A new survey sent to select Royal Caribbean passengers asks them a question about gratuities that we haven't seen asked before.
Royal Caribbean doesn't include gratuities with its cruise fare, as it does with port fees and taxes. It's an extra cost that gets added later on after booking.
Passengers have the choice of how they are charged for it, and if they choose to use the automatic payment method or opt to pay on their own.
A copy of the survey sent to select passengers asks them which tipping methodology they prefer. Like all survey questions, it's not a confirmation of anything, but does show the line is looking to get more feedback on a policy.
How gratuities work on a Royal Caribbean cruise
Every passenger is expected to pay gratuities on their cruise vacation as a thank you to the hard working crew members that take care of them during their voyage.
This has been a tradition for decades, and Royal Caribbean has two options. You can either pre-pay them before the cruise and they will distributed to the select crew members, or you can be charged daily for them once onboard.
Gratuities cover:
- Stateroom attendant
- Main Dining Room waiter
- Main Dining Room assistant waiter
- Main Dining Room head waiter
Since November 1, 2024, the rate is $18.50 per person for standard cabins, and $21.00 per person for person in suites.
Passengers are allowed to modify the amount once onboard the ship by going to Guest Services onboard at any time prior to the morning of disembarkation.
Of course, passengers can tip anything they wish in addition to the automatic gratuity.
This automatic gratuity does not cover pre-cruise and onboard purchases of beverages and beverage packages, spa and salon, specialty dining and specialty dining packages, room service and mini bar purchases.
Which way do you pay your gratuities?
I've never seen this particular question asked in a post-cruise survey, and it certainly got the attention of a lot of other cruisers too. A Royal Caribbean Blog reader sent me a screenshot of it to include here.
The survey asks passengers, "when it comes to gratuities on this cruise, which of the following best describes what you did?"
- I pre-paid gratuities before my cruise
- Gratuities were automatically charged to my stateroom during my cruise
- I opted out of the automatic gratuities to handle it my preferred way
- I don't recall/prefer not to say
The question is trying to asses which option passengers use, but I'm curious why they're asking it.
Gratuities have been a traditionally polarizing topic among cruise passengers, because they've effectively become an extra fee, rather than an optional consideration.
All the mainstream cruise lines don't include gratuities with their fare, presumably to advertise a lower price.
Virgin Voyages attempted to bundle gratuities with its fare, but in 2025 the line removed them from the fare (for all accommodation categories, including suites) and bringing all fares down by $20 per person, per day.
Virgin said their decision was two fold. First, so guests could see how much crew are actually getting. Second, to compare Virgin Voyages pricing with other premium cruise lines that don’t include gratuities.
A representative from the line said the "feedback was loud and clear".
How you can prepay gratuities
Every guest has the option of prepaying gratuities up to 48 hours prior to the start of the cruise and having it added to their reservation.
The choice is first given to you at the time of booking, but you can change your mind later if you prefer.
If you booked directly with the cruise line, you can call Royal Caribbean to have the change made. If you booked with a travel agent or other third party, contact them to have it added.
If you select My Time Dining for dinner, you'll be forced into prepaying gratuities before the cruise begins. This is because you could have different waiters each night, so for logistical reasons, it's easier to go with automatic gratuity.
