There's nothing more awkward than talking about how much to tip someone on a cruise, but the last thing anyone wants to do is insult a hard working crew member by stiffing them.
Gratuities have been a part of the cruise industry for decades, but they've also evolved to reflect changing views. The rates and how tips are offered have changed since I first started cruising.
New cruisers usually have two questions about tipping on a cruise ship: How much to tip and who to tip.
Here's what you need to know about how gratuities work and how much you should tip.
Automatic gratuities cover the basics
Royal Caribbean has an automatic gratuity that you'll run into off the bat.
There's an automatic daily charge, and you can either pre-pay it or wait to have it charged onboard. Residents of Australia actually have the automatic gratuities included in their cruise fare.
There's no right or wrong answer, it's up to you if you'd rather get it paid in advance or pay it later. Personally, I pre-pay just to lessen my onboard spending bill.
The automatic gratuities cover:
- Your stateroom attendant
- Dining Room waiters
- Head waiter
The current gratuity rate is $18.50 per person, per day in standard cabins, and $21.00 per person, per day in suites.
You don't have to tip more than that, but if you wanted to, you could give those people extra cash as you see fit.
Why tip them more? If you feel that crew member went above and beyond and truly did something special for your family, there could be a reason to give them something extra.
How much extra? I've tipped stateroom attendants anywhere from $20 to $100 extra, depending on the situation. For waiters in the restaurants, about $20.
The automatic gratuity does not include gratuities you'll encounter elsewhere on the ship.
For example, if you order a drink, there's an automatic 18% gratuity that gets added to your bill. Or if you visit the spa for a massage, you'll see a service charge added to that too.
There's nothing to do, it's a line item on your bill.
Beyond that, there's a number of discretionary tips you should plan on.
Porters
When you arrive at the cruise terminal, there are porters to take your luggage and deliver it to your cabin.
Likewise, at the end of the cruise, there are porters to assist you with picking up your luggage and taking it through the terminal and to your car, bus, or taxi.
I'd recommend tipping $1-$2 per bag.
When ordering a drink
As I mentioned earlier, any drink you order comes with an automatic 18% service charge and that is effectively your tip.
I'll still tip $1 per drink in cash on top of that, but it has less to do with the service. I do so because tipping just $1 extra tends to get me better service later.
When the bar is busy, the bartenders and waiters definitely give preferential treatment to those that tip extra.
I think it's worth it not only to reward attentive service, but ensure I'm not waiting a long time for my next one.
Occasionally, it gets me a free drink too, but you can't bet on that.
Specialty restaurants
Similar to drinks, you'll pay an automatic gratuity at the specialty restaurants on top of the cover charge or cost to eat there.
I usually tip $20 per meal extra, but it depends on the service we get.
I don't have a good rationale why I do or even how I came up with that number, but it's what I do.
Room service
Royal Caribbean includes a service charge with the cost of room service, but the complimentary continental breakfast has no cost.
I very rarely ever order room service other than breakfast, so I'll tip them between $2-$5 extra for bringing my food to the room.
Royal Genie
I've been lucky enough to stay in a few of Royal Caribbean's biggest and most expensive suites, which includes the services of the Royal Genie.
The Royal Genie is shared between a few suites, and they make your cruise as easy as possible. They can cut the lines for you, get priority elevators, make any reservation you need, and otherwise be your "magic maker".
The first time I stayed in Star Class I was completely lost how much to tip them.
The overwhelming consistent answer I found in the Royal Caribbean Star Class Facebook group is to tip the genie $100 per day.
I really don't think any genie would scoff at any tip amount. They appreciate what you feel is appropriate, and they're certainly not standing with their hand open on the final morning.
Cabana attendant
You can rent cabanas at Perfect Day at CocoCay or Labadee, and you'll have a cabana attendant for the day with your cabana.
The cabana attendant is there to bring you food, drinks, towels, or anything else you need during your stay.
The amount to tip depends largely on how much you utilize their services and size of your group. Some cabanas can accommodate up to 8 people.
Given that you're there for the entire day and that person might be running back and forth bringing food and drinks a lot, the amount to tip varies considerably.
I usually tip between $50 - $100 to the cabana attendant, and I'll often split that cost with friends.
Shore excursion tour guide
Tour guides are optional to tip during shore excursions, and I think how much to tip truly depends on a number of factors.
Tour guides play different roles depending on the nature of the trip. A snorkel excursion with someone actively helping you or a family member in the water is vastly different than a bus tour narrator.
In addition, you're almost always with a group and theoretically others are tipping too.
It's hard to give a good number, but $10-$20 for a tour host that is helpful, passionate, or insightful would be appropriate. To be fair, I have not tipped tour guides in the past if they're glorified babysitters.
Entertainers in bars
Royal Caribbean has some amazing performers in various bars and lounges, and you could tip them too.
Most people don't tip the singers or performers, so it's really a matter of your choice in rewarding their skills and entertaining.
An unwritten rule of these bars is if you make a song request and they play it, you should tip them.
I'll tip bar entertainers $5-$20, depending if I'm tipping for one song or a few song requests. Yes, I did tip the Mason Jar band $100 once to stop playing "Sweet Caroline" immediately. You're welcome.
Casino
Another unwritten rule is you should tip the casino dealers periodically.
Casino dealers at the various table games are there to keep the fun going, and the good ones will even step in and help you avoid making a mistake.
A dollar or two periodically works, especially if you're winning money.
You do you
All of the tipping amounts are ballpark figures of what you could consider, they're not rules about what you should or shouldn't do.
I have no doubt the comments section for this article have already erupted because some people cannot handle how others choose to spend their money. Ignore them, and always rely on the principle of do what feels right for you.
The only people that absolutely should be tipped extra beyond Royal Caribbean's automatic gratuity include:
- Porters
- Cabana attendants
- Royal Genies
Everything else is completely discretionary and there is no right or wrong answer.
Crew members are appreciative of anything you can provide them, and I can safely say I've never heard of a crew member that was insulted by an additional tip from a guest.
The one faux pas you can make with tipping is not tipping at all. Removing the automatic gratuity at Guest Services as a cost-savings measure is a really egregious act.
