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I Started Taking Off The Automatic Gratuities on My Cruise

Embrace Today
Embrace Today
Casual
👁️ 265K views📅 10 months ago⏱️ 10:25
What This Creator Said
Creator Had Mixed FeelingsTips & AdviceCasual Creator
Veteran Cruiser

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

Creator's Key Takeaways

I've done a complete 180 from what I used to believe.

Now, we remove our automatic gratuities on every cruise and instead we hand out cash tips directly to the people who made our trip special.

It feels good to hand a tip directly to someone and know it's going into their pocket, not into some vague tipping pool.

Carnival does not require crew to surrender any cash gratuities. They keep 100% of what they're given.

Creator's Tips & Advice

Remove automatic gratuities and tip in cash directly to crew members.
Use the cruise line's daily gratuity amount as a baseline for cash tips.
Visit guest services to remove or reduce daily charges.

🆕New to Cruising? This Creator Addresses:

Feeling awkward about removing automatic gratuitiesStaff handles it professionally; it becomes part of your routine.

Questions This Creator Answers

QShould you leave automatic gratuities in place or remove them and tip in cash?
QHow are automatic gratuities distributed among crew?
QIs it ethical to remove automatic gratuities?

Topics Covered

Service CrewMehValue PricingMeh
How to read the Trip Bacon Score
Happy Bacon — creators loved this aspect
Sad Bacon — creators took issue with this
Meh — no strong opinion either way

Scale: 0–5 strips in half-step increments. 0 = “meh”, 5 = “bacon bliss”. Aggregated from creator-review sentiment, weighted by channel expertise.

About our Bacon Score methodology
YouTube Video Description

Cruise tipping etiquette is more complicated than you might think. In this video, we tackle one of cruising’s most heated debates: should you leave automatic gratuities in place, or remove them and tip in cash? What we’ve discovered might completely change how you handle tipping at sea. #cruiselife #cruisenews #cruisetips *Read about HOW to remove your automatic gratuities:* https://embrace-today.com/how-do-i-remove-the-automatic-gratuities-on-my-cruise/ We break down the history of cruise gratuities, how policies vary across lines like Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess, Norwegian, and MSC, and why some passengers feel misled by vague “crew appreciation” charges. Are your tips really going to the people who served you, or into a corporate pool? 💡 We also reveal our personal tipping strategy, how it’s evolved, and what cruise insiders aren’t allowed to say publicly. Whether you're a first-time cruiser or a seasoned sailor, this is a must-watch guide to understanding the ethics, economics, and emotions behind tipping at sea. 👇 Join the conversation in the comments: Do you trust the system—or tip your own way? 🛳️ Watch next: ▶️ https://youtu.be/BJULgRWYPXQ ▶️ https://youtu.be/-yVCmgH7TQg Time Stamps: 00:00 The Cruise Tip Controversy 00:40 History of Tipping on a Cruise 01:18 How much are automatic gratuities on each cruise line? 02:14 How are tips distributed to crew? 04:09 Can you remove automatic gratuities on your cruise? 04:44 How are crew paid? 06:14 Should you tip extra on a cruise? 8:28 How do we tip on our cruise? =========================================== Support our channel and buy our Ultimate Cruise Books! Cruise Planner - Two Sizes! - Small https://amzn.to/4kmoC3d - Large https://amzn.to/3ZdLKZd Cruise Journal for Kids https://amzn.to/4ikZ7h9 Word Search Puzzle Book for Adults https://amzn.to/3z7CP1y Activity Book for Kids https://amzn.to/3Yv9ZRe 🔔 Make sure to subscribe and hit the notification bell so you never miss a video! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuE0IrwnUdbmB39Lk1Y8XkA?sub_confirmation=1 👉 Drop a comment and let us know what excites you most about cruising! 💙LET’S BE FRIENDS!💙 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/embracetoday_travel/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557375432521&is_tour_completed=true Additional News Updates at: https://www.embrace-today.com/cruisenewscentral Buy me a coffee! ☕️ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/embracetoday Some B-Roll use in this video is courtesy of Princess Cruise Line. FTC Legal Disclosure: The links found in the description box of our videos are affiliate links, meaning that we earn a commission on purchases made through the links, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn a commission from qualifying purchases.