Complete Guide to Cruise Gratuities and Service Charges in 2023! | Should You Pay Them?
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I'm Don B from eat sleep Cruise where we help you plan the perfect Cruise so you can see the world one port at a time
the wife and I have been on over 65 cruises with 14 different Cruise Lines
you should never try to opt out of the cruise gratuities they are mandatory
we generally tip our favorite bartenders staff at the onboard coffee shop definitely tip tour guides for shore excursions
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On your next voyage, you will likely encounter cruise gratuities, also referred to as service charges. If you are new to cruising, you might not understand these hidden fees. Well, don’t worry, we have you covered. We have a complete look at everything you need to know about gratuity on cruise ships in this video. Subscribe to the Eat Sleep Cruise YouTube Channel if you love to travel and cruise the world! https://www.youtube.com/c/EatSleepCruise1 If you enjoy the video, please make sure to give it a BIG THUMBS UP! EXPLAINING CUISE GRATUITIES: 0:00 Introduction 1:10 What are Cruise Gratuities? 2:34 Paying for Cruise Gratuities 3:22 Are Gratuities Mandatory? 5:14 Tipping Cruise Staff 6:23 Royal Caribbean Gratuities 7:02 Norwegian Cruise Line Gratuities 8:07 Carnival Cruise Line Gratuities 8:42 Celebrity Cruises Gratuities 9:53 Princess Cruises Crew Appreciation 11:03 Holland America Line Service Charge 11:46 MSC Cruises Gratuities 12:40 Disney Cruise Line Service Charges 13:05 Viking Ocean Cruises Service Charges 13:44 No Service Charges on Virgin Voyages 14:05 Margaritaville at Sea Gratuities 14:40 Windstar Cruises Gratuities 15:05 Oceania Cruises Gratuities WHAT ARE CRUISE GRATUITIES? For those first time cruisers, cruise gratuities are a per person, per day charge added to all guests across all stateroom categories in addition to the cruise fare. You can think of it like a hotel resort fee. This daily charge is a way of rewarding the hard working crew on the ship. These cruise gratuities are divided among several staff on the cruise ship, including your stateroom attendant and dining staff, including those behind the scenes. However, this charge is not given to other staff members, like bartenders or the activities staff. Keep in mind that this charge is in addition to the typical 15% to 20% service charges added to purchases of beverages, specialty dining, spa services, etc. Note, if you pay for a drink package pre-cruise, you pay these service charges at time of purchase based on the package price. So, once you are onboard, there are no additional charges. Similarly, you could choose to pre-pay your cruise gratuities prior to your sailing. If not, they will automatically be added to your onboard account each day of the cruise. CRUISE GRATUITY BREAKDOWN These charges typically range from $15 to $20 per person, per day for most cruise ship cabin categories. Cruisers staying in suites or more luxurious rooms tend to have higher fees. So, a typically family of four, staying in a balcony room, should expect to pay around $400 or more for a week cruise in gratuities. We have a complete cruise gratuity breakdown for the major cruise lines so you know exactly how much to budget on your next trip. HOW TO GET FREE GRATUITIES Yes, you can technically remove these charges from your account, but we never recommend doing so unless there was some specific issue during your trip that you should discuss with Guest Services. Actually, we recommend even allocating some additional money to tip other staff on the ship. We usually take about $200 extra for tipping cruise staff. This usually includes our favorite bar staff, baristas, tour guides, as well as additional tips to our stateroom attendant and waitstaff. If you time the purchase of your cruise correctly, you could get these service charges included in the cruise fare. Cruise lines or travel agents often run promotions that include gratuities as a booking bonus. So, do monitor sales and promotions as you might be able to score free cruise gratuities. It is also true that many luxury cruise lines, like Regent Seven Seas, Silversea, and Seabourn do not have service charges. Although, others premium lines like Viking, Oceania, and Windstar Cruises do still charge these fees. It is also important to note that all service charges are included in the cruise fare on Virgin Voyages as well! WE HAVE MORE CRUISE TIPS ON GRATUITIES BACK ON THE BLOG: https://eatsleepcruise.com/cruise-gratuities-explained/ TRENDING VIDEOS FROM EAT SLEEP CRUISE: We Tested 9 Brand New Cruise Ships: https://youtu.be/XdoagV5JtMw Top New Cruise Ships 2023: https://youtu.be/hgh0yWQ_FwI 25 Expert Alaska Cruise Tips and Tricks: https://youtu.be/wsQggXltN90 Make sure to SUBSCRIBE to our channel to get the latest cruise tips, cruise reviews, packing guides, port guides, travel tips, and more. Join us on Social Media as we “Sea the World, One Port at a Time.” Instagram: https://instagram.com/EatSleepCruise Facebook: https://facebook.com/EatSleepCruise Twitter: https://twitter.com/EatSleepCruise TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eatsleepcruise Some Promotional Video Courtesy: Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Viking, MSC Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line Royalty-Free Music Courtesy: https://www.epidemicsound.com/ #cruise #cruisetips #cruisegratuities