The cruise industry has worked this way for a long time, although the automatic gratuities are only the last few years. You cant choose how much each crew member gets. Up the tip to $20. There will be an 18-20% tip automatically charged when ordering an individual drink, so no need to add more in most cases. One notable exception is Norwegian Cruise Line. We sail Celebrity and opt to prepay gratuities. On luxury cruise lines, such as Azamara, Crystal, Seabourn, Silversea, Tauck World Discovery and Uniworld, gratuities are already included in the cost of the cruise, and additional tipping is not expected. For example, Royal Caribbean (www.royalcaribbean.com) recently increased its tip recommendations and now suggests $3.75 per day for your main waiter, $5 per day for the cabin housekeeping staff, $2.15 per day for the assistant waiter, and $0.75 per day for the head waiter. How Much To Tip A Royal Genie (With Chart) - Cruise Mummy Do I need to tip on a cruise or pay service charges, is a question that comes up often. When youre tipping in cash on a cruise, its always best to use the official currency on the ship. However, a few lines dont add autogratuities for babies and toddlers under age two or three. For more info, please read myDisclosure Policy. Then you can take your deposit out in cash at the casino cashier. Please note that gratuities are charged in US dollars for Caribbean, US and Canada cruises. Based on the amount of the bill. What Is The Average Amount of Cash to Bring on a Cruise? Thanks for sharing your view on this. How do cruise gratuities work? Do I have to tip? | Miami Herald What is Royal Caribbean's gratuity price and policy? - Cruises The cost is $13.50 per person, per day for guests in Grill Class suites. Im so glad youre here! Instead, passengers can tipor notat their own discretion. Obviously, if you tip a room attendant, that money will go directly to him/her. 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. Cruise lines typically flag their ships in countries with lax employment laws. A The automatic service gratuity is $16.00 USD per person, per day for guests in Junior Suites and below, or $18.50 USD per person, per day for guests in Grand Suites and above, applied to each guest's SeaPass account on a daily basis. Royal Caribbean offers three all-inclusive drink packages, a premium coffee package and a water package. Though automated gratuities are the easiest and most common way to tip, some passengers prefer to instead tip their attendants in cash, either in addition to the automated gratuity or in place of it. One Key Royal Caribbean Deluxe Beverage Package Tip Cruisers Need to Western Caribbean Carnival Dream | Royal Holiday Im so glad youre enjoying my blog and find the posts helpful and appreciate the feedback. #1 Bring a bathing suit on embarkation day On embarkation day, the pools are open so be sure to pack a bathing suit in your carry-on luggage so that you can enjoy them with less crowds! Cruise line tipping policies vary from one cruise company to another. Any chance of that? Given that most , all ? In their case "tipping" doesn't mean "extra" - it means "salary". This may be rare, however if theres a problem with service or you have a complaint on your cruise, that you should bring this to the attention of the staff member, supervisor, or guest services when it occurs. There aren't any hard-and-fast guidelines for this type of tip since it's contingent on your experience, but 25 to 40 on behalf of a couple roughly works out to an extra 2 to 3 per person, per day, for a seven-night cruise. The fact is, the tips that crew get from passengers make up a good part of their wage. How Much Should You Tip Crew Members - Cruise Hive Tipping on a cruise ship can be a confusing endeavor, especially for those sailing for the first time. Given the high level of service, passengers often wonder how much they should plan to tip their cabin steward, especially when they go above and beyond. This includes drinks at the bar or cafe, spa services and salon visits. 40 BEST Royal Caribbean tips, tricks & hidden secrets I purchased the package pre-cruise for $76, this equates to just over $25 per day. What do you think about the custom of tipping on a cruise ship? Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates. There are different service charges for certain itineraries. If sailing in a reg. Our Hawaiian cruise in April will be the first weve been on in 15 years, so, obviously, things have changed a lot. Later I learned that the porters outside of the cruise terminal are not cruise line employees at all! There is a lot to know before you even step foot on a Royal Caribbean Cruise. The Smart Cruiser's Guide to Tipping on a Cruise | Cruisewatch For guests staying in Grand Suites and above, the fee is $18.50 per person, per day. If youre going on a cruise, you can expect daily gratuities to be charged automatically to your onboard account. Keep in mind, the venues are not always the same between Royal Caribbean ships, but each of my tips can. How much? Some cruise lines allow you to use your cruise card to deposit money in the casino. Other cruisers, often people who remember cruising before autogratuities, prefer tipping crew in cash. I love sharing my best cruise tips with you, along with reviews of cruise destinations, shore excursions, cruise ships and cruise lines. Weve been on 4 cruises with our 5th. By A couple should budget about $200 in gratuities for a 7 day cruise. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Cruises in Europe are charged in Euros. December 8, 2010. Here are the top travel tips for a Royal Caribbean cruise from the experts themselves: At the AquaTheater, acrobats, high divers, slackliners and more put on shows that make a splash. 20102023Regal Sea Media LLC. Also, if free gratuities are an amenity, youre not expected to go beyond it unless someone goes way beyond whats normally expected. Let me know in the comments below! Celebrity Cruises now includes daily gratuities in its Always Included cruise fare. If you feel you would like to give more that is fine and I am sure they will appreciate anything you decide to tip beyond the daily gratuity. This is for a good reason as it ensures that proper. Theres no need to add an extra tip for each drink. ~ janet Prior to your cruise, youll connect your onboard account with a credit or debit card, and all payments will be charged to that card at the end of the cruise. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. Some people are retired or on a fixed income, some are well off, some have to save for years for a cruise. Just remember that cruise ship crew live in very tight quarters, without much room for personal belongings. You also have the option to prepay your gratuities before your cruise. Could you possibly make your articles printable? How much people tip a Royal Genie on their Royal Caribbean cruise tends to vary, although many American guests tend to fall at around the $75-$100 per day. The cruise director will also remind passengers about how much and whom the cruise . You may also like: 26 Hidden Cruise Fees You Should Know About. Of course, as always, its at your discretion. There are some exceptions. Payments on cruise ships have almost entirely gone digital, but there are still a few situations where cash comes in handy. How much are gratuities on Royal Caribbean cruises? If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Once you book your cruise, there are some things you'll need to do in advance to prepare. Youll often receive change back in local currency even when paying with USD. Giving service staff tips in a currency they cant easily use means theyll have to pay a fee to change your cash tip into another currency. Whether $2 to a bartender, $20 to your waiter, or $50 to your stateroom attendant, it's common to tip crew members extra for excellent service. Tipped crew on many cruise lines include housekeeping, dining, and laundry workers. For favorite bartenders or waitstaff, I give about $20 to each for a seven-day cruise. For many cruise passengers, bars play a pretty large role in their experiences. On most cruise lines that collect automatic gratuities, youre able to remove or adjust the charges by visiting the passenger services desk. Hope you enjoy! Heres a video which answers many questions that you may have about cruise gratuities and tipping on a cruise ship. Prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted and cruise line gratuities may be referred to a daily service charge or crew incentive. Keep a few dollars handy to tip the cruise porters on embarkation day. How much cash should you bring on a cruise? Crew members work really hard and make the difference between an ok and a memorable cruise vacation. It really made my day! 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! Additionally, shouldbecruising.com participates in various other affiliate programs, and we sometimes receive a commission from purchases made through our links. Thats a funny thing that weve experienced in the past as well. Ren de Lambert (@RenedeLambert) on Flipboard What else can you do to show the crew your appreciation? Holland America Line, whose ships Noordam and Maasdam are regular visitors to Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific, has the same tipping policy aboard all its ships. Iwas a waitress for yearslong ago and far away. Posted September 17, 2021. If you buy a $5 souvenir with a $20 bill in Mexico, for example, youll receive change in Mexican pesos. Credit: Royal Caribbean Show-Stopping Entertainment You just cant help being extra nice or helpful when you know the people are going to be extra nice to you, ie the extra tips. How Much Should I Tip My Room Steward on a Cruise? - Cruise Critic How much are automatic gratuities on a cruise? An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. In addition, weve included a list of daily gratuities per cruise line and who else you may wish to tip. Many ships also have an abundance of kids' activities including kids clubs that . For example, you might give the guide $5 to $10 for a half-day excursion or $10 to $20 for a full-day tour. You may want to give them a tip per drink or a larger tip at the end or even the beginning of your cruise. Cruise line employees work their butts off to earn those tips. i understand what you are saying.and I know we are paying roughly 15 dollars a day each as a tip already. Tips are of course a personal decision. Tipping Please Help!!! - Royal Caribbean International - Cruise Critic In addition to the automatic daily gratuities, a tip or service fee of 15-20% is added to drinks and/or drink packages as well as spa services on a cruise. Are very professional, what should a tip look like at the end of a 10 day cruise? While you pay daily gratuities before your cruise ($16 per person, per day in most staterooms), many cruisers like to give something extra. Question for those who tip at beginning of cruise - Royal Caribbean Royal Caribbean charges a gratuity of $16.00 per person, per day. 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. We had the my time diningsame waiter and assistant every night. Tipping Etiquette on Cruise Ships - TripSavvy Technically your are not obliged to tip any more than the daily gratuities that have been charged to your room. So something edible (maybe a favorite candy or snack from your home region?) No worries about "shoddy tips" since you have already paid the standard tip. Royal Caribbean Biggest Ship. .wonder of The cost cruise much does caribbean royal excursions treatments fees consider drinks spa government 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. On Costa Cruises, service charges of $12.50 per person, per day are charged for cruises departing from the US. Clear editor. How much do people tip a Royal Genie? But many cruisers (including myself) choose to prepay to avoid a big charge at the end of the cruise. Tipping extra is not necessary, and theres no right or wrong amount to give a crew member. However, you might end up paying a similar total price on a mainstream line when you factor in gratuities, drink packages, shore excursions, and the like. Originally formed in 1988 by the Chandris Group in Greece, Celebrity Cruises was acquired by Royal Caribbean Group in 1997. It's always up to you to adjust the number of gratuities at any time while onboard the ship and your tips will be deemed undisputed. Gave them US 5 each three nights and US 10 each last night. 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. | Royal Caribbean Blog www.royalcaribbeanblog.com. Then (if your problem continues to bother you) contact the hotel manager. Extra tipping doesnt give you the right to be a jerk, but if you are a jerk, you had better extra tip! Tipping on a cruise ship: Everything you need to know Having worked in the service industry, if people want to extra tip, then doing it at the beginning is the way to go. While planning a, The weekend is the perfect time to take a short break, so why not go on a cruise too? Most cruisers tip anywhere from $2-$10 per person (or the equivalent in the local currency) to the tour guide, and hand a couple of dollars to the driver. I had prepaid my gratuities, and I assumed the porter was a cruise line employee, so I didnt tip him. Its a part of our cruise vacation cost and helps the hardworking crew make a living. If you feel that you want to tip above and beyond the cruise tipping guidelines, go for it. The one excursion we had a fifty dollar bill and three ones at the end of the (short) trip. Hi All, Im Ilana. Do you prefer to prepay your gratuitiesor to pay in cash? When you book your cruise, youll be charged your cruise fare, port fees and taxes. By general rule of thumb, the big ship mainstream cruise lines charge it as an extra payment above and beyond the base cruise fare while luxury lines adopt an all-inclusive approach. How much you tip on cruise excursions is entirely up to you, but a suggested starting price is $3 per person for a half-day tour and $6 per person for a full-day tour for the guide and $1 to $2 for the bus driver. However, youll want to make sure youve notified your bank that you will be out of the country. Though cruise lines usually state up front that tipping is still at the discretion of the passenger, keep in mind: As with most employees in the service industry (at least in the U.S.), most of the wages cruise employees make come from these tips. Do you need to tip at the spa on a cruise? Because plasma accounts for approximately 90% of total fluid volume, drinking plenty of water after receiving a transplant is beneficial to your body. What is Royal Caribbean's gratuity price and policy? - Cruises In this post, weve gone over how tipping works on a cruise. You can, of course, increase that amount based on your experience on the excursion. Want to give something beyond cash? Service charges for guests ages 4-14 are half of the adult rate. You may also like: Eight Things That Will Surprise First Time Cruisers. I agree with Kelli. Tipping is not required, however, customarily some people do choose to tip anywhere from $1 - $5 per order. Some vendors may process your personal data on the basis of legitimate interest, which you can object to by managing your options below. There is no service charge applied for children under 2 years of age. 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. Most mainstream cruise lines bill passengers between $12 and $15 per person, per day for. In-suite parties are a huge amount of work for the Genie and room attendants. Upload or insert images from URL. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Display as a link instead, Have our travel agency partner get you a free quote for a Royal Caribbean cruise. Its also a nice gesture to tip the matre d or head waiter in the main dining room, especially if they were helpful with special menus or seating arrangements. You might want to reward your cabin steward, favorite bartender or MDR server, or any other crew member you think did a great job. The cruise line makes no recommendation for tipping room service. Here are some daily automatic gratuity costs for several popular ocean cruise lines in USD (prices accurate as of summer 2021): Unlike with the deals you can get for prepaying for drink packages and some other add-ons, you wont get a discount for prepaying your automatic gratuities. In a survey of 850 cruisers, 71% stated that they took over $100 per person per day when cruising. The balcony is a good size with two chairs. Here are some other people you should tip during your cruise. You can do so by going to guest services and making the request. will be more appreciated than something they would have to store. Most of the biggest cruise lines automatically add some type of service or gratuity fee onto passenger bills. I believe that often the bartenders will pool their tips b/c there are so many working the crowd but I think it's an individual choice on their parts as to how they handle this. The only exception is for passengers with prepaid gratuities (they won't be charged daily). Some cruise lines point out that you may wish to tip the kids club staff. .WONDER OF THE SEAS. In addition, a portion of the tips are given to those who work behind the scenes or may serve you in different areas of the ship. Im a little over a month out before my next cruise, and while its a little early to start packing (is it though? Do you need to tip for drinks, meals, or snacks on a cruise? When youre on a cruise, you shouldnt tip the captain or the officers. Royal Caribbean Gratuities: Everything You Need to Know - Cruise Mummy Its customary to tip the waiters generously at specialty restaurants. Or do you remove them altogether? You'll find an extensive selection of options all over Canada The gratuities on Oceania Cruises are $16.00 per person, per day for most staterooms and $23.00 per person, per day for guests in suites. How Much Should I Tip My Room Steward on a Cruise? There aren't any hard-and-fast guidelines for this type of tip since it's contingent on your experience, but $25 to $40 on behalf of a couple roughly works out to an extra $2 to $3 per person,. On top of that, there's an 18% gratuity fee. Porters: $1-5 per bag Room service delivery: $2-4 per tray So our "big tip" on this subject is this - if you guys have a service staff problem, speak first with your cabin attendant. The suite life: Royal Caribbean vs Celebrity Cruises. Which is better How Much Does a Caribbean Cruise ACTUALLY Cost? (13 Examples) Treasure Coast of Florida. The gratuity applies to individual guests of all ages and . Even if you try, theyll likely graciously turn down your offer. See details here: Ultimate Cruise Planner -Whats Included, What to Pack for a Caribbean Cruise (with packing list), 7 Cruises to Avoid and What to Do Instead, Cruise Line Stocks Shareholder Benefits for Cruisers (FREE onboard credit). I do think its a very personal choice, but we can talk about this in a future video for sure! Disney cruises has a suggested daily gratuity charge of $13.50 per person, per day for all guests. Bar, spa and in-room dining for Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara have an 18 per cent gratuity charge. 2% would be a shoddy tip, but it's fine for the "extra tip" line if that 2% was to bring the 18% service charge up to 20%. Royal Caribbean Drink Package: Ultimate Guide - High Seas Cruising This fee ranges anywhere from $12.50 to upward of $20 per person, per day, depending on the cruise line -- usually on the higher end if you're staying in a suite. Should you tip extra on a cruise? Our Stateroom Attendant on cruise #5 was fabulous, and I showed my appreciation by leaving him (thanks Mahbob!) What you cant do is adjust or remove automatic gratuities for a specific crew member. If not, 15-20% of the bill (excluding any products that you buy) is customary. Tip amount: Gratuities amount to $13.50 per person per day (including children 3 and older) in standard rooms and $15.50 per person in suites. This amount varies by cruise line, however the average daily gratuity is $14-15 US per day, per passenger for a standard cabin and $17-18 a day for guests in suites. balyasny aum TRAVEL PROTECTION PROGRAM. You might want to remove their tips as a punishment for poor service. The tipping culture in North America and on cruise ships is flawed, but (as you mentioned) reducing or eliminating tips only hurts the hardworking crew and their families - and does nothing to change the system. separately, near the end of the cruise. In North America, most cruise terminal porters are longshoremen. Some guests may bring $200 extra for gratuities whereas others may bring $50. I almost alwaysgive my dining staff a bit extra, my kids generally have some special requests that take extra time and effort for the wait staff. Paste as plain text instead, Plus, for a limited time, its $10 off. You wont require cash for 99% of purchases on a cruise, whether specialty restaurants, cocktails, or souvenirs. But honestly, theyd prefer cash over a gift basketno matter how yummy your treats are! how to get cheap hotel rooms last minute - aboutray16-eiga.com A Guide for Tipping on a Cruise for Each Cruise Line We like to prepay gratuities when we make our final payment for our cruise, but this is optional. Others just prefer the face-to-face experience of handing over a cash tip. After 50 cruises I know they really mean it! Bond with your snorkel guide? cost of royal caribbean around the world cruise Cruise prices msc Hi this was helpful, thank you. Manage Settings I dont think anyone will think youre rude for not tipping over and above this. Most cruise lines charge for children as well, although there are some exceptions for very young children on select cruise lines. If you order room service, its customary to give the person that delivers your tray about $1-2 per meal. Although cash isnt required for onboard purchases, there are a few scenarios where youll want to have cash available. 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.