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. 

Tipping on a cruise isn't new, but many are questioning why it's not part of the cruise fare.

Royal Caribbean announced this week it will increase the daily gratuity rate it charges passengers by 50 cents per day, per person.

It's not a major increase, and it's in line with the cruise line's more or less annual gratuity rate change. But a major debate erupted online as to why gratuities are still charged as if they're an optional cost.

"May as well be shouting into the wind, but stop separating gratuities and just put it in your pricing," is what one user on the Royal Caribbean sub reddit posted. It's a sentiment a lot of other people seem to share.

As of right now, gratuities are an extra cost beyond the base cruise fare. If you book a cruise and do nothing else, every person in your cabin would be charged automatically the daily gratuity rate every night of the cruise.

• $18.50 per person, per night for standard cabins
• $21.00 per person, per night for suites

Royal Caribbean says customers can prepay gratuities before the change takes place on November 1 and lock in the old rate for any existing bookings they have.

Those gratuities cover your stateroom attendant and dining room staff during the cruise.  The automatic nature of it means there's no awkward tipping at the end of the cruise, as was the tradition for many years.

Tipping on a cruise extends beyond the automatic daily gratuities, because Royal Caribbean also charges gratuity on many onboard purchases. If you order a cocktail or get a spa appointment, there is an automatic 20% gratuity added onto that purchase (up from 18%).

Gratuities are one of the top hidden costs of a cruise vacation, and Royal Caribbean's increase has sparked debate if it's time to roll them into the fare.

Fierce opinions

Should tipping be included in the cruise fare? Many people shared their thoughts on the matter.

"Tipping is stupid," wrote sonuyosrox. "It should be included in the price. It's not my responsibility to pay your staff. On top of that I don't even know where the tip is going."

Sweetydarling77 pointed out, "That’s exactly how it should be and how it is if you book from Australia. They have to include gratuities in the price here, as it should be."

That user is correct. Royal Caribbean includes gratuities in the cruise fares for certain countries already, where tipping is not part of their culture.

"If the cruise line can arbitrarily raise gratuities then it's not a gratuity. It's a fee," added carefreeguru.

User midtreblebass thinks Royal Caribbean could learn from other lines, "I think they need to seriously consider what Virgin is doing. Make it part of the cruise fare, so that everyone pays into it."

"I'm on team just pay your employees directly and leave me out of it and put the gratuities into the price of the cruise," wrote ZacPetkanas.

"Rising gratuities and declining services is a hard pill to swallow."

What some passengers do instead of tipping

Royal Caribbean provides a recourse for anyone who isn't satisfied with the service they receive on a cruise by allowing them to remove the gratuities once onboard the ship.

If a passenger goes to Guest Services, they can request to have the gratuities removed from their account.

"Gratuities may be modified in the guest’s sole discretion by visiting the Guest Services desk onboard at any time prior to the morning of disembarkation."

This option is meant for passengers to pay cash tips instead, either because they prefer to give out cash or they want to adjust the gratuity rate.  Usually because service has been so good, they want to reward a crew member.

The online debate about tipping lead to if it's ethical to remove gratuities and not tip, either to save money on the vacation cost or on principle that tips should be earned for over the top extraordinary service.

"Tipping is something you do out of your heart. If they don't feel like tipping then it is totally OK not to tip. People really need to stop guilt tripping others into tipping," wrote sonuyosrox.

User twaggle countered that until the policy changes, not tipping hurts the wrong people, "Because whether it’s stupid or not or you hate it or not you still agreed to it by purchasing the voyage."

"I’m all for hating it, but putting your foot down literally only hurts the lowest man not [Royal Caribbean]."

Why Royal Caribbean doesn't want to offer all-inclusive prices

The debate of including more in the cruise fare isn't new, and Royal Caribbean's top executives have certainly considered the options.

During the 2024 President's Cruise, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley indicated there were no plans to include more in the cruise fare.

The cruise line has found from its internal research that the brand needs to give everyone the decision of what they want to be included in their vacation.

His rationale was how tipping is viewed in certain countries, such as the United States.

"Because of the scale of our brand, we need to give everybody the choice," Mr. Bayley said.

Bayley, who's lived in the U.S. for decades, joked, "You're just you're trained to tip for everything. You tip for this, tip for that."

"I'm Americanized, [so] when I go to the UK and I go to the pub with my sister and we have drinks, they bring the change and she puts it in her pocket. And I'm like, what is the matter with you?"

Mr. Bayley did not mention it, but not including gratuities in the cruise fare also helps with marketing cruise fares. By keeping the base fare lower, it's more attractive when customers are pricing out a vacation.

Less than one year after their last gratuity increase, Royal Caribbean is set to increase gratuities for passengers once again.

Starting November 1, 2024, the cruise line will raise the daily gratuity rate by 50 cents per day, bringing the new rate for standard cabins to $18.50 per person, up from $18.00, and suites to $21.00 per person, up from $20.50. It is the same amount for all passengers, regardless of age. 

However, if you've already booked your sailing, you can prepay your gratuities in advance to lock in the current rate and save money. If you wait until you're onboard and are cruising after Nov. 1, you will be subject to the higher fare. 

Standard staterooms include interior, ocean-view, and balcony cabins, as well as Junior Suites. Sky Junior Suites, Grand Suites, and above are considered full-scale suites and will be subject to the higher gratuity rate.

Travel agents were informed of the change in a weekly newsletter sent via email. 

"Starting November 1st, Royal Caribbean will increase gratuities by $0.50 per person per day. The daily gratuity is shared among dining, bar & culinary services staff, stateroom attendants, and other hotel services teams," the notice reads.

"Guests booked prior to November 1st, 2024, can opt to add prepaid gratuities before sailing to take advantage of the current rates. If they'd prefer to pay onboard, their gratuity charge will be applied to their onboard account at the new rate."

Royal Caribbean last raised their gratuities in Nov. 2023. Before that, the daily charge was $16.00 per person for standard cabins and $18.50 for suites. 

All Royal Caribbean sailings booked on or after November 1, 2024, will automatically reflect the increased rate. 

Moreover, Royal Caribbean quietly increased the service charge for salon and spa services. According to their website, an 18% gratuity will automatically be added to beverage and beverage packages, room service and mini-bar purchases, and specialty dining and specialty dining packages. 

However, pre-cruise and onboard spa and salon purchases are subject to a 20% service charge. This matches Celebrity Cruises' salon/spa policy. 

What are gratuities?

Daily gratuities are to ensure hardworking crew members are tipped throughout the voyage. Rather than carrying around spare dollar bills and being responsible for managing tips, major cruise lines automatically add a daily gratuity to passengers' onboard accounts to simplify the process. 

Guests also have the option to prepay them in advance to help split up the cost of their vacation. Since the gratuities are added to your overall cruise cost to be paid by the final payment date, you can better budget for your vacation and avoid any surprises once onboard. 

As exemplified by the second increase within the past year, prepaying gratuities can also help save money. If Royal Caribbean does increase the cost, those who have already prepaid their tips are grandfathered in, meaning they won't have to pay anything extra. 

If you are booked on a Royal Caribbean cruise and wish to lock in the current pricing, call 866-562-7625 before Nov. 1. Guests who made their reservation through a travel agent should contact them as soon as possible. 

Are passengers required to pay gratuities? 

Royal Caribbean stipulates that gratuities are at the discretion of each guest. To make the process easier, they automatically add the suggested daily gratuity amount to each passengers' folio account; however, guests may visit Guest Services once onboard to adjust the amount. 

"We hope guests find these suggested amounts to be an accurate reflection of their satisfaction and are grateful for their generous recognition of the Royal Caribbean staff," reads their FAQ. 

What's the gratuity rate on other cruise lines?

Guests in standard staterooms on Celebrity pay $18.00 per person, per day; $18.50 for Concierge and Aqua Class cabins; and $23.00 for The Retreat. 

Carnival Cruise Line charges $16.00 per person, per day, for standard cabins, while suite guests pay $18.00 per person, per day. 

Norwegian has some of the pricey gratuities for a mainstream cruise line, with passengers in standard and Club Balcony cabins charged $20.00 per person, per day. Suite guests (including those in The Haven) pay $25.00 per person, per day. 

The recommended daily rate for Disney Cruise Line passengers in standard cabins is $14.50 per person, per day. The rate for guests booked in a Concierge stateroom or suite is $15.50 per person, per day. 

The adult-only Virgin Voyages includes gratuities in their cruise fares.  

Related reading: 

• Should you prepay gratuities for a Royal Caribbean cruise?
• Why do I have to pay gratuities for my toddler?

Gratuities on a Royal Caribbean cruise are part of the total vacation cost, but they can be confusion, especially for first-time cruisers.

As a cruise ship passenger, you're expected to give tips to crew members during your voyage. Don't worry, this isn't as awkward or formal as it sounds, but understanding how these gratuities work and what they cover will be helpful.

Not only will you need to distribute gratuities, you also need to plan your cruise budget to account for them.

Royal Caribbean, like all major cruise lines, has a system in place to ensure that the hardworking staff members who enhance your vacation receive appropriate compensation. Gratuities are not included in the cruise fare (except for Australians), but they are compulsory.

We provide this guide to help you understand how gratuities work on the cruise, who receives them, how they are charged, and whether you can adjust them.

How much are gratuities on Royal Caribbean?

Royal Caribbean automatically adds a daily charge to each cruise passenger's SeaPass account. 

Each day of your cruise, Royal Caribbean will automatically charge each person's SeaPass account a gratuity.  It's a way to recognize great service onboard that you get from crew members.

The daily gratuities cover these crew members:

• stateroom attendant
• head waiter
• waiter
• assistant waiter

As of November 1, 2024, the daily gratuity amount is $18.50 per guest, per day for those guests in standard accommodations.  Guests in suites will pay $21.00 per person, per day in gratuities.  The daily gratuity amount is the same for all passengers, regardless of age.

Instead of paying them onboard, guests have the choice to pre-pay their gratuities before their cruise to help split up the cost of their cruise vacation.

If you are a My Time Dining guest, you must prepay your gratuities.  

How to pre-pay gratuities

There are two good reasons to prepay gratuities. Some people prefer to have everything paid for before the cruise begins, so they don't have to worry about a big bill at the end of the trip.

The second reason to prepay gratuities is that your price is locked in. If Royal Caribbean were to raise the daily gratuity rates before your sailing, you'd be grandfathered into the old rate.

Pre-paying gratuities is a simple process. If you booked directly with Royal Caribbean, you can pre-pay gratuities by calling 866-562-7625 or logging into Royal Caribbean's website before the sailing.

If you booked with a travel agent, simply let the travel agent know your preference and they can take care of the arrangements.

There are other gratuities too

The daily gratuities only cover some crew members, and there you'll need to tip on other purchases.

If this seems like "double dipping", the reality is these tips are for crew members not covered by the daily gratuities.

Bartenders and drink waiters

If you order beverage onboard your Royal Caribbean cruise, such as soda, beer, or wine, you will be charged an automatic 18% gratuity when you receive the bill.

If you bought an unlimited drink package, gratuities for all drinks you order is included with the drink package purchase.  You'll actually get charged a "service fee" when you buy the drink package to cover that.

The gratuity amount is for the service you receive from the wait staff to serve your drink.  The gratuity amount is added to what you purchase and indicated at the bottom of your receipt.

You can add an additional tip on the receipt if you wish. 

Specialty restaurants

The surcharge you pay to dine at a specialty restaurant aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise includes the tip.

There is no need to pay a tip on top of the surcharge amount, unless you would like to.

Spa

The Vitality Spa on Royal Caribbean ships will have gratuity added onto it as well.

Just like drinks, an 18% gratuity is automatically added.

You can tip more, if you like

If you want to tip above and beyond the automatic gratuity, you are always welcome to do so.

This is a discretionary tip, and it is up to you and not expected in all cases.  Even crew members who receive an automatic gratuity can receive additional gratuities if you feel it is warranted.

Some instances where a discretionary tip may be appropriate are for room service deliveries or luggage service by porters.

You can remove the gratuities, but you need to pay them

Royal Caribbean will automatically charge you for every night of the cruise but that does not mean you have to pay it if you are not satisfied with the service. 

You can go to Guest Services at any point in your cruise and have them reduced or removed from your account if you would prefer to tip a different amount.

The option to remove gratuities is a mechanism to rectify poor service, not a cost savings measure. Crew members work very hard every day of your cruise to make it a great vacation, so don't stiff them in order to save money.

Why do I have to tip?

Cruise ship tipping is an old tradition that still hangs on, and it's also a product of American tipping culture.

One benefit to keeping tipping in place is it incentives crew members to go above and beyond with their service. Even if they are a crew member that gets a tip automatically, the service they provide gets reflected in post-cruise surveys. Plus, many guests elect to tip on top of the base amount in the case of excellent service.

By having tips as an additional cost, it's something that doesn't drive up the base cruise fare, which helps advertise lower rates.

In fact, Royal Caribbean has said they won't offer an all inclusive cruise fare that includes gratuities because their internal research shows a majority of customers don't want all-in-one pricing.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley said, "We know from our research that we need to give everybody the choice to decide what they do or don't want included in their vacation."

"We feel like the pricing strategy that we have on the bundling, unbundling is the right path to go."

The reality is gratuity on Royal Caribbean is an added fee you're expected to pay. Perhaps in the future tips would be included with the cruise fare, but that has yet to change.

Royal Caribbean is increasing its daily gratuities that its passengers pay for crew member service on its ships.

Each passenger pays a daily gratuity that covers the services of the crew members they interact with the most, and this daily rate is charged automatically unless the guest pre-pays it prior to the cruise.

As of November 11, 2023, the automatic daily gratuity charge will increase:

• Standard cabin (Junior Suites and below) going from $16.00 to $18.00 per day, per person
• Suite gratuity rate will change from $18.50 to $20.50 per day per person

Royal Caribbean last raised gratuities over a year ago on September 7, 2022.

The daily gratuity is shared among dining, bar & culinary services staff, stateroom attendants, and other hotel services teams.

Royal Caribbean stipulates in the unlikely event that a guest onboard being charged the daily automatic gratuity does not receive satisfactory service, the guest may request to modify the daily amount at their discretion by visiting Guest Services onboard up until the morning of their departure.

Read more: Royal Caribbean Gratuities: What you need to know

For new reservations, the adjusted gratuity amounts are effective as of November 11, 2023.

Guests who booked prior to November 11, 2023 can opt to prepay gratuities prior to sailing to take advantage of the current rates. On or after November 11, 2023, regardless of when the booking was created, gratuities paid while onboard are subject to the new, increased rates.

Pre-existing bookings confirmed prior to November 11, 2023 will not be subject to the increased guidelines as long as gratuities are paid in advance of sailing. Should guests opt not to pay gratuities until onboard, they will be subject to the newly suggested gratuity amounts.

Other onboard gratuity policies remain the same – an 18% gratuity will be automatically added to purchases for beverages, spa & salon services, room service, and mini bar items. These will be itemized on your receipt at the end of each purchase.

Matching Celebrity

Sister brand Celebrity Cruises raised gratuities earlier this summer, and it's not uncommon for cruise lines to follow each other.

In July, Celebrity Cruises announced it would raise its gratuity rates:

• $18.00 USD per person, per day for inside, ocean view, and veranda staterooms, increasing from $17.50.
• $18.50 USD per person, per day for Concierge Class and AquaClass staterooms, increasing from $18.00. 
• $23.00 USD per person, per day for guests of The Retreat, increasing from $21.00. 

How much are gratuities on other mainstream cruise lines?

In case you're wondering, here's what other cruise lines charge for their daily gratuities.

Carnival

The daily rate for standard staterooms increased to $16.00 per person, per day. Suite guests pay $18.00 per person, per day.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Passengers staying in standard and Club Balcony staterooms are charged $20.00 per person, per day, while the rate for Suites and guests staying in the The Haven is $25.00 per person, per day. 

Disney Cruise Line

The recommended daily rate for all guests in standard cabins if $14.50 per person, per day, while the rate for passengers booked in a Concierge stateroom or suite  is $15.50 per person, per day.

How gratuities work on a cruise

If you do absolutely nothing, then you can expect an automatic charge on your SeaPass account each day of the cruise.

The exception is in certain markets where tipping is not as ingrained as part of their culture, so Royal Caribbean includes daily gratuities as part of the price of the cruise.  This occurs in the Australian cruise market.

Each guest, regardless of age, will be assessed the daily gratuity as recognition for the hard work crew members do each day.

An alternative is to pre-pay the gratuity before the cruise begins.  When this opted into by the guest, then you'll pay the full gratuity amount before the cruise begins at final payment date.  It will show up as a line item on your final payment.

Pre-paid gratuities can be added to an individual reservation at any time outside of 48 hours of the sail date.

Guests that booked directly with Royal Caribbean can pre-pay gratuities by calling 866-562-7625 or logging into www.royalcaribbean.com before their sailing.

Guests that booked through a travel agent can request their agent add pre-paid gratuities to the guests' booking prior to sailing.

More info:

• Should you prepay gratuities for a Royal Caribbean cruise?
• Why do I have to pay gratuities for my toddler?

Celebrity Cruises is increasing their gratuities for the second time in less than one year. 

Gratuities are service charges that go towards different crew members, such as the dining, bar and culinary services staff, stateroom attendants, and other hotel services teams.

Effective July 11, 2023, the automatic gratuity rate for all stateroom categories will increase: 

• $18.00 USD per person, per day for inside, ocean view, and veranda staterooms, increasing from $17.50.
• $18.50 USD per person, per day for Concierge Class and AquaClass staterooms, increasing from $18.00. 
• $23.00 USD per person, per day for guests of The Retreat, increasing from $21.00. 

The new rates will apply to all new bookings, regardless of sail date.

The gratuity increase only applies to cruisers who have not chosen an All Included or Always Included fare, as gratuities are included in the cost of those fares.

Retreat and AquaClass bookings made on or after July 14, 2022 are also exempt from automatic gratuities.

You are able to go to Guest Relations while onboard the ship to have the gratuity rate adjusted if you choose. 

Second increase in less than one year

Celebrity last increased their gratuities in October 2022. At the time, the rate for inside, ocean view, and veranda staterooms increased from $15.50 to $17.50; $16.00 to $18.00 for Concierge Class and AquaClass staterooms; and $19.00 to $23.00 for The Retreat. 

This means that they have raised their gratuity rate over 15% in just nine months. 

Note at the bottom of Celebrity's FAQ page, they state that the gratuity amounts are subject to change. 

What doesn't the automatic gratuity cover and how do they work?

The automatic gratuity does not cover onboard purchases, as it is a service charge that goes to the crew members. 

Per their website, there will be a 20% gratuity will be added to all beverage and mini bar purchases, as well as and beverage packages.

Similarly, an 18% gratuity will be added to all spa and salon purchases, as well as specialty dining cover fees, specialty dining packages that are purchased onboard, and room service.

If you do not prepaid for your gratuities, you will find a daily charge on your onboard account. 

If you do not wish to settle gratuities at the end of your cruise, whether that is via card or cash, you can prepay them before it begins. If you do not add them to your initial reservations, you may do so up to 48 hours prior to your sail date by calling Celebrity Cruises or speaking with your travel agent. 

Related: Should you prepay gratuities for a Royal Caribbean cruise?

Will Royal Caribbean also increase their gratuities?

Celebrity Cruises is part of Royal Caribbean Group, which also owns Royal Caribbean International. At the time of writing, Royal Caribbean has not announced any increases to their gratuities. 

They last raised their rates in September 2022, with standard cabins (i.e., Junior Suites and below) increasing from $14.50 to $16.00 per day and suites from $17.50 to $18.50. Prior to 2022, the last time that they raised their gratuities was in January 2018. 

Celebrity is not the only cruise line that has increased their gratuities in 2023. Carnival raised their standard rate from $14.50 to $16.00 and suite rate from $16.50 to $18.00 in April. In fact, most cruise lines have seen an increase within the last year, whether it be late 2022 or early 2023. 

All passengers on a Royal Caribbean cruise are charged a daily gratuity rate during their time onboard, but can gratuities be removed?

Some passengers new to cruising may be confused with how gratuities work on a Royal Caribbean cruise: how much they cost, when you pay gratuities, and whether or not they’re mandatory.

Because gratuities are added as an extra cost on top of a Royal Caribbean cruise fare, we’re often asked whether or not you can remove these service charges. Perhaps the better question, however, is not whether or not you can remove gratuities, but whether or not you should.

Let’s take a look at the basics of Royal Caribbean’s gratuities, including how much they cost and when you’ll pay them, before discussing whether or not you can (or should) remove these service charges.

What are gratuities, and how much do they cost?

Gratuities are service charges that go towards various crew members on your cruise ship, including the dining room staff and stateroom attendants. They are a way to reward crew members for excellent service and hard work throughout the cruise.

Gratuities are not included in the base cruise fare on most sailings; instead, they come at an additional charge. The only exception to this rule is for cruises from Australia—gratuities are included in the fare structure when booking from Royal Caribbean’s Australia website.

For all other passengers, gratuities on a Royal Caribbean cruise are charged on a daily basis. The daily gratuity rate depends on the type of cabin you book for the cruise.

Guests in standard stateroom categories (interior, oceanview, balcony, and Junior Suite cabins) pay $16 USD per person, per day in gratuities. Those guests in Grand Suites and above pay $18.50 USD per person, per day.

When and how do I pay gratuities?

There are two options for paying gratuities on a Royal Caribbean cruise: prepaying before the cruise or incurring the daily charge once onboard.

If you choose to prepay gratuities, the total amount of gratuities for your sailing will be added to your cruise fare upon booking. Therefore, if you’re booking a 7-night cruise in a balcony room, $116 will be added to the total price of your sailing.

Related: Should you prepay gratuities for your Royal Caribbean cruise?

The second option is to incur a daily charge once onboard. If you opt not to prepay gratuities, your SeaPass account will be charged $16 or $18.50 each day of your cruise. You can see the daily amount added to your cruise charges in the Royal Caribbean app.

Once the cruise is over, the gratuity charges, in addition to any other purchases made onboard, will charge to your credit card.

While both options are allowed, we recommend prepaying gratuities for several reasons.

First, paying gratuities in advance allows you to pay off the entire balance of your cruise before the sailing begins. Most passengers find that seeing a $16 daily charge while you’re onboard is more noticeable than having that fee added to your overall cruise fare upon booking.

Plus, it allows guests to pay off as much as possible before their vacation begins, which can make budgeting much easier, especially when traveling with a large family.

The other benefit of prepaying gratuities is that you’ll lock in the current gratuity rate. Royal Caribbean occasionally increases gratuities by a few dollars; if you prepaid gratuities and the rate increases before your cruise begins, you won’t be charged the difference in price. If you wait to pay onboard, however, you’ll be charged the new daily rate.

Can I remove cruise ship gratuities?

Technically speaking, you can remove gratuities on a Royal Caribbean cruise, but you absolutely shouldn’t do this.

Although Royal Caribbean gives you two options for paying gratuities (prepaying or being charged daily once onboard), some passengers try to opt out of paying any gratuities whatsoever.

Related: Tipping on a cruise ship: what you should and shouldn’t do

If you do not prepay gratuities and are instead being charged a daily amount onboard, you can go to Guest Services and request to remove or modify this daily charge. Passengers can change the daily amount or opt out of gratuities altogether until the morning of departure.

Some passengers interested in removing gratuities want to do so in order to reward crew members individually with cash tips. Others, unfortunately, want to avoid paying an extra charge.

Regardless of why you would want to remove gratuities, you should think twice before doing so.

Crew members work extremely hard during their cruise contracts, and while they receive paychecks each month, gratuities are an additional part of compensation they come to expect. Removing gratuities takes away well earned compensation from these crew members.

And although you may not agree with how cruise lines handle gratuities, removing gratuities will not hurt anyone who can change the way crew members are paid. Ultimately, removing gratuities only hurts the crew members who rely on these service charges as part of their salary.

Therefore, if you want to tip crew members in person, you should do so in addition to prepaid gratuities as opposed to removing them altogether.

Even if you prefer tipping crew members individually after receiving excellent service, you won’t come into contact with the majority of crew members onboard during your sailing. Unfortunately, this means that, if you remove gratuities, you’re taking away gratuity from those crew members working behind the scenes who may have otherwise received part of the daily gratuity rate.

To put it bluntly, if you can afford a Royal Caribbean cruise, you can afford to pay gratuities and you should not remove them. Opting out of gratuities is not a way to boycott service charges and save money on your cruise. While many passengers would prefer gratuities be included in the cruise fare, that’s not the way it works for most cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean.

Is additional tipping expected after paying gratuities?

No additional tipping is required on a Royal Caribbean cruise after paying gratuities, although certain purchases will come with a service charge.

Drinks, specialty dining, mini bar items, and spa and salon purchases come with an 18% gratuity added on top of the listed price. This gratuity rate is charged automatically, and it’s also added to beverage packages and specialty dining packages.

Additionally, many passengers enjoy tipping crew members extra for service throughout their cruise. It’s customary to tip your dining room waiters, stateroom attendant, bartenders, and shore excursion guides.

Tipping is also common when ordering room service, when handing luggage to porters at the cruise terminal, and to reward the service of a suite concierge or Royal Genie.

You're expected to tip certain crew members on a Royal Caribbean cruise, but it can be confusing who you should tip and when.

Gratuities are a controversial topic among cruisers because it's a gray area of where and when it's appropriate.

While your cruise fare includes accommodation, food, and activities, it does not include gratuities for crew members.

Many first-time cruisers are confused about how tipping works on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Who do you need to tip onboard? Should you carry cash or tip on your SeaPass card? Do you need to tip on shore excursions?

Luckily, it’s easy to understand the ins and outs of tipping on a cruise ship. From prepaying gratuities to carrying small bills, here’s what you should and should not do when tipping on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

You SHOULD know what gratuities cover

Each passenger on a Royal Caribbean cruise pays a daily gratuity to cover the services of hard-working crew members onboard. These gratuities are shared among the dining, bar, and culinary teams, stateroom attendants, and the hotel service team.

Royal Caribbean crew members work extremely hard throughout their multi-month contracts, and gratuities are a way to reward them for providing amazing service.

Because they are charged on a daily basis, you do not have to worry about tipping each crew member yourself. Many passengers, however, still like to leave extra tips for their stateroom attendant and dining room waiters at the end of the cruise.

An envelope will be delivered to your stateroom for any extra (optional) tips. You can pick up more envelopes at Guest Services if there are additional crew members you would like to tip.

You SHOULD know how much gratuities cost per day

Gratuities on a Royal Caribbean cruise are priced per day, but the amount owed depends on your stateroom category.

As of 2025, guests in non-suite staterooms (including Junior Suites) pay $18.50 USD per person, per day for gratuities. Those in Grand Suites and above pay $21.00 USD per person, per day.

Therefore, for a 7-night cruise, you will pay $259 per couple for gratuities in a standard cabin and $294 per couple in a suite. It’s important to account for gratuities when budgeting for a Royal Caribbean cruise. When sailing with a family of four on a 7-night cruise, gratuities can add nearly $500 on top of your cruise fare.

Depending on where you book your cruise, gratuities may already be included in the price of your cruise fare. Australians booking cruises from Australia, for example, will not incur gratuities on top of their cruise fare, but the cruise fare reflects the price with gratuities added.

You SHOULD pay gratuities in advance

There are two options when it comes to paying gratuities on a Royal Caribbean cruise: prepaying gratuities or waiting to pay them once onboard.

Prepaying gratuities means you can include the current daily gratuity rate in your cost of the cruise when booking. When paying for your cruise, the daily gratuity will be added to the overall cost, and you will not owe any gratuities once the cruise begins.

If you elect not to pay gratuities in advance, a daily charge will appear on your SeaPass account every day of the cruise. If you are on a 3-night cruise, for example, and don’t pay gratuities in advance, you will see a $18.50 (or $21.00) charge on your account each day of the sailing.

Related: Should you prepay gratuities for a Royal Caribbean cruise?

We almost always recommend prepaying gratuities before your cruise begins. This allows you to pay off your cruise balance early, so that by the time you get onboard, you won’t have to worry about extra charges.

Paying in advance also locks in the current gratuity rate in case it were to increase. It’s not uncommon for cruise lines to increase daily gratuity by $1 or $2 every few years. If you prepay gratuities and the price increases before your cruise, you won’t have to pay the new daily rate.

You can prepay gratuities at any time up to 48 hours before your sail date. If you booked with a travel agent, contact your travel agent and they can add gratuities to your booking. If you booked with Royal Caribbean directly, your best bet is to call or access your account online to prepay gratuities.

You SHOULD bring small bills

Bringing small bills is recommended on a cruise, as it allows you to tip crew members easily throughout the sailing. Having $1 and $5 bills handy is helpful when you want to give a bartender a small tip with your drink or tip a porter for handling your baggage on embarkation day.

If you don’t have small bills, you can ask Guest Services to break down larger bills. Simply bring a $20, $50, or $100 bill to Guest Services and they will be happy to give you change.

How much cash should you bring on a cruise? Ultimately, it depends on your travel style. Most payments on your cruise vacation will be completely digital, so most passengers only use cash onboard to give additional tips to crew members.

Related: How much cash should you bring on a cruise?

You SHOULDN’T remove gratuities once onboard

Technically, you can visit Guest Services once onboard your cruise ship and opt to remove gratuities from your account. Some passengers like to do this in order to give tips to crew members directly whenever they see fit.

While this may seem like a good idea in theory, it comes with one major drawback.

It’s unlikely you will meet every crew member onboard who would otherwise receive a percentage of gratuities. Although details on how gratuities are allocated are not shared with the public, it’s likely Royal Caribbean has a pool of gratuities that is split amongst the crew members.

By giving tips to crew members individually, you may be taking potential gratuities away from other hard-working crew members you don’t meet in person.

It’s totally fine to give extra tips to crew members who go above and beyond during your sailing, but we recommend doing this in addition to the automatic gratuities.

You SHOULDN’T forget cash on shore excursions

It’s customary to tip your shore excursion tour leader, driver, and guides, so don’t forget to bring cash with you in port. Most passengers tip their guides between $5-10, but there is no right or wrong amount to tip on a shore excursion.

Aside from tipping, you should bring cash on shore excursions to purchase extras like souvenirs, drinks, and snacks. We recommend bringing around $100-200 USD with you in port each day.

You SHOULD expect an 18% gratuity on certain purchases

Certain onboard purchases are subject to an 18% gratuity on top of the listed price, including beverages, mini bar items, and spa and salon purchases.

In addition, when you reserve specialty restaurants, dining packages, drink packages, and spa services on Royal Caribbean’s Cruise Planner website, the gratuity will be added upon checkout.

Because gratuity is already included in the price of these purchases onboard, it’s not necessary to tip extra. However, many passengers still like to tip a few dollars with a drink or specialty restaurant dinner to show their appreciation.

After four years, Royal Caribbean is increasing the gratuity rate cruise ship passengers will pay for the service they receive from crew members onboard its ships.

Each passenger pays a daily gratuity that covers the services of the crew members they interact with the most, and this daily rate is charged automatically unless the guest pre-pays it prior to the cruise.

As of September 7, 2022, the automatic daily gratuity charge will increase:

• Standard cabin (Junior Suites and below) going from $14.50 to $16.00 per day, per person
• Suite gratuity rate will change from $17.50 to $18.50 per day per person

Royal Caribbean last raised gratuities January 2, 2018.

The daily gratuities are shared among dining, bar & culinary services staff, stateroom attendants and other hotel services teams who work behind the scenes.

Royal Caribbean stipulates in the unlikely event that a guest onboard being charged the daily automatic gratuity does not receive satisfactory service, the guest may request to modify the daily amount at their discretion by visiting Guest Services onboard up until the morning of their departure.

For new reservations, the adjusted gratuity amounts are effective as of September 7, 2022.

Guests who booked prior to September 7, 2022 can opt to prepay gratuities prior to sailing to take advantage of the current rates. On or after September 7, 2022, regardless of when the booking was created, gratuities paid while onboard are subject to the new, increased rates.

Pre-existing bookings confirmed prior to September 7th , 2022 will not be subject to the increased guidelines as long as gratuities are paid in advance of sailing. Should guests opt not to pay gratuities until onboard, they will be subject to the newly suggested gratuity amounts.

This automatic gratuity does not cover other onboard purchases. A 18% gratuity is automatically added to all beverages, mini bar items, and spa & salon purchases.

Other cruise lines already made similar changes

Other major cruise lines already increased their gratuities this year.

In April 2022, Carnival Cruise Line raised their gratuities to $14.50 per person, per day for standard staterooms and $16.50 per person, per day for suites.

Norwegian Cruise Line also raised their gratuities in April, when they changed their rates:

• Balcony and lower cabins: $16.00 per person, per day
• Haven and Suite guests: $20.00 per person, per day
• Club Balcony Suite guests remains at $18.00 per person, per day

In July, Disney Cruise Line increased their gratuities to $14.50 per night, per person for standard rooms and $15.50 per night, per person for suite guests.

How gratuities work on a cruise

If you do absolutely nothing, then you can expect an automatic charge on your SeaPass account each day of the cruise.

The exception is in certain markets where tipping is not as ingrained as part of their culture, so Royal Caribbean includes daily gratuities as part of the price of the cruise.  This occurs in the Australian cruise market.

Each guest, regardless of age, will be assessed the daily gratuity as recognition for the hard work crew members do each day.

An alternative is to pre-pay the gratuity before the cruise begins.  When this opted into by the guest, then you'll pay the full gratuity amount before the cruise begins at final payment date.  It will show up as a line item on your final payment.

Pre-paid gratuities can be added to an individual reservation at any time outside of 48 hours of the sail date.

Guests that booked directly with Royal Caribbean can pre-pay gratuities by calling 866-562-7625 or logging into www.royalcaribbean.com before their sailing.

Guests that booked through a travel agent can request their agent add pre-paid gratuities to the guests' booking prior to sailing.

More info:

• Should you prepay gratuities for a Royal Caribbean cruise?
• Why do I have to pay gratuities for my toddler?

Royal Caribbean provides excellent service to guests of all ages, and with that service comes an automatic gratuity that you can either prepay before the cruise or be charged each night of the sailing while onboard.

Every week I dive into the RoyalCaribbeanBlog mailbag to answer a commonly asked question about cruises that one of our readers has sent in.

My husband and I are experienced cruisers, but have a cruise planned soon where we will be taking our 11 month old with us. We have to bring her formula, baby food, and she will be too young to do any activities onboard.  So do I need to pay gratuities for an infant? - Jill A.

This sounds like an easy question to answer, but as you dig into the scenario more, you can start seeing the argument from both sides of the fence.

Let's start off with the simple fact that Royal Caribbean makes no distinction between anyone's age, and how it pertains to gratuities.  All guests onboard are charged the automatic gratuity.  

The gratuity applies to individual guests of all ages and stateroom categories.

In fact, Royal Caribbean does not offer a discount for younger children. The first two passengers in a cabin always pay the most, and then the third or fourth passengers pays a reduced rate that is the same if they are 6 months or 6 years or 60 years old.

In a similar way, your child is counted toward the quantity of persons that your crew member is taking care of, your child is taking the place of another passenger.

Read more: Should you prepay gratuities for a Royal Caribbean cruise?

Getting back to the gratuities scenario, don't forget that your daily gratuities are not just kick backs for the crew, but a way to recognize the excellent service onboard.

Royal Caribbean says the gratuities are, "a way to reward our crew members for their outstanding service, gratuities are shared among dining, bar & culinary services staff, stateroom attendants and other hotel services teams who work behind the scenes to enhance the cruise experience."

Moreover, the crew members onboard are servicing you and your family.  They don't make distinctions when cleaning your cabin who this was for or not for.  The cabin attendant is still emptying my kids' dirty diapers or vacuuming all the crumbs my kids left behind.  The dining room staff would bring out fruit for the kids, or even a stockpile of milk cartons that we could keep in the room so that I did not have to get some later.

Having taken both of my children on cruises when they were toddlers, I was always pleasantly surprised how much care the staff takes in ensuring my children were accomodated.

Here is a list of things crew members have regularly done for just my kids on a cruise:

• Making the pack-n-play/crib everyday
• Emptying dirty diapers each day
• Vacuuming up crumbs from under highchair each day
• Entertaining children in high chairs at dinner
• Cleaning fingerprints from balcony door
• Picking up loose food/crumbs in the cabin carpet
• Bringing extra towels and other items like ice to keep bottles cold
• Bringing the things to your table each night- like fruit
• Cleaning up the mess on the table
• Providing baby toys (and cleaning them) from Adventure Ocean
• Ships with baby splash pool routinely cleaned

Read more: Introduction to bringing toddlers on a Royal Caribbean cruise

In short, you would be surprised how much the crew does for young kids on a cruise, even if they are not taking drink orders or delivering them filet mignon.

Unfortunately, gratuities are a sore subject for some people who feel because they are technically not part of the cruise fare, that they are optional charges.

The reality is in practice, gratuities are compulsory and should be paid for all guests.  In Australia, Royal Caribbean actually includes them with the cruise fare to get around cultural differences regarding tipping.  

In summary, I think they should pay the gratuity for 11 month old, especially once they see all the attention and care the crew take to ensure everyone in Jill's family is taken care of onboard their ship.

Read more: Best reader tips for having fun with kids on a cruise