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How Tipping Works on Cruise Ships | Cruise Gratuity 101

The Shiplife
The Shiplife
🏅Authority
👁️ 51K views📅 5 years ago⏱️ 6:55

Key Moments

Editorial Summary

The creator provides a breakdown of how tipping and gratuities function within the cruise industry. The video explains that while many cruise lines have moved toward an automatic gratuity model to simplify the process for passengers, this system can lead to confusion regarding how funds are distributed among the crew. The creator notes that average daily rates for automatic gratuities often hover around fourteen dollars per day. For those who prefer more control, the video explains that passengers can visit the service desk on embarkation day to disable automatic gratuities and tip crew members directly. The creator offers specific advice on tipping amounts, suggesting fifteen to twenty percent for restaurant services and five to ten dollars daily for room stewards. Additionally, the video addresses the topic of gift baskets, concluding that cash is the preferred method of compensation for crew members due to their living conditions and financial needs. Ultimately, the creator suggests that passengers can choose to use automatic gratuities, disable them entirely, or use a combination of both to ensure crew members are well compensated.

Written by TripBacon from this video's transcript.

What This Creator Said
Creator Had Mixed FeelingsTips & Advice🏅Authority Creator

Source: Our analysis of the creator's lived experience, based on what they said in this video.

Creator's Key Takeaways

when it comes to the hospitality industry the concept is really simple an employee whether it's a bartender server or even a spa worker offers you a service to which you must pay for along with gratuity

most cruise lines these days they have tried to make tipping less stressful and less complicated by incorporating automatic tipping while you sail the seven seas

on embarkation day or the first day of your cruise you do have the option to simply go over to the service desk and have your auto gratuity turned off

cash is king unless that gift basket contains rose's diamond necklace from the titanic an unlimited wi-fi card or oreo cheesecake just give him cash okay

Creator's Tips & Advice

Consider turning off auto gratuity to tip crew members directly as you see fit
Tip room stewards $5 to $10 per day based on your budget
Give cash instead of gift baskets to crew members

🆕New to Cruising? This Creator Addresses:

Confusion about how much to tipFollow the national average of 15-20% for restaurant tips and $5-10 per day for room stewards
Uncertainty about whether crew receive fair share of tipsTurn off auto gratuity and tip directly to ensure crew get their fair share

Questions This Creator Answers

QHow does tipping work on cruise ships?
QWhat are the options for tipping on cruise ships?
QHow much should you tip crew members?
QWhere does auto gratuity money go?

Topics Covered

Service Crew1½ Happy BaconValue Pricing1 Happy Bacon
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Video content sourced from the creator's original upload. Watch on YouTube