Does it make sense to prepay gratuities on a cruise?


Does it make sense to prepay gratuities on a cruise? Cruise gratuities are not a permanently fixed price, and for most cruise lines they typically rise every year. Prepaying your gratuities, when you are cruising more than a year in advance, could therefore save you money since you can lock them in at the older rate, before any rise is pushed through.


Can you opt out of gratuities?

On booking there might be an option not to pre-pay gratuities before you sail. However, if you opt out at this stage, most cruise lines will add the gratuity to your onboard account daily. You can choose to either amend the amount or remove altogether by visiting guest services in most cases.


What is a good extra tip on a cruise ship?

Typical extra tips may be $15-20 per passenger for a seven-day cruise paid to the cabin steward for exceptional work, or an extra $10-20 per passenger to a waiter who offered spectacular dining service. Similarly, it is often acceptable to tip $1-3 when room service is delivered depending on the size of the order.


How much do you tip a waiter on a cruise?

While the automatic service charges will cover their basic gratuities, it's generally considered good form to tip them a bit extra for a job well done, especially if you have made any special requests. Should you choose to, for a seven-night cruise, consider tipping about $2 to $3 per person, per day.


Do cruise staff prefer cash tips?

What are the cruise industry tipping standards? For a seven-night cruise on the major lines, the auto-gratuity currently has a wide range starting under $20 a day, per person, up to over $100 a day, per person. Passengers staying in suites will usually pay a bit extra per day, per person.


Is it a good idea to prepay gratuities on Royal Caribbean?

The other benefit of prepaying gratuities is that you'll lock in the current gratuity rate. Royal Caribbean occasionally increases gratuities by a few dollars; if you prepaid gratuities and the rate increases before your cruise begins, you won't be charged the difference in price.


What happens if I don t prepay gratuities on Royal Caribbean?

If you do not opt to prepay gratuities, a daily charge will appear on your SeaPass account every day of the cruise for the daily gratuity rate per guest.


How much should I tip my cabin steward on a cruise?

If your cruise steward goes above and beyond, a cash tip at the end of your stay to show your appreciation. We recommend tipping your cruise steward $3-5 per person daily.


How much should you pay for gratuity on cruise?

The amount you pay will vary by cruise line, but they are all in the same ballpark. You can expect to pay about $15-$20 per person, per day. So a couple traveling together will see about $30-$40 per day in gratuities, or about $200+ over the course of a week-long cruise.


How much do you tip housekeeping on a 7 day cruise?

According to the results of my three polls: 61% tip their stateroom attendant an additional $20–$40 per couple per week, 26% tip $40–$70, and 13% tip an additional $70–$140.


Do housekeepers on cruise ships get tips?

Do cruise ship employees actually get the gratuities? The automatic gratuity pool onboard cruise ships covers the housekeeping staff (cabin stewards) and wait staff. If a passenger is staying in a suite which includes butler service, the automatic gratuity is increased to include their butler.


Is it better to prepay gratuity on a cruise?

If you want to manage your budget more effectively, it's a good idea to prepay your gratuities for your Princess cruise. The only time you would be better off waiting is if you want to use any onboard credit towards the gratuity amount.


Do cruise workers get their tips?

Do all cruise crew members receive tips? As mentioned above, not all members of the ship staff receive a share of the gratuities paid by passengers. Bartenders, main show entertainers and third-party shop employees are some of the more obvious ones, but they're not the only ones.


Can you refuse to pay gratuities on Royal Caribbean?

Technically speaking, you can remove gratuities on a Royal Caribbean cruise, but you absolutely shouldn't do this. Although Royal Caribbean gives you two options for paying gratuities (prepaying or being charged daily once onboard), some passengers try to opt out of paying any gratuities whatsoever.


Do you tip bartenders with cruise drink package?

When you order a drink in a bar, restaurant or lounge on a cruise ship, it's typical for the cruise line to include a 15% to 20% gratuity on your bill, so that $6 beer may actually cost you $7.20. If you have a drinks package, tips are included.


Do you have to pay gratuities on Royal Caribbean drinks package?

Are gratuities included in the Royal Caribbean beverage package cost? For most sailings, beverage package gratuities of 18% are added at final checkout and not included in the initial cost. If desired, guests may pay additional gratuities once onboard.


How much should you pay in gratuities on a cruise?

The amount you pay will vary by cruise line, but they are all in the same ballpark. You can expect to pay about $15-$20 per person, per day. So a couple traveling together will see about $30-$40 per day in gratuities, or about $200+ over the course of a week-long cruise.


Do you tip waiters on cruise ships?

Your auto-gratuities will cover all waitstaff in the main dining room, buffet restaurants and specialty dining venues alike. If you dine at the same table and enjoy regular service from one or two particularly excellent waiters, consider leaving an additional $10 to $20 at the cruise's end.