Is it mandatory to pay gratuity on Royal Caribbean cruise?

Is it mandatory to pay gratuity on Royal Caribbean cruise? On Royal Caribbean, gratuities apply to all passengers. Many cruise lines have special circumstances for younger passengers below 2-3 years old. For instance, Carnival doesn't charge gratuities for kids under two, and Norwegian doesn't charge for kids under three.

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.

Is Royal Caribbean drink package cheaper on board?

Its price is higher during peak travel times and on cruises with stops at private islands. Buying this package ahead of time is always cheaper than on board.

How much do you tip a cabin steward on Royal Caribbean?

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.

Is it necessary to tip at the end of the 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.

How are Royal Caribbean gratuities divided?

According to Royal Caribbean, “gratuities are shared among dining, bar & culinary services staff, stateroom attendants and other hotel services teams who work behind the scenes to enhance the cruise experience.”

Do both guests have to get drink package on Royal Caribbean?

The Deluxe Beverage Package policy requires all guests wishing to purchase the Deluxe Beverage Package to do so for ALL guests of legal drinking age in the same stateroom. Was this content helpful? Thank you for helping us improve our website!

Are cruise gratuities tips automatically charged by the cruise line and go to the crew?

Cruise gratuities or service gratuities are daily service charges automatically added to your onboard account. The total cruise bill is charged at the end of the cruise to the credit card on your account. Cruise gratuities are used by the cruise line to tip crew members throughout the ship.

Can I bring a 12 pack of soda on Royal Caribbean?

Guests may also bring non-alcoholic beverages as carry-on items on boarding day. Non-alcoholic beverages may not exceed 12 standard (17 oz.) cans, bottles or cartons per stateroom. Milk and distilled water brought on for infant, medical, or dietary use are permitted.

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.

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.

How much do you tip a baggage handler on a cruise?

Tipping on a Cruise Begins Before Sailaway Savvy cruisers know that gratuities begin before you board your ship. Why? If you plan to drop off your larger pieces of luggage, be prepared to give the portside luggage handler a $2- $5 tip per bag. The amount can depend upon size, weight and amount of luggage.

How much extra should I tip my cabin 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, per day, for a seven-night cruise.

Is it better to pay gratuities before or after 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.

How much do you tip on a 1 hour cruise?

In general, plan on giving $16–$23 in gratuities per day for each passenger. Note that the amount should be tabulated for each individual in your party—don't try to tip once per couple or group.

Do cruise ship employees get to keep their tips?

If you buy a drink package on either cruise line, you pay an 18% gratuity that goes into the pool for all bar staff. The same applies when you buy an individual drink. If, however, you hand a specific bartender an added tip, they either keep it or share it with their coworkers at that bar.

What happens if you dont pay the tips on a cruise?

If you do not prepay cruise gratuities before sailing, the cruise line will add them to your onboard bill. The cruise line will then charge your credit card for the gratuity amount at the end of the sailing – along with other purchases you made with your cruise card (drinks, souvenirs, spa treatments, tours, etc.).

Can you refuse to pay gratuities on a cruise?

(1). You have the right to refuse this automatic gratuity charge and may compensate cruise staff on your own terms. However, you will need to notify the front desk of this desire. Otherwise it will appear on your bill when your cruise ends and it will be charged to your credit card on file.

Can you decline gratuity on Carnival cruise?

Are gratuities mandatory on Carnival cruises? Carnival's gratuities make up a considerable portion of the salary for the crew on the ship. They are added to all guests' accounts but can be removed at Guest Services.