Royal Caribbean is raising the cost of gratuities in standard and guest suites, making it one of the most expensive in Australia.
While the rise is just 55 cents a day, it is just the latest from cruise lines.
It once again opens up the debate about the way payments are extracted from guests and the transparency around the service guests receive.
The line last increased its gratuities rate in June 2015 by eight per cent, putting it on par with Norwegian Cruise Lines, making it highest suggest gratuity in the industry..
Guests in standard accommodation will be now pay US$13.50 from US$12.95 per day, per guest while guest in suites will now pay US$16.50 from $15.95 per person, per day as of May 1, 2016.
It also makes it one of the more expensive gratuity rates – lines like Carnival in America suggest rates of US$12 per day, per person, P&O UK suggest £5 per person, per day while passengers onboard Cunard’s Britannia categories suggest US$11.50 a day. Norwegian Cruise Lines last year increased its gratuities to US$13.50.
But some cruise lines like P&O Australia, Princess Cruises, Scenic Tours and Avalon Waterways include the cost of gratuities when cruises book so there is no more to pay unless you want to.
“Royal Caribbean International is adjusting the cruise line’s recommended gratuities guideline. Taking effect April 14, 2016, for all sailings departing on or after May 1, 2016, the new recommended gratuities guideline will be US$13.50 per day, per guest in standard accommodations, and US$16.50 per day, per guest in suites. For guests’ convenience, Royal Caribbean automatically registers the daily gratuities in guest folios; however guests are free to change the amount at their discretion with the ship’s Guest Services staff,” said a Royal Caribbean spokesperson.
“Guests who prepay their gratuities prior to the effective date can still do so based on the current guideline of US$12.95 per day, per guest in standard accommodations, and US$15.95 per day, per suite guest.”
Readers in the past have told Cruise Passenger that they want more transparency around the price they pay for gratuities.
One like Judith Roberts want more transparency when paying the gratuities.
“On Holland America in 2014 I don’t think we had a choice – $11 or $12 per person per day just added to the account. Not to say that the service wasn’t good – the crew were fabulous, but it would be nice to make the tipping decision for yourself.”
Readers like Helen Pask said the gratuity fees are already too high.
“I will not pay gratuities. I prefer to tip my cabin boy myself. NCL’s gratuities are double that charged by P&O. It is a rip-off. You charge gratuities and then add a tip to all drinks. If you paid your staff a decent salary, there would be no need for tips.”
Related Posts
-
Royal Caribbean has delayed its release of Australian itineraries and ship deployments for the 2026/2027 season.
-
Royal Caribbean has signalled its intention to build a new cruise port in Juneau, but many city officials claims they were not consulted.
-
Is Royal Caribbean this facebook post confirmation of the arrival of Anthem of the Seas to Australia.
-
Royal Caribbean have revealed a round of shorter itineraries for the 2025/26 summer season and the debut of Anthem of the Seas in Sydney and Voyager of the Seas’ arrival…
Have just returned from a cruise on celebrity solstice. Gratuities were paid when I paid the balance of the cruise. I did not have a choice. We changed from anytime to set seating and on the last night I had to explain to our waiter that we had already paid gratuities. Very awkard especially when he was receiving envelopes from other diners.
Salaries are a normal cost of doing business and should be included in the price paid for a cruise. Most of the top quality cruise lines do this. And alcoholic drinks are free on these top quality ships.
The big ship cruise industry is moving into its rip off phase.Don’t kill the golden goose!
As far as I am concerned, if you can afford a Suite of any kind, then you should be expected to pay for the service they get.
As a normal passenger, I have noticed how some staff just seem to “expect” an envelope! They have no idea if you have taken your gratuities off the account or not.
Gratuities are a scam if you calculate the numbers. Lets say the average cruise liner has 3600 passengers and 1300 crew. Last cruise I went on they were requesting US$12.95 per person per day in gratuities. 10 day cruise = $466200. Talking to some of the staff, they do 12 hour days at approx $7 per hour. Generalizing that calculation based on all the crew would = $1092000 which then means the cruise company has charged another 43% for salaries( so called gratuities).
Smells fishy to me.
rccl onlg pays employees US50 or 100…the manadotory tips should be included in fare for easy comparison. just a bad taste to ask customers for tips.
We have just completed a seven day Island Hopper cruise on P & O Aria. I think the Line have made a mistake in Purchasing their two new cruise ships,they are too small for the Australian waters. We have done eight cruises and on this one my husband and it seems half the passengers, were extremely sick with motion sickness. The Medical Centre were kept busy with passengers having injections to ease this.
Another negative on these ships are the spa baths in all the cabins except the interior. They sound great., but not so good having to negotiate the high sides of the bath as the shower is over the bath and there are a lot of handicapped and elderly passengers cruising at the moment.
The lounges and bars have been wonderfully decorated and the restaurants are quite luxuriousThe music and entertainment was top notch , with the jazz quartet that were playing in the Blues Lounge the best we have heard.
The cabins are a little tired looking, the same for the balcony furniture.,but I must say the beds were wonderfully comfortable.
The staff were wonderful, we did enjoy the cruise once we were medicated against the dreaded sea sickness,but again having to cross the Pacific in these small ships was something I will not do again give me a Giant Liner,the bigger the better.
To me a gratuity is a reward for exceeding the level of service expected, however the way cruise lines apply them to your account makes them all but compulsory regardless of the service received.
This being the case gratuities should be included in the price of the fare.
This makes it easy to compare the prices of competing cruise lines, and there are no nasty surprises at the end of the cruise.
Gratuities are supposed to be for” Service beyond the Normal”, and are at the discreation of the Passenger. The Cruise Industry appears to believe that it is Mandatory and they include what they consider to be an acceptable charge to them, whether or not the service is up to Par. Admittedly, it can be removed or adjusted, if the passenger is made aware of this, which of course isn’t the case. I should think that most Passengers would prefer to give what they consider is appropriate and not be told what to give, depending on the Service that they receive.