The cruise gratuities guide: who charges what as lines raise prices

34 thoughts on “The cruise gratuities guide: who charges what as lines raise prices”

1. Mmmm! – interesting to see if the new “Virgin cruise line” will put
   on gratuities up front????

2. *Note this :-they charge you gratuities on your very last day, (even thou your leaving early.) The next people getting on that very same day get charged for that same day!!, and so on?.

3. I think one of the main confusions over gratuities is ‘Who gets it?’ I was told by a cruise line representative that it was equally distributed between the vast unseen, unskilled crew like those who work in the laundry, kitchen porters, cleaners, etc. Not true. A very senior crew member working on a well known criuse line told me the great unseen receive a wage admittedly by our standard’s low but everything is included e.g.:meals, laundry, uniforms and a one way airfare at the end of their contract. The truth is the gratuities are dispensed equally betwee the high profile crew such as cabin stewards bar staff, waiters. They do not receive a wage it is nothing more than a retainer. They rely on our genouristy to make a wage which partly explains why they work so hard, are so charming and have such excellent english. Come on guys isn’t that the way our used car sales people, travel agents, real estate agents work. Stop whinging, open up your hearts and your wallets. This system makes cruising the best value for your dollar. Just look at airlines and Australian hotels. Hmm – could most families of 4 take a 10 day holiday for around $6500.00??? in the style, comfort with inclusive meals, entertainment AND free child minding.

4. Could someone please fix the spelling of Curnard Line above

5. In addition to gratuities, most cruisers on Cunards QM11 aren’t aware of the extra charges for bottled water which also attracts a gratuity.
   BE AWARE, you are likely to get another bill for standard bottled water used in your cabin for $150 or more. YES, they charge for bottled water!!
   Something you are totally unaware of until you check out.

6. I worked for 50 years and nobody gave me a gratuity. People should be paid a decent salary not rely on additional payments.

7. Fortunately Australian Consumer Law requires gratuities to be included in all pricing. Taxes on purchases also required to be included in price. That is why when cruising from Australia all prices are known. No extra charges. One can give a tip to anyone that gives special service.
   I stick with Princess for this reason amongst other reasons.

8. If the cruise companies up their gratuity charges
   and you can’t tip your cabin staff directly i suggest that we all vote with our feet and not travel with them.
   This will be a wake up call for them.
   They can afford to spend huge amounts on massive ships to cram us in like cattle.
   Shame on you.

9. Choose Azamara where it’s all included. Cheap fares mean high prices for the extras.

10. Just came back from a cruise with Royal Caribbean, never again!! Gratuities varied between 18 and 21 % depending on which bar you went to, not to mention Tax!! Which changed depending on who served you. US system is so ridiculous will never cruise with a US line again

11. I have often wondered how much of the Gratuities, actually go to the staff, or does it just go into the Companies coffers.
    The whole crew should be paid fair payment for the work they do. I thought the the day of slavery was done away with, over a century ago.

12. Having done several cruises and a couple of world cruises mainly with Princess who do not charge gratuities and then we tried a cruise with P and O UK and found gratuities were added from the day you board for the first sector and each sector was charged from the first day of each sector. Yes you could go and have this changed but they DO NOT like this and do make you feel like you want something for nothing. Each sector you need to front upto reservations and request the alteration.
    It makes for a very unpleasant holiday. We do pay staff who give good service.

13. As an Australian I find tipping is abominable. We always request that we be not automatically billed for gratuities and give cash tips to those who have gone above the norm in service. It is up to cruise lines to behave responsibly and pay their staff a living wage. If this results in higher fares so be it.

14. The comment on PO Australia not charging tips, is a very valid one, we pay good wages, and don’t expect other people to pick up the rest of it, plus a tip cannot be demanded, it is just that a tip, a way of saying thank you for going over and above what we have already paid for, it’s not to supplement their wages.
    Cruiselines need to sit up and pay a decent living wage, or passengers will be talking with their feet and not booking at all….

15. A couple of crew members told us on the quiet-that tips aren’t given out till the end of the trip, they hold on to it till then, also its done on a percentage basis, the head waiter gets more than the waiters, the waiters get more than restaurant, who get more than your room steward, who in turn gets more than kitchen staff, and deck hands etc! etc!
    We’re told that it go’s to “all the hard working crew behind the scenes”, yet you go into a hotel, and they don’t add it on, you pay for your room, and that’s it?.

16. Darryl Ward. Gratuities are charged per day per person, and that includes the days you board and disembark.

17. In my humble opinion tipping is a total rip off. The cruise lines should pay their staff a proper salary and not rely on tips from the passengers. The all inclusive cruise fare is the best and fairest way to go. If the passenger receives outstanding service from a particular crew member then the passenger can tip this particular crew member.
    I have found there are some crew members who do not give good service but they are the exception. Silversea and Ponant have got it right and other cruise lines should follow their example.

18. I prefer the “gratuities included” prices of most lines out of Australia. Far better to know what you are up for before you leave!

    I have removed, or reduced, the gratuity charge on cruises out of Europe then just paid directly to crew members who deserved it.

    I dislike intensely the system of paying a very minimum (unlivable) wage, then expecting “tips” everytime anything is done.

19. On a recent cruise with Norwegian, we cancelled all “service charges” which would have amounted to approximately A$1000 for our two person cabin.

    I had to wait until a certain date on the cruise before I could do this, and had to jump through several hoops and answer several questions about why ” I was unhappy with my room steward.” (Sorry Norwegian, your guilt trip didn’t work).

    I paid the cost of the cruise, I also paid you extras for activities, restaurant meals and paid between $15 and $30 AUD per drink.

    My steward was great and he did an amazing job, but YOU need to pay him fairly. That’s what im paying you for.

    You should be discouraging tips, even outlawing them. They only encourage an unfair distribution of wealth, power and encourage a black market within your staff ranks.

    I saw no evidence of improved service because of it.

    I love cruising, but this cruise really felt money-grabbing. Perhaps the American Capitalistic way is not the best model for giving customers a good experience any more.

    TRY SOMETHING NEW

20. Can someone explain the comment “no gratuities on Princess Cruise out of Australia”? Does this mean if I get a cruise from say Sydney, to wherever, there are no gratuities, but if I get a Princess Cruise say, from Seattle or Victoria Vancouver, that I have no option to pay or not?

21. Stanley Parker has it right. The gratuities payments are not legally compulsive. We have done 25 cruises and every single time we go to the pursers office on the first cruise day and have them remove the automatic gratuities from our account.
    We then give some money to the staff who have really earned a good tip. We also limit our drinking on board the ship as we refuse to pay the total rip off prices charged.

22. In Australia tipping is not expected and is only an option for outstanding service. If cruise itineraries from Australian ports can have tipping included in the fare and the crew paid a correct wage, why can this not be done everywhere?

23. Hidden costs and charges along with overblown costs for alcohol a reason why I don’t do ocean cruising. When booking for overseas tours I will always pay for as much as possible before departure. That way I don’t get caught with ‘bill shock’ and know I can afford I can afford to go before I go.

24. Just a rip-off and one of the main reasons we don’t go on ocean cruises any more. Why don’t they just include the cost of staff in the price of the cruise? What are you paying all that money for, if it isn’t to pay wages?

25. We are traveling on the Golden Princess in feb 2019, melbourne to New Zealand. Will are gratuities be charged on our final bill of do we pay staff cash individually?

26. Have always believed gratuities should be included in the cost of cruise. Nothing worse at the end of the holiday being lumped with additional costs. Pay up front and know what money you have left to spend.

27. I dont get how you people (who are supposed to be inteligent) understand the meaning of the word ” gratuity” try looking it up in a dictionary. If you have a need to charge more do it, dont scam the public! Maybe if you paid the staff a decent wage you would’nt have to resort to these tactics. It is an american system to tip its NOT part of our culture. We pay our people properly thats why P&O australia do not charge gratuities.

28. I don’t object to paying the gratuities but I would like to know how it is distributed amongst the staff.

29. Please ask crew if they receive gratuity from their respective cruises.i work in a prominent hotel and we see gratuity givern to management or charges applied. However the staff doing the work see none of it. Only get to keep gratuity directly from the guest even then it has to be logged. The Guests or Patron only want to tip the individual for their exemplary service.

30. I think it is poor form for cruise lines to charge gratuities in the first place. Don’t they make enough money from the bar and excursions and the cost of the cruise to be able to pay their staff. As cruisers, we pay the individuals who provide exceptional service a gratuity at the end of the cruise. I don’t think that passengers should be made to pay gratuities especially at the bar. Take a page from Princess Line who do not require gratuities for ships out of Australia.

31. That’s cured me of the cruising bug. These companies should wear a tin hat and carry a shotgun, Ned Kelly is alive and well and frankly there a number of staff (not the majority) that just don’t deserve tipping.

32. I think the gratuities charges per person or per cabin?

    They should pay their staff a decent wage so that gratuities are not compulsory but given as reward for service.

33. I think it is time to stop cruising. Gratuities and Drinks prices are have become beyond my affordability. A caravan is getting to be more likely for me in future.

34. Hi interesting reading about gratuities but u left out one important bit of information and it is written in the company BLOG if u do not wish to pay gratuities you can go to the pursers desk and have them removed. Which we do on Princess then reward the staff who give good service. Now gratuities on bars is automatically included in every drink so u r in fact paying double gratuities on board if u do not cancel the first one

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