Princess Cruises has recently increased the prices of its daily gratuity charges, impacting passengers across all stateroom categories.
If you’re booking a sailing with the cruise line, you’ll notice that gratuities now cost $1 more per stateroom daily. While seemingly modest, the increase represents a 6% increase in daily gratuity charges across various accommodation types.
Here’s a breakdown of the updated gratuity rates:
| Accommodation Type | Previous Rate ($) | New Rate ($) | Percentage Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium suites | 18 | 19 | 5.6% |
| Reserve Collection (mini-suites, cabanas, and club-class staterooms) | 17 | 18 | 5.9% |
| Interior, oceanview, and balcony staterooms | 16 | 17 | 6.3% |
As the table shows, the new daily gratuity rates are:
- Premium suites: Increased from $18 to $19 per day, representing a 5.6% rise.
- Reserve Collection (mini-suites, cabanas, and club-class staterooms): Now at $18 per day, up from $17, a 5.9% increase.
- Interior, oceanview, and balcony staterooms: Raised from $16 to $17 per day, resulting in a 6.3% hike.
Though the cruise line hasn’t officially announced the price hike, the new rates are reflected on its website’s Crew Appreciation and Service Charge page.
| Passengers who have booked itineraries with the Princess Premier and Princess Plus bundles will not need to worry about these additional fees, as gratuities are already included in the all-in-one prices. Guests already booked are locked in under the previous pricing. |
Gratuities are distributed among crew members, including those working in entertainment, dining, and lodging.
Princess Cruises distributes the funds as compensation and bonuses to all employees, whether interacting with passengers or supporting the guest experience from behind the scenes.
Guests can adjust these tips during their cruise, increasing or decreasing them based on their experience, until disembarkation. However, once the sailing concludes, refunds on gratuities are no longer available.
The cruise line last raised its gratuities in December 2022. At the time, daily gratuities across staterooms rose by $1.50.
Last February, the sister company Holland America Line announced that it was raising gratuities by 6% to 9%.
