If you’ve got a sailing booked with Celebrity Cruises, you very likely received an email this week that you weren’t expecting. While it starts by saying how much the line is looking forward to your arrival, it quickly morphs into the kind of news most cruisers hate to hear regarding a hike in the daily gratuity rate. The change will impact all guests, including those already paying big bucks to stay in the line’s most exclusive suites.
How Much You’ll Now Be Paying
“As you get ready to sail, we’d like to share an update regarding gratuity changes,” the note reads, in part. “These gratuities are thoughtfully shared among our dining, bar and culinary teams, stateroom attendands, and the many crew members who help create the elevated experience you’ll enjoy onboard.”
It then says that beginning on July 29, 2026, the new rates will be as follows:
• Inside, Oceanview and Veranda staterooms will be charged $19.50 per person, per day.
•Concierge and AquaClass staterooms will be paying $20.50 per person, per day.
• Guests of The Retreat will now be charged $24.50 per person, per day.
In all three scenarios, guests are being asked to pay $1.50 per person, per day more than they had previously been charged.
Exception to the Rule
Often, when cruise lines boost their daily gratuity rates, they provide advance warning and a period during which guests can prepay at the previously-available rate. In this case, there was no advance notice, but those who booked before July 29th are able to pay the previous daily gratuity… as long as they do so before their sail date. Once on board, the new rates will be charged on a daily basis. Any booking made after July 29 will pay the new, higher rates.
The move was unexpected and caught many — including several travel agents we spoke with — off guard. The wording of the notice sent to guests and travel partners was also unclear, written in a manner which left many to believe already-booked guests would also have to pay the increased rate. (In fact, a previous version of this story, based on faulty information provided, indicated as much, a fact for which we apologize.)
Generally speaking, cruise lines tend to play “follow the leader” where daily gratuity rates are concerned, which means we’ll be keeping an eye on Celebrity’s competition. Given that Celebrity is owned by Royal Caribbean Group, it’s natural to assume that a similar increase might soon hit Royal Caribbean.
That said, no matter what line you are booked with, the safest way to avoid future price hikes is to pay the daily gratuities immediately upon booking. This is the only way you are guaranteed to lock in at the lowest available rate. Some lines, such as Virgin Voyages, even offer lower gratuities to those who pay in advance versus the rate charged to your account each day after embarkation.
