But if you dont want to prepay, thats fine too. A The automatic service gratuity is $16.00 USD per person, per day for guests in Junior Suites and below, or $18.50 USD per person, per day for guests in Grand Suites and above, applied to each guest's SeaPass account on a daily basis. Keep in mind, the venues are not always the same between Royal Caribbean ships, but each of my tips can. However, youll want to make sure youve notified your bank that you will be out of the country. This fee ranges anywhere from $12.50 to upward of $20 per person, per day, depending on the cruise line -- usually on the higher end if you're staying in a suite. How much do people tip a Royal Genie? Your previous content has been restored. The premium cruise line's fleet of 15 ships sail around the world, from the Galapagos to the Caribbean. We always tip cruise staff but in cash not automatic tipping. One of these differences is that cruise gratuities are included. There are different service charges for certain itineraries. There are a number of factors which people use to decide how much to tip their Genie. There was only one cruise where my sons special request was denied. Most mainstream cruise lines have their headquarters in the US. Credit: whmuc.blogspot.com. As I am sure you are aware each cruiser will have gratuities & tips added to their SeaPass account every day (unless you have paid these in advance with your booking). How much are automatic gratuities on a cruise? That's a major contrast to the early days of the return to sailing after the cruise line's 15-month . Often the recommended tips, which run from about $10 to $20 per passenger per day, are published either in the cruise brochure or on the cruise line web page. It is best to drink 9 to 13 cups of water before donating money in the 24 hours preceding the event. 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. Although gratuities arent mandatory, and in most cases you can go to guest services and have the amount adjusted, most cruise lines do tend to discourage it. How much you tip on cruise excursions is entirely up to you, but a suggested starting price is $3 per person for a half-day tour and $6 per person for a full-day tour for the guide and $1 to $2 for the bus driver. Do I need to tip on a cruise or pay service charges, is a question that comes up often. At some North American ports, youll see signs stating that the porters do not accept tips. Based on the amount of the bill. Hope you enjoy! I agree with Kelli. The cost is $13.50 per person, per day for guests in Grill Class suites. I also tip constantly while on the cruise. When youre tipping in cash on a cruise, its always best to use the official currency on the ship. 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. Its unlikely to do any good by this point. You can purchase the drink package online pre-cruise or once onboard during the first day (or two) of your trip. Royal Caribbean's drink packages include: Deluxe Beverage Package Refreshment Package (No alcohol) Classic Soda Package UK lines such as Fred. The cruise industry has worked this way for a long time, although the automatic gratuities are only the last few years. First of all, don't neglect any post-cruise questionnaires, which provide an opportunity to rave about your cabin attendant directly to his or her employer. Paste as plain text instead, Royal Caribbean charges a gratuity of $16.00 per person, per day. 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. Carnivals daily gratuities are $13.99 per person, per day for guests in standard cabins. Tipped crew on many cruise lines include housekeeping, dining, and laundry workers. Outdoor Activities If outdoor fun is your thing, the Carnival Dream offers a near endless array of ways to fill both day and night with fun. Do you need to tip for drinks, meals, or snacks on a cruise? Windstar Cruises daily gratuities are $12.00 per person, per day for all cabin types. These cruise line employees are highly compensated, and offering a tip isnt necessary. Why taking a weekend cruise is a great escape, 11 of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean, How to get to Royal Caribbean's cruise terminals and how much parking will cost, Top 16 things on a Royal Caribbean cruise everyone needs to do at least once. On luxury cruise lines, such as Azamara, Crystal, Seabourn, Silversea, Tauck World Discovery and Uniworld, gratuities are already included in the cost of the cruise, and additional tipping is not expected. How much shouldwe tip? If you havent notified your bank, they will usually send you a fraud alert or temporarily freeze your card. Sometimes a shoddy tip was more insulting than no tip at all. Its customary to tip the waiters generously at specialty restaurants. Still confused . 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. Some cruisers swear by tipping at the beginning of the cruise to ensure excellent service. But you should know, that the ship's service staff don't make a salary - your tips are their wages. Automatic gratuities cover just about every tipped crew member on the ship. Norwegian Cruise Line. While not obligatory, there are some of the workers you may want to recognize with a tip when cruising. Im an avid cruiser and have been giving out insider tips for more than 10 years! Obviously, if you tip a room attendant, that money will go directly to him/her. Ive got you covered! If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Rather than reducing the amount payed, they point out on their website that they will work to resolve any service issues experienced. ), it, So youre planning a family cruise with a $2000 budget is it possible? On the flip side, passengers have less control over where their money goes with autogratuities. What to Expect: Tipping Crew Members on a Cruise. Now if someone goes over and above a little extra is due. Beyond leaving a cash tip for your cabin steward, or favorite server or bartender, some other small gestures will go a long way. 1 1 Quote Cindi Members 12 Author Posted April 16, 2019 Royal Caribbean cruise ships have been sailing at nearly 100% capacity for the past few months. You dont need to write a noveljust a few sentences about how the crew member made your cruise even better will do. The porters will assist with your luggage and its customary to tip for their service. Payments on cruise ships have almost entirely gone digital, but there are still a few situations where cash comes in handy. The cruise where fun means everything. US$13,50 (increased from US$12,95) for standard cabins and US$16,50 (increased from US$15.95) for upper-tier suites. The amount you tip is up to youI generally give about $5 per person per day to my stateroom steward. Since most cruise passengers follow the tipping guidelines, that amounts to an increase $13.30 . 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 not, 15-20% of the bill (excluding any products that you buy) is customary. 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. 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. Even if you try, theyll likely graciously turn down your offer. This includes drinks at the bar or cafe, spa services and salon visits. 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. Heres what you should know about cash on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Pricing varies based on the ship, sail dates, and itinerary. Do you know about when you'd like to sail? Royal Caribbean International What's Included: Dining, stateroom, and other key crew members. I believe since these are pooled between everybody, additional tipping should only be done if you feel somebody has gone above and beyond. If you transfer money to the slot machine and immediately cash out, you can take your cashout slip to the casino cage and receive the listed amount in cash. After combing through my notes, here's the best tips and tricks for taking a Royal Caribbean cruise. One of the most luxurious aspects of cruising is the service of room stewards -- that team of people who often go unseen in their daily mission to keep your cruise cabin sparkling fresh and clean. But the sticker price of their fares tends to scare off many budget-minded travelers. In fact, I think most would agree that cruise line staff make a huge difference in the cruise experience. According to RCI's website, of the 2016-updated gratuities (US$13.50), nearly US$8.30 goes to dining / culinary services; suite attendants receive US$6,85; stateroom attendants get US$3,85, and housekeeping service staff - US$1.35. Your personal data will be processed and information from your device (cookies, unique identifiers, and other device data) may be stored by, accessed by and shared with third party vendors, or used specifically by this site or app. The rule of thumb is to tip the guide 10% to 20% of the tour cost, depending on how much you enjoyed the experience. ~ janet You wont require cash for 99% of purchases on a cruise, whether specialty restaurants, cocktails, or souvenirs. #1 Bring a bathing suit on embarkation day On embarkation day, the pools are open so be sure to pack a bathing suit in your carry-on luggage so that you can enjoy them with less crowds! Virgin Voyages does a lot of things differently than its mainstream peers. You may want to give a small tip to the person who delivers your room service order. The tipping culture in North America and on cruise ships is flawed, but (as you mentioned) reducing or eliminating tips only hurts the hardworking crew and their families - and does nothing to change the system. But many cruisers (including myself) choose to prepay to avoid a big charge at the end of the 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. This cruise ship was the first of Carnival's unique Dream Class cruise ships. Royal Caribbean says it is raising its suggested crew gratuities by nearly $2 per passenger, per day. 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. With the exception of a couple cruise lines on this list, most cruises that include gratuities are luxury lines. On NCL, passengers who dont want to pay autograts need to file a claim for reimbursement after the cruise. I was very surprised. 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. #4. You cant choose how much each crew member gets. .WONDER OF THE SEAS. Hi this was helpful, thank you. We rarely do the parties anymore. Having the articles in a printable format is a really interesting idea. If theres a crew member who goes above and beyond for you, there are some other ways to show your appreciation. 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. When you book your cruise, youll be charged your cruise fare, port fees and taxes. Lets just say from the expression on the drivers face that he was not happy with that amount. The gratuities on Oceania Cruises are $16.00 per person, per day for most staterooms and $23.00 per person, per day for guests in suites. Our Hawaiian cruise in April will be the first weve been on in 15 years, so, obviously, things have changed a lot. Read more: Should You Prepay Gratuities on a Cruise or Pay Onboard? By Many luxury all-inclusive cruise lines include gratuities in their cruise fares, or have a tips neither expected nor required policy. 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). There are some exceptions. Hi All, Im Ilana. What do you think about cruise line gratuities and service onboard? You can choose to pay in local currency, too, but obtaining money in 3+ currencies before a cruise is not necessary. Royal Caribbean's VOOM service has two different levels of service with two different prices. Just like with the Carnival's tipping policy, under the new Royal Caribbean tipping policy guests who believe they've been serviced poorly while onboard their "Of The Seas" ship has the right to ask Guest Services personnel to reduce or even to remove their automatic gratuities. While most people know it for being a cruise destination, shadowing the coastline to see the glaciers, there is so much Cruise lines have implemented automatic gratuities, options to prepay gratuities and some popular cruise lines have begun including tips in your cruise fare. The cruise line makes no recommendation for tipping room service. 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 would imagine wed see prices increase overall if they did this, but perhaps it amounts to this anyway. However, your cruise vacation expenses wont end there. For both of us, we usually tip between $30-$50 for head waiter, and slightly less for assistant waiter and then even slightly less for the drink waiter (as we are non-drinkers but still want to. Let me know in the comments below! You can also leave a small gift for your favorite crew member. Many passengers rave long after their hoilday is over about the service of stewards who go above and beyond. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Porters: $1-5 per bag Room service delivery: $2-4 per tray 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. Get access to the best last minute hotel rates in the USA by becoming a registered member online today. 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. 1 Royal Caribbean Travel Protection is an optional travel protection add-on to your cruise booking and is available through Royal Caribbean for residents in all states except New York. Children aged 2-11 will be charged $6.25 per day. Whether in Mexico, St. Maarten, Italy, or Vanuatu, having cash is recommended. I love sharing my best cruise tips with you, along with reviews of cruise destinations, shore excursions, cruise ships and cruise lines. Youre welcome to use a credit or debit card to make purchases in ports of call whenever possible. For many cruises that operate in the Australian market where tipping isnt part of the culture, automatic gratuities arent added on to passenger bills. But I also feel like people will think Im rude for not doing so in reality tho, they are already being tipped 18%. Often cruise lines provide additional envelopes to tuck a little extra cash at the end of the cruise just for this purpose. This is a review of RCI-Royal Caribbean International's gratuities (paid for the crew services), tipping policy and tips (per day/reduced/removed). Required fields are marked *. cabin (not suite) recommended amount would be $39 pp times two equals $78 for a 4 night cruise. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Treasure Coast of Florida. To avoid currency confusion, especially if youre traveling to multiple countries on one cruise, we recommend using a credit or debit card to make purchases in port whenever possible. Im Carrie Ann, the writer behind Should Be Cruising. Could you please go into tipping for the haven ncl staff , butlers and more. If you opt for a specialty restaurant, the tip isnt usually included. Disclaimer: I may receive a small commission when you make a purchase from a link on this site, at no added charge to you. I choose to add the gratuities ahead, just to get them out of the way. By proceeding, you agree to Cruise Critics. Cruisers would have to tip each of their service personnel (the cabin steward, restaurant servers, bartenders, etc.) Though automated gratuities are the easiest and most common way to tip, some passengers prefer to instead tip their attendants in cash, either in addition to the automated gratuity or in place of it. 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. Travelers in suites are. Here are some other people you should tip during your cruise. Just remember that a cash tip goes to your server, and a charged tip gets added to the tip pool. 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. You can post now and register later. A kind word or a drawing costs nothing and is always appreciated. Its also a nice gesture to tip the matre d or head waiter in the main dining room, especially if they were helpful with special menus or seating arrangements. Upload or insert images from URL. First is the ATM. The industry should pay fair wages so that our tips are in fact tips and not wages. However, most cruisers do tip them for their service. So why dont cruise lines just increase the price of fares, and pay their crew a living wage with a decent hourly rate? Id love to connect with you on Instagram and Facebook @lifewellcruised. For many cruise passengers, bars play a pretty large role in their experiences. Plus, for a limited time, its $10 off. Please check Costas website for details. Prior to your cruise, youll connect your onboard account with a credit or debit card, and all payments will be charged to that card at the end of the cruise. Keep in mind that cruise crew members live in tight quarters, so small (and edible) gifts are preferred. There will be an 18-20% tip automatically charged when ordering an individual drink, so no need to add more in most cases. Which family cruise can you book for $2000? However, you might end up paying a similar total price on a mainstream line when you factor in gratuities, drink packages, shore excursions, and the like. You can just hand over folded cash, or use the tip envelopes youll find in your stateroom or at Passenger Services. 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. Ive been surprisedor I probably should say I had forgottenhow many hands have been extended for a tip on these shore excursions. (Want to get the most from your cabin steward? However, extra tipping and being a jerk do not go hand in hand. This is for a good reason as it ensures that proper. The cruise director will also remind passengers about how much and whom the cruise . Learn how your comment data is processed. I like knowing that my bill is all set before I sail! How to Pay: Paid in cruise fare at the time of purchase. We sail Celebrity and opt to prepay gratuities. When booking a Celebrity cruise, tips are included in their Always Included program. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates. 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. We usually tip between $500-700 depending on what we do. frequentfloaters.com - That Guy. When we tip them individually, do they get to keep the entire amount for themselvesor do they have to share that too? Tipping extra is not necessary, and theres no right or wrong amount to give a crew member. Note that we are Australian, so therefore not inclined to tip unless the service warrants it. See details here: Ultimate Cruise Planner -Whats Included, What to Pack for a Caribbean Cruise (with packing list), 7 Cruises to Avoid and What to Do Instead, Cruise Line Stocks Shareholder Benefits for Cruisers (FREE onboard credit). 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. The fact is, the tips that crew get from passengers make up a good part of their wage. So they follow this model with many of their crew members who perform services for passengers. Until fairly recently, cruise passengers customarily tipped only in cash, in person. Later I learned that the porters outside of the cruise terminal are not cruise line employees at all! 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. Weve been on 4 cruises with our 5th. In their case "tipping" doesn't mean "extra" - it means "salary". In standard cabins, Carnival charges $14.50 per person, per day in tips. Here's a guide to help you navigate ways to show your appreciation for these hard workers. Do you need to tip at the spa on a cruise? How much to tip waiter and his assistant? We have also taken a few of the ship's "backstage" tours and could see where the crew members reside, dine, kick back to relax, etc. Life Well Cruised Ultimate Cruise Planner, YouTube at Life Well Cruised (Vlogs and cruise tips). I believe this to be true, too. You may also like: Do You Need to Bring Cash on a Cruise? Most cruisers wouldnt dream of removing the automatic gratuities. will be more appreciated than something they would have to store. But honestly, theyd prefer cash over a gift basketno matter how yummy your treats are! Love this! As much as some people opt to remove gratuities on their account, some give extra. Youll often receive change back in local currency even when paying with USD. As a cruise passenger, you want to be aware and set your budget expectations to include these amounts for the cruise ship staff. For favorite bartenders or waitstaff, I give about $20 to each for a seven-day cruise. The article also reviews major changes in the RCI's gratuities policy implemented fleetwide/on all liners. Its important to note that, especially on the luxury lines, tipping is not expected. If you dont prepay your gratuities, they will be added to your onboard account. These feedback cards mean a lot and sometimes lead to a stellar crew member getting a raise or even a promotion! Here are some daily automatic gratuity costs for several popular ocean cruise lines in USD (prices accurate as of summer 2021): Unlike with the deals you can get for prepaying for drink packages and some other add-ons, you wont get a discount for prepaying your automatic gratuities. If youre booked with Celebritys Always Included, the gratuities are included. Royal Caribbean offers three all-inclusive drink packages, a premium coffee package and a water package. Check out the latest web stories from Should Be Cruising! Knowing how much cash to bring on a cruise can help you plan your vacation budget and avoid pesky ATM fees along the way. 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). Beyond that, consider writing a heartfelt note of thanks or a drawing from your child (many have children they do not see for months at a time). Please let me know in the comments below. How much? On Costa Cruises, service charges of $12.50 per person, per day are charged for cruises departing from the US. 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. In-suite parties are a huge amount of work for the Genie and room attendants. If cruising from Australia to the South Pacific, Australian dollars are widely accepted. We also always tip bar staff even when drinks are complimentary. Cruise Tipping and Salaries Dissected, Tipping On Cruises: Cruise Line Policies Revealed, Tipping on Ships: An Australian Culture Clash, Cabin Stewards on a Cruise: What to Expect, How Not to Be Rude on a Cruise: 10 Ways to Make the Crew Love You. You can, of course, increase that amount based on your experience on the excursion. With your support, we can create more exciting content and share with everyone! Most mainstream cruise lines bill passengers between $12 and $15 per person, per day for. It really made my day! 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. Here are the top travel tips for a Royal Caribbean cruise from the experts themselves: At the AquaTheater, acrobats, high divers, slackliners and more put on shows that make a splash. April 16, 2019 in Royal Caribbean Dining. Some guests may bring $200 extra for gratuities whereas others may bring $50. It includes who to tip, who not to tip, and some tips to help as you plan your cruise vacation. A tip of 15%-20% is common, so check the bottom of your bill before adding an additional amount. The average daily gratuity on a cruise is $14-15 USD per person approximately $30 per day, per couple in a cabin. Viking Ocean: $15.00 per person, per day Virgin Voyages: includes gratuities in the fare. How Much Should You Budget for Cruise Gratuities? While each cruise line is different, many include alcoholic drinks, soda and specialty coffee, gratuities, specialty dining and some shore excursions. Or do you remove them altogether? Cindi We like to keep a few dollars handy for this purpose as we board our cruise ship. The drink package works at all onboard bars, restaurants, and even Royal Caribbean's private island CocoCay. Celebrity Cruises now includes daily gratuities in its Always Included cruise fare. When planning your cruise, check with your travel agent or the cruise line about the tipping policy. Depending on what you plan to do in port, you might need cash for the following: We recommend bringing around $100-200 in cash with you on a port day. How Much Does A Cruise Cost? You may also like: Eight Things That Will Surprise First Time Cruisers. If you have a special in-room dining experience, like Ultimate Balcony Dining on Princess (which I highly recommend, by the way), its a nice gesture to add an extra cash tip for the servers who brought your meals up and made your dinner a special experience. 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.
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