Cruise gratuities: are they mandatory? How much do they cost?
The price of cruises you see in brochures or on websites is often surprisingly cheap. The advertised prices do not include:
- Drinks (but that’s another topic)
- Gratuities
Cruise gratuities? A vast subject that I’ll try to untangle.
The first thing to know is that most cruise ships use “flags of convenience,” meaning they are registered in countries like Liberia, Panama, the Bahamas, etc., which have a very favorable legal environment, especially regarding labor law.
This allows cruise lines, let’s put it bluntly, to exploit many crew members (mostly Filipinos): long hours and meager salaries.
On top of the initial cruise price, the companies automatically add a daily amount for gratuities, which supplements the crew’s low wages. This amount is per person, not per cabin. It can be prepaid before departure or paid at the end of the cruise.
Cruise lines deliberately keep the mandatory nature of these gratuities vague.
For us French people, who don’t have a tipping culture (which exists in North America), this is always a topic that puzzles and then annoys.
On travel forums, it’s quite funny to see the Latin nature of the French come out with a recurring question: how not to pay gratuities on a cruise?
Before looking at this factually, let’s remember that tips are a very important part of the crew’s compensation, and they go out of their way to provide exceptional service. If you disagree with the cruise line’s tipping policy and find a pretext not to pay, it won’t change the cruise line’s revenue; it’s the waiters and housekeepers who will bear the brunt.
In my opinion, the crew should be paid properly, and the cost should be included directly in the travel price. That’s not the case, and we have to deal with it.
Amount and conditions of gratuities by company
| Company | Tip amount | Children? | Mandatory? |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSC | €10 / night (ages 12 and up) | €5 / night (ages 2 to 12). Free for under 2s. | Tips are called “Hotel Service Fees.” Since December 12, 2022, they are mandatory and added directly to the cruise price, which is a very good thing. |
| Costa Cruises | €10 / night (ages 15 and up) | €5 / night (ages 4 to 15). Free for under 4s. | Tips are called “Onboard Stay Package” and are mandatory. |
| Royal Caribbean | $16 / night | $16 / night, regardless of age | Tips are called “gratuities” or “tips.” Royal Caribbean is an American company with American culture: if you’re not satisfied with the service, you have until the morning of departure to go to “Guest Services” and ask to adjust the daily amount up or down. |
| Norwegian Cruise Line | $20 / night | Free for ages 3 and under | Tips are called “service charge.” It’s possible to adjust them if you’re not satisfied by going to the “Guest Service Desk.” |
| Ponant | / | / | Ponant is a French company with French culture 🙂 For a Ponant cruise, no gratuities are charged “automatically.” At the end of your trip, you’ll find an envelope in your cabin where you can put a tip to deposit in a ballot box. €10 to €12 per day per passenger is recommended. |
Should gratuities be prepaid?
You have two options for gratuities: either prepay them before departure or settle them at the end of the trip.
For my part, I prefer to prepay them; it frees my mind and avoids the risk of gratuity increases between the time of booking and the cruise departure.
However, for companies like Royal Caribbean or Norwegian Cruise Line, where gratuities can be adjusted, this won’t be possible if you’ve prepaid them.
Gratuities with MSC
They’ve been included directly in the cruise price since December 12, 2022.
Gratuities with Costa
Gratuities are not included in the listed price.
