how much to tip on cruise royal caribbean
But the sticker price of their fares tends to scare off many budget-minded travelers. Disclaimer: I may receive a small commission when you make a purchase from a link on this site, at no added charge to you. Also, if free gratuities are an amenity, youre not expected to go beyond it unless someone goes way beyond whats normally expected. 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. Extra tipping doesnt give you the right to be a jerk, but if you are a jerk, you had better extra tip! Carrie Ann is the founder of Should Be Cruising and a lifelong travel fanatic. The average daily gratuity on a cruise is $14-15 USD per person approximately $30 per day, per couple in a cabin. Pasted as rich text. What to Expect: Tipping Crew Members on a Cruise. I do think its a very personal choice, but we can talk about this in a future video for sure! Our Stateroom Attendant on cruise #5 was fabulous, and I showed my appreciation by leaving him (thanks Mahbob!) Whether in Mexico, St. Maarten, Italy, or Vanuatu, having cash is recommended. Had same two waiters 4 of those nights. People associate umbrella drinks and colorful tropical concoctions with cruising, and fancy-looking martinis have become a nighttime staple at sea. The price increases during August to approximately $773 (619) per person, excluding taxes. There is a lot to know before you even step foot on a Royal Caribbean Cruise. Not based on what we "should" give, more on the fact that they provided very good service. Afrikaans; Alemannisch; ; ; Azrbaycanca; ; Banjar; ; () Cunards daily gratuities are set at $11.50 per person, per day for guests in standard cabins. Cruise lines have implemented automatic gratuities, options to prepay gratuities and some popular cruise lines have begun including tips in your cruise fare. Youre right an 18% gratuity is added each time you purchase a drink. Paste as plain text instead, Check your bill after your services to see if your tip is already included. Have our travel agency partner get you a free quote for a Royal Caribbean cruise. 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. Here's a guide to help you navigate ways to show your appreciation for these hard workers. 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. Bond with your snorkel guide? The finishings are top notch, and the bathroom, in particular, is well-designed with a separate water closet. Our concern is that the cruise lines take advantage by paying lower wages and then guilting passengers into higher tips. The gratuity is $15.50 per person, per day for guests in mini-suites and $16.50 per person, per day for guests in suites. Norwegian Cruise Line charges a daily service fee of $15.50 per person, per day for guests in standard cabins and $18.50 per person per day for guests in suites and The Haven. The cruise line makes no recommendation for tipping room service. Don't be Held Back on Arrival Royal Caribbean requires you to do an online check-in, at least three days before your published sail date. The bar service personnel still gets their 15% tips from each bar sale. Do you have a favorite bartender? if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'shouldbecruising_com-leader-2','ezslot_15',606,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-shouldbecruising_com-leader-2-0');Since you cant remove the automatic tips for just that one crew member, removing or lowering your automatic gratuities hurts all the tipped employees. There will be an 18-20% tip automatically charged when ordering an individual drink, so no need to add more in most cases. Hi this was helpful, thank you. However, extra tipping and being a jerk do not go hand in hand. Disney cruises has a suggested daily gratuity charge of $13.50 per person, per day for all guests. Royal Caribbean's drink packages include: Deluxe Beverage Package Refreshment Package (No alcohol) Classic Soda Package If your kids had a great time at the kids club on board, giving a tip at the end of the cruise to their favorite staff members is always appreciated. A couple should budget about $200 in gratuities for a 7 day cruise. They did a really good job and I would like to tip them. 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. If you enjoy tipping in cash, consider giving an extra cash tip to the crew members who gave you excellent service on your cruise. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'shouldbecruising_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_8',602,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-shouldbecruising_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0');With the autograt system, many crew members who rarely received tips before now get a sharelike the laundry or kitchen staff on some cruise lines. Our Best Royal Caribbean Cruise Tips And Tricks. You also have the option to prepay your gratuities before your cruise. How much? Many luxury all-inclusive cruise lines include gratuities in their cruise fares, or have a tips neither expected nor required policy. cruise. First is the ATM. We sail Celebrity and opt to prepay gratuities. Cruise lines pay these workers very low wages for the long hours that they work each day, and expect that passengers will tip to increase the crew members earnings to a reasonable rate. Jan 6. Tips are either covered by the autogratuities or theres a service fee tacked on, so you dont need to tip again. Automatic gratuities, also called autogratuities or autograts, is the cruise term for the system most cruise lines now use to simplify tipping for passengers. Royal Caribbeans daily automatic gratuities are set at $14.50 per person, per day for guests in standard cabins and $17.50 per person, per day for guests in suites. When youre tipping in cash on a cruise, its always best to use the official currency on the ship. This is a personal decision and Im not sure if theres a tipping etiquette for it. 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. Carnivals daily gratuities are $13.99 per person, per day for guests in standard cabins. There are instances of passengers who prefer not to tip, usually either because they disagree with tipping on principle or they've experienced unsatisfactory service. This is a good question. 1 1 Quote Cindi Members 12 Author Posted April 16, 2019 | Royal Caribbean Blog www.royalcaribbeanblog.com. I think it's more like when you go to a restaurant and they added the automatic service charge to the bill, but there is still a line for additional tipping. (Learn more about when and when not to pay auto-gratuities.). With the exception of a couple cruise lines on this list, most cruises that include gratuities are luxury lines. I just arrived on board for our 6th cruise, after my 5th cruise just 2 months ago. one in 2023. Your email address will not be published. Great points about luxury lines and that gratuities are included. Love this! This practice can eat into the regular wages and livelihood of hardworking crew and is not advised. Just remember that cruise ship crew live in very tight quarters, without much room for personal belongings. Thoughts? Other itineraries may differ. There are different service charges for certain itineraries. I wouldn't worry about giving "too little" extra, since you are already paying the auto gratuity. I was thinking of giving ours a $20 at the beginning, not sure if this is about the "norm", or if I should give a little more. $15.99 per person per day for guests in suites. flipped into Ren de Lambert. Viking Ocean: $15.00 per person, per day Virgin Voyages: includes gratuities in the fare. We like to prepay gratuities when we make our final payment for our cruise, but this is optional. Cruising can be such a relaxing vacation as well as so much fun. Cruise line employees work their butts off to earn those tips. 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,. However, the price of getting online can be expensive. UK lines such as Fred. If you are one to give your room attendant a little extra (on top of auto gratuities), how much do you typically give. Passengers sometimes plan in advance to bring small gifts to leave with their cabin stewards, either at the beginning or end of the cruise. Iwas a waitress for yearslong ago and far away. Most cruise lines allow guests to remove automatic gratuities. And just like with the Carnival case, this will reflect directly on the ship's serving staff (cabin stewards, Room Service, and Main Dining Room wait staff, as well as kitchen, entertainment, passenger services and other hotel personnel). There are also usually comment cards available at the purser's desk or online for additional recognition -- or post a review on Cruise Critic. Both beautiful cruise options! 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. 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. Each passenger is charged for these tips, including kids. Do you know about when you'd like to sail? Plus, for a limited time, its $10 off. Id give a much larger tip to a knowledgeable tour guide who led us on an intensive nine-hour experience compared to a guide who did a basic three-hour city walking tour. If you opt for a specialty restaurant, the tip isnt usually included. You might want to reward your cabin steward, favorite bartender or MDR server, or any other crew member you think did a great job. If you havent notified your bank, they will usually send you a fraud alert or temporarily freeze your card. 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. If youre new to cruising, or its been a while since your last cruise, its important to know about cruise tipping guidelines before you sail. Im an avid cruiser and have been giving out insider tips for more than 10 years! 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. Sometimes it cannot be helped ! The fact is, the tips that crew get from passengers make up a good part of their wage. Because plasma accounts for approximately 90% of total fluid volume, drinking plenty of water after receiving a transplant is beneficial to your body. Clear editor. If youre sailing from the United States to the Caribbean, US dollars are widely accepted in popular cruise ports. The automatic service gratuity is $14.50 USD per person, per day for guests in Junior Suites and below, or $17.50 USD per person, per day for guests in Grand Suites and above, applied to each guest's SeaPass account on a daily basis. But many cruisers (including myself) choose to prepay to avoid a big charge at the end of the cruise. Porters: $1-5 per bag Room service delivery: $2-4 per tray How much to tip waiter and his assistant? The Sky Suite on Celebrity was a perfect size for two, at around 320 square feet. Royal Caribbean Cruises Tipping Policy As of September 7th, 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. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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. What else can you do to show the crew your appreciation? It was just the two of us. Iwas a waitress for yearslong ago and far away. And if the problem still remains unsolved - then adjust the tips. If you feel that you wish to give an extra amount to anyone who you feel has done a great job, they will be appreciative. 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. When planning your cruise, check with your travel agent or the cruise line about the tipping policy. If youre new to cruising, you might be wondering who to tip on a cruise, how much to tip, and exactly how onboard gratuities work. Iwas a waitress for yearslong ago and far away. 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. Most mainstream cruise lines have their headquarters in the US. In reality, the cruise staff on board want you to be satisfied, so this is the time address a problem. Tips are added automatically to the onboard account (SeaPass) on a daily basis. Having small bills handy is helpful if you plan to tip crew members throughout your sailing. Get expert advice, insider tips and more. Like what you see? Here's how it works on Royal Caribbean: 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. Most cruise lines charge for children as well, although there are some exceptions for very young children on select cruise lines. Hi All, Im Ilana. 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. They are always pleasant and willing to do whatever they can for you. If you feel that you want to tip above and beyond the cruise tipping guidelines, go for it. Most mainstream cruise lines bill passengers between $12 and $15 per person, per day for. 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. One of these differences is that cruise gratuities are included. Can You Refuse to Pay Gratuities on a Cruise? Price: $14.50 per person/day in standard cabins, $17.50 per person/day in suites, and 18% on beverages and spa and salon services. You wont require cash for 99% of purchases on a cruise, whether specialty restaurants, cocktails, or souvenirs. But lets say you have a negative experience with your server in the dining room, or you feel that the cabin steward isnt doing their job. Im not expecting him to kiss our butts, but come on. The cruise director will also remind passengers about how much and whom the cruise . The only exception is for passengers with prepaid gratuities (they won't be charged daily). Royal Caribbean Royal Caribbean charges a $7.95 service fee and room service is available 24-hours a day. Some cruise lines employ a sommelier or wine steward in the main dining rooms, who isnt included in the tipping pool. 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. I have a video on my YouTube channel about this and people have commented amounts they give so his could be helpful (just check YouTube and search cruise gratuities Life Well Cruised). 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. 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. The one excursion we had a fifty dollar bill and three ones at the end of the (short) trip. If not, just leave blank. Originally formed in 1988 by the Chandris Group in Greece, Celebrity Cruises was acquired by Royal Caribbean Group in 1997. Royal Caribbean charges a gratuity of $16.00 per person, per day. I'm sure the crew appreciated your extra tips - they all work so hard! royal caribbean cruise cruises deals 2021. The balcony is a good size with two chairs. Please let me know in the comments below. The gratuity applies to individual guests of all ages and . If you order room service, its customary to give the person that delivers your tray about $1-2 per meal. You also shouldnt tip the cruise director, the entertainment staff, or any independent entertainers like musical guests, comedians, or magicians. Display as a link instead, In some service industries where wages are substandard, customers are expected to pay a gratuity, typically 15 to 20% of the bill, to augment the workers low hourly wages. 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. Cruises in Europe, World cruises and those departing from a non-US Caribbean port charge 10 Euros per person, per day. They will seldom steer you wrong. If you want to give an additional tip to your cabin steward (or two), Im sure its very appreciated. What is Royal Caribbean's service gratuities (tips) price and policy? Having the articles in a printable format is a really interesting idea. So they follow this model with many of their crew members who perform services for passengers. Other people you should tip during your cruise, Nine Things You Need to Check Before Your Cruise, Eight Things That Will Surprise First Time Cruisers, How to Have the Best Embarkation Day on a Cruise, Giada De Laurentiis Named Godmother of Oceania Cruises New Ship Vista, Norwegian Cruise Line Announces 2023 Meet the Winemaker Series, P&O Arvia Naming Ceremony Will Feature Olly Murs, Carnival Now Offering Guy Fieri and Sammy Hagars Santo Tequila Fleetwide, Princess Cruises Introduces Welcome Home Program, https://shouldbecruising.com/privacy-policy/, A Cruise Glossary: Cruise Terms You Should Know, 26 Hidden Cruise Fees You Should Know About. This is for a good reason as it ensures that proper. In standard cabins, Carnival charges $14.50 per person, per day in tips. Related: Cruise Line. The porters will assist with your luggage and its customary to tip for their service. Some cruise lines point out that you may wish to tip the kids club staff. Whether $2 to a bartender, $20 to your waiter, or $50 to your stateroom attendant, its common to tip crew members extra for excellent service. Your previous content has been restored. Norwegian Cruise Line has onboard service charge will is charged automatically for guests 3 and up, and distributed among staff that serve you in various ways. #4. Your link has been automatically embedded. Check out the latest web stories from Should Be Cruising! On a 7 day cruise we usually give $50 to the waiter and $30 to the asst. Most of the biggest cruise lines automatically add some type of service or gratuity fee onto passenger bills. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. I purchased the package pre-cruise for $76, this equates to just over $25 per day. Hi Janet! Some vendors may process your personal data on the basis of legitimate interest, which you can object to by managing your options below. Once you book your cruise, there are some things you'll need to do in advance to prepare. Let me know in the comments below! The rule of thumb is to tip the guide 10% to 20% of the tour cost, depending on how much you enjoyed the experience. Should you tip extra on a cruise? Royal Caribbean says it is raising its suggested crew gratuities by nearly $2 per passenger, per day. I have to say, we simply prepay or leave the tips as is, so I really dont pay attention these days. I give my room steward $5 at the very beginning of the cruise. These feedback cards mean a lot and sometimes lead to a stellar crew member getting a raise or even a promotion! Posted March 5, 2007. Required fields are marked *. The time when youll need the most cash on a cruise vacation is when youre in port. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'shouldbecruising_com-mobile-leaderboard-2','ezslot_21',676,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-shouldbecruising_com-mobile-leaderboard-2-0');Tip: Want to avoid paying hefty ATM fees on the cruise ship to get cash for tips? Im so glad youre here! Thats up to you! You may also like: A Cruise Glossary: Cruise Terms You Should Know. On a cruise, most guests bring between $100-$120 in cash per day to be spent on transportation, tips, gifts, food, and shopping. Grand Suite and above cabin categories pay USD 18,50 pp per day gratuities. Royal Caribbean raised the service fees on its ships in August by more than 10% to $16 per person per day for those staying in most cabins. If you could use cruise packing lists, to-do checklists, shore excursion forms and more, youll love the Life Well Cruised Ultimate Cruise Planner. Ill explain everything you need to know about cruise gratuitiesfrom who you should tip, how much you should tip, and who you should never tip on a cruise ship. Something to note is that although daily gratuities arent charged, there may be a service fee or tip added to certain services onboard. separately, near the end of the cruise. After combing through my notes, here's the best tips and tricks for taking a Royal Caribbean cruise. . Celebrity Cruises now includes daily gratuities in its Always Included cruise fare. 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. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. While each cruise line is different, many include alcoholic drinks, soda and specialty coffee, gratuities, specialty dining and some shore excursions. Hi All, I just wanted to share something with new cruisers (and old if they do not know this). (Youll often see a survey pop up in your email inbox a few days after your cruise.). We are a middle class, retirement age couple (63 and 62) who are not retired with no plans to in the near future. Royal Caribbean states the current pricing for 2022 sailings is between $12.99 and $15.00 per day of the cruise. Im so glad youre enjoying my blog and find the posts helpful and appreciate the feedback. MTD and ate in MDR 5 nights. Travelers in suites are. Heres what you should know about cash on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Plus, youre never required to make any extra purchases in the first place if you take advantage of the complimentary options available on a Royal Caribbean cruise. All rights reserved. Rather than reducing the amount payed, they point out on their website that they will work to resolve any service issues experienced. What Is a Cabin Steward on a Cruise Ship? The cruise industry has worked this way for a long time, although the automatic gratuities are only the last few years. Get access to the best last minute hotel rates in the USA by becoming a registered member online today. Cruises from Europe and Australia will still use the US dollar as the official onboard currency, but you should make purchases in port with the destinations local currency. raahc and lovecruising!!! Tipped crew make the majority of their income from gratuities! How it works: Gratuities are automatically added to your shipboard account on a daily basis. Whether to or not and then how much. Theres no need to add an extra tip for each drink. Some cruise lines allow you to use your cruise card to deposit money in the casino. How Much Should I Tip My Room Steward on a Cruise? Many ships also have an abundance of kids' activities including kids clubs that . When booking a Celebrity cruise, tips are included in their Always Included program. Gratuities or a service charge are added onto some onboard services. Note that paying in cash does not necessarily circumvent the pooling system -- attendants are officially required to turn in any cash gratuities to put toward the pool. Then (if your problem continues to bother you) contact the hotel manager. 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. 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. It really made my day! Tips are of course a personal decision. You dont need to write a noveljust a few sentences about how the crew member made your cruise even better will do. We usually tip between $500-700 depending on what we do. For many cruise passengers, bars play a pretty large role in their experiences. If you found this helpful, please dont keep it to yourself ;-). 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). What I can say, on a personal level, is that we have found that the majority of cabin stewards, waiters, assistant waiters and ship staff have given us amazing service. Cruise line employees are extremely hard working, I agree, and they go above and beyond so often. Lets just say from the expression on the drivers face that he was not happy with that amount. How Much Does A Cruise Cost? The best advice I can give Americans and Canadians, if they are tipping questions arise either on the ship or ashore, follow the lead of Aussies and ask their advice. Continue with Recommended Cookies. 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. But if your excursions include free time where you eat lunch on your own, its a good idea to research the local tipping customs in the countries youll be visiting before your cruise. 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). Ill definitely look into it and see how I can best do that on this site. The cost is $13.50 per person, per day for guests in Grill Class suites. Virgin Voyages does a lot of things differently than its mainstream peers.
how much to tip on cruise royal caribbean