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Items that may not be readily available on the ship or from their home countries can be particularly treasured. When setting sail on a cruise, it's important to know who and how much to tip for their dedicated service throughout your voyage. And if i really enjoyed them i take picture of our table placard.
About Cruise Gratuities
Your understanding of tipping practices might need adjustment, especially on cruises that follow alternative tipping systems or when cruising in regions with different cultural norms. When cruising, understanding the tipping policies of the cruise line ensures that you effectively acknowledge the crew's service. When sailing the high seas, understanding tipping etiquette is essential for showing appreciation to cruise staff who work tirelessly to ensure your vacation is memorable.
How Much to Tip Your Bartender
Others tip their room service or waitstaff at their favorite bar, either early in the cruise in the hope of getting better service or at the end to thank them for enhancing the vacation experience. How much to tip extra on a cruise is entirely up to you because it is in no way required. Some people also like to pay their service charges in advance for budgeting purposes. It'll be one less thing on your final bill at the end of the cruise. At some big lines, such as Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line, it's not uncommon for a family of four staying in a single cabin to see more than $70 a day in service fees added to their bills. On a typical seven-night cruise, that's around $500 in fees.
Dining and Bar Service
The cruise daily gratuity added to each account varies from around $12 to $18 per person, per day. Cruisers staying in suites and other high end staterooms are charged higher daily gratuities. We’ve been on cruises where we’ve witnessed the typical tipping behavior, leaving a dollar or two per drink or per round for a bartender.
The Latest Rules Of Tipping: How Much To Tip In 2023 - Bankrate.com
The Latest Rules Of Tipping: How Much To Tip In 2023.
Posted: Thu, 15 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
We'll send you the latest cruise updates daily to your inbox. Instead, a genuine word of thanks and praise of the vessel and crew would be most welcome. An exception is the maitre d’ of the dining room; if this officer granted a special favor, such as arranging for different seating or changing a dining time at short notice, a $10-20 tip is customary. You might be surprised to learn a gratuity isn't always necessary. Here are seven times you shouldn't tip (even if you feel slightly obliged). The cruise ship business is an international business with an international work force.
How Much Should You Budget for Cruise Gratuities?
You’ll then really notice just how good their service is – they will usually remember you and your preferences, and be able to make dinner feel like a really special occasion each night. Indeed, some cruise lines are very clear that tipping is not expected – especially P&O Cruises, since it’s a British cruise line where tipping culture is not the norm. While your normal gratuities cover most staff on the ship, there may be times when you are asked to pay additional gratuities.
If your ship charges tips automatically, you can go to the reception desk to increase or decrease the amounts (or give additional money in cash directly to helpful staff). However, some travelers report that decreasing or eliminating the auto-tip (even so you can hand out cash on the last evening) can lead to subpar service if crewmembers think they won't be tipped. Some extra tips may be paid to staff who aren’t actually part of the crew, but who offer invaluable services to cruise ship passengers. Luggage porters who handle heavy bags before and after the cruise are typically tipped $1-2 per bag for their assistance, for example. Welcome to the Ultimate Cruise Tipping Guide, where we answer all your questions about cruise gratuities.
Celebrity Cruises gratuities
Most cruisers tip anywhere from $2-$10 per person (or the equivalent in the local currency) to the tour guide, and hand a couple of dollars to the driver. You can adjust this based on the length and complexity of the tour. 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. Later I learned that the porters outside of the cruise terminal are not cruise line employees at all!
How Much Do Crew Members Receive from the Daily Gratuities
For a half-day shore excursion, give the guide $2, or $4 to $5 for a full-day excursion. Additionally, shouldbecruising.com participates in various other affiliate programs, and we sometimes receive a commission from purchases made through our links. If your shore excursion includes lunch, you generally don’t have to leave a tip—the tour company takes care of the lunch bill. It’s also a nice gesture to tip the maître d’ or head waiter in the main dining room, especially if they were helpful with special menus or seating arrangements. 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. Award-winning travel writers, we share our insights and luxury travel tips to make your trip planning a breeze.
For Europeans, it is more of a gesture of simple “thanks” no matter how small the amount is. You do not need to tip the maitre d', as they are a ship's officer and paid accordingly. Likewise, tipping the bartender at your favorite bar on the first day can mean the perfect drink every time (and maybe even faster service when you're in a crowd). If you're after a coveted window seat, a nice tip to the maitre d' on day one can help ensure that they never fails to have that table waiting. During your cruise vacation, you’ll probably receive services from other people who aren’t cruise line employees—but you might not realize it! Here are some other people you should tip during your cruise.
The servers and attendants know what their jobs entail and what the get paid for it. Some say we are not compensated adequately for what we do, but I love my job. The whole point is to acknowledge service above and beyond what is required. Our last two cruises, on HAL and NCL, didn't have wait staff that was worth any extra. Looking forward to that changing on our next cruise, which is RCI.
If you want to adjust the amount or pay in cash, you can do so onboard. It doesn’t discourage extra tipping though, and you’re free to tip any crew members over and above the automatic amounts as you wish. Also, if you book the Chef’s Table, an 18% gratuity is added to the cover charge for this multi-course dining experience. A leading luxury river cruise company, AmaWaterways sets out guidelines for tips, which vary, depending on the part of the world your river cruise explores.
You’ll see an advertised price for your spa treatment, but many cruise lines will add on an additional gratuity to the price you pay – somewhere between 15% and 20%. Sometimes, a gratuity is added on to every drink, whether you have a package or not. This really depends on the cruise line and which country your ship departs from. The rules vary a lot, so you’ll need to check the terms and conditions of your booking to be sure. Otherwise, you’ll have the gratuities added to your account, and you’ll be expected to pay them off at the end, along with any other charges that you’ve accrued during your cruise.
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