Tipping on a Cruise: Your Complete Big-Ship Tip Guide
If you’ve been left scratching your head wondering about the ins and outs of tipping on a cruise ship, we’ve got you covered with a comprehensive list of what to expect. Read on for your tipping guide aboard the world’s most popular cruise lines, from a complete breakdown of Royal Caribbean gratuities to Carnival, Norwegian, and every cruise lines' policies in between.
Editor’s Note: Fees are listed in USD -- unless stated otherwise -- and were accurate at time of publication.
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Carnival Cruise Lines
Carnival cruise gratuities are automatically added to onboard accounts for those in all rooms. In standard cabins, Carnival charges $16 per person, per day in tips. Travelers in suites are charged $18 per person, per day. The amount does not apply to passengers younger than 2. An automatic 18% gratuity is added to all bar bills, specialty restaurant cover charges and spa services.
Passengers who want to adjust the amount of their cabin auto-gratuity in either direction can do so at the guest services desk. However, you cannot remove the automatic 18% tip on drinks, specialty dining and so on.
Celebrity Cruises
Are gratuities included on Celebrity Cruises? Technically, yes, though Celebrity -- like most mainstream cruise lines -- insists these tips are only suggested. Expect gratuities added to your account in the amount of $18 per guest, per day, staying in Inside, Ocean View, and Veranda cabins on Celebrity ships; $18.50 for Concierge Class and AquaClass cruisers and $23 per person, per day for The Retreat (suite) passengers. If you wish to adjust the amount you pay, this can be done onboard at guest relations.
A 20% gratuity is automatically added to specialty dining, beverage, beverage package, room service, mini bar purchases, and spa & salon purchases.
Costa Cruises
Costa Cruises applies a fee of €11 euro per passenger, per night for all travelers aged 15 and over. Children aged 4 to 14 are charged €5.50 per passenger, per night. A charge is not applied to children under the age of 4.
Gratuities are added automatically to each passenger's onboard account. Be warned: Costa states that "the service charge is an integral part of the total price of the cruise and therefore the amount cannot be altered." Aside from that, you are not expected or required to tip extra while onboard, though a 15% gratuity is added to beverage purchases.
Cunard Line
On Cunard, daily gratuities vary depending on the cabin category and date of sailing.
For voyages departing up until April 25, 2024, on Queen Elizabeth, and April 27, 2024, on Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria, the service charge for Queens and Princess Grill Suites is $16.50 per person, per day, and for passengers in Britannia cabins it is $14.50 per person, per day.
For voyages departing on or after April 26, 2024, on Queen Elizabeth, and April 28, 2024, on Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria, the service charge for Queens and Princess Grill Suites will be $18 per person per day, and Britannia Staterooms will be $16 per person per day
Cunard's gratuities apply to both adults and children. To adjust the amount of your automatic tips or to tip independently, see the purser's office.
Casino dealers do not receive a cut of Cunard's automatic gratuities, so consider tipping deserving staff. An automatic 15% charge also applies to spa treatments and services as well as all bar bills.
Disney Cruise Line
Disney Cruise Line gratuities start at $14.50 per person, per night for regular cabins and rise to $15.50 per person, per night for Concierge-class and Suite guests. This applies to all guests.
Tips can either be prepaid up to three days prior to the start of your Disney cruise or will be automatically charged to onboard accounts. To adjust the amount of your automatic tips or to tip independently, see the purser's office.
An automatic 18% gratuity is added to Disney's bar, beverage, wine, spa and deck service tabs. It is suggested that cruisers tip a couple of dollars for room service as it's delivered, as this is not included.
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines
Fred. Olsen gratuities are entirely at the discretion of each passenger. The recommended amount is £5 per passenger, per day, to be divided equally between the cabin stewards and waiters. This amount is automatically added to passengers' onboard accounts toward the end of the cruise, but it can be adjusted at reception at any point during the sailing. There is no charge for children under 12 on Fred. Olsen cruises.
Passengers are at liberty to tip staff members personally if they wish to do so, and envelopes for this purpose are available at reception. All bar bill gratuities are included in the cost of the drink.
Holland America Line
Holland America gratuities are automatically charged at $17 per person, per day for regular cabin passengers and $19 for suite passengers. Gratuities on HAL apply to both adults and children. Passengers should visit guest services to adjust these if they want. An automatic 18% gratuity is added to beverage packages, specialty dining, spa services, bar packages and main dining room wine purchases.
MSC Cruises
Although MSC Cruises removed auto-gratuities for U.K. & Ireland passengers from October 2019, gratuities are still applied to U.S. cruisers' bills. Auto-gratuities vary by destination and onboard currency (USD or euros).
Amounts are as follows (per person, per night):
Caribbean, Bermuda, Canada & New England: $16 for passengers ages 12 and over and $8 for 2 to 11 year olds.
South America and Grand Voyages from Caribbean (northbound): $14.50 for ages 12 and over and $7.25 for children 2 to 11 years.
Grand Voyages from Caribbean (southbound): €12 euro per night for passengers aged 12 and over and €6 per night for children 2 to11 years.
South Africa cruises: $10 for ages 12 and older and $5 for ages 2 to 11 years.
Grand Voyages from South Africa (Northbound): $14.50 for ages 12 and older and $7.25 for ages 2 to 11 years.
Grand Voyages to South Africa (Southbound): €12 per person, per night, and €6 per night for children 14 and older.
Europe (Mediterranean, Canaries and Northern Europe) cruises, "Antilles" and "Emirates" voyages of eight nights or less: €12 per person, per night, and €6 per night for children 14 and older.
Asia: $16 for adults and children.
MSC does not permit adjustments to the amounts listed above; however, if you deem service unsatisfactory, you can have the charges removed from your onboard account by contacting the guest relations manager while onboard. An automatic 15% gratuity is added to bar purchases. Gratuities are not added to spa bills, so passengers can tip at their discretion.
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line has some of the highest gratuities at sea with passengers staying in all regular cabins and Club Balcony cabins automatically billed $20 per day; Suite passengers are $25 per day. There is no charge for children younger than 3.
Passengers sailing to Hawaii are charged an additional 4.275% Pre Paid Service Charge GET Tax.
Should you wish to adjust NCL's service charges, you must contact the onboard reception desk. A 20% gratuity is added to bar bills, specialty and entertainment dining, and spa services. Norwegian suggests that passengers who use concierge or butler service provide a gratuity "commensurate with the services rendered."
P&O Cruises
In May 2019, P&O Cruises scrapped its daily service charge. Passengers are welcome to tip cruise line crew as they see fit.
P&O Cruises Australia
P&O Cruises Australia does not automatically add gratuities onto passengers' accounts or spa or bar bills. Cruisers can leave tips for crew members who offer outstanding service by handing cash directly to the crew members they want to thank. Passengers need not carry cash if they don't want to, as they can add the tips to their onboard accounts.
Princess Cruises
Princess Cruises gratuities are automatically added to passenger accounts. They start at $16 per day to cover cabin and free dining crew. Passengers in mini-suites and club class are charged $17 per day, and suite passengers pay $18 per day. The amount is the same for children and adults, and it can be prepaid up to six days prior to the start of your cruise.
You can adjust your Princess automatic gratuities upward or downward, or eliminate them altogether, at the purser's office. An 18% gratuity is automatically added to all specialty dining, bar bills and spa services. Casino staff do not receive a cut of auto-gratuities.
Royal Caribbean International
Royal Caribbean automatically added for passengers. Royal Caribbean last hiked gratuities in November 2023. These start at $18 per person per day for Junior Suite passengers (and categories below that). Tips on Royal Caribbean rise to $20.50 per person per day for passengers in Grand Suites and above. The daily gratuities are applied to all passengers, regardless of age.
The tips, which can also be prepaid, are shared by dining services staff, cabin attendants and other housekeeping personnel. Passengers who opt for Royal Caribbean's flexible My Time Dining must prepay gratuities. Guidelines are the same for all passengers, regardless of age.
Passengers can request to adjust the daily amount if they have not received satisfactory service by visiting guest services onboard. An 18% gratuity is automatically added to all bar bills, including the mini-bar, and 20% for salon and spa services.