Want to know what you’ll pay for gratuities on your cruise? It’s definitely smart to budget ahead of time as the cost of these charges can be hundreds of dollars.
On a cruise, gratuities (also known as service charges on some lines) aren’t just expected to be given to the crew members if they go above and beyond.
These days the cruise lines have made tipping practically required, laying out daily gratuity amounts that are charged to each passenger’s account and then distributed among the crew with passenger-facing positions — such as your room steward and dining room waiter.
Meanwhile, crew members have come to rely on these tips as a significant portion of their compensation.
Like it or not, gratuities are here to stay. Yes, you can adjust the amount higher or lower, but at a minimum it’s customary to pay the amounts laid out by the cruise lines.
To help you prepare your budget, we’ve rounded up the details on daily gratuity amounts for the major cruise lines. These are the amounts your account will be charged at the end of the cruise unless you specify otherwise.
Gratuity Amounts By Cruise Line
- Carnival: $16.00 per person, per day. $18.00 per person, per day for guests in suites. Guests under two years old don’t pay gratuity.
- Celebrity: $18.00 per person, per day. $18.50 per person, per day for those in Concierge Class and AquaClass cabins. $23.00 per person, per day for guest of The Retreat. Celebrity also has an “Always Included” offer that includes gratuity in the cabin fare automatically.
- Disney: $14.50 per person, per day. $15.50 per person, per day for those staying in Concierge Staterooms and Suites.
- Holland America: $16.00 per person, per day. $17.50 per person, per day for guests in suites.
- Norwegian: $20.00 per person, per day. $25.00 per person, per day staying in suites and The Haven. Guests under three years old don’t pay gratuity.
- MSC Cruises: $14.50 per person, per day. Guests under two years old don’t pay gratuity. Guests over two years old and under 12 years old pay $7.25 per day.
- Princess: $16.00 per person, per day. $17.00 per person, per day staying in mini-suites and Reserve Collection. $18.00 per person, per day for guests in suites.
- Royal Caribbean: $16.00 per person, per day. $18.50 per person, per day for guests in suites and higher.
Gratuity Calculator
Remember that tip amounts are shown on a per person, per day basis. That can make it difficult to tell exactly how much you pay during your cruise. In addition, some cruise lines charge tips for kids while others do not. All of that adds up to a difficult calculation.
To make things easier to estimate, we’ve put together the following calculator to make it easier to get an idea of what you’ll pay. Simply enter the details of your trip below to see how much you’ll pay in gratuities.
More Questions About Gratuities? Read This Article
If you have more questions about tipping on a cruise, don’t worry. We’ve created an entire guide to cruise gratuities with tons of answers to the most common questions, including:
- How do I adjust gratuity amounts?
- Who gets the gratuities?
- Are kids charged gratuities?
- Plus much more…
You can click here to read more now.
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I was wondering on Royal Caribbean Star Class it says that gratuities are included. Is that include for the Specialty Dining or just for the standard? Also, it says room service is free is that include tip?
Thanks for your help
The article states the charges “per day”, but the calculator asks how many nights the cruise is. For an 8-day, 7-night cruise, do they charge for 8 days or 7?
Most cruises are actually an equal number of days/nights. The day you board is considered “Day 1” and the day you leave the ship isn’t considered a day. So a 7-night cruise is also a 7-day cruise, and you’ll be charged for 7 days.
Norwegian has automatic gratuities. Please update They have had them for a long time
John, you are right. We’ve updated the table. Thanks for the heads up!