Each crew member on a cruise ship – from the visitor companies employees to baggage handlers, housekeepers, and pool attendants – works diligently seven days per week to make sure each visitor has a terrific trip.
How a lot ought to these hard-working crew members be tipped for the superb service they supply? The reply isn’t all the time simple and sometimes depends upon what kind of cruise expertise you’ve had.
My Cruise Tipping Totals
Basically, I’ve had pretty good cruise experiences and tip the customary quantity in recognition of the service I’ve acquired. On most cruises, this implies the automated gratuity – often from $16-25 per particular person, per day – which is split between the housekeeping crew and the eating crew.
In elite areas, comparable to MSC Cruises’ MSC Yacht Membership or Norwegian Cruise Line’s The Haven, greater gratuity charges embody the butler or concierge who present additional companies and extra personalised consideration to each visitor.
If additional care has been given, such because the anniversary cruise the place my husband and I acquired a pair of lovely towel swans and a coronary heart in our stateroom to rejoice the special occasion, I provide an additional tip on high of the automated gratuity. This may be $20-60 (for your entire cruise) for the stateroom attendant and the same quantity for the eating crew.
For one-off companies, comparable to a bartender or spa masseuse, the usual 18% gratuity is routinely added to the tab. However as with different crew members, if glorious service is given, an additional tip can also be given.
For instance, my husband wished to attempt a beer flight at Man’s Pig & Anchor Brewhouse onboard Carnival Celebration. One of many brews he wished to attempt wasn’t usually a part of the pre-determined flight, however the bartender swapped it out anyway. That warranted an additional $3 tip.
Equally, once we wished to bounce to a particular track from the piano participant on the Schooner Bar onboard Independence of the Seas, that request (and a few glorious musical expertise) earned a $2 tip.
It is very important be aware that everybody’s tipping experiences will likely be completely different on completely different cruises and completely different cruise strains. However how are you going to type out who to tip how a lot?
Automated Gratuities – Who Is Paid What?
Initially, most cruise strains have an computerized gratuity coverage with ideas added to visitors’ onboard accounts. Should you agree with these gratuities and don’t wish to tip above these quantities – and also you wouldn’t have to, so don’t let anybody guilt you into doing in any other case – you don’t should tip one other penny.
Automated ideas are processed with none enter, and it’s very handy. However who will get what tip, and when?
Each pre-paid and onboard computerized gratuities provide additional compensation to the identical crew members, those that have essentially the most private connections to visitors. This contains the eating crew and the housekeeping crew, each lead or head positions in addition to 2-3 assistants on every crew.
The whole of the gratuities – which can even be referred to as “service prices” or “crew appreciation” – doesn’t change, whether or not they’re paid earlier than or throughout the cruise.
All passengers’ gratuities are lumped into a standard pool and divided among the many relevant crew members in keeping with printed charges. Regardless of rumors and “I heard from a buddy whose cousin-twice-removed is a journey agent who took a cruise and talked to a crew member who stated” strains of communication, crew members have no idea prematurely who pays for gratuities, who would possibly modify gratuities, and who pays ideas in money.
What differs is when these gratuities are paid, and visitors have management over that timing.
Pre-Paid Gratuities – When Are They Paid?
Pre-paid gratuities are included within the whole of your cruise fare and will likely be paid off by your remaining fee date, lengthy earlier than you set sail. It’s a must to choose this feature, as it isn’t usually the default alternative.
Whereas pre-paid gratuities do add an additional cost up entrance, they’re handy. You wouldn’t have to fret about additional ideas as soon as onboard the ship, and also you don’t have to worry over higher-than-expected onboard prices.
This can be a nice choice for straightforward journey budgeting. It’s particularly welcome for those who may be involved about whether or not or not your chosen credit score or debit card can have sufficient monetary flexibility to cowl all of your onboard prices – drinks, souvenirs, shore excursions, pictures, and many others.
Automated Gratuities – Paid Throughout the Cruise
If you don’t choose pre-payment for gratuities, the information are added to your onboard account throughout your crusing. This can be accomplished towards the top of the cruise or partway by way of the crusing. Some cruise strains might add every day’s gratuity individually, which may help you see how your account whole modifications all through the cruise.
That is a simple technique to pay ideas onboard, however it might probably add up rapidly for an extended cruise or bigger household. Nonetheless, that is very handy and a preferred technique to pay for ideas with out leaving anybody out.
Discretionary gratuities are additional ideas you provide as-needed throughout the cruise, usually in money as companies are rendered. This may be a thanks to a stateroom attendant, bartender, or on line casino seller, over and above pre-paid or computerized ideas. That is all the time as much as you and also you shouldn’t really feel pressured to pay extra.
Providing an additional money tip is a good way to increase private due to a hard-working crew member with out visiting visitor companies or placing that cash into the widespread tipping pool.
Whereas completely different cruise strains might have completely different insurance policies, Carnival Cruise Line has confirmed that additional money ideas provided to particular person crew members do stick with these crew members.
There are numerous different crew members who would possibly deserve additional ideas in your cruise, relying on what duties they carry out and the way a lot their work enhances your cruise expertise.
Housekeeping Ideas
Whereas the housekeeping crew is a part of the automated tipping pool, these are a number of the hardest working crew members onboard and there are various methods they could deserve slightly one thing additional.
Lose a button off a costume shirt earlier than formal evening and ask the cabin attendant the place to get a needle and thread? They could deal with the stitching themselves – that undoubtedly warrants an additional tip.
Feeling a little bit of seasickness and like to remain in your stateroom? That cabin attendant who brings you inexperienced apples and bottled water undoubtedly deserves a bit of additional acknowledgement.
We’ve tipped additional to our stateroom attendant for such additional companies, in addition to for offering a every day ice bucket, cleansing up extra sand after a seaside day, or that point once we wished a suggestion about which onboard present to see.
Eating Staff Ideas
Simply as with the stateroom attendant, the eating crew is a part of the common tipping pool. These servers, nonetheless, can achieve this a lot to make your mealtime experiences much more spectacular.
Have a choosy eater in your loved ones? That assistant waiter who has hen tenders and fries able to go and who brings chocolate chip cookies each night for dessert would respect the additional tip for his efforts.
How about that bread service? Should you love Royal Caribbean’s cheese rolls as a lot as I do, you’ll love a waiter who brings you additional to take pleasure in every night (my waistline doesn’t adore it fairly as a lot, however I’m on trip!). That particular consideration deserves an additional particular tip.
And no cruise dinner is full with no decadent dessert. Let your Carnival wait employees know simply how you want your heat chocolate melting cake – for me, medium-melty with two scoops of vanilla ice cream – they usually’ll ensure it arrives completely, each time. With that degree of service, I make sure that their additional tip arrives as effectively.
Room Service Ideas
The crew members who ship room service orders should not a part of the final tipping pool. A tip of $1-5 is customary relying on the dimensions of the order and the way rapidly it could be delivered. A bit additional generosity can also be appreciated in the event that they take away any empty dishes which may be in your stateroom already.
If room service has a supply payment, examine the receipt rigorously to notice whether or not or not that payment covers any gratuity.
Bartending Ideas
It isn’t usually essential to tip bartenders or baristas, as an additional 15-18 p.c gratuity is routinely added to bar tabs even for only a single drink. A tip of $2-3 for nice service, nonetheless, comparable to changing a spilled drink or remembering that particular morning latte order, is all the time welcome.
On line casino Ideas
Within the ship’s on line casino, sellers and croupiers should not a part of the final tipping pool and no ideas are required. It’s customary, nonetheless, to supply a tip after a terrific successful streak, and the quantity ought to be relative to 1’s winnings.
If a server brings a free drink to a participant whereas having fun with desk video games or slot machines, a $1-2 tip could be appreciated, however isn’t mandated.
Spa Service Ideas
It isn’t essential to tip spa personnel or health heart employees, whether or not without spending a dime actions, comparable to a morning stretch class, or for paid companies, like a sizzling stone therapeutic massage.
A number of additional {dollars} to acknowledge a job effectively accomplished gained’t be misplaced, nonetheless, particularly for individualized companies comparable to hair styling or private coaching.
Test receipts first, nonetheless, as these companies can also have service prices or computerized gratuities already added to the totals.
Youth Workers Ideas
Mother and father and grandparents who take pleasure in cruise holidays with their kids and grandchildren don’t sometimes must tip youth counselors. If the kids have particular wants or preferences and the employees goes above and past to offer these younger cruisers a good time, nonetheless, an additional tip of $10-20 per baby is acceptable throughout the cruise.
A number of additional {dollars}’ tip for a night babysitter can also be acceptable, even when the service does require an additional cost.
These Aren’t Crew Members – However They Can Be Tipped Too!
Some additional ideas could also be paid to employees who aren’t truly a part of the cruise ship’s crew or the cruise line’s shoreside crew, however who however provide invaluable companies to passengers.
For instance, baggage porters who deal with heavy luggage earlier than and after the cruise are sometimes tipped $1-2 per bag for his or her help, or as a lot as $5 per bag for very giant, heavy, or awkward baggage.
The drivers and guides for shore excursions are additionally independently employed and should settle for ideas. Basically, $3-5 per visitor for a shorter 3-4 hour tour or as much as $20-25 for a 6-8 hour tour for the information is a correct quantity, with an additional $5-10 for the motive force.
Do Not Tip These Crew Members – Ever!
The one group of people that ought to by no means be tipped on a cruise are the officers – these professionals are well-paid for his or her rank, and an additional gratuity may very well be seen as patronizing, insulting, or embarrassing. This contains the ship’s grasp (captain), engineers, resort director, and even the cruise director.
Learn Additionally: How A lot Does a Cruise Director Make?
As a substitute, a real phrase of thanks and reward for the vessel and her crew could be most welcome.
An exception is the maitre d’ of the eating room. If this officer granted a particular favor, comparable to arranging for various seating or altering a eating time at quick discover, a $10-20 tip is customary.
The exception to this exception will be for those who go to the eating room on embarkation day on the said time – often a few hours within the afternoon – to ask about your desk project. Throughout that window, modifications are widespread and no gratuity is important for a easy eating adjustment.
So, How A lot Do You Tip – Complete?
So, how a lot do all the following tips add as much as for a cruise funds?
For me and my husband, when it’s simply the 2 of us crusing on a 7-night cruise, we funds $50 per day for each the automated gratuities and additional ideas.
This provides as much as $350 for our cruise tipping funds, which doesn’t rely any ideas for shore excursions. In whole for such a crusing if we’re visiting thrilling ports of name, we’d plan for $500 in ideas.
Precisely how a lot you should funds for ideas will depend upon the size of the cruise, how many individuals are crusing, the kind of stateroom you e-book, and what additional companies you take pleasure in.
Everybody will tip a unique quantity, and whereas there are tips, there are not any precise proper solutions that go well with everybody. Get pleasure from your cruise, and make sure you thank those that make it much more pleasant!
