Tipping Points

Etiquette aside, here’s what you should know about tipping on board your next cruise.

By Anna-Kaisa Walker - Illustrations by Carmen Jabier

Tipping on cruise ships used to be simple: On your last day aboard, you left cash in an envelope to show appreciation for the crew’s hard work and great service. That all changed with the cashless revolution. Now, most cruise lines charge a pre-set amount to your credit card, or bundle tips into the fare. But with convenience comes confusion: Should you still give cash tips? Who gets the money? And is it better to pay gratuities upfront? We went to the experts for advice on how to read the fine print so you can budget your voyage.

What are daily automatic gratuities?

In lieu of voluntary cash tips, large-ship cruise lines tend to charge daily automatic gratuities to your credit card, typically US$16 to $23 per person per day. For a couple on a seven-day cruise, you might see US$224 to $322 in gratuities added to your final-day folio, where it’s often listed as “crew appreciation.”

While the old days of cash tips tended to favor front-line staff like cabin attendants and waitstaff, automatic gratuities are pooled among most of the crew.

Can you prepay?

You can often settle the bill for gratuities at the time of booking — a budget-savvy option, as locking in the cruise line’s current gratuity rate protects you from potential rate increases before you sail.

Some cruise lines offer fares that bundle gratuities into the price. You’ll pay the same daily flat fees as you would in the automatic daily-gratuities model, but they’re already factored into the quoted fare.

According to Brantford, Ontario-based travel advisor Pat Probert, some premium cruise lines offer a truly all-inclusive experience, covering bar, specialty dining, Wi-Fi and even airfare and shore excursions — with no obligation to tip. “Many people want to be able to get off the ship without a bill, and not have to constantly dip into their pockets,” he says.

Why do gratuities matter?

These pooled tips benefit not only the front-line crew members you interact with in the ship’s restaurants and bars, but staff who work behind the scenes. “Many crew have left their homes, countries and families for months on end so that we can have a vacation,” Probert says.

Who doesn’t share in the tips?

Whether gratuities are included in the fare, paid upfront, or billed at the end of the cruise, some staff aren’t part of the tipping pool, such as casino croupiers, shore-excursion tour guides and drivers and baggage handlers at port.

Casino dealers should get US$1 to $5 if you are winning, says Probert, and more at high-rollers’ tables. For baggage handlers, he recommends $2 per bag, while tour guides should get a minimum of $5, plus $1 to $2 per hour after the first three hours. Cash tips should always be in either US dollars or euros, depending on the destination.

And if you want to reward a crew member for exceptional service or for fulfilling a special request, a cash tip will always be appropriate.

INSIDER TIP

To avoid additional service charges on everything from alcoholic drinks to specialty dining to spa treatments, talk to your Ensemble advisor about pre-paid packages that include these extras.