Cruise vacations are about relaxing, recharging, and having a good time. But figuring out the automatic gratuity charges can be a bit of a puzzle. I remember my first cruise clearly.
I had no clue how tipping worked. I spent the week tipping crew members with cash, not realizing that the cruise line charged gratuities to my onboard account every day.
Gratuities are a thank you for the crew’s hard work, but not everyone likes the automatic charges. Here’s what you need to know if you want to remove gratuities on a cruise.
How Cruise Gratuities Work
Most cruise lines automatically add daily gratuities to your onboard account. The exact amount varies by cruise line and cabin type, but you can expect to pay $16 to $23 per person per day. So, if you’re on a seven-night cruise, expect around $98 to $140 in gratuities per guest.
Cruise lines choose automatic tipping to simplify the process. Instead of tracking down every crew member to hand over cash, your daily gratuity gets pooled and distributed among the staff who make your cruise great.
The tips are distributed among the front-line staff, such as the dining and housekeeping staff, and the behind-the-scenes crew, like the kitchen and laundry teams. Everyone who contributes gets a share, even if you never interact with them directly.
This setup helps ensure everyone is recognized, even if they aren’t directly serving you.
That said, some cruisers don’t agree with the concept of tipping. Although tipping seems to be taking over our culture, not every culture agrees.
Others prefer the old-school method of tipping individually, and that’s okay, too. The important thing is knowing how the system works so you can tip in a way that feels right for you.
How to Pay Gratuities
You’ve got options when it comes to paying gratuities:
- Prepay during booking – Handy if you want to take care of everything upfront. It helps with budgeting.
- Automatic charges onboard – If you don’t prepay, the cruise line adds gratuities to your onboard account each day. You can track the expenses through the cruise line app or visiting guest services.
- Cash tips – Totally optional, but you can give additional cash tips to crew members.
Can You Remove Gratuities?
Yes, you can, but the process and policies vary depending on the cruise line and whether you prepaid.
Daily Gratuities
If you didn’t prepay, gratuities will be added daily to your onboard account. You must visit Guest Services before your cruise ends to remove or adjust them. The staff might ask why you want to change, but most cruise lines allow you to remove the charges without question.
Prepaid Gratuities
But what if you’ve already prepaid your gratuities? The situation is more complicated if you’ve already prepaid.
Maybe the experience didn’t live up to your expectations. Or you’ve decided the crew members haven’t done enough to deserve your tips.
Before the cruise, you can sometimes contact your cruise line or travel agent to request a change. Once the cruise begins, getting a refund for prepaid gratuities depends on the cruise line’s policy.
You can ask guest services, but they likely won’t be able to remove the charges for you.
After the cruise, you can contact your cruise line to ask for the service charge to be refunded.
The exception is if your cruise is canceled, you’re entitled to a full refund, including tips and gratuities.
Adjusting the Gratuity Amount
If you’re uncomfortable with the default gratuity rate but don’t want to remove it entirely, you can often adjust the amount.
You don’t have to go all or nothing. You can usually adjust the amount if the daily gratuity rate doesn’t sit right with you. Stop by Guest Services and ask them to change it. Some people lower the automatic tips and give cash to the crew they connected with most.
If you go this route, just remember that reducing gratuities affects the entire service team, not just the folks you tip personally.
This option gives you flexibility without cutting out tips altogether.
Is Extra Tipping Expected?
Extra tipping isn’t required or expected, but it’s a great way to show appreciation. If someone goes out of their way to make your trip memorable, a few extra dollars are a nice way to say thank you.
I usually give an extra tip to my cabin steward and the servers I interact with throughout my cruise. But that’s a personal choice; you won’t be shamed if you decide not to tip extra.
