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Ultimate Guide to Tipping on Cruise Ships in 2025

Writer's picture: Shy BredewoldShy Bredewold

Planning your dream cruise vacation but feeling overwhelmed by the sea of "tipping etiquette" articles? Don't worry, we've got you covered!


This easy to use guide breaks down gratuities & tipping policies on all the best cruise lines, meaning you can book the best choice for your preferred style of cruising!


Let's navigate the sometimes-choppy waters of cruise ship gratuities, broken down into the three main styles of cruise ship tipping.

 

Please note: This article and its contents are for information purposes only. All figures are in USD unless otherwise noted and correct at time of first publish, cruise lines can change their policies at any time.



young family enjoying breakfast view of tropical island from suite on cruise ship

 

Luxurious and truly all-inclusive sailing: No Tipping Required


Some cruise lines believe in keeping things truly all-inclusive as standard, their guests seek the best value for their cruise vacation and tend to enjoy a higher overall level of service.


These are typically high-end, luxury operators and many of them even include a selection of shore excursions or an expansive drinks package, among other perks & amenities.



Celebrity Cruises (Galapagos only)

As of December 2024, Celebrity has only one truly all-inclusive ship in its fleet, but it might be our favorite for client adventures: Celebrity Flora


Flora is an all-suite mega yacht with so many inclusions the only place you can actually spend money is the spa and you’re going to be so enthralled with the itinerary you’re not likely going to book in for a massage!



American Cruise Lines

Offering both coastal ocean voyages and domestic river cruises in the United States, American Cruise Lines fares include a lot of great stuff, including a selection of featured shore excursions on most itineraries.


Fares also include gratuities.



Azamara Cruises

Known for their destination-immersive voyages, Azamara takes the hassle out of tipping entirely. Their inclusive pricing covers gratuities for all onboard services, allowing you to truly unwind and enjoy the journey.



Celestyal Cruises

Celestyal’s fabulous itineraries include Greek Islands and highlights of the Middle East. They tend to feature quite a few inclusions, such as a selection of shore excursions, drinks package, and tips!



Emerald Cruises

Emerald’s small fleet of luxury yachts will take you to some incredible destinations with an inclusive fare, gratuities are also included.



Hurtigruten

You’ll struggle to find a more inclusive fare for a cruise line which offers a regular schedule of Arctic expeditions.


Hurtigruten’s own site proclaims, “it’s not customary to tip on our ships”, while tip boxes and envelopes are present in shipboard restaurants should you choose to share any consideration.



Paul Gauguin Cruises

Tahiti, Bora Bora and more, Paul Gauguin’s signature ship, MS Paul Gauguin, is an inclusive fare and gratuities for room, dining, and bar staff is included. They do accept donations to a “Crew Appreciation Fund”, located at the Purser’s Office onboard – the crew benefits from social events and parties using the funds.



Regent Seven Seas

One of our favorite luxury cruise lines – a few ships feature Picasso among their onboard art collection! – your fare is again an inclusive one and includes gratuities unless you’ve booked service at the onboard Serene Spa.

 

 
Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection

With a small fleet of incredible ships years in the making, Ritz-Carlton’s luxurious yacht experience is an inclusive fare. They only note that tipping for salon, spa & shore excursions is voluntary but it is customary, leaving guests to decide how much to tip and to which crew members.

 

 

Seabourn Cruise Line

Simple. Elegant. Unpretentious. Sumptuous. In Seabourn’s words, “tipping is neither required, nor expected.”

 


Scenic Ocean Cruises

Scenic’s exquisite fleet of Eclipse yachts is something to behold. Imagine taking off in a helicopter or plunging beneath the ocean in a mini-submarine!


Your fare with Scenic includes tipping and gratuities for everyone involved in your Scenic itinerary, from drivers to guides, porters and wait staff.

 


Tour guide on ocean cruise
Don't forget your shore excursions. Only certain truly inclusive cruise lines such as Scenic include off-ship service team, such as driver, porters, and amazing local guides!

 

Silversea Cruises

Another luxury level cruise operator with inclusive fares, expect gratuities to be included while on board with the exception of the spa.

 


Virgin Voyages

With a new take on cruising, Virgin certainly offers a lot of inclusions in your cruise fare. I do like their wording regarding tipping at any rate: “We’ve already taken care of taking care of the crew. So, don’t worry, the tips are on us.”

 


Why We Love Inclusive Cruise Fares: Really, what’s not to love? Your cruise fare is simple and includes a lot of value, you have total control if you’d care to recognize the efforts of individual crew members.

 


Set It and Forget It: Automatic Gratuities


Many major cruise lines operate on a sort of "automatic gratuity" system. This means a predetermined amount is added to your onboard account to cover the hard work of the crew.


Here's how it usually works:

  • Flat Daily Amount: Some cruise lines administer a standard daily rate to your shipboard account automatically. This amount can vary slightly depending on the cruise line and cabin category.


  • Who Benefits: These gratuities are shared among the crew members who work tirelessly to make your vacation special – think stateroom attendants, dining staff, and other behind-the-scenes heroes.


  • Pre-Paid: You’re often able to purchase any pre-paid gratuities as a package before even boarding the ship.


  • Promotional: You may also find certain promotions or cruise deals bundle a pre-paid gratuity as part of your cruise vacation package, meaning the daily gratuity amount never finds its way onto your shipboard account.

 

In addition to the daily rate:

There are a few items which are typically outside of any standard daily or pre-paid gratuities package, similar to the luxury all-inclusive cruise fares this can mean spa trips or shore excursions (remembering some luxury lines also include gratuities for excursions!).


This list isn’t exhaustive and varies by cruise line, I’ve tried to note specific examples where found (below) but daily gratuities do not tend to include:


  • Specialty dining

  • Spa and salon services

  • Beverages outside any dining/drinks package

 

 

Carnival Cruise Line

Tips are assessed on all passengers aged 2 and up.

$19.00 per person per day for Suite guests

$18.00 per person per day for Mini Suites, Cabanas, and Reserve Collection guests

$17.00 per person per day for guests of all other stateroom types


Expect an 18% service charge to be added to beverage and specialty dining.

 


Celebrity Cruises

As mentioned in the luxury inclusive cruise lines, Celebrity’s Galapagos sailings include gratuities unless you’ve opted for spa/salon services.


For all other Celebrity sailings:


$23.00 per person per day for Retreat guests

$19.00 per person per day for Concierge and AquaClass guests

$18.00 per person per day for Inside, Oceanview, and Veranda guests

 

An additional 20% gratuity is applied to the abovementioned spa/specialty items, this is extended to mini bar and room service purchases as well.

 


Cunard Line

$18.00 per person per day for Queens and Princess Grill Suite guests

$16.00 per person per day for Britannia Stateroom guests

 

Expect 15% to be added to any spa, salon or bar purchases.

 


Disney Cruise Line

Gratuities are assessed on all passengers, including infants and children.


$23.50 per person per night for Concierge Stateroom and Suite guests

$14.50 per person per night for stateroom guests

 

Disney suggests the above tips are applied to dining room crew and stateroom hosts only, meaning the daily rate can only be adjusted based on their service.


They also suggest you’re free to apply any discretionary amount to other services, including spa, additional drinks, dining outside of “rotational” meals, food and drink in shops and outdoor poolside eateries, room service…


An additional 18% tip is added to deck service tabs, spa services, and most drinks.

 


Holland America Line

$19.00 per person per day for suite guests

$17.00 per person per day for non-suite stateroom guests

 

Holland America adds an additional 18% service charge automatically on bar & beverages, specialty dining and for-purchase menu items, and spa & salon services.



MSC Cruises

MSC does not apply any service charge on infants under the age of 2.


Otherwise MSC’s daily rates are somewhat complicated and depend on which region of the globe your itinerary features, roughly as follows:

 

$14.00-$21.00 per person per night for adults in the MSC Yacht Club

$7.00-$10.00 per person per night for children in the MSC Yacht Club

 

$10.00-$18.00 per person per night for adults in other staterooms

$5.00-$8.00 per person per night for children in other staterooms

 

Note that children’s age range is 2-11 years old but such category only exists on certain itineraries.


Sailings featuring East Asia including Japan, Korea, and China; and those sailing Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama Canal, Canada, and US states such as Alaska and New England do not feature any such declination, all passengers 2 and up would see the “adult” rates applied.

 


Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian applies an automatic gratuity to all guests aged 3 and up.


For bookings made on or after January 1st, 2023:


$25.00 per person per day for The Haven and Suite guests

$20.00 per person per day for Club Suite Balcony and below stateroom guests

 


Oceania Cruises

$23.00 per person per day for Penthouse, Oceania, Vista or Owner’s Suites where butler service is provided

$18.00 per person per day for other stateroom guests

 

Oceania adds a 20% to beverage purchases, spa services, and dinners at La Reserve.

 


Princess Cruises

$19.00 per person per day for Suite guests

$18.00 per person per day for Mini Suites, Cabanas, and Reserve Collection guests

$17.00 per person per day for guests of all other stateroom categories

 

You should also expect an 18% service charge added to optional beverages (and packages), dining and specialty dining, private group functions, and anything guests choose to purchase which isn’t included in the cruise fare.

 


Royal Caribbean

$21.50 per person per day for suite guests

$18.50 per person per day for guests of all other stateroom categories

 

Royal adds 18% for beverages and beverage packages, specialty dining and specialty dining packages, room service and mini bar while spa & salon purchases will incur an additional 20%.

 


Viking Cruises The Kitchen Table is two experiences with masterful chefs on Viking Ocean Cruises
Viking's pricing often includes all-inclusive promotions, making gratuities inclusive if you book smart


Viking Cruises

$17.00 per person per day for all guests

 

Suggested gratuities for local excursion guides or drivers, which you might share with the individual at the end of each tour.


$3.00 per person per day for local guides

$2.00 per person per day for local drivers

 

Note that Viking often includes pre-paid gratuities as part of their ongoing pricing and you may not see any tips added to your shipboard account.

 

Viking’s China Cruisetours feature a separate land portion of the tour itinerary and which is outside of the cruise program.


Suggested daily rates is similar to the above for guides and drivers, payable in USD or equivalent Chinese currency, Yuan/Renminbi.


$10.00 per person per day for Viking Tour Director

$3.00 per person per day for local guides

$2.00 per person per day for local drivers

 


Windstar Cruises

$16.00 per person per day for all guests

 

Windstar also automatically applies 18% against bar charges and wine purchased in the dining room.

 


Adjusting the daily rate: You can typically adjust the gratuity amount yourself if you feel you’ve had the rare misfortune of sub-par service or if you’d care share more and recognize the individual efforts of a crew member.


To make an adjustment you’ll likely need to drop in to a Guest Services station prior to the morning of disembarkation, ideally before dinner or late drinks during the evening before you get off the ship.

 


Show Your Appreciation: Suggested Tipping


Some cruise lines prefer a more personalized approach to gratuities, offering "suggested" amounts but allowing you the flexibility to adjust based on your experience.


Think old school cash in an envelope!


Here's the lowdown:


  • Suggested Amounts: The cruise line will provide guidelines for tipping various crew members, such as your stateroom attendant, dining staff, and bartenders. These are typically based on a per-day or per-drink basis.


  • Flexibility: You have the freedom to tip above or below the suggested amount, depending on the level of service you receive.

 


Star Clippers

Totally discretionary, you’ll get two options to add any tips you’d care to disburse among the crew and staff. Either fill out a credit card form left in your cabin or drop an envelope of cash in the box near the Purser’s Office.


Star Clippers suggests €8.00 per person per day.

 


Ponant

Another cruise line leaving it up to you to decide whether to tip and how much you’d like to share. An anonymous envelope is dropped in your cabin toward the end of the cruise and it’s up to you if you’d like to deposit anything at reception.


Ponant states, “for informational purposes only” that most cruise guests choose to leave €10-€12 per person per day equivalent.

 


The Choice is Yours: Making the Right Decision


Ultimately, the best tipping policy for you depends on your personal preferences and travel style. You may also simply prefer a certain cruise line and sail with them regardless their gratuity policy.


At the end of the day, tipping is a way to show appreciation for the hard work and dedication of the crew members who make your cruise vacation special. By understanding the different tipping practices & policies of the world's most amazing cruise lines, you can navigate the world of cruise ship gratuities with confidence and grace.

 

Now go forth, set sail, and enjoy every moment of your well-deserved vacation!

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