Cruise Tipping: What to Know About Gratuities on a Cruise

Cruise tipping can seem a little confusing if you’ve never been on a cruise. Afterall, there are a lot of unwritten rules around tipping culture, and no one wants to accidentally give offense to someone who is waiting on them. But in reality, there isn’t much for a new cruiser to learn when embarking on their first voyage. If you are planning on taking a cruise for the first time and want to know how gratuities are handled, then read on as we break down everything you need to know about tipping on a cruise.

Understanding Cruise Tipping

Standard practice in the cruise industry is charging an automatic gratuity fee that is added to the price of your ticket, which makes tipping on a cruise as easy and as painless as possible. The gratuity charges that are collected are split up among the ship’s staff, like cabin stewards, dining room servers, bartenders, and any other service personnel. You may still give additional tips if you are feeling generous or want to reward exceptional service, but as long as you see a “gratuity charge” when you book your cruise, you don’t have to think about cruise tipping if you don’t want to.

Related: Cruise Gratuities 101: What They Are and How to Pay Them

Who to Tip

Since cruise tipping is usually taken care of automatically, that means that you will only need to tip if you want to. There are a lot of crew members that will assist you during your cruise whom you could potentially reward for exceptional service. That includes cabin stewards, dining room servers, bartenders, shore excursion guides, and room service attendants. There are also behind-the-scenes staff members like kitchen staff and cleaning crews to consider. All of these people contribute to a memorable cruise experience, and would appreciate the additional consideration. If you plan on doing any extra tipping on a cruise, then it is always easiest to just use cash.

Tipping in Specialty Restaurants

Specialty restaurants can vary when it comes to tipping on a cruise. Oftentimes, there will be an additional charge added automatically to your bill for gratuity. Other times, it will be left up to your discretion how much you want to tip. If you are unsure of how the restaurant handles gratuities, then you shouldn’t hesitate to ask the staff directly. These restaurants are one of the primary places where passengers are likely to do some additional cruise tipping, as people feel an additional connection with the person who is shepherding their whole dining experience. Even if an automatic charge is put on your bill, you can still do some additional tipping in the case of extraordinary service.

Cruise Tipping for Exceptional Service

Tipping on a cruise may not be expected in most scenarios, but it can be a good way to encourage exceptional service, especially from crew members who you will be seeing throughout your trip. If someone is paying special attention to your needs, tipping isn’t just a way to reward them. Crew members will likely remember you and it can encourage them to continue providing you with above-and-beyond service. If you take care of your attentive crew, then they are more likely to take care of you!

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