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First of all, if you’re feeling a little confused, don’t worry — you aren’t alone. In fact, we can’t think of a place where gratuities are handled the same way as they are on a cruise ship. MSC will often run promotions where gratuities are automatically included with Fantastica cabins. If this is the case it can sometimes be cheaper to book a Fantastica cabin which includes gratuities than a Bella cabin which does not. Since adding in the cost of gratuities to the cruise fare it is no longer possible to remove this portion. The automatic gratuities are shared among a variety of crew members that you may not notice, but really do contribute to the service you’re receiving.
Should you prepay gratuities for a Royal Caribbean cruise?
73% of our Facebook community members who have had a spa treatment on a cruise reported that an automatic gratuity was added. I personally would much prefer that the cruise line paid their staff a decent living wage, but they often don’t, so I feel as though it is my responsibility to tip the crew. On all cruise lines apart from Costa Cruises guests can remove gratuities. It’s important to remember that the salary of the crew on a cruise ship can be incredibly low compared to US pay rates, and many crew members depend on tips to support their families at home. Some people worry about the crew members knowing that the automatic gratuities have been removed. When you disembark your cruise and head home your credit card will usually be charged for the gratuities.This may be a couple of days after you disembark.
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Step 2 – Cruise Gratuities Will be Added To Your Account Daily
That said tips aren’t mandatory on the majority of river cruise lines and guests are free to choose what they would like to do. I’ve taken a few river cruises both of which said that gratuities were included in the fare. People who cruise from the UK are usually happier to pay one upfront cost with gratuities included. Cruise lines register their cruise ships in foreign countries so that they can take advantage of rules in areas of the world where labour is the cheapest.
Should I Pre-Pay Cruise Gratuities?
Based on these two factors, gratuity charges can be a surprise to people that haven’t cruised before. Guests sailing on Windstar Cruises should expect to pay cruise gratuities as well. This hotel service charge is $16 per passenger, per day and is automatically added to each guest’s onboard account. A 20% gratuity will still be automatically added to all beverages, mini bar purchases, spa and salon services. Though, guests will not pay gratuity for drinks that are part of the complimentary classic beverage package.
This does leave members of the crew who work behind the scenes without tips though – Staff such as chefs and the people who work in the laundry. In the UK it’s rare to tip – apart from possibly in a restaurant or a taxi driver if the service you’ve received is good. Some people prefer to do this at the start of the cruise although it is usually easier to do later. If you book with an agent the agent will usually let the cruise line know of your preference. I usually go for the option as I prefer to know what I need to pay upfront.
Bring a stack of small bills from home and keep separate from your other cash, to avoid the last night panic line at the Purser’s Desk. For this example, the amounts listed below are for standard (non-suite) staterooms, may vary by a dollar or so and subject to change every couple of years. This way, you’re ready to personally hand it to the room service delivery person.
Most cruise ship employees that do not receive gratuities receive a salary instead. For example, a cruise ship captain won’t receive tips, but they will receive a healthy salary. Captains on the largest ships, responsible for 5,000 or more passengers and crew members, can have a salary in excess of $150,000, typically working two months on, two months off. But even still, this cash-in-hand practice often left key service staff empty-handed. The average passenger does not come into contact with all the crew members that can positively impact their vacation; many key players are located behind the scenes.
Paying early offers some benefits, but it also means more money out of your pocket before you even get on the ship. At the same time, it can seem strange to pay gratuities before you’ve actually received service. If you are booking an MSC cruise and are from the USA gratuities will be automatically added onto your onboard account. Many staff members work behind the scenes in the laundry, kitchens etc and by tipping only the crew you see these members lose out.
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And since they are an extra charge that many people don’t expect, that leads to questions about exactly what gratuities are on a cruise and how they work. However, these charges can be modified or removed by guests while on the ship in the event that they did not receive satisfactory service. In addition, guests will pay an 18% gratuity on all beverages, mini bar items, and spa & salon purchases. The second type is a service charge applied to certain purchases you make either during your cruise, or in advance of your cruise. Typically ranging from 15% to 20%, this is automatically added every time you buy a drink, or reserve a speciality dining restaurant.
Luxury cruise lines build gratuities into the overall fare, so neither staff nor guests have to think twice about them. 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.
If you choose to have your gratuities removed from your cruise account, your cruise won’t be impacted in any other way. The crew aren’t told which passengers have refused to pay gratuities, and so the level of service you receive won’t change. If you receive poor service or simply don’t want to pay, then you can have the charges removed by visiting Guest Services during the cruise.
A portion of your automatic tips go to staff like this and others behind the scenes. The staff members that receive your gratuities cover a variety of positions. Your cabin attendant — who provides a great deal of personal service, including making up your room each day – receives a portion, but they are far from the only person to benefit from your generosity. So for instance, if a husband and wife are sailing, then each will be charged the daily gratuity amount.
There is no need for you to pay extra and go to a speciality restaurant at all – the food in the ship’s main dining rooms is normally very good. If you are paying gratuities you may want to know how they are broken down and split between the staff members. Cruise lines are usually happy for guests to increase the gratuities they pay for obvious reasons.
If you buy a “Speciality Restaurant Package” – where you can eat at a certain number of restaurants for a reduced price – you will be charged an extra 20% on the cost of the package. Make sure you do your research and don’t just assume that “free drinks” offers a great saving. If you are from the US and book a cruise which includes a ‘free’ drinks package you may have to pay the gratuities which can be 15-20% of the drinks package cost. Stateroom attendants receive approximately 25% of cruise gratuities paid by guests. Dining room staff receive 43% and the remaining 32% is split between other hotel services. On the majority of cruise lines that charge gratuities, they are charged per person per night with all adults being expected to pay.
Once your cruise is booked, log onto the website with your booking details and you can find the option to add the gratuities and pay them in advance. It is best to prepay your gratuities on an NCL cruise if you can. A lot of NCL cruises will offer onboard credit as a special promotion, and you might prefer to wait and use that to cover the tips.
The Royal Caribbean prepaid gratuities are the most well-known example. If you don’t want a traditional dining time, and you want the flexibility to eat in the Main Dining Room at a time that suits you, you’ll need to choose MyTime Dining. You should also note that the 20% gratuity is added to Norwegian’s “Free at Sea”” offer if you select the free beverage package. Even though the package itself is free, you’ll still have to pay 20% on its value, which comes out to about $20 per person, per day. The payments go toward staff members providing service, including your room steward and dining staff. While some see these tips as forced payments, others see them as a rightly deserved reward to hardworking crew.
