how much to tip on cruise royal caribbean

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates. You can post now and register later. The new RCI tips per day are added to each guest's SeaPass card (shipboard account) automatically. Do you need to tip at the spa on a cruise? The tipping culture in North America and on cruise ships is flawed, but (as you mentioned) reducing or eliminating tips only hurts the hardworking crew and their families - and does nothing to change the system. Between January 2, 2018, and Sept 7, 2022, RCI's daily (per passenger) crew gratuities were US$14,50 (standard staterooms) and US$17,50 (Grand Suites+). | Royal Caribbean Blog www.royalcaribbeanblog.com. The drink package works at all onboard bars, restaurants, and even Royal Caribbean's private island CocoCay. For many cruises that operate in the Australian market where tipping isnt part of the culture, automatic gratuities arent added on to passenger bills. The one excursion we had a fifty dollar bill and three ones at the end of the (short) trip. Ive got you covered! Your article has done a lot to change my philosophy and increase my understanding of why there is this charge and what the implications of reducing it might be. Based on the amount of the bill. If you feel that you wish to give an extra amount to anyone who you feel has done a great job, they will be appreciative. W. If your shore excursion includes lunch, you generally dont have to leave a tipthe tour company takes care of the lunch bill. Tipped crew on many cruise lines include housekeeping, dining, and laundry workers. That is a very personal question. Your email address will not be published. Cruising can be such a relaxing vacation as well as so much fun. Most US lines that base ships in the UK over the summer -- Royal Caribbean, Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, for example -- offer automated gratuity options that charge a standard daily gratuity fee to the credit card you've placed on file for each day of your cruise. Iwas a waitress for yearslong ago and far away. Alaska is such a beautiful destination. If you order room service, its customary to give the person that delivers your tray about $1-2 per meal. Luxury cruise lines have a higher upfront cost than most popular cruise lines, however theyll often include many valuable extras. Whether $2 to a bartender, $20 to your waiter, or $50 to your stateroom attendant, it's common to tip crew members extra for excellent service. Obviously, if you tip a room attendant, that money will go directly to him/her. One notable exception is Norwegian Cruise Line. Princess Cruises will automatically charge a crew incentive of $14.50 per person, per day for guests in inside ocean view and balcony cabins. Until fairly recently, cruise passengers customarily tipped only in cash, in person. Carnivals daily gratuities are $13.99 per person, per day for guests in standard cabins. You may also like: Eight Things That Will Surprise First Time Cruisers. But I also feel like people will think Im rude for not doing so in reality tho, they are already being tipped 18%. Your glowing review can help a hardworking crew member earn a promotion or raise. Something you will need cash for on a Royal Caribbean cruise are any extra tips you give to crew members. There was only one cruise where my sons special request was denied. Technically your are not obliged to tip any more than the daily gratuities that have been charged to your room. That's a major contrast to the early days of the return to sailing after the cruise line's 15-month . While you pay daily gratuities before your cruise ($16 per person, per day in most staterooms), many cruisers like to give something extra. You'll find an extensive selection of options all over Canada How much to tip waiter and his assistant? Bond with your snorkel guide? All rights reserved. At some North American ports, youll see signs stating that the porters do not accept tips. Some cruise lines refer to these tips as a service charge. For more info, please read myDisclosure Policy. 4 Ways to Tip Extra on a Non-Tipping Cruise Ship, What to Expect on a Cruise: Onboard Spending, Service on a Luxury Cruise: What to Expect. However ,usually you can have at least 2 cabin stewards. Most mainstream cruise lines bill passengers between $12 and $15 per person, per day for. US$13,50 (increased from US$12,95) for standard cabins and US$16,50 (increased from US$15.95) for upper-tier suites. Viking Ocean: $15.00 per person, per day Virgin Voyages: includes gratuities in the fare. On a 7 day cruise we usually give $50 to the waiter and $30 to the asst. Your cruise in April sounds amazing! This cruise ship was the first of Carnival's unique Dream Class cruise ships. How Much Should I Tip My Room Steward on a Cruise? What to Expect: Tipping Crew Members on a Cruise. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. One exception is the piano player in the loungemost accept tips for song requests or if you enjoyed their music. Manage Settings The thing that gets me so mad is we never were approached by the Maitred..except the last night when the extra tipping comes in. If you tip extra, you will get FABULOUS service! A better solution is to have a discreet word with the crew members supervisor about your concerns. How Much Should You Budget for Cruise Gratuities? Then you can take your deposit out in cash at the casino cashier. 1. You can also leave a small gift for your favorite crew member. A kind word or a drawing costs nothing and is always appreciated. Although cards are widely accepted, you may still encounter establishments that do not accept card payments. After combing through my notes, here's the best tips and tricks for taking a Royal Caribbean cruise. If you could use cruise packing lists, to-do checklists, shore excursion forms and more, youll love the Life Well Cruised Ultimate Cruise Planner. Rather than reducing the amount payed, they point out on their website that they will work to resolve any service issues experienced. Disney cruises has a suggested daily gratuity charge of $13.50 per person, per day for all guests. On luxury cruise lines, such as Azamara, Crystal, Seabourn, Silversea, Tauck World Discovery and Uniworld, gratuities are already included in the cost of the cruise, and additional tipping is not expected. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. While most people know it for being a cruise destination, shadowing the coastline to see the glaciers, there is so much Often, these crew members are part of the tip pool, and they lose part of their expected income each time a passenger removes autogratuities. Im not expecting him to kiss our butts, but come on. How much do people tip a Royal Genie? If you dont have a drink package, theyll add the price of each drink plus the service fee to your onboard tab. You also shouldnt tip the cruise director, the entertainment staff, or any independent entertainers like musical guests, comedians, or magicians. 15% being the rough standard for satisfactoryservice. Normally, we tip between $5 to $7 additionally per day for the two of us at the end of the cruise. Sometimes it cannot be helped ! Cruising in 2022: Why Onboard Tipping is More Important Than Ever, Cabin Stewardess on Princess Cruises (Photo: Princess Cruises), A Cash Tip Which is Common on Cruises (Photo: elwynn/Shutterstock). $10-20 at the end of the cruise is a nice gratuity for their service. In addition to the automatic daily gratuities, a tip or service fee of 15-20% is added to drinks and/or drink packages as well as spa services on a cruise. And just like with the Carnival case, this will reflect directly on the ship's serving staff (cabin stewards, Room Service, and Main Dining Room wait staff, as well as kitchen, entertainment, passenger services and other hotel personnel). Afrikaans; Alemannisch; ; ; Azrbaycanca; ; Banjar; ; () Cruise Tipping and Salaries Dissected, Tipping On Cruises: Cruise Line Policies Revealed, Tipping on Ships: An Australian Culture Clash, Cabin Stewards on a Cruise: What to Expect, How Not to Be Rude on a Cruise: 10 Ways to Make the Crew Love You. Cruises in Europe are charged in Euros. Whether to or not and then how much. How Much Water Should I Drink Before Donating Plasma. Iwas a waitress for yearslong ago and far away. The finishings are top notch, and the bathroom, in particular, is well-designed with a separate water closet. I love sharing my best cruise tips with you, along with reviews of cruise destinations, shore excursions, cruise ships and cruise lines. According to RCI's website, of the 2016-updated gratuities (US$13.50), nearly US$8.30 goes to dining / culinary services; suite attendants receive US$6,85; stateroom attendants get US$3,85, and housekeeping service staff - US$1.35. a $200 gratuity on top of my prepaid gratuities. Which family cruise can you book for $2000? We have also taken a few of the ship's "backstage" tours and could see where the crew members reside, dine, kick back to relax, etc. Whether you cruise multiple times per year or you're new to cruising, the goal of Royal Caribbean Blog is for it to bea useful resource for keeping up to date with what's new and exciting with Royal Caribbean. The article also reviews major changes in the RCI's gratuities policy implemented fleetwide/on all liners. Royal Caribbean cruise ships have been sailing at nearly 100% capacity for the past few months. Do you prefer to prepay your gratuitiesor to pay in cash? Look for a link at the bottom of this page or in our privacy policy where you can withdraw consent. Like what you see? Critics of this system (which has evolved in the last several decades from strictly cash-based gratuities) say that under this tip pooling arrangement, cabin attendants and wait staff aren't getting recognized for exemplary work the same as they were in the old days. While planning a, The weekend is the perfect time to take a short break, so why not go on a cruise too? You can raise them, lower them, or remove them altogether. How much you tip on cruise excursions is entirely up to you, but a suggested starting price is $3 per person for a half-day tour and $6 per person for a full-day tour for the guide and $1 to $2 for the bus driver. By proceeding, you agree to Cruise Critics. There are different service charges for certain itineraries. Lets just say from the expression on the drivers face that he was not happy with that amount. For some of them, depending . You can purchase the drink package online pre-cruise or once onboard during the first day (or two) of your trip. You may also like: Do You Need to Bring Cash on a Cruise? Cruise lines have implemented automatic gratuities, options to prepay gratuities and some popular cruise lines have begun including tips in your cruise fare. When people think of cruises,, Theres nothing quite like relaxing on a Caribbean beach with no worries in the world except deciding which tropical, A lot of cruise ship passengers will drive to their port of embarkation, whether with their own vehicle or in a ride, Royal Caribbean cruises are known for the wide-array of entertainment, dining and things to do onboard, and it got us. The automatic service gratuity is $14.50 USD per person, per day for guests in Junior Suites and below, or $17.50 USD per person, per day for guests in Grand Suites and above, applied to each guest's SeaPass account on a daily basis. Keep in mind that cruise crew members live in tight quarters, so small (and edible) gifts are preferred. Please let me know in the comments below. Our Stateroom Attendant on cruise #5 was fabulous, and I showed my appreciation by leaving him (thanks Mahbob!) I go into more detail about this topic in this post:Can You Refuse to Pay Gratuities on a Cruise? This fee ranges anywhere from $12.50 to upward of $20 per person, per day, depending on the cruise line -- usually on the higher end if you're staying in a suite. I like knowing that my bill is all set before I sail! They might feel that it gives them more control over tipping, rewarding the crew based on their level of service.