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The prepaid gratuities do not cover tips for bar service or spa treatments or gratuities for local guides and drivers who lead your excursions in port. While tipping tour guides is left to your discretion, many cruise lines automatically tack a 15% to 20% tip onto bar and spa bills. Some also add automatic gratuities to your check at extra-fee restaurants on board. If you would prefer to pay ahead of time, most cruise lines allow guests to pre-pay their gratuities at the time of booking or anytime prior to sailing.
Should You PrePay Cruise Gratuities?
Matt started Royal Caribbean Blog in 2010 as a place to share his passion for all things Royal Caribbean with readers. He oversees all the writers at Royal Caribbean Blog, and writes a great deal of content on a daily basis. He has become one of the foremost expert on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Diane’s experience is very common, especially on some of the larger American cruise lines. As cruises are largely cashless it isn’t easy to tip somebody who, for example, had just given you a massage in the same way as you might on land.
Mainstream Cruise Lines That Include Gratuities Within The Fares
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When it’s time to settle your bill, the gratuity charge is paid for with the credit card on file. On the other hand, many people choose to instead pay the gratuity charges automatically through their onboard account once on the ship. Each day there will be a gratuity charge — or a lump sum added at the end of the trip.
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By tipping with cash, the money goes directly to the crew member you want to recognize instead of being pooled. I have sailed twice with the budget river cruise line Tui, and again all tips were included. On the second river cruise I took with Saga I felt as though I was expected to tip as tipping envelopes were left in my cabin. We were directed where to put these and it was mentioned a couple of times. It is important to check the small print with the cruise line you are travelling with, to see if you will incur these extra charges.
I create cruise content across YouTube, this website and my social accounts, all with the aim of helping you to find, and take your perfect cruise. I consistently recommend MSC cruises for families and younger cruisers. MSC has a very high proportion of families on their cruises and the average age is lower than the rest of the industry.
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This practice favored the front-of-the-house staff while others working behind the scenes had little opportunity to make more money. It takes a combined effort of a team of crew members to keep the ship in tip-top shape and create an enjoyable experience for the passengers. While we only interact with certain people in particular positions, they represent dozens of others who work hard at their jobs. You may also want to create a hybrid method by combining the basic options. For example, you can pre-pay and supplement with cash to those crew members who are above-and-beyond in their service skills.
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PLEASE NO ADDED GRATUITY IMPOSING A COMPULSORY LEVY TO BE ASKED FOR . Technically cruise lines cannot force you to pay gratuities, especially if you have a complaint or issue about the service you received on board. Gratuities on a cruise are not mandatory, but instead heavily suggested and added automatically. They do however differ in the method that you can remove gratuities from automatically charging on your bill.
That means you can have the cost all taken care of before you sail without experiencing a huge hit to your pocketbook. It’s also nice not to have a couple of extra hundred dollars to pay at the end of your cruise when settling your onboard account. Another advantage is that cruise lines regularly raise gratuity amounts.
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Die-hard cruisers have been known to shun gratuity removers both online and in person. It’s become a hush-hush topic that leaves inquiring minds with little to no information. I can’t think of a more controversial cruise topic to write about. Both sides are equally passionate about defending their personal stance.
For instance, in recent years, Norwegian often ran Free at Sea promotions that included free crew tips in addition to free shipboard Wi-Fi and a free drinks package. The line hasn't been doing that as much lately, but these offers often come back at times when brands need to drum up more business. Cunard has previously suggested that tips for crew members are optional, but has since implemented a standard daily charge in line with other cruise lines.
Before I dive into the extremely polarizing sides of this article, I want to preface that I believe tipping is important. I am a huge fan of cruising and I see the intense amount of work the staff put in, day in and day out. These workers deserve to be recognized both monetarily and through mentions to their superiors or in surveys. Some of the best customer service I have ever received in my life has been aboard cruise ships, exceeding even that of uber-luxury brand 5-star hotels on land.
That said, the total number of lines with a service fee has been shrinking over the years. Many smaller and higher-end cruise operators are folding tips and gratuities into their base fares. Tipping on a cruise does not have to be complicated, but you need to understand the big picture to budget for your vacation appropriately.
The staff isn’t likely to treat you any differently or even know that you aren’t tipping (after all, some people still like to pay cash at the end of the cruise). They will still go out of their way to make your cruise comfortable and enjoyable. For example, Carnival does not charge tips for kids under two years old. Norwegian Cruise Lines doesn’t charge gratuities for kids under three. However, for the most part you can expect that every passenger on your trip will see a charge.
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