Its important to note that, especially on the luxury lines, tipping is not expected. Started August 27, 2021, By Thanks so much for sharing your experience! Each passenger is charged for these tips, including kids. Children 2 to 11 pay half the adult rate on most cruises. Practical advice for cruise shore excursions and port days 1. Want to give something beyond cash? (Want to get the most from your cabin steward? When booking from the US MSC's Gratuities cost $14 per person per day. The industry standard for tipping the room steward is $3.50 per person per day, given on the last day of the cruise. Anyone have any idea how much you tip the bus driver and tour guide on cruise excursions? Cunards daily gratuities are set at $11.50 per person, per day for guests in standard cabins. For this sail, 20% would be $35 each or $140 total. Are very professional, what should a tip look like at the end of a 10 day cruise? Others are for only 3 hours and maybe $65. Somewhere between nothing and a couple of dollars. I think this sailboat excursion provider is trying to guilt you into tipping an extravagant amount since they know Americans are used to tipping 15-20% on meals. The cruise industry has worked this way for a long time, although the automatic gratuities are only the last few years. There aren't any hard-and-fast guidelines for this type of tip since it's contingent on your experience, but $25 to $40 on behalf of a couple roughly works out to an extra $2 to $3 per person, per day, for a seven-night cruise. Cruise gratuities are divided among your cruise cabin steward, waiters and other crew members who work as support behind the scenes. Children aged 2-11 will be charged $6.25 per day. This gratuity goes not only to your cabin steward but is also shared among the entire crew that works to make your cruise successful: the dining room, buffet and specialty restaurant wait staff, cooks, laundry staff and the general housekeeping staff that cleans the ship's common areas, for example. Commonly it is expected to tip somewhere around $1-$2 per bag. 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. Typically, this is associated with your credit card which youll be prompted to set up when you complete your online check in. If it were me, Id tip $5 - $10 per person depending on how good the excursion was. It would be so helpful if I could print just the blog to read at random timescar trip, etc. In countries like Japan and Australia, tipping is not customary. Tipping on river cruises for coach drivers and excursion guides on river cruises. In this post, Ill be going through the cruise tipping policies by cruise line and answer some of the most common questions people have about gratuities on a cruise. Tips for Booking a Shore Excursion. Id love to connect with you on Instagram and Facebook @lifewellcruised. Back in 2012, the recommended tips on our P&O cruise were 1.50 per person per day for the room steward, and 1.60 per person per day for the waiter (which was . We also always tip bar staff even when drinks are complimentary. (For line by line information, read more about cruise line tipping policies.). Thanks for taking the time to read my blog and leave a comment! I do think its a very personal choice, but we can talk about this in a future video for sure! These gratuities cover everyone from the . The one thing that bugged me on one of the islands that I can't recall which. When we book our independent cruises we give a $10 tip for 1/2 day (that's actually $5 per person) tours and $20 tip for full day ($10 per person). So, whatever makes him happy You will find far more information on the cruise critic website on this issue. 5 Cruise Tips for First-Time (or Experienced) Cruisers. Abu Dhabi, Dubai and India Cruises, Antilles, Red Sea. I love reading your blog and learning, but I dont often have time to sit down at the computer to read. You can go on TripAdvisor.com or Google and look for independent operated tours in specific ports and get so much more for your money. By proceeding, you agree to Cruise Critics. Thanks- the tip you suggest is what Nancy's info said too. Tip non-guide drivers roughly $2 per person in your party. When booking a Celebrity cruise, tips are included in their Always Included program. Ecuador Tipping for Drivers & Guides On guided Ecuador mainland day tours or multi-day trips, a tip of $10-20 per day is fairly standard for a guide (per couple or family, not per person). No way am I going to tip somebody for just taking my money. Its customary to tip the waiters generously at specialty restaurants. These people are not in the US and are paid a salary that allows them to live without your tips. Once, the guide was just so-so, but the driver was exceptionally helpful and the roads he took us over were very steep and winding, so he got the $20 and the guide got the $10!! If you would like extra attention, it is. A tip of 15%-20% is common, so check the bottom of your bill before adding an additional amount. You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. Learn how your comment data is processed. Additional charges: A 20 percent gratuity is added to bar bills, the bills at extra-charge specialty restaurants and for services at ship spas. Cabin steward. I don't tip 20% of the overall cost though as a good portion is not related to personal service. 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. Cruise lines' gratuity guidelines are there for specific reasons - to keep it as simple as possible for guests and ensure fairness to all cruise ship workers. The automatic gratuities cost in your cruise package will take care of the tips for stewards and butlers. (I have tipped nothing on excursions where the guidemade little-to-no effort in ensuring we had a good time. If there was a driver in addition to a guide, tip them $1 to $5 per day. This trip we are doing a private driver for the day in one stop. They cheerfully attend to your requests, tidying your home away from home from the moment you leave in the morning to the last turn-down before bed. In a survey of 850 cruisers, 71% stated that they took over $100 per person per day when cruising. Get expert advice, insider tips and more. Gratuities How much you choose to tip is a personal matter and . Great points about luxury lines and that gratuities are included. Here is a list of the daily gratuity charges by major cruise lines for 2021-22. Upinthehills, February 9, 2019 in Ask a Cruise Question. There are some exceptions. As for tipping above and beyond prepaid gratuities, I agree completely that there is no expectation. Cruise line tipping policies vary from one cruise company to another. Normally, we tip between $5 to $7 additionally per day for the two of us at the end of the cruise. Not included for Avalon, Riviera and Saga. Check, double and triple check the all aboard time Let's get to this tip first, as with cruising, there's almost nothing more important than making it back to your cruise ship before it sails to the next cruise port! We never gave him anything. Extra tipping doesnt give you the right to be a jerk, but if you are a jerk, you had better extra tip! As much as some people opt to remove gratuities on their account, some give extra. In fact, I think most would agree that cruise line staff make a huge difference in the cruise experience. For good, I would give $5 and $2 for the bus driver, unless the bus route was a challenge, then $5 for bus driver. Mon-Fri 9am - 7pm EST Sat-Sun 9am - 6pm EST. Prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted and cruise line gratuities may be referred to a daily service charge or crew incentive. Egypt Nile River cruises, Egypt day tours & excursions, and Egypt shore excursions for over 20 years . Should You? I go into more detail about this topic in this post:Can You Refuse to Pay Gratuities on a Cruise? Adults (12 and over) 10 Euro per night. United States - How Much to Tip on Cruises - I am looking into an Alaskan cruise. To calculate the total amount of automatic gratuity you are expected to pay, add up the total nightly tips for each of these four categories ($4.75 + $3.75 + 1.25 + $4.75 = $14.50 ), then multiply that by the number of people sailing (regardless of age) and by the number of nights your cruise will last. Price: $13.99 per person/day in a standard room and $15.99 per person/day for suites, and an automatic charge of 15% for beverages and the Chef's Table dining experience. I did look on cruise critic but it seems the tipping is varied. Thanks- Nancy, that was exactly what I was looking for! We tipped the Captain and mate $20 each. You may want to give a small tip to the person who delivers your room service order. https://www.creditkarma.com/credit-cards/i/no-fee-debit-cards-for-international-travel. This website is watched by a bunch of very experienced cruisers. Our Hawaiian cruise in April will be the first weve been on in 15 years, so, obviously, things have changed a lot. Porters: $1-5 per bag If booking an MSC cruise from other European countries, gratuities are not usually included. 877-665-4655. Something to note is that although daily gratuities arent charged, there may be a service fee or tip added to certain services onboard. Holland Americas daily gratuity is $14.50 per person, per day for guests in standard cabins and $16.00 per person, per day for guests in suites. The average daily gratuity on a cruise is $14-15 USD per person - approximately $30 per day, per couple in a cabin. Got a question about gratuity and tips? Powered by Invision Community. Some of our excursions are up to $300 per person for a day off the ship! The total amount you will tip is determined by the number of nights of your cruise and the number of people in your sailing party. Some claim they are making less money than they formerly did with cash tips. Norwegian Cruise Line has onboard service charge will is charged automatically for guests 3 and up, and distributed among staff that serve you in various ways. Depends on what the type of excursion and how much attention the guides had to give us. Avalon Waterways. We are former New Yorkers (Noo Yawkers) so tipping was a commonplace and normal part of most service interactions. See details here: Ultimate Cruise Planner -Whats Included, What to Pack for a Caribbean Cruise (with packing list), 7 Cruises to Avoid and What to Do Instead, Cruise Line Stocks Shareholder Benefits for Cruisers (FREE onboard credit). I give my room steward $5 at the very beginning of the cruise. On the river cruises, if your excursion occurs during the planned lunch or dinner times, a meal will part of the tour. The fact is, the tips that crew get from passengers make up a good part of their wage. Do you have a favorite bartender? However, this is just a basic amount. 2022 Rick Steves' Europe, Inc. | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy, http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=132. Silver Moon Cruises: Read 12 Silver Moon cruise reviews. Though automated gratuities are the easiest and most common way to tip, some passengers prefer to instead tip their attendants in cash, either in addition to the automated gratuity or in place of it. How Much Should I Tip My Room Steward on a Cruise? Thoughts? The recommended amounts per night are $1 for Head Server, $4.50 for Server, $3.50 for Assistant Server, and $4.50 for Stateroom Host/Hostess per person in your party. One of the most luxurious aspects of cruising is the service of room stewards -- that team of people who often go unseen in their daily mission to keep your cruise cabin sparkling fresh and clean. 19952022, The Independent Traveler, Inc. Cruise Line Gratuities: What's the Point? $8-$14 or 10 Per Person Per Day (Location Dependant) Europe. Bellhop: Tip $1 to $2 per bag, depending on size, carried to your room. Many passengers rave long after their vacation is over about the service of stewards who go above and beyond. The service charge on MSC Cruises is $12.50 per person, per day for guests in standard cabins. We actually provide our stateroom attendant with a partial tip at the start of the cruise with any special requests. Joined. Details: Gratuity charges are $12.50 to $14 on voyages from and to the U.S., with the exception of sailings with pricing in euros, which have a 10 euro gratuity charge ($10.91 at current exchange rates). Cruises in Europe are charged in Euros. (Learn more about when and when not to pay auto-gratuities.). We prefer tours with 8-12 others in minivans vs. 45 others in a full size bus. 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. You will get great service either way. Im not expecting him to kiss our butts, but come on. How much you tip is determinant on the service you receive and the monetary value that you see fit. I have to say, we simply prepay or leave the tips as is, so I really dont pay attention these days. An Alaska cruise can cost as little as $350 per person for a seven-night cruise in an inside cabin on a mainstream line. We did prepaid gratuities, and then I also see that bar tabs will have the auto 18% added so I feel like it wont be necessary to leave an extra tip on the bar tab. Beyond that, consider writing a heartfelt note of thanks. Server assistant: $1.50 - $3 per day. Cruise lines have implemented automatic gratuities, options to prepay gratuities and some popular cruise lines have begun including tips in your cruise fare. We always tip cruise staff but in cash not automatic tipping. Princess Cruises will automatically charge a crew incentive of $14.50 per person, per day for guests in inside ocean view and balcony cabins. These prices are for 2 adults and 2 children, including taxes and fees. Virgin Voyages does a lot of things differently than its mainstream peers. The amount for Concierge suggested by Disney Cruise Lines is $15.50 per person per day. MSC World Cruise. However, extra tipping and being a jerk do not go hand in hand. Oftentimes, at the end of the cruise, you are provided envelopes with suggested tip amounts. Royal Caribbean Cruises Tipping Policy As of September 7th, 2022, the automatic service gratuity of $16.00 USD per person, per day for guests in non-suites staterooms, or $18.50 USD per person, per day for guests in Suites, will be applied to each guest's SeaPass account on a daily basis. That lets him / her know upfront that we tip, and there is more to come at the end of the cruise! This is a good question. You'll notice that adds up to $13.50 per night. I don't agree and most would not agree with you. Remarkable value, inspiring destinations and the newest ships. The porters will assist with your luggage and its customary to tip for their service. How much should I tip my cabin steward on a cruise? If youre booked with Celebritys Always Included, the gratuities are included. Find out in advance. Please let me know in the comments below. Note that paying in cash does not necessarily circumvent the pooling system -- attendants are officially required to turn in any cash gratuities to put toward the pool. Fuel cost is another good example as when it goes up they add a fuel . I agree David, I'd rather take smaller tours, too. $189 per adult/$131 per child including glacier dropoff if we opt for that -- for a four hour whale watching tour in a boat that holds no more than eight people. CC Help Jenn This topic has been automatically closed due to a period of inactivity. First of all, don't neglect any post-cruise questionnaires, which provide an opportunity to rave about your cabin attendant directly to his or her employer. 23 Things Cruisers Love to Complain About, 7 Things to Know About the Cheapest Luxury Cruise Cabins, Cabin Stewardess on Princess Cruises (Photo: Princess Cruises). We're sailing on Fascination in three weeks. * CroisiEurope notes on its website that "an acceptable range within the industry is 5 - 10 per day per person, with the understanding that tipping is entirely at your discretion." It's worth noting that gratuity levels and payment types can vary on more exotic itineraries. In reality, the cruise staff on board want you to be satisfied, so this is the time address a problem. I usually tip $5 to the guide and also $5 to the driver on a half day, and$10 to each for an all-day tour. A simple group tour probably get $5 each, a hands on type of excursion probably gets $10-$20. We've had tours where the guide was fun and personable, and really added to the fun! Yes I tip the guide and driver - they often say something about sharing the tip basket. We usually do the prepaid tipping and also give some extra at the end of our cruises. Thanks so much for your input on this. Do you tip 15-20% of the excursion cost? Child (2 and over) 5 Euro per night. I canvassed TPG's cruise team and we agreed that we give roughly $5 to $10 per person for half-day tours and $10 to $20 per person for full-day excursions, adjusted for service and quality. My wife is of precisely the same opinion as you! In this post, weve gone over how tipping works on a cruise. How much are automatic gratuities on a cruise? Basically most people agreed that for the expensive excursions you DO NOT tip at the usual 15%. #5. I usually give the bus driver $5 and the tour guide between $5 and $10. On Costa Cruises, service charges of $12.50 per person, per day are charged for cruises departing from the US. We tip depending on what was done by the operator. For a multi-day tour, you should tip your guide $5 to $10 per day on the last day. How Much Should You Budget for Cruise Gratuities? The amount you pay will vary by cruise line, but they are all in the same ballpark. So a couple traveling together will see about $30 per day in gratuities, or about $200+ over the course of a week-long cruise. Holland America Line prides themelves on excellent guest satisfaction and their onboard team is available to immediately address any concerns you may have about your cruise. Even when guests purchase a shore excursion on the ship or online before the cruise, it is customary to tip the local tour guide and the driver. Occasionally a guide is truly exceptional and I may bump it up to $20. Gratuity Cost - MSC Cruises. Your email address will not be published. For this reason, I'd recommend carrying some singles and maybe fives on your cruise. Ill definitely look into it and see how I can best do that on this site. Get a FREE brochure and DVD. But I know we will be expected to tip the . However ,usually you can have at least 2 cabin stewards. We just give a flat amount,$5or$10 depending how they did. For ship's excursions, that are more expensive, I still tip the same as above. Report inappropriate content fti Alaska Destination Expert for Alaska Level Contributor 18,871 posts 39 reviews 102 helpful votes 2. The extra cash may or may not end up in your steward's pocket, but he'll appreciate the gesture nonetheless. There is no charge for children under 2 years of age. The amount is dependent upon how good of a job they did on the excursion. This may be rare, however if theres a problem with service or you have a complaint on your cruise, that you should bring this to the attention of the staff member, supervisor, or guest services when it occurs. What do you think about cruise line gratuities and service onboard? In each of the five ports we have an excursion planned, none are through Carnival. This is helpful to know as you decide upon multiple tours per day. Their services are complimentary, although a tip is expected for their trouble. I have a video on my YouTube channel about this and people have commented amounts they give so his could be helpful (just check YouTube and search cruise gratuities Life Well Cruised). There is no service charge applied for children under 2 years of age. The food was excellent - but you need to . Although gratuities arent mandatory, and in most cases you can go to guest services and have the amount adjusted, most cruise lines do tend to discourage it. Your email address will not be published. And at another stop we are doing a private fishing and snorkeling tour. AFRICA: US $65-80 per cabin for 4-day cruise. Have some small bills handy for these times. 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. For private tours, say you are spending $80 pp for a full day private tour. We will fish snorkel have lunch, etc. Cabin: We usually travel on Celebrity's new ships, most recently enjoying the retreat, so we can't compare SS to other luxury lines. 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. Hi this was helpful, thank you. Tips for Other Cruise Ship Staff Other staff members on the cruise ship are tipped . Agreedyou do NOT tip a percentage.tip what you feel it's worth, keeping in mind what you've paid for the experience! If the guide was over the top excellent, I would give $10-15 for a couple. you are tipping the crew, not the boat. Child (2 and over) 5 Euro per night. The extra $1 per person per day is for the Assistant Stateroom Host. That amount is total for two of us. Weve been on 4 cruises with our 5th. ), having sailed on multiple cruise lines, 20+ different ships in a variety of classes, and visited ports of call in more than 6 . Most vessels; bring cash just in case. Credit card or cash in envelopes. We would absolutely say a 1 Euro tip per trip for a driver would be most appreciated. Avid, enthusiastic cruiser (30 cruises and counting! Often cruise lines provide additional envelopes to tuck a little extra cash at the end of the cruise just for this purpose. He reluctantly agreed to share and do an 8 person van with Overlord to Normandy, Since he is a WWII vet and it was on the top of his bucket list I basically made him take this tour instead of with the ship. Here is a table showing the suggested tip fr each person who served you: Dining room waiter: $3-$4 per day. Child (2 and over) 5 Euro per night. There may be an additional suggested amount (typically another $4 per day) for those staying in a suite with a personal . Some cruise lines point out that you may wish to tip the kids club staff. It's really up to you. Been to Starbucks, DDor similar lately? Having the articles in a printable format is a really interesting idea. Maybe your stateroom attendant delivered when you made a special request, or you loved how your steward always sweetly arranged your children's stuffed animals before bed every night -- or maybe you just want to show a little extra appreciation in the universal language of money. They get a decent tip! You do not have to tip every person you come into contact with! Also, if free gratuities are an amenity, youre not expected to go beyond it unless someone goes way beyond whats normally expected. $3.50 to $4.00 per person per day. It happens.). At the end of the day, we end up tipping them about $30 and buy their lunch as well. They will do extra for you after they realize you are a tipper! all factor into how much to tip. It includes who to tip, who not to tip, and some tips to help as you plan your cruise vacation. Passengers on the line's two all-inclusive ships, Norwegian Sky and Norwegian Sun, pay higher rates. Life Well Cruised Ultimate Cruise Planner, YouTube at Life Well Cruised (Vlogs and cruise tips). There is no charge for children under 3 years of age.
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