Tipping on a Cruise can be a very controversial subject. It can also be very confusing for first time cruisers. The extra cost of automatic gratuity charges can be a shock.
There is the option of Pre-Paying your Gratuities before the Cruise. If you Pre-Pay your Gratuities, that leaves one less thing to worry about while on the Cruise. If you don’t Pre-Pay, a charge will be automatically added to your bill while on the cruise. This charge normally appears around 1-2 nights prior to your Disembarking Date. These charges vary by Cruise Line and Room Size. Carnival normally charges $16-$18 per day per person.
Cruise Lines say they pass the money collected from the service charges to the shipboard cruise. They say the money is not just shared with the front-of-the-house crew, such as room attendants and waitstaff, but also with the behind-the-scenes workers.
If you want to, you can often adjust the charges (either up or down) while you’re on board by visiting the guest relations desk. If you are adjusting a gratuity charge downward, expect to be asked about the reasons behind the adjustment. The guest relations staff will want to know if you’ve experienced particular service issues. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS – THE WORKERS ON THE SHIP WORK INCREDIBLY HARD AND VERY LONG HOURS TO MAKE YOUR VACATION WONDERFUL, AND THEY DO IT FOR VERY LOW PAY.
CASH TIPS ON THE SHIP
Cruisers should also bring cash to tip the porters who bring their bags onto the ship (usually $2 per bag), as well as tour guides in port ($5 to $10 per person for half-day tours, $10 to $20 for full-day excursions and $2 for non-guide drivers). Piano bar regulars know that a cash tip will increase the chances of the pianist choosing and performing your song request.
Whenever you order a drink of any kind, alcoholic or not, or buy food that is not included for free, you will be brought a slip to sign, and there is a line at the bottom to leave a tip. Even if you have the drink package, or get free drinks – you will still receive this slip. These tips will be added to your final bill, and can add up quickly.
Tipping in the casino is also an option – if you hit a big win at a table, it is recommended that you tip the dealer. Most regular gamblers tip after any decent win – not just big wins. If you win a large amount playing slots, it is recommended that you tip the attendant.
HOW I TIP ON CRUISES
Everyone is different, and everyone has a right to their opinions on how to tip and how much to tip. I personally have my own style. I bring a large stack of $1.00 bills with me on every cruise. I always get FREE DRINKS everywhere on the ship, but I always tip $2.00 cash for every drink I get. This way I don’t get all those tip charges on my bill from tipping on the slips. I also set aside $Money to tip the room steward and the waitstaff in the dining room. Some people like to tip their room steward at the beginning of the cruise to get better service. I prefer to leave a tip at the end of the cruise. I normally leave $40 – $50 for my room steward, depending on the length of the cruise. The person travelling with me normally matches that. I also like to leave $20 to $60 for the waitstaff on the last night – this depends on how many nights we actually eat in the Main Dining Room. My travelling companion also matches this. Once again, this is just how I do it. It is up to you to decide how you would like to tip these workers that work incredibly hard to make your vacation wonderful.
Here is a picture of my favorite way to tip the Room Steward:
One thing I love to do is prepare gift bags to give to the room stewards and the casino staff, as I spend a lot of time in the casino. The Casino Hosts and Pit Bosses don’t normally receive tips like the dealers do, and they always are so appreciative when they receive these gift bags. (They also tend to give you special attention throughout the cruise). Some things I like to put in these bags are Gift Cards, Candy (in original wrappers), and magnets and shot glasses from my home town.
