Cruise Tipping

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As travel agents, we field all kinds of questions.  None are more frequent than questions about tipping.  In a previous blog I covered tipping at an all-inclusive resort.  Today let’s talk about tipping on a cruise.  Cruise lines generally charge their clients a base amount per person per day for gratuities.  But many new cruisers don’t really know what is covered by the daily gratuity charge and what they should pay on their own.  Here is a general guide to tipping on a cruise ship.

 

Let’s start at the beginning.  When you arrive at your cruise port you will, more than likely, be greeted by a very friendly porter.  These friendly and helpful porters are not covered by the daily gratuity charge and should be tipped for helping you with your bags.  They work hard to make the beginning of your cruise start as smoothly as possible.  Usually a couple of dollars per bag is sufficient.

 

You have settled into your room and head to one of the lounges to grab your first cocktail of the trip.  If you take a second to look at the bill, you will see that the cruise line has already added 15-18% to your bill to cover the tip for the bartender.  If you want to tip your favorite bartender early in the cruise to insure the best of service, you can; however, it is already covered by your drink order.

 

The cruise is going great and you have an appointment at the spa for a little pampering.  If you look at the bill you will see that you are already paying an 18% gratuity.  Not all cruise lines do this so you will need to check.  It is not necessary to tip in addition to what is already added to the bill.  If you happen to be on a cruise line that doesn’t add the gratuity, you should tip and the going rate is about 18%

 

You’ve had your cocktail, your spa treatment, and tonight you are dining at one of the specialty dining options.  Since they operate much like a restaurant, many new cruisers don’t know if they should tip.  The gratuity in this case is either already included in the extra fee you pay to eat there or is added to the bill at the time of service.  There is no need to pay an additional gratuity here.

 

Gratuities are important but you shouldn’t feel like you have to tip for everything.  Part of the fun of cruising is relaxing and not having to worry about details.  Most of the crew that you interact with are already covered by the gratuity charges; however, if someone goes above and beyond the call of duty and goes the extra mile to make your vacation extra special, feel free to reward them!  There is nothing wrong with an extra thank you!