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In this line of thinking, lines with these charges are essentially breaking out a good chunk of onboard labor costs as a separate line item on your bill. On the other hand, many luxury and boutique cruise lines (like Azamara, Regent Seven Seas and Silversea) have no-tipping policies in place. In these cases, the staff gratuities are built directly into the all-inclusive fares, and their crewmembers are paid accordingly. This one is especially true when tipping while in port and off of the ship. Tipping in the wrong currency can cause a few issues while on a cruise or in a cruise port city.
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25 Disney Fantasy tips you have to know - Cruise Blog
25 Disney Fantasy tips you have to know.
Posted: Mon, 05 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Never feel pressured to add an extra tip when you've already paid one. On a typical seven-night cruise, that's around $500 in fees. Room service fees have become the norm on many major cruise lines. Room service waiters are also part of the tip pool for autogratuities. What follows are suggested out-of-pocket tip amounts for your cruise for excellent service. Note that there are also gratuities applied automatically and separately to some optional onboard services, like drinks at the bar or spa and salon services.
Silversea Cruises
In fact, I think most would agree that cruise line staff make a huge difference in the cruise experience. Prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted and cruise line gratuities may be referred to a daily service charge or crew incentive. Many cruise passengers from Britain and a few European countries where tipping isn’t a common practice, prefer to have the automatically-added tips removed from their account. Don’t pre-pay gratuities and if there’s an increase, you’ll pay a bit more at the end of your cruise. If you’re paying for a family, it could be a very costly added expense.
Have dietary restrictions? Cruise lines can cover you
Now, with automatic gratuities, the process is much simpler and you don’t need to carry all that cash. The cruise line assesses a daily fee and divides the money among the tipped crew. For many cruises that operate in the Australian market where tipping isn’t part of the culture, automatic gratuities aren’t added on to passenger bills. Instead, passengers can tip—or not—at their own discretion. Most mainstream cruise lines have their headquarters in the US.
Can You Prepay Cruise Ship Gratuities?
Every cruise line has a recommended amount that each guest should pay to the crew. Holland America calls it a “Daily Service Fee.” Princess calls it “Crew Appreciation.” Basically, it’s a gratuity fee; how much you’ll pay for tips on a cruise ship. These start at $18 per person per day for Junior Suite passengers (and categories below that). Tips on Royal Caribbean rise to $20.50 per person per day for passengers in Grand Suites and above.
Many hotels near the port will offer free (or discounted) cruise parking and/or shuttles to the ship
Instead, look for off-port parking that can be as much as 50% cheaper. On your cruise, there are free restaurants that are included with your fare and specialty restaurants, which cost extra. These specialty restaurants offer meals not available in the included restaurants and provide a higher-end experience.
Final Thoughts on Tipping on a Cruise & a Guide to Cruise Gratuities
I then turn on the phone's Wi-Fi, buy a Wi-Fi package and do all my calling, texting and internet surfing over Wi-Fi. That way, there's no way that I can be surprised by an unexpected charge. If you don't sign up for activities in advance, a backup strategy is to do so just after you board a vessel. That said, whether you need to race to sign up for activities at the start of a voyage depends a lot on which ship you are on. Often, independent tours will be much more intimate than the tours offered directly through cruise lines. They might go to the same sites but in a small van instead of a big motorcoach.
Understand what’s included and what’s not before you step aboard.
Auto-gratuities vary by destination and onboard currency (USD or euros). Do you feel guilty about not offering gratuities on an all-inclusive cruise ship? From information on gratuities added to spa and bar bills to the crew members you should never tip, here's everything you need to know about tipping on a cruise in one handy guide. We’ve seen instances of multiple increases in a year and other times when rates won’t change for a year or two.
How to Choose Your Oasis of the Seas Stateroom
There are some “backstage” tours that you can take, but they are highly limited in the number of passengers that can go. No occasion on the trip might cause as much stress as formal night if you’re not sure what to wear. Sure you can dress up in a tuxedo or an evening gown (and some do), but you won’t be out of place if you don’t get that fancy. Many people go to the effort of decorating their doors to not only be festive, but also stand out and be easier to find. If you don’t want to go to that much effort, just bring a few Post-It Notes (they are great for leaving messages in the cabin anyway).
If you’re a solo traveler and only have one large bag to check, a $5 tip is appropriate. In other words, you can get your photo taken by a professional photographer and only have to pay if you actually decide that you want the pic. If you decide you don’t like it, then there is nothing out of pocket. It will make thing go much smoother and other passengers will be grateful. It’s nothing big — maybe a t-shirt and a gift certificate to the gift shop — but it’s the best way to get something for free while on your cruise. Your best way to get some free stuff on the cruise also involves a lot of fun.
An 18% gratuity is automatically added to all bar bills, including the mini-bar, and 20% for salon and spa services. P&O Cruises Australia does not automatically add gratuities onto passengers' accounts or spa or bar bills. Cruisers can leave tips for crew members who offer outstanding service by handing cash directly to the crew members they want to thank. Passengers need not carry cash if they don't want to, as they can add the tips to their onboard accounts. Olsen gratuities are entirely at the discretion of each passenger. The recommended amount is £5 per passenger, per day, to be divided equally between the cabin stewards and waiters.
I’d 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 your kids had a great time at the kids’ club on board, giving a tip at the end of the cruise to their favorite staff members is always appreciated. The best way to tip on a cruise is one of the most common questions we get asked about tipping. Knowing how to tip on a cruise can be confusing for most cruisers, and the problem is if you ask five people how to tip, you will get six different answers. Gratuities on a Royal Caribbean cruise are priced per day, but the amount owed depends on your stateroom category. In general, withholding tips is only recommended if there was no effort towards good service.
There's nothing more jammed than a cruise ship buffet on embarkation day. To avoid the first-day buffet crowds, head to whatever secondary dining option is available. Sometimes, a ship will open one of its table-served eateries for lunch on embarkation day. Similarly, if you're on a higher-end ship that lists gratuities as being included in the fare, that means just what it says. You don't have to tip on these cruises because the line is already paying gratuities to the staff on your behalf. That said, if you want to, you can often adjust the charges (either up or down) while you're on board by visiting the guest relations desk.
Many first-time cruisers assume they can't bring their own drinks on board a ship. But many lines will allow this, usually with some limits. It's one way to save money when cruising, as drink prices on ships can be high. Some people mistakenly think that if they prepay gratuities through the cruise line ahead of time it will result in poor service. We mentioned this in another article about cruise tipping that leaving a cash tip on day one of your cruise is not necessary to get quality service. Cruises are required to have a certified doctor on the ship, but it costs money to get medical care onboard.
The practice of tipping is controversial, even in the United States where paying tips is part of the culture. In some service industries where wages are substandard, customers are expected to pay a gratuity, typically 15 to 20% of the bill, to augment the workers’ low hourly wages. Certain onboard purchases are subject to an 18% gratuity on top of the listed price, including beverages, mini bar items, and spa and salon purchases. Even the size of your stateroom or suite may also come into play when considering how much to tip, as these larger staterooms tend to have more amenities and even butler service. Lastly, the number of people in your party will also impact gratuities, as tips are paid per person.
And while some of the major cruise lines are adding gratuities automatically to a room service bill, you can still leave few dollars in cash to your delivery person. In some cases you can add it to the receipt, depending on the cruise line. Most mainstream cruise lines will charge you about $14 to $15 per person per day for automatic gratuities. Each passenger is charged for these tips, including kids.
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