If you order room service, its customary to give the person that delivers your tray about $1-2 per meal. Note that we are Australian, so therefore not inclined to tip unless the service warrants it. We had the my time diningsame waiter and assistant every night. You may also like: Do You Need to Bring Cash on a Cruise? If sailing in a reg. No worries about "shoddy tips" since you have already paid the standard tip. Just remember that cruise ship crew live in very tight quarters, without much room for personal belongings. Tips are added automatically to the onboard account (SeaPass) on a daily basis. Started in 2010, Royal Caribbean Blog offers daily coverage of news and information related to the Royal Caribbean cruise line along with other relevant topics of cruising, such as entertainment, news, photo updates and more. Our concern is that the cruise lines take advantage by paying lower wages and then guilting passengers into higher tips. Disney cruises has a suggested daily gratuity charge of $13.50 per person, per day for all guests. Had same two waiters 4 of those nights. To avoid currency confusion, especially if youre traveling to multiple countries on one cruise, we recommend using a credit or debit card to make purchases in port whenever possible. Which family cruise can you book for $2000? Ive been surprisedor I probably should say I had forgottenhow many hands have been extended for a tip on these shore excursions. The COST Series: Cruise Ship TIPPING | Who to tip on a cruise and how much | Royal Caribbean Tipping The Weekend Cruiser 8.96K subscribers Subscribe 588 Share 10K views 8 months ago. Thoughts? There may be cases where you'd like to tip your cabin steward more than what he or she will receive after your automated gratuity is pooled and shared out. For many cruise passengers, bars play a pretty large role in their experiences. The worst thing you can do is wait until you are home from your cruise to address it. There is a lot to know before you even step foot on a Royal Caribbean Cruise. Olsen Cruise Lines and Cruise & Maritime Voyages charge substantially less -- 7 per person per day; while Marella, Saga and P&O Cruises now include tips (MSC Cruises also includes tips for its UK-based ship, Preziosa). If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. You can choose to pay in local currency, too, but obtaining money in 3+ currencies before a cruise is not necessary. That lets him / her know upfront that we tip, and there is more to come at the end of the cruise! Follow me on Facebook at Life Well Cruised, Follow me onYouTube at Life Well Cruised (Vlogs and cruise tips), Follow me on Pinterest at Life Well Cruised, Follow me on Instagram at Life Well Cruised. There is a lot of included dining location so how do you know which ones to che. Although gratuities arent mandatory, and in most cases you can go to guest services and have the amount adjusted, most cruise lines do tend to discourage it. If youre going on a cruise, you can expect daily gratuities to be charged automatically to your onboard account. We sail Celebrity and opt to prepay gratuities. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. Holland Americas daily gratuity is $14.50 per person, per day for guests in standard cabins and $16.00 per person, per day for guests in suites. Carrie Ann is the founder of Should Be Cruising and a lifelong travel fanatic. And while you dont need to visit a port with $1000 in your wallet, youll want to make sure you have enough money to account for expenses throughout the day. If cruising from Australia to the South Pacific, Australian dollars are widely accepted. Windstar Cruises daily gratuities are $12.00 per person, per day for all cabin types. According to RCI's website, of the 2016-updated gratuities (US$13.50), nearly US$8.30 goes to dining / culinary services; suite attendants receive US$6,85; stateroom attendants get US$3,85, and housekeeping service staff - US$1.35. Posted March 5, 2007. Should Be Cruising is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. How Much Water Should I Drink Before Donating Plasma. On disembarkation day, you probably wont find your fave crew members in their usual spots! cabin (not suite) recommended amount would be $39 pp times two equals $78 for a 4 night cruise. If you opt for a specialty restaurant, the tip isnt usually included. Some cruise lines refer to the gratuities as a crew incentive or a service fee, but essentially these are tips for crew members that are used to augment their low wages. One exception is the piano player in the loungemost accept tips for song requests or if you enjoyed their music. There is no charge for children under 3 years of age. It May be Time for Some Royal Caribbean Elites to Reconsider Paying for Drink Packages. All ships have at least one ATM onboard, which is usually located in the Royal Promenade or Centrum. You can raise them, lower them, or remove them altogether. I do think its a very personal choice, but we can talk about this in a future video for sure! Sometimes it cannot be helped ! The one excursion we had a fifty dollar bill and three ones at the end of the (short) trip. Others just prefer the face-to-face experience of handing over a cash tip. You can just hand over folded cash, or use the tip envelopes youll find in your stateroom or at Passenger Services. Ive been cruising for over 15 years, and the practice of tipping on a cruise has certainly evolved. I ALWAYS tip extra to the outstanding employees on every cruise I have ever taken. I have to say, we simply prepay or leave the tips as is, so I really dont pay attention these days. Cruise line employees work their butts off to earn those tips. I just arrived on board for our 6th cruise, after my 5th cruise just 2 months ago. Its a good idea to hand over your tips the day before disembarkation. Children under 4 are not charged. Most of the biggest cruise lines automatically add some type of service or gratuity fee onto passenger bills. The average price of a 7 night Caribbean cruise, on a mainstream cruise line, in April is approximately $616 (493) per person, excluding taxes. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Tipped crew on many cruise lines include housekeeping, dining, and laundry workers. Thank you, Carrie Ann. Something to note is that although daily gratuities arent charged, there may be a service fee or tip added to certain services onboard. Today is day 10 of a 12 day cruise on grandeur. Often, these crew members are part of the tip pool, and they lose part of their expected income each time a passenger removes autogratuities. Tipping on a cruise ship: The big picture. It really made my day! Thats up to you! Some cruise lines point out that you may wish to tip the kids club staff. I agree with Kelli. Not only will it improve your cruise experience, but youre also allowing the cruise ship staff the opportunity to make things right. Similarly, in the main dining room, we tip our waiter around $6 to $8 per day for the two of us, averaging around $50 for a 7-night cruise. However, youll want to make sure youve notified your bank that you will be out of the country. For this reason, I have always found being expected to pay tips, on an already expensive cruise, very irritating and have sometimes had them reduced at the service desk. April 16, 2019 in Royal Caribbean Dining. A As of September 7 th, 2022, the automatic service gratuity of $16.00 USD per person, per day for guests in non-suites staterooms, or $18.50 USD per person, per day for guests in Suites, will be applied to each guest's SeaPass account on a daily basis. If you choose to pay tips in cash, there are usually some envelopes available at the guest service desk. Near the end of your cruise, youll probably receive some comment cards in your stateroom that you can use to leave feedback about a member of the crew. I would imagine wed see prices increase overall if they did this, but perhaps it amounts to this anyway. Depending on what you plan to do in port, you might need cash for the following: We recommend bringing around $100-200 in cash with you on a port day. The auto gratuity goes not only to your cabin steward but is also shared among the entire crew that works to make your cruise successful: the dining room, buffet and specialty restaurant wait staff, cooks, laundry staff and the general housekeeping staff that cleans the ship's common areas, for example. Manage Settings (Learn more about when and when not to pay auto-gratuities.). Tipped crew make the majority of their income from gratuities! Your article has done a lot to change my philosophy and increase my understanding of why there is this charge and what the implications of reducing it might be. Having worked in the service industry, if people want to extra tip, then doing it at the beginning is the way to go. There are 2 adults and 1 child in the room, if this. Many passengers rave long after their hoilday is over about the service of stewards who go above and beyond. The rule of thumb is to tip the guide 10% to 20% of the tour cost, depending on how much you enjoyed the experience. How Much Should You Budget for Cruise Gratuities? Another drink package option for Royal Caribbean cruisers is the Classic Soda package, which includes fountain soda and refills at any venue, Coca-Cola Freestyle beverages and even a Coca-Cola souvenir cup. Here's a guide to help you navigate ways to show your appreciation for these hard workers. While most people know it for being a cruise destination, shadowing the coastline to see the glaciers, there is so much Many cruisers opt to give extra cash tips to crew members who made their vacation that much more enjoyable. (Admit it: You tend to miss those nightly pillow chocolates and towel animals after you get home.) Treasure Coast of Florida. Im Carrie Ann, the writer behind Should Be Cruising. I go into more detail about this topic in this post:Can You Refuse to Pay Gratuities on a Cruise? There are a couple of exceptions, though. IMPORTANT: Since September 7, 2022, Royal Caribbean International (RCI) cruise ship passengers pay USD 16 pp per day in tips (service charge for staterooms Junior Suites and below). Each passenger is charged for these tips, including kids. UK lines such as Fred. Royal Caribbean's VOOM service has two different levels of service with two different prices. Here's how to get the most out of Royal Caribbean's Deluxe Beverage Package (or Prime Casino Royale free drinks in the casino). Any chance of that? The one excursion we had a fifty dollar bill and three ones at the end of the (short) trip. cruise. The only charges that should appear on my final tab are any extras I decided to add on during the voyage. Royal Caribbean cruise ships have been sailing at nearly 100% capacity for the past few months. 15% being the rough standard for satisfactoryservice. Whats included in your Royal Caribbean cruise fare, 30 Do's and Don'ts for the first day of your cruise, The 20 worst cruise mistakes that will ruin your cruise vacation, The best cruise itineraries for every type of traveler, How to plan a Royal Caribbean cruise on any budget, Best shore excursion in every Caribbean cruise port. Although cash isnt required for onboard purchases, there are a few scenarios where youll want to have cash available. However, cruisers dont always see all of the crew who work behind the scenes for them, like the kitchen and laundry workers. Clear editor. In North America, most cruise terminal porters are longshoremen. If you dont have a drink package, theyll add the price of each drink plus the service fee to your onboard tab. Here is a list of the daily gratuity charges by major cruise lines for 2021-22. Royal Caribbean Royal Caribbean charges a $7.95 service fee and room service is available 24-hours a day. What Is a Cabin Steward on a Cruise Ship? Hi Alex, thanks so much for your lovely comment. Tipping on a cruise ship isnt mandatory, but it is customary, and many crew members rely on tips as a large part of their income. A kind word or a drawing costs nothing and is always appreciated. Ive got you covered! If you dont see the cards in your room, ask at the Passenger Services desk, or leave the feedback in your post-cruise survey. But you should know, that the ship's service staff don't make a salary - your tips are their wages. This is a convenient option for cruise passengers that dont want to think about extra charges once onboard. Often the recommended tips, which run from about $10 to $20 per passenger per day, are published either in the cruise brochure or on the cruise line web page. Some guests may bring $200 extra for gratuities whereas others may bring $50. Cruise lines usually add a service charge, usually 15-18%, to all beverages that arent complimentary. Some cruise lines refer to these tips as a service charge. Both beautiful cruise options! You can also leave a small gift for your favorite crew member. The service charge on MSC Cruises is $12.50 per person, per day for guests in standard cabins. Im not expecting him to kiss our butts, but come on. As much as some people opt to remove gratuities on their account, some give extra. If you want to avoid any ATM charges, though, you can theoretically take money out via the casino. Many ships also have an abundance of kids' activities including kids clubs that . Plus, for a limited time, its $10 off. However ,usually you can have at least 2 cabin stewards. W. Viking Cruises gratuities are $15.00 per person, per day for all staterooms. Our last few cruises on Celebrity and Princess, we actually had lots of interaction from the Maitred and we did appreciate the work they did. On embarkation day of my very first cruise, a porter came up to my taxi and whisked my luggage away, seconds after I got out of the car. These kind, helpful, generous, employees work extremely hard to make sure guests like myself have a fabulous time, and since I do, the very least I can do is show my appreciation in a way that benefits them the most! Obviously, if you tip a room attendant, that money will go directly to him/her. Im an avid cruiser and have been giving out insider tips for more than 10 years! Stay in one of the Royal Suites and room service is included. Do you prefer to prepay your gratuitiesor to pay in cash? This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. They pay their crew (usually recruited from countries with limited economic opportunities) per contract, not by the hour. So they follow this model with many of their crew members who perform services for passengers. Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. The practice of tipping is controversial, even in the United States where paying tips is part of the culture. Youll want to factor in the cruise line gratuity charge, sometimes called on board service charges (Norwegian Cruise Line).

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