From self-checkout machines to drive-thrus, you’re expected to leave a tip everywhere now. But do you have to bring that tipping culture on your next cruise? Some say yes, and some say no.
Others argue you don’t have much choice regarding cruise ship tipping.
Automatic Gratuity Charges: Yes or No?
Many cruise lines automatically add gratuities to your bill—whether it’s the standard daily amount per person, a spa treatment, or even just a soft drink from the bar. But is this a good move? Maybe.
Cruise Lines That Include Gratuities
Some cruise lines, like Virgin Voyages and Azamara Cruises, bundle gratuities into the base fare, giving passengers a more seamless experience. This means no extra tips at the end of your cruise; everything is already covered.
However, most lines, like Carnival Cruise Line, Disney, MSC, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Royal Caribbean, still add gratuities separately to their bills, catching some cruisers off guard.
Pros of Cruise Gratuities
- Tip-less Cruise Experience: Prepaying your gratuities means you don’t have to think about tipping during your vacation.
- No Guessing: Automatic gratuities take the guesswork out of tipping. You don’t have to calculate every time you want to leave a tip.
Cons of Cruise Gratuities
One of the biggest debates in cruise culture is whether these automatic gratuities should be optional. Some cruise passengers feel forced into tipping, while others appreciate the convenience.
Read More: The BIG Lie About Cruise Tipping
Many believe tipping should be at the guest’s discretion, based on the quality of service they receive.
Conversely, supporters of automatic gratuities argue that it ensures crew members, who often rely on tips for their income, are fairly compensated.
Service Charges vs. Gratuities
One cruise line has started calling these fees “service charges” instead of gratuities, which is a more accurate description.
Norwegian Cruise Line made this switch a few years ago, and they even break down where the money goes, ensuring transparency.
These are less of a “tip” and more of a built-in service fee that the cruise line uses to compensate their crew.
Some passengers feel that rolling these charges into the cruise fare from the beginning would eliminate the confusion and frustration.
Misplaced Burden
Automatic gratuities are often seen as a convenient alternative to cash tips. Still, many argue that they shift the responsibility of paying the crew onto the customer, much like the tipping culture in the U.S. food industry.
Crew members on cruise ships are often paid low wages, supplemented by gratuities, which can be a point of contention for some cruisers.
Not Always “Optional”
Some cruise lines make it difficult to opt out of gratuities, requiring passengers to go through a process at guest services. In these cases, calling the extra per-person fees “gratuities” doesn’t feel accurate—it’s more of a service fee.
Takes the Control Out of Your Hands
When people tip, it’s usually to ensure good service or to thank someone for going above and beyond. With automatic gratuities, you agree to the charge before you even set foot on the ship, with no idea what the service will be like.
Read: Navigating Tips and Services Charges
It also takes away the option to reward specific crew members. The cruise line pools the gratuities and decides who gets what.
Traditional cash tipping still gives you the power to reward specific crew members for their hard work.
To Tip or Not to Tip
Maybe you’ll leave the automatic gratuities in place. Or maybe you’ll go through the hoops to opt out. Either way, the question of additional cash tipping remains. Should you hand out extra bills?
Reasons to Tip on Your Cruise
If you plan to spend a lot of time in one spot, it could help to tip the waiter or attendant there so they’ll remember you and take care of you during the cruise.
You might also prefer to tip a specific crew member who goes above and beyond.
And don’t forget about workers who aren’t covered by automatic gratuities—like porters. $5 per bag is usually sufficient.
Pro tip: The discreet handshake is your best move for giving out cash tips, or you can leave a thank-you card for your room steward with a little extra cash inside.
Wrapping Up
Some cruisers feel they’ve already paid enough for the trip (including the automatic gratuities), so why add anything extra? Others feel that tips should be earned, not mandatory.
In short, people need to stop judging others for how they handle auto-charged gratuities.
While they’re often framed as helping the crew, the reality is that they may just be offsetting what the cruise line should be paying.
Even Carnival’s brand ambassador, John Heald, gives a standard response that gratuities go to the crew without clarifying if that’s in addition to their guaranteed pay or simply replacing it.
To recap, here are your options:
- Pay the automatic gratuities and leave it as is.
- Pay gratuities and hand out cash tips for extra service.
- Opt out of gratuities, but give cash tips when you feel it’s appropriate.
- Pay your cruise fare and not a penny more.
