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Royal Caribbean raises automatic gratuity rate, beginning in November

In:
31 Oct 2023

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.

Guest service crew members

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 moreRoyal Caribbean Gratuities: What you need to know

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

Gratuity increase email

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

Celebrity Silhouette

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

main-dining-room-navigator-of-the-seas

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.

Royal Caribbean ship at sea

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:

Celebrity Cruises increases gratuities for crew members on its cruise ships

In:
05 Jul 2023

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

Celebrity Apex in Greece

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.

Crew members in port

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 Silhouette

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?

Sunset Bar

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.

Spa

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. 

Celebrity Cruises logo

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. 

RelatedShould you prepay gratuities for a Royal Caribbean cruise?

Will Royal Caribbean also increase their gratuities?

Crew members together

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. 

Side of Freedom of the Seas

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. 

Can I remove cruise ship prepaid gratuities?

In:
13 May 2023

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

Getting a drink at the casita

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?

Main dining room staff preparing

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.

Main Dining Room

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?

Massage at the spa

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.

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

In:
17 Mar 2023

An important part of planning a Royal Caribbean cruise is knowing what is and is not included in your cruise fare. 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

Junior Suite on Symphony of the Seas

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.

Wine being poured

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

Inside cabin on Liberty of the Seas

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

Guests in non-suite staterooms (including Junior Suites) pay $18 USD per person, per day for gratuities. Those in Grand Suites and above pay $20.50 USD per person, per day.

Therefore, for a 7-night cruise, you will pay $126 per person for gratuities in a standard cabin and $143.50 per person 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.

Grand Suite on Liberty of the Seas

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 into 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 $16 (or $18.50) 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

Massage at the spa

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.

Royal Caribbean increases gratuities for crew members on its cruise ships

In:
23 Aug 2022

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.

Mariner of the Seas docked in CocoCay

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

NCL logo on side of ship

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

Wonder of the Seas Live Blog - Day 1 - Embarkation | Royal Caribbean Blog

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.

Wonder of the Seas aerial rear night

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:

Mailbag: Why do I have to pay gratuities for my toddler?

In:
27 Jan 2021

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 moreShould 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 moreIntroduction 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 moreBest reader tips for having fun with kids on a cruise

Should you prepay gratuities for a Royal Caribbean cruise?

In:
22 Aug 2020

Royal Caribbean offers guests the choice of prepaying gratuities for select crew members on its ships.

The option to prepay gratuities means locking in the current gratuity rate, along with spreading out the overall cost of the cruise by integrating it into the cost of the cruise.

How does gratuity work on Royal Caribbean?

Part of the overall cost of a Royal Caribbean cruise is a service gratuity for recognizing the hard work of crew members.

A daily automatic gratuity rate of $16.00 USD per person, per day for guests in Junior Suites and below, or $18.50 USD per person, per day for guests in Grand Suites and above, is applied to each guest’s SeaPass account on a daily basis. It is applicable to all guests, regardless of age.

These daily gratuities go towards your dining room staff, as well as your stateroom attendant.

If you do not opt to prepay gratuities, a daily charge will appear on your SeaPass account every day of the cruise for the daily gratuity rate per guest.

The daily gratuities is in addition to the 18% gratuity automatically added to all beverages, mini bar items, and spa & salon purchases.

Why should I prepay gratuities?

There are two good reasons to prepay gratuities before your cruise.

Prepaying gratuities before your cruise means you pay off that balance early, instead of accruing a higher balance that is owed at the end of the cruise.  For guests that like to budget their vacations and spread out the total cost of the cruise, this is a popular choice.

In addition, prepaying gratuities locks in the current gratuity rate, even if the rate were to go up later.

Every so often, Royal Caribbean adjusts the gratuity rate, but if you have opted to prepay, you will be grandfathered into the old rate.

The two common rationales for not prepaying are if you have a substantial amount of onboard credit that could offset your SeaPass account charges, or if you prefer to give crew members their automatic gratuity rate in cash.

Gratuities on Royal Caribbean are obligatory, so it is a matter of when you prefer to pay them.

How to prepay gratuities

You can opt into prepaying gratuities at any time, up to 48 hours prior to your sail date.

If you booked your Royal Caribbean cruise with a travel agent, you just need to contact them and ask for gratuities to be added to your reservation.

If you booked directly with Royal Caribbean, you can either call Royal Caribbean or log onto their website and access your account to prepay gratuities.

Royal Caribbean to raise gratuity amount for guests

In:
22 Dec 2017

Royal Caribbean will be raising its automatic daily gratuity amount that guests pay night of their cruise beginning on January 2, 2018.

Beginning January 2, 2018, guests will pay a $14.50 per guest per day service charge to each guest's SeaPass account on a daily basis. For guests in a Grand Suite or above, the amount is $17.50.

Prior to this change, the daily gratuity amount was $13.50 and $16.50. Royal Caribbean last increased their daily gratuity amount in May 2016.

If you have already prepaid your gratuities, you will be grandfathered into the current rates.  Should guests opt not to pay gratuities until onboard, they will be subject to the newly suggested gratuity amounts.

Guests currently booked that have not yet prepaid their gratuities will have until the time of sailing to do so at the old rate. After January 2nd, 2018, gratuities paid while onboard are subject to the new, increased rates. If not prepaid prior to sailing, the new gratuity rate will be automatically applied to your account onboard.

The change has already appeared on Royal Caribbean's UK and Japan sites.

Note: we used Google Translate to translate the Japanese site.

December 26 UPDATE: Royal Caribbean has confirmed the change in gratuity.  Royal Caribbean described the increase as, "Royal Caribbean is constantly reviewing our competitive environment and this adjustment positions us in-line with our competitors. The additional gratuity collected will be disbursed to our onboard crew".

After January 2nd, 2018, regardless of when the booking was created, gratuities paid while onboard are subject to the new, increased rates. Pre-existing bookings confirmed prior to January 2nd, 2018 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.

Royal Caribbean Australia introduces streamlined cruise fares that include gratuities

In:
02 Dec 2016

Royal Caribbean Australia announced today a new fare structure that includes gratuities for stateroom attendants and dining room staff in the cruise price.

With this change, guests will pay a single inclusive cruise fare incorporating all main meals, accommodation, kids club, entertainment and activities. Passengers will continue to have the option to provide a discretional additional gratuity.

The new cruise fares begin on new bookings made December 12, 2016 and onwards, on sailings departing on or after January 15, 2017.

The change means free gratuities will no longer be available as one of the perks included in the Go Big, Go Better, Go Best promotion.

"Guests will see no change to the published price of cruises via any Royal Caribbean point of sale, including website, advertising and call centre pricing," the company said.

Royal Caribbean raises gratuity amount for guests

In:
29 Mar 2016

Royal Caribbean has announced it will raise its recommended gratuities for sailings that depart on or after May 01, 2016.


Effective April 14th, 2016 for all sailings departing on-or-after May 1st, 2016, a gratuity increase of $0.55 USD per guest per day will be applied. 

The new daily gratuity rates will be as follows

  • Junior Suite, Balcony, Ocean View, and Interior staterooms
    • $13.50 per guest, per day
  • Suite guests (Grand Suite & Above)
    • $16.50 per guest, per day

Royal Caribbean last increased their daily gratuity amount in May 2015.

The reasoning for increasing the daily gratuity amount is because Royal Caribbean wanted, "to better align with industry standards."

Money saving tipAny guest that a cruise reservation currently, can have Pre-paid Gratuities added to their existing reservation prior to April 14, 2016 (if you have not done so already) and lock in today's current rate of gratuities of $12.95 per day, per guest for Junior Suites and below or $15.95 per person, per day for Suite guests.

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