins, $18.50 for Concierge and AquaClass cabins, and $23.00 for The Retreat.
What happens if you don’t tip on a cruise?
To avoid issues, some lines that cater to passengers in regions where tipping isn’t customary the U.K. and Australia, for example simply roll any such service charges into the overall cruise fares. However, most cruise lines are based in the U.S., where the crew members’ pay structure is based on tips.
If you refuse to tip on principle, you are impacting the salaries of the people who have served you well onboard.
What Our Members Say: “I don’t tip. Do I feel bad for it? No… I’m British.” cruisefan2012.
Why You Might Keep Automatic Cruise Gratuities. 1. You’ve Received Great Service. This one’s a given. If you loved your sailing and feel the crew did a superb job, leave your tips as they are. (You might even want to give an extra tip to specific crew members who served you well.) Even if you had a minor grumble here or there, or you had a negative experience with a particular employee, seriously consider whether it warrants removing your tips altogether.
Are Royal Caribbean gratuities increasing?
Royal Caribbean last raised gratuities in August 2022 with an increase of $1 per day for non-suite guests and $1.50 for suite guests. Since 2015, Royal Caribbean’s gratuity charge has risen 50%, from $12 to $18 per day.
Royal Caribbean International on Nov. 11 increased its automatic service gratuity from $16 to $18 per day for guests in non-suite staterooms.
The cruise line increased the daily gratuity for guests staying in suites from $18.50 to $20.50 per day.
Royal Caribbean last raised gratuities in August 2022 with an increase of $1 per day for non-suite guests and $1.50 for suite guests.
Can you decline gratuity on cruise?
You have the right to refuse this automatic gratuity charge and may compensate cruise staff on your own terms. However, you will need to notify the front desk of this desire. Otherwise it will appear on your bill when your cruise ends and it will be charged to your credit card on file.
Suggested gratuities policies.Before the concept of automatic gratuities was put in place, cruise lines provided guests with tip envelopes and a suggested daily amount for the individuals they are served by every day.
For example, it might be suggested to give the cabin steward and main dining room waiters each $3 per day per person, the Maitre D a $1 a day, $5 for any tour guides, etc.
How do I remove gratuity from Royal Caribbean?
You can remove the auto gratuities You can go to Guest Services at any point in your cruise and have them reduced or removed from your account if you would prefer to tip a different amount.
Is it better to prepay gratuities on Royal Caribbean?
It’s easier to keep track. Royal Caribbean occasionally adjusts gratuity rates. By prepaying, you’re prtected from any increases before your cruise begins.
Can I refuse to pay gratuity on Royal Caribbean?
Guests who choose not to prepay gratuities at the time of booking will have a service gratuity automatically applied to their respective SeaPass® account on a daily basis, in the amounts shown below:* $18.00 per guest, per day will be applied to guests sailing on all other stateroom categories.
Guests who choose not to prepay gratuities at the time of booking will have a service gratuity automatically applied to their respective SeaPass® account on a daily basis, in the amounts shown below:*
- $20.50 per guest, per day will be applied to guests sailing on any suite
- and
$18.00 per guest, per day will be applied to guests sailing on all other stateroom categories.;
What happens if I don’t prepay gratuities?
What happens if you don’t prepay gratuities on a cruise?. If you do not prepay cruise gratuities before sailing, the cruise line will add them to your onboard bill. The cruise line will then charge your credit card for the gratuity amount at the end of the sailing — along with other purchases you made with your cruise card (drinks, souvenirs, spa treatments, tours, etc.).
The answer to this question is complicated, so bear with me.
If you have prepaid gratuities during the cruise booking process, you cannot remove them on board. The cruise line has had your money for months, and it won’t give it back.
How are Royal Caribbean gratuities split?
The gratuities charged by the cruise lines are split amongst all the crew involved in guest services. Depending on length of cruise we generally give our cabin steward $50, our head waiter $50 and assistant waiters $25 each.
📹 Complete Guide to Cruise Gratuities and Service Charges in 2023! | Should You Pay Them?
On your next voyage, you will likely encounter cruise gratuities, also referred to as service charges. If you are new to cruising, you …
Last year we went on a 28 day cruise. My husbands health had deteriorated so much he only left our room 5 times. Our room steward had to adjust his cleaning schedule around my husband’s location in the room. The steward even checked our room to ensure my husband hadn’t fallen. Did that steward get an additional cash tip? Absolutely! Because of that steward I had peace of mind when I left our cabin.
We got Covid on our last cruise. The ONLY person that would answer my calls during the night were my cabin steward. Medical and customer service were on voicemail. He was amazing. He ended up contacting the right people and getting us the help we needed. We tipped him generously. I hope he got to keep it all.
In most cultures, tipping is only for service above and beyond. In some, like Japan, tipping is seen as an insult. As a Brit I mostly lean towards tipping for excellence, but I very much enjoy Asian countries where tipping doesn’t exist. I no longer visit extreme tipping areas of the US such as New York, where tipping has got seriously out of control. Pay a proper wage, let people tip only if they want to. It’s a much better culture.
Hi Ilana, crewmember here. I cannot speak for every crewmember but the cruiselines i do work for the gratuities do reflect on our payslip and generally split amongst crewmembers. Do we know when a guest removes the gratuity? I dont want to say 😅 but i want to add that leaving a positive feedback mentioning our names is super helpful and normally posted in the crew quarters for all to see, i can debate it could actually be more useful than gratuities, because we get rewarded and even promotions. Thanks for reading!
We went to Australia/New Zealand on a Viking cruise. Our favorite bartender was so wonderful. My husband gave him a very generous tip. He actually sent us photo of his parents holding a white board with a lovely thank you! He must have told them I agree you need to be as generous as possible. Our son is in the hospitality industry and as he says ” those $$$ will not change your life but it means the world to those who serve you”.
5 years ago on a Princess Alaskan cruise when a staff member delivered our morning breakfast ( the one from the door knob menu), I signed for an added tip when the gal told me … ” Just to let you know, when you add on a tip it goes to the corporate office. However we get to keep the cash tips”. I gave cash the rest of the cruise. Thanks for the article! 😊
Last year on our 11 night Hawaii cruise, we prepaid our gratuities. Then we tipped our cabin attendant when she went above what we expected. For example, our cabin attendant was very sympathetic that my wife got sea sick. She suggested the green apples and the ginger ale. Next day, my wife was much better. We made sure to tip the cabin attendant for her suggestion and for her truly caring.
I always prepay my gratuities and I also tip my cabin steward and MDR staff for their exceptional service. My extra tips go into my vacation planning budget and I have NEVER considered having my gratuities removed. The cruise staff works super hard and I want them to know that they are appreciated. Great topic as usual. 😀
Here’s the thing that has always irked me about the gratuities “description” when you research who they go to – It says it goes to crew members that aren’t customer facing and work behind the scenes to make our experiences better. I’m not sure I fully understand this mentality. When I go to a restaurant, I don’t tip the chef, as the chef gets paid an appropriate amount to be a chef. I don’t tip the host /hostess, as that person gets paid an appropriate amount to manage the seating’s. I don’t tip the bartender if I’m not sitting at the bar drinking because they play no role in my service. When I go to a restaurant, I tip my wait staff, because they’re the ones that are actually serving me and my table. As we all know, a server’s hourly wage is always minimal and they rely on tips to compensate their income. They know this when applying to be server. So why in the world are the cruise lines not paying an appropriate amount to the staff that are behind the scenes??? That seems to be the biggest issue I have with this system. If they want to charge more for a cruise and pay their crew members appropriately, that would be much better in my opinion and I would trust the fact that the appropriate staff are reaping the rewards of their tremendous service. Again, this seems to be a corporate issue that has made its way to us as the consumer. I shouldn’t feel bad that I don’t want to tip someone that may be doing the laundry for the rooms, or the maintenance people that need to fix stuff on the ship, or whoever else is “behind the scenes.
Wow, this article and all the comments are so interesting to me. It was like a deep dive into USA tipping culture. Though I live in the US, I come from a country were tipping just isn’t a thing at all. Everyone is paid a good wage for services, and the employee is expected to live up to certain standards. As an outsider looking in, I have a few thoughts. 1. Nobody forced these wonderful people to work on a cruise ship. They chose to do what they are so amazingly doing for us. So please, don’t view it as “slave labor.” I’ve seen horrific slave labor and this is not that. 2. If it eases anyone’s conscience, we simply prepay gratuities and that’s it. We are very friendly to the staff, but extra tipping doesn’t even occur to us. 3. Be kind and dignified. I was surprised how upset some people got in the chat. This is such a personal and cultural topic. Thank you Ilana for your articles! They have been fun and helpful!!!!
Ilana, I can verify that at least one cruise company honours Australia’s ‘no tips needed’ culture. That first cruise that I’ve been so very excited about was a Princess Cruise out of Australia. The documentation Princess provided specifically stated that they honour the ‘no tips needed’ pay arrangement.
As an Australian I can tell you no Australian ships don’t but we sailed to Hawaii on Royal Caribbean and they for the four of us wanted $1000 for gratitudes which we removed instead we tipped those who went above and beyond, our waiter, our cabin crew. We just sailed with celebrity to New Zealand we paid the gratitude, I personally will never rebook or sail with this company again for lots of reason, the biggest was I came across late about 10pm a man who wasn’t drunk but couldn’t remember where is cabin was etc he was every frightened. I took him to customs service desk no one there, I heard vacuuming in dining room so I grabbed a staff member, it took 15 minutes to get customer service who were very rude, refused to call the cabin and speak to his wife, I got the cabin number, and went and got his wife but before I left I gave this staff member a piece of my mind. Next morning I put in a complaint as I was told they don’t call rooms after 9pm, it’s bullshit. Anyway the service from staff on this cruise was the worst and it’s my fifth cruise. Never again. Tips and gratitudes are a sore point, pay your staff better in the first place.
I am a former crew member/ officer. I worked in few cruise companies. On Royal Caribbean ( i left in 2011) housepping and restaurant knew who removed the gratuities. Disney as well. But crew were not aware on NCL, P&O Cruises and Cunard. The best thing is to tip the crew member in cash. Rccl and Disney used to give the gratuities directly to the restaurant and housekepping staff in the end of each cruise. In other companies crew members have fixed salary and never received the full amount of the gratuites paid by a guest unless they get tipped in cash in person by a guest.
I personally have no problem giving the prepaid gratuities. It’s a part of the cruise cost. What I don’t like is the pressure to give beyond what you have already prepaid. The snobbery from the $50-100 additional tip club givers, the arrogance from the $200-500 additional tip club givers is getting tiresome. A true giver would not tell how much they give let a lone announce that they do it. Giving is from the heart. And there it should remain.
What I have noticed post automatic gratuity is that service has gone downhill fast. This past cruise we never got our drinks refilled without first asking and then waiting a long time. Often the drink wasn’t refilled until after the three course meal was finished. At home I base my tip on how well the staff keeps up,with our drinks. If I chew on ice between refills, the tip goes from 20% to 15%. If I chew ice u til there is no more ice in the glass, it goes down even further. On our last cruise, we would finish our drinks and the glass would be completely empty (no ice remaining) before they even asked if we still wanted a refill. At home we’d never return to that restaurant again. Auto tipping is simply subsidizing the cruise lines wages. The cruise line needs to come off of this form of forced wage subsidization and pay a reasonable wage and charge the correct cruise fare, then allow guests to tip accordingly to service.
We have tried to INCREASE the daily gratuity, but customer service advised against it with the suggestion of tipping individuals for their service. Another lesson learned many years ago was to write a personalized thank you card. When a crew member gets a note from a guest (with the cash inside) it’s apparently a huge deal. The employee gets extra perks and benefits. These are especially nice to give to the unsung crew members who don’t normally get recognized.
Some of us save for years, just to experience a cruise. If gratuity is included, I just have to thank them, and leave a good review. I don’t know how workers feel with extra two or three dollars, but we should not have to feel bad if we can’t do what others can. I did keep my inside cabin neat, voiced, and wrote, my appreciation. I’m planning my second cruise, and these types of cruise news sites are appreciated. Not many 80 year olds get to finally have the experience, so thanks to those who are able to tip. Some seem to think there was no gratuity, but I had it included in the cruise cost. I understand the workers may have hard jobs, but so did I in my working years. The statement, if you can’t add more gratuity don’t go. What if I said, “you wealthy people could put extra in the shared gratuity, for the people who cannot afford extra gratuity?” It’s doubtful I will even be healthy enough to cruise again, as I will be 90 y/o, but please don’t make another elderly person, feel they are not entitled to fulfill a dream of cruising, unless they can give extra, for every day they are on the ship. I have no more to add to this subject, so, be blessed, and let love…love, doing away with love of money.
In always have tips removed but I always individually tip especially to cabin crew. I’m from Europe where we don’t have the tip culture that’s normal in the US, people are paid for the job they do and a tip is an appreciation of service received. Cruise lines are starting to include gratuities in the base fare now which is how it should be
First time cruiser here from Australia and booked a cruise departing from Australia. I can confirm that daily gratuities are built into the pricing when we booked and was aware of this fact. Because of our non-tipping culture, this works well for me as I don’t have to worry about potentially being rude if I don’t tip someone in a face to face setting. I would also never remove the gratuities from the booking and the fact that you would even be allowed to is very odd.
Cruise companies have dissolved into the “nickel and dime” arena and only fuel the controversy over automatic gratuities. They post sometimes ridiculously low and unrealistic prices to lure people into the booking. This comes at a cost to their employees. By not paying their crew properly, and forcing them to live off of the gratuities, a very lopsided employment structure is created. These folks work long hard hours and should be compensated in a reasonable manner. The problem is often exacerbated by hiring crews from depressed third world countries where people simply don’t expect a fair wage. In the end the passenger is gouged at every juncture and the crew is overworked and under paid. The lack of transparency is appalling and designed solely to increase profit. It would be refreshing to know exactly how the crew is paid and how the gratuities are divided.
On my last cruise, I noticed the room Steward was calling everyone in our cabin by name on the first day. It appeared he was doing it with all of his assigned rooms. And I’m sure he did it for the group of people who just disembarked that morning. He was only with us for a few days but he really did work hard to take care of us during those days. He did his job and he did it well. The same could be said of our waitstaff. I appreciate that level of attention. I’m happy to reflect that in my tip.
We recently took a cruise on Celebrity. We enjoyed it very much. All of the staff members were great. They made sure to remind us that giving them good marks on the post-cruise questionnaire was the most important thing we could do to help them. It took us several days to get around to filling out the questionnaire. By the time things settled down for us, and we were able to concentrate on the questionnaire it was (2 weeks at the most), we were notified that the time limit to complete it had expired. Why on earth would there be such a time limit? I feel very bad about not being able to perform this task that is, evidently, very important to all of the people who took excellent care of us during our cruise. Since I know there is likely no way to get this time limit fixed, everyone who desires to complete the questionnaire needs to know to do so right away!
I’m a former crew memenber and this is the biggest discussion amongst cruisers and crew members. There’s soooooooooo much that’s not being told about the gratuities. We never knew who removes the automatic gratuities. Whether you remove the charges or not, it’s best to put a little something extra in the crew members hand.
We had the same dilemma on our recent horrible holland cruise nov 2023. The gratuities of 18% was added to ALL purchases aboard! When I buy a logo ball cap gift or aspirin in The gift shop it was auto added. I don’t agree with that practice. It was auto added to all restaurant reservation meals and any sodas or bar drinks. I agree with cabin staff but this is on top of the $16 per day per person. 😮. I felt like we were paying double gratuities.
My late dad use to be a professional waiter in his teens ( early 60s). He was always impressed with cruising wait staff and the room attendant. He taught me on when to tip and how much to tip. He also taught me ” if you cannot afford the tip then do not go “. Those folks bust their butts for you and I to have a great vacation. So, guess what you don’t spend 100 bucks in the cassino. Save it for the end of the cruise to make someone’s day.
UGH! This is an ongoing debate that gets worse as time goes on! I work in food service. By law in our state, the company is allowed to pay us below the minimum due to the fact that we work in a tip-based industry. Years ago this wasn’t a problem, my tips averaged out the difference. Over the last few years, more people don’t tip or complain about tipping. I’ve worked in places where tips are pooled together and the company skims off the top, (and not for tax purposes) Illegal, yes. Provable, sometimes. I would be more than happy to be paid a livable wage and forgo the tips.
I totally agree with the daily gratuity charges, they automatically add to our stateroom account. What I think though, and this is particularly to Royal Caribbean because I don’t know if other cruise lines are still doing the same, is that they should remove that envelopes they leave in our stateroom the day before the disembarking day. The envelopes made sense in the past, when the daily automatic gratuity charge wasn’t a thing, but now, it doesn’t make any sense. If I want to add something extra to any crew member I will do it directly to the person in question, and definitely arriving in my stateroom and finding those envelopes with the tags of the disembarking groups is too pushy in my point of view.
Former guest services here—thanks for making this article! \r Just to answer some questions raised and debunk some myths. \r No, crew are not officially made aware of who removes tips, although a report can be easily be generated and some department heads may have access to this and share among their teams. Also, when gratuities are removed alongside a complaint, be aware that every single complaint is logged and put into a thorough report which is shared ship-wide among all department heads. The split for most cruise lines is around half to housekeeping, 30 percent to dining room and 20 percent to the galley, public area housekeeping, buffet waiters and servers etc. \r Crew no longer get paid in cash. In some cases, if 40 percent of guests remove gratuities within a sailing, crew members pay will be 40 percent less. Sometimes the cruise line will protect around 30 percent as a guarantee. This is especially important, as when ports are cancelled, the ship is falling apart, etc., crew are often the ones paying for the cruise line’s poor planning/info, as guests get angry and remove gratuities. \r Crew do receive the gratuity directly. It is split based on assignments, so your steward/waiter won’t get paid if you remove your gratuity. It is paid on a cruise line issued debit card or some nationalities can have it paid into their bank account via direct debit (payday is every two weeks). \r Other tipped staff: Bar staff have their own system, casino don’t get anything other than what is tipped in the casino, third parties like Art, Shops and Spa do their own thing.
We just went on our first cruise on Holland America to Alaska. It was absolutely amazing and the service was top-notch! We left an additional tip for the room stewards, and were more than happy to pay the daily gratuity that was automatically charged. I did not know it was even possible to take that off, but I would never do that. Your articles and tips helped us a lot preparing for our first cruise, thank you!
As a seasoned cruiser, I always remove the automatic gratuity and give directly to the crew members who assisted me. My cabin steward always gets $50 at the beginning of the cruise, and at least $100 at the end of the cruise (or more depending on the length of the cruise). I always thought that tips should be voluntary, and people should be paid a living wage without needing tips to augment their salary.
I’ve been a server before. To me, the gratuities charged are the baseline and I think giving more to cabin steward and main dining room server is a very kind gesture. They don’t make a lot of money anyway so help them out. That said, I think having it identified up front or included in the fare is probably a better way to handle things.
I booked a 40 night cruise from Australia to the UK and when I booked, the deal was that gratuities were included. Early in the cruise I noticed my shipboard account was accruing a daily gratuity cost. I straightened it out with the purser and the gratuity was removed. I did not see any fallout from crew, in fact I had exceptional service from everyone, it was an amazing cruise.
You do such a great job clarifying confusing issues. I recently went on my first cruise and tipped my room steward $20 at the beginning and $20 at the end, I tipped my bartenders and servers during the cruise and paid the prepaid gratuities. I was on my own so it was reasonable, I could see how it would be more challenging for large families or groups.
I pay for gratuities with my cruise. I tip baggage handlers, and I tip my room steward. Now, my rant. People have lost their minds over tips. Drive throughs with tip buckets at the window. Convenient stores with tip jars. People on social media complaining because they only got A $5 tip on a $20. Bill. Your tip is based on your service. So while you are talking with the pretty girl while I am waiting for a refill on my ice tea, then guess what? Your tip starts going down. Just because you are in the service industry does not mean you automatically deserve a tip. So onboard ship, you prepay for tips, then everytime you buy a drink, or anything else, a tip of 18% is automatically added, then you are expected to put a tip in the jar. I understand how people are getting fed up with tips, especially when the service people complaining on social media. They just seem ungrateful. Some people paid thousands of dollars for these cruises and tipping 3 or 4 times for a drink is getting ridiculous. You prepay gratuities, you pay 18% on the drink then you put $2.00 in a jar. No. Some of these people sound ungrateful for what they get.
I know that they know. I had a massage on a cruise and I tipped her $35 cash. I then noticed that I had been charged a $32 gratuity on that massage. So I removed it because I had already tipped her more than the stated gratuity. I had another massage with her on the last sea day and she told me that she understood why I removed the gratuity. She knew immediately when I had removed it. This was on a Carnival ship. So they DO know.
I’ve always been a big tipper for good service. I went on my first cruise last May. It was only a 4 day trip and I tipped my cabin attendant pretty well as he was always helpful. When I was getting ready to disembark, he thanked me for the gratuities. These folks work really hard. I’ll never understand people who take back the tips.
A few years back my mother in law did refuse to leave a tip and was not only chastised by the room Stuart but also her friends in another cabin. This being said it was obvious that the crew member was aware of the one who refused to leave a tip and they knew before disembarkation. My Mother in Law at the time was in her 80s and felt very strongly about the service she had received. Now I have been on many cruises myself and have yet to receive bad service. The staff most defiantly deserve recognition. They are a hard working bunch. Thank you for checking into this, it is a very interesting topic.
I worked on a cruise ship (restaurant service) approximately 20 years ago. True story – the cruise line was caught not only keeping the gratuities, but specifically notifying charter groups (sometimes purchasing the entire ship’s cabins) that gratuities are already included and to NOT give any additional $ for services”. I also never saw tips or gratuities on my pay stubs for the entirety of my contract.
The crew does know who prepays tips. They also find out who takes the tips off their bill during the cruise. I know this because I talk to them and ask them. So, if you do not prepay tips, just pay them cash the first day and they will be very happy for cash since they do not have to split it up, though room service may with their team. If you do not tip and they know it, they will still help you they just may not go out of their way to please you or give great advice when asked. If you do not tip they may also give good service hoping you will tip them on the last day which is also very common.
We only travel in suites where tips are included and not added as a daily to our bill. Of course we tip additionally for bar service and at appropriate venues. We bring “Thank you” cards and drop a little something extra in to hand out randomly to someone who maybe just smiled or made a genuinely pleasant overture to/for us. It’s always a win/win!
I always leave an additional amount in cash. discretely handed to the room steward, waiter, assistant waiter and usually several others who I come in contact with during the cruise. If I have a problem with anyone I deal directly face to face. Never had to go beyond that. I do have a lot of respect for the crew members that take care of me.
When we first started cruising many years ago you actually had envelopes for the various staff. Now you can include that as part of your fare which makes it easier on the traveler. The cruise lines have not disclosed how that is given to the crew which makes folks think something “funny” may be going on. With a total lack of transparency this leads the passengers to think this way. Because we don’t know how the various lines supposedly distribute the up front gratuities we have always given extra along the lines you allude to. On our last cruise one bartender was fantastic, great personality, service to match and remembered your first name every time we stopped there. Made us feel good and when we tipped him at the end he put it into a drawer where the other bartenders put tips also. This wasn’t our intent but I get it. It is a difficult topic for sure, thanks for the article.
We just got back from a 15 day cruise tour with Princess to Alaska. It was amazing and every single staff person we came in contact with was so friendly and really went above and beyond. We gave out so many extra tips and we have zero regrets. 15% gratuity was included on our land tour meals, we bumped it to 20% every meal. On the ship, motorcoach rides, excursions, etc. we freely handed out tips and even our son noticed how thankful everyone was. We are spending so much on a vacation, more than most people can afford to do—calculating tips into that is part of the price and to us it doesn’t matter if some tips are already included. The staff are working hard and long hours so we can all have a vacation.
My wife and I use the prepaid gratuity when booking a cruise and always give an additional cash gratuity for exceptional service. We also give an additional gratuity to the bartenders on top of the gratuity that is included in the drink package. I believe additional gratuities for exceptional service should be part of your budget before going on any vacation.
I fully agree that the the cruise lines should be paying their staff appropriately and not relying on cruisers to offset their wages with tips. My wife has been bugging me for years to do a cruise and the tipping malarkey is one of two main reasons which have kept me from making a cruise. The people in the United States have gone crazy on tipping and it is totally out of hand. I resent being told what I should be paying in the way of tips. I am usually a good tipper (20% or more), but I do not want to be told what I should be tipping or even have tips automatically added daily. To me this is dishonest and a blight on the cruise lines’ personnel policies.
I’m taking my first cruise in February, I have prepaid my gratuities. I will have cash with me for extra tips along the way. I work in a tipping industry, I’m an esthetician at a day spa. I’m paid a base commission plus whatever the client leaves for a tip. I love what I do and I still treat everyone the same even if I know someone is a poor or non-tipper. My philosophy is what goes around comes around. I always tip well, folks work hard!
My wife and I have never been on a cruise before. Your articles have been very informative for a couple cruise rookies! We’re finally going on a cruise next July (Carnival), with our son and his wife. We’ll be perusal your articles and learning all we can so we’ll have the best possible experience and be a blessing to the ship staff. Thanks for your informative articles!
The few cruises I’ve been on has resulted in wildly different services due to crew all splitting tips. The bartenders very rarely give good services and don’t care while the cabin crew would give you their shoes if you asked. Definitely wish tips were by default not taken daily and split. The purpose of a tip is to insure prompt service and if you already know you will get a tip no matter what, you have no incentive to provide a good experience.
We have been cruising for more than 40 years. My wife and I have been on 6 cruises in the past year and a half. Everyone on the ship works so hard and we truly appreciate everything they do. On top of the daily gratuity, we leave our cabin Stewart $100 on a 7 day cruise. Also leave a nice tip for our waiter and helper. They work long hours to make our cruise enjoyable and they deserve it.
I have removed gratuities once…..After $250 was taken from a folder in my suitcase after I forgot put that folder in the safe. After losing 2 hours with security searching my cabin and questioning me but seemingly not my cabin steward, I was clear on my reasons why. My one negative experience in 15 years of cruising.
I know for a fact that the cabin attendant knows if you have prepaid or removed the gratuity. The closet in the hallway where the attendant keeps their stuff was open one day as I walked by, and there was a clipboard hanging on the wall which contained room number, name, and a column that indicated if the gratuity had been prepaid or not for every room they serviced. It was clear that the attendant knew who didn’t pay gratuity or if it had been removed, and the printout had a date/time that it was printed. They probably get a new sheet every day showing any changes.
Something to keep in mind. ANY tip placed on your ship account goes into the shipwide tip pool. This includes the standard tips added to EVERYTHING you purchase on the ship as well as any extra tips you give a bartender, etc. All goes into the pool. If you want to give a bartender, server, etc an extra tip, do it in CASH so it goes in that person’s pocket, not everyone working on the ship.
I personally remove the automatic gratuities and tip with cash appropriately. The part I really don’t like is the per person, not per cabin policy. When you go to a restaurant, you tip according to how much your order was, not so much per person. Some nights, I don’t even go to the main dining room for dinner; I eat in the buffet. Plus, I hope people realize this, when you book a drink or dining package, they automatically add on 18% for gratuities. I always order a case of water to be delivered to my room as my drink package and they even add on a tip for that…just for someone to drop it in my room! Plus, if you don’t have a drink package, every time you order a drink, an extra 18% is automatically added on. They even add on 18% to hand you a cupcake or a donut at a venue that’s not included in the cruise fare that you pay extra for! Come on people! We’re being nickeled and dimed enough, not to mention the increasingly high prices just to get on the cruise. Instead of double tipping or tipping for services I don’t even use, I do leave a nice amount of a cash tip for my room steward who works hard tidying up my room and making sure we have everything we need. I do feel that crew members should be paid more, but that is the Cruise line’s job to do that, not me as a guest!
Good article, but one aspect not mentioned is that bar bills, specialty dining and spa treatments or other extras generally carry an additional level of automatically added tipping that is beyond the daily $20 or so per person. All this information is clearly stated by NCL, my favorite line. I will go on a 16 night cruise with them in December if 23, and the automatic amount will be $640 for our cabin, two people. So one definitely has to be aware and budget for real cost of the cruise.
Tips are a challenge, especially now when even fast food counter service is “requesting” a tip for something they were not tipped on before. Tip Fatigue. On cruises I tip extra, beyond the automatic, to my waiter and cabin attendant. One cruise I noticed my cabin crew were pulling extra duties. We plan to give extra, once did not because of lackluster service, Royal Caribbean. Areas I am not clear on why automatic tipping is included is the Maitre’d or wine Stuard. We do not drink wine nor do we ever engage the Maitre’d. Bartenders get extra if I spend time at the bar and anyone bringing me a drink in the theatre or lounge get tips. I spent time with new friends and found Europeans do not tip, like to tip and are vocal about not tipping. One cabin Stuard once told me they rarely expect tipping from people from certain European countries, and South America.
Very informative article Illana. On a Carnival cruise I talked with a couple who both worked for the company. They confirmed that the whole tip pool both the ones we see on our bill plus the auto tips on drinks we buy does get split among the crew. We have never taken the tips off our bill even on a cruise with poor service. The crew members deserve them even when we aren’t totally happy. For me I use cash tips to the crew members who really take giid care of us. They are usually the cabin attendant, dining waiter, and recently the our suite butler. These people work long hours 7 days a week and deserve to be rewarded for their efforts. One tip my dad taught me many years ago tip some at the beginning of your cruise and then ar the end of it. It is amazing how appreciative the crew member is when I am am so appreciative of them. Happy cruising Illana!!
Just did A Carnival cruise. We opted to prepay our gratuity with the understanding that we would be charged later if we didn’t. The Drink package also had an additional gratuity on it.I felt it was a good way to go so there was no surprises at the end. The Cruise director said that tips went to crew we interacted with and but a portion went to crew that worked behind the scenes..we heard a lot of complaints from people being charged gratuities at the end of the cruise. I think tipping is important, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to pay it up front so it’s not dictated by my finances at the end of my vacation
I worked on a Cruise Ship 40 years ago and my salary was $500 a month plus what I could get extra from tips. Now as a Cruise passenger, I enjoyed 10 Cruises so far and I would never, ever, ever, even think about removing the tips from my cabin bill. I asume the crew salary is better now, but even so, they live in the ship for months in very different conditions than guests.
I’m from Australia where we don’t have a tipping culture, I believe it’s part of the price. This means I don’t really understand how the tipping process works. On my first cruise I was on a tight budget so we didn’t tip too high, but we did tip to our waiters and room attendant. On my last cruise we didn’t go to the MDR, but me and my friend both tipped $50 each to our room attendant. I have noticed at the bottom of a receipt they have a line for tips under your signature, I have never wrote anything there because I don’t know how it all works.
I hate when the cabin Steward asks for tips. Was on a Royal Caribbean cruise and I was reminded by all the staff on the last day of the cruise, I left an envelope in your room… Mind you, this was a company paid trip and the company had PRE PAID for everyone’s tips, so im like dude, the company paid for it already, he said well if YOU had good service you can tip too. Real turn off.
My very first cruise years ago on NCL Bliss I brought $300 for tips. At the end of my cruise I get a $200 bill of which I did not have. I had no idea this was the sneaky way of NCL. I did RCCL the next year and had no extra charge. It was all in the original cost. Anyways I asked to get it removed as I did not have those extra funds and I just spent $290 at this point in tips. The look on Customer services face you would think I killed someone. The room Stuart who only cleaned my room four out of 7 days did not clean my room that day again. There is a list of rude things she did but on the last day at 7am she pounded on my door to get out. Saying I have to be out by 8am. I opened the door and said okay. Then watcher her walk passed all the other doors and did not see anyone else getting their door beat in. Left a bad taste in my mouth. Now I pay what is charged and that’s it. Couple great workers I’ve come across and tipped more but never like before.
I would like to start with a Thanks to you .. I have enjoyed all of the articles that you do. as far as gratuities go I usually Tip my Cabin Stewart the first time i see them and let them know what i expect from them. I have always been taken care of beyond my expectations .. On the last Cruise in July to Alaska the Maitre d Went above and beyond When he congratulated my wife and I on our 50th Anniversary. It is the first time i have noticed my wife tear up with the celebration from all of them. I have to admit i would rather them just add this with the price, then when i give to the individual it would mean more to them..
I pay my gratuities upfront at the time of booking. In addition, I give extra to my cabin stewart, the MDR staff, and anyone who repeatedly provides me a service. Also, I go a step further and purchase cosmetic items such as lip gloss, eye liner pencils, cheap body sprays, etc (0.99-1.99 each) and make goodybags for the ladies on the ship. It’s terribly expensive at port, and not everyone gets a chance to get off the ship. They are so appreciative ❤❤❤
Hi Ilana… Great article. This is indeed a really touchy topic for me. Unfortunately, the idea of so-called “gratuities” is really a problem in the consumer world as a whole these days and not just in the world of cruise lines. The crew member’s comment you focused on is indeed sad… understandably. Both the comment and your article overall, though, I think kind of misses the more important larger point to be made here: These huge corporations are relying on their customers to increase their employees’ revenues (so that they choose to stay) without cutting into their own bottom lines. And they are doing this in ways that I find reprehensible. Specifically, it’s based on shaming. (Think about those little screens you often see in the US when you pay for a coffee at a counter somewhere that show you a “recommended tip amount”… I’m in Europe, so it’s different here. In contrast, in some other places in the world, such as Japan, tipping is actually illegal… possibly, in fact, for the ethical reasons I am bringing up here.) In any case, for those who suffer from TLDR 🙃, the upshot of my position on this is that the cruise lines should start paying their crew much more decent wages and stop implementing sneaky schemes on the rest of us to make up for the fact that they don’t. (I do wonder what cruise line management says to its crew for passengers where the “gratuities” were offered as a part of the package deal, as on my last cruise… Does the crew get nothing in this case?
Be aware that in the US when a “Service Charge” is added to your restaurant check (like is often done for large parties) it is not considered a tip by IRS rules. However, any portion of that which the employee gets is taxed income. Due to IRS rules, the server may be taxed on about 9% of the total bill on top of that service charge. The IRS typically requires employers to allocate tips to employees that don’t claim at least 9%of sales as income. So, if you don’t tip 9-15% separate from the service charge the employee may be taxed on income they didn’t make. I say 9-15% instead of 9% because in many restaurants servers share tips with bartenders, bussers, hosts, other support staff, and sometimes kitchen staff. The share can be up to about 5% of sales on average.
When they started automatically adding it on a daily basis to cruises we would go straight to reception ask for tips to be taken off, got envelopes and we tipped as we used to according to who we got great service from, the cabin steward, the dining room staff etc. we felt it better to give this way as they were more likely to actually get it…..we didn’t give any less than was expected per day.
After reading all of these comments now I understand why our cabin attendant cried when I handed him $200 at the end of our last 7 day cruise (April 2023). That man worked constantly, no matter what time of day we walked down our hallway he could be found cleaning, always with a smile and a wave. He told us about his wife and toddler daughter in asia, and how he hoped his daughter would recognize him in December when his current contract ends. NCL cabin stewards work at least 12 hours a day with no days off for their entire 10 month contract (unless there is a break between sailings). Glassdoor lists the “median” NCL cabin steward salary as $3836/mo, which equates to approximately $10.65/hr. 7 days a week for 10 months straight. Median means “average” meaning some actually make LESS than that. If the $20/day included gratuity is split between other crew, that doesn’t increase their pay significantly.
As a former crew manager and front office manager for two major cruise lines I can assure you the crew generally are not informed of who removes the tips. This is done for several reasons, not least of which is to ensure service in these cabins remains at the usual standards. As you surmised supervisors / managers in the departments will monitor to see if paterns which may indicate service issues appear in case (for example) a new crew member may be in need of more training or such. All moneys recieved are divided among the crew and mostly nowadays included with the payroll. I used to have to spend one morning each week paying out in cash prior to this change. When I cruise as a guest I will usually leave the auto tips on as it is the simplest and most efficient way and if I get good service (which I usually do) I leave a little extra at the end. Communication with your steward not only makes their day better, but easier as they will know when you are in or out without disturbing you. I spend a lot of time on my balcony reading (on sea days) and as such let my stewards know they can clean whilst I’m out there which makes things easy for them.
While I preferred the “old School” method of tipping individually on the last night, I would never remove a pre-paid gratuity. I would rather choose how the tips were divided. For instance, on several cruises we’ve been on, the bussers (for lack of a better term) work 10x harder than most others in the dining room yet generally make the least. The Maitre’D (sp?) gets tipped even if you never see or speak to him. The room stewards, waiters and bussers always get an extra amount from us because they are the ones who make our trip most enjoyable.
On my cruise in March of this year, my husband and I went to the guest services desk to have our final bill on the last night before the cruise ended. We noticed they added their own gratuity amount for the rooms per occupant; nearly $750. We asked them to adjust it and were told that we could adjust the amount or remove it completely. It didn’t feel right to remove it, so we adjusted it to $300. Our cabin steward was kind enough to take our laundry and wash/dry/fold them on a port day and he was tipped separately for that. Gratuities should be included in the cruise fare.
Last year we went on a Royal Caribbean cruise and were told by a service member that the tips that are added to our fare can be disbursed based on how we complete the survey after the cruise. They asked that we gave the service department (food, cleaning, etc) the highest marks. We gladly did as asked because they did a phenomenal job. And we gave them a little extra cash as well.
I’ve been retired for a couple years, but spent most of my working life in face to face customer service. Took my very first cruise a year ago this month. (Aug 2022) When my cabin steward greeted me for the first time, I gave her $50. Smooth sailing! (4 night cruise) On the last day, I gave her another $50. I do the same when traveling by train in a private room. I figure $20 at the beginning, and $20 at the end. During Covid-19, we had a saying at work…”Be nice to the employees, who actually show up”! Thanks very much for this information! All the best, Mark
having friends and 2 family members work or have worked on a cruise ship, i have always taken part of my gratuities off and handed to them personally, but there is a breakdown that you have to follow so that you don’t miss anyone. the gratuities are usually broken down into 3 parts, one part for room steward a percent for dinning staff and the rest is dived up among the other staff behind the scenes. remember tho you usually have 2 to 3 dinning staff and 1 sometimes 2 room steward, keep your eyes open and you will see. and always catch your room steward in the room and give the gratuities to them there, no cameras. just advice has been told to me by actual crews workers. and ask your steward if they would like you to give it to them personally, everyone i ask said yes mainly because if they have a shore leave soon they will have cash for it and not have to wait for their pay. just what i have see and have been told by trusted people. final thought if always tip no matter which way you do it, some have their family depending on this to eat in their home lands.
Holy moly. I can’t imagine stiffing staff. We went on our first cruise and tipped up front during booking. We also tipped the Stewart $80 (we didn’t need him for much and only had our room picked up once but he was available if needed). We got the bubbly package and tipped $1-2 cash for drink. Specialty dining we tipped like a normal restaurant. Y’all…just tip and be gracious.
I tip with cash. I have been told in person by crew members that the automatic gratuity collected by the cruiseline. Depending on the ship’s performance goals. Only a percentage goes back to the crew. So I tip cabin steward. The helper too if I notice one. I tip the drink servers, and bartenders. I also tip the MDR folks. If not good enough. Well …… I have done 40+ cruises.
I never remove the prepaid gratuities but I do agree that they should be listed as part of the cruise fare just like the taxes and port fees are and maybe they could have a check box that allows you to pay the gratuities portion in advance or at the end of the cruise. Also when I meet my cabin steward I usually have some requests like extra comforter to make the bed softer extra pillows bucket of ice larger glasses, things of that nature and as I make the request I usually hand him or her an additional $20 and if I have any other special requests throughout the cruise I would tip an additional $5 to $10 depending on the complexity and or urgency of my request. But since I have only been on one Cruise since the pandemic I only tipped him the extra money when I first met him because I had no additional special requests throughout the cruise and now we only get the room serviced once a day so I didn’t feel the need to tip anything beyond my extra boarding day tip and the prepaid gratuities.
My wife and I took a 7 day cruise in 1990 where we were expected to provide tips at the end of the cruise. I always felt funny not knowing what other people were giving. Since then we have been on 4 other cruises where tips were paid up front to the cruise line, then distributed to the crew. I much prefer that method. I usually give an additional tip to the cabin staff.
Hi Ilana, We are planning a 32-day repositioning Cruise In September on Princess. Since we are cruising Princess Premier, tips are already included and paid in advance. However, I find it appropriate to tip additional amounts to the cabin steward and regular dining staff, as my experience is, that the level of personal service has been exceptional and the additional money they receive is appreciated as much as I have appreciated their outstanding service. On this long cruise I am planning to tip halfway through the cruise, and at the end. The price of a cruise is substantial and these people make or break the experience. Keeping them happy and appreciated is an insurance to the overall quality experience.
Great topic. I always tip my cabin crew, usually $50 at the start and $50 last day. One time my cabin crew introduced me his supervisor, and she said if you need anything, here’s my card, I said to him if I need anything I’ll come to you, he was so appreciated. Got to remember that most of the crew are from third world countries working long hours and away from home for months to support their families back home. If I can support someone who helped give me awesome cruise memories, so be it. This is on top of prepaid gratuity.
Our last cruise was two weeks from Tampa to Los Angeles, through the Panama Canal. Our room steward was Phillipino and a very nice man. Having travelled to the Philippines several times I was aware of the family culture there. In speaking with him about things he recommended in the Ports we were stopping at he told me (with all humility) that he couldn’t recommend anything because he never left the ship. When I asked him why he said he sent all of his paycheck home to his family. So I looked at my wife, who gave a slight nod, and I gave him $100 upfront with a promise of another one on the last day if he would take good care of us. During the first couple of days we couldn’t figure out why everyone knew our name! And I mean everyone! I asked another room steward how he knew who we were and he said “we all know who takes care of us”. Although we always try to be generous with those who take care of us, that was a big lesson and insight into the crew.
From fine print on Princess Crew Appreciation and Service Charge Policy: All of the Crew Appreciation and Service Charge payments made by all guests on all ships in our fleet are pooled, net of credit card transaction fees. The pooled funds are distributed throughout the year in the form of compensation, including bonuses, to crewmembers fleetwide who interact directly with guests and/or behind the scenes throughout every cruise, including those in the Bar, Dining, Entertainment, Housekeeping, Guest Services, Galley and Onboard Revenue areas. If you want to show appreciation to an individual, do so individually.
We were on a back-to-back on NCL and had a different balcony cabin for the 2nd leg and we had tipped our previous steward nicely and I guess he had told the new guy because the new one had all premium bathroom products (not our cabin level) waiting for us and lots of other extra touches LOL! He was super attentive and also got a great tip. (they definitely talk to each other!) But we appreciated it and it was a two way street!
I think the tip is a reinforcement to the crew member that they are doing an amazing job. That we are happy with them. They probably only get a general “good job” comment from the cruise management where this is very personal from the actual person that is receiving their service. I love the crew as they are doing all the jobs I would have to be doing if I was at home. ❤
Thank you for this post. In the late 80s I took a cruise to Alaska on Royal Caribbean’s small ship they had at the time. I totally loved it and I must say I think I was spoiled in my expectations of cruise ships. It was an amazing experience. A few years later I took another Alaskan cruise with my husband and friends that had been on the RC cruise with me. Because I commented about the fact the captain didn’t suggest preparation for bad weather on the Celebrity cruise, which the RC cruise had done on the RC cruise, the staff on Celebrity actually asked my companions if I was a cruise reviewer or who I was to be asking questions of them since I referenced the RC cruise. Now I must stay from the start the up front staff on the Celebrity cruise were not on par with the RC staff. I found them rude, condescending and not helpful. (That story to follow.) On both cruises the cabin and lounge staff were amazing. On the Celebrity cruise the dining staff were officious and smarmy. I felt rather sorry for them and I was very uncomfortable. We were in port in Alaska on the Celebrity cruise trying to disembark and just as we were approaching being able to disembark we were instructed that we would have to disembark thru a different area which meant we were at the back of the line. There was an elderly couple in front of us that had been waiting and my husband and I raised our voices to insist that they be taken before we had to start from the back. The crew wasn’t happy but the elderly couple did get to disembark before we had to start at the end of the line.
“gratuities” should just be a part of the fair. You would still book the cruise if it was another $200. It is like an extra tax. I pay in advance and forget about it. Actually if they auto charged it in the fair, you would get 100% “gratuity collection” and this should result in more money in the employees hands.
No matter what I always give an extra tip to my cabin attendant on day one. If I get great service than I also give an additional tip on the last day. But I never ever would dream of removing the automatic gratuities, even though I don’t know who gets what. The fact that these folks are away from their families for so long means they deserve it.
I’ve traveled with people who said that the crew told them that they don’t get the prepaid gratuities we pay also, which is sad if they don’t, because most of those people work very hard to ensure you’re taken care of during your cruise. But, I also must say, that since Covid, I’ve noticed a big difference in the service on Carnival Cruises, as far as the wait times, and, even the attitudes of some of the staff, in a bad way.
My last cruise I did remove the gratuity. Our cabin was never attended to. Dirty towels were left for two days, the bed never was made and we asked for a top sheet that was never placed on our bed. Our cabin attendant was never in sight. I went to complain and that didn’t even help. I tip out every server over and over daily.
I still wonder where the money goes, but it’s a non-issue. The daily service/gratuity fees are part of the cruise cost as far as I’m concerned. Others can do what they want (we all do anyway). We travel mostly European (despite living in FL) and still tip extra to cabin attendant and to anyone else who gives us consistent “special” treatment. I’ve noticed over the past 25 yrs that we’ve lived in and travel to Europe, that leaving hotel housekeeping tips is the standard. Everywhere else, maybe a top-up on the bill. Our one exception was the VV cruise we took in the spring. Virgin made a big deal of not tipping due to paying their crew adequately. It did feel strange, but I did as VV suggested. LOVED their cruise—except it was to the Caribbean. This will probably have a dozen or two comments by the time I finish this “first” one. It’s a hot topic! (An even dozen!)