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Automatic service charges and tips are, with most cruise lines, a compulsory part of your total travel costs. These extra expenses range from €12 to $25 per person per day. The amount depends on your cruise line and cabin type. If you know how each cruise line deals with this, you avoid surprises and can estimate your cruise budget more accurately.
How tips and service charges work
Almost all cruise lines charge gratuities or service charges for the services of the crew on board. This money goes to cabin stewards, waiters, bar staff and other service staff. With most companies, these tips are added to your onboard account on a daily basis. In addition, drinks, speciality restaurants and spa treatments attract a separate service surcharge of 15 to 20 per cent on top of the price.
The exact amounts differ per cruise line and often also per cabin category. Suites usually have a higher rate than inside cabins. Children also pay a reduced rate up to a certain age with some cruise lines. It is important to factor in these costs in advance as part of your total cruise budget. For a seven-day cruise for two people, you will quickly pay an extra €150 to €300 in tips. Any surcharges on drinks and other services are on top of that. You can find more background on all additional costs in our article on cruise prices and hidden costs.
Overview of tips by major cruise line
Below is a practical overview. We show how the main cruise lines apply their tipping policy. The amounts mentioned are guideline prices per person per day and can vary depending on the cruise region and booking conditions.
Cruise lines with automatic compulsory tips
- MSC Cruises: €12 or $16 per person per day, regardless of cabin type. Service surcharge of 15 per cent on drinks and speciality restaurants. You can pay the tips in advance when booking or settle them on board.
- Royal Caribbean: $18.50 per person per day for standard cabins. Suites pay $21 per person per day. Drinks and other services attract an 18 per cent surcharge. Tips can be adjusted on board up to a maximum of two days before check-out.
- Carnival Cruises: $16 to $18 per person per day, depending on cabin category. Suites pay $18 or more. All drinks and food outside the main dining room incur an 18 per cent service charge. Prepaying is often possible with a discount.
- Norwegian Cruise Line: $20 per person per day for standard cabins, $25 for suites and The Haven. Service surcharge of 20 per cent on drinks, speciality dining and spa. With certain packages such as Free at Sea, tips may be partly included.
- Celebrity Cruises: $18 to $23 per person per day. Suites pay the higher rate. All services outside the main dining room incur a 20 per cent surcharge. Adjustments can be made on board via guest services.
- Princess Cruises: $18 to $20 per person per day for standard cabins, more for suites. Service surcharge of 20 per cent on drinks and speciality dining. Tips are automatic but can be adjusted.
- Holland America Line: $14.50 to $17 per person per day, depending on your cabin type. Suites pay $16 to $19. Service surcharge varies between 15 and 18 per cent. Adjustments are possible until shortly before the end of the cruise.
- Disney Cruise Line: $16 per person per day for standard cabins, $27 or more for suites. Service surcharge of 18 per cent on all extra orders. Tips are calculated automatically but are not compulsory.
Cruise lines with inclusive tips
- AIDA Cruises: Tips and service charges are fully included in the cruise price. No extra surcharges on drinks or restaurants.
- TUI Cruises and Mein Schiff: All tips and service charges are included. You do not pay any extra amounts for staff or services on board.
- P&O Cruises (UK): Tips included in the total price. No automatic daily additions to your onboard account.
- Azamara Cruises: Fully inclusive policy, including tips and service charges. No compulsory extra costs for services.
- Oceania Cruises: Tips are included in the cruise price. A more upmarket cruise line with an all-inclusive concept.
- Virgin Voyages: Modern cruise line with an inclusive tipping policy. No separate gratuities or service charges.
- Seabourn and Silversea: Luxury cruise lines where all tips and service charges are fully included. Often drinks and speciality dining are also without surcharge.
- Hurtigruten: Tips are included or voluntary. No compulsory automatic deductions.
European budget cruise lines
- Phoenix Reisen: Tips are not included but are voluntary. The recommended amount is around €4 to €5 per person per day. No automatic service charges on drinks.
Service charges on drinks and extra services
On top of the daily tips, most cruise lines charge an additional percentage as a service charge on certain services. This applies to drinks at the bar, alcoholic drinks at dinner, speciality restaurants outside the main dining room, spa treatments and sometimes also for purchases in the onboard shop. The percentage is usually between 15 and 20 per cent. The surcharge is automatically added to the price. This price is shown on the menu or price list.
These surcharges are often listed at the bottom of menus or on price lists. If you buy a drinks package, the service surcharge is usually calculated on the package as a whole, not on every individual drink. It therefore pays to ask carefully at the time of booking or on board how the service charges work exactly with your cruise line.
Paying tips in advance or adjusting them
Many cruise lines let you pay tips in advance, before your cruise starts. This is called prepay or prepaid gratuities. The advantage is that you will no longer get any surprises on your final bill on board and sometimes you receive a small discount if you pay in advance. Cruise lines such as Carnival, MSC and Royal Caribbean standardly offer this option during the booking process.
With most cruise lines you can adjust the tips on board if the service was not as expected or exceptionally good. You usually do this via guest services or at reception. Do note that many cruise lines set a limit: changes often have to be submitted at least one to two days before the end of the cruise. Completely cancelling tips is not always possible, especially not with cruise lines where gratuities are compulsory. Staff receive tips as part of their pay and reward structure, which forms a supplement to the basic salary.
‘ An all-inclusive package works out cheaper than separate orders with an 18 or 20 per cent surcharge every time. ’
Tips for planning your tips properly
Good preparation helps to avoid surprises. When booking your cruise, always check the exact amount of tips on the cruise line’s website. The amount is also stated in your booking confirmation. Immediately factor this amount into your total travel budget, together with any service charges on drinks, excursions and other extra services.
Pay tips in advance if possible. This saves you admin on board and gives you peace of mind during the trip. If you choose a drinks package, check whether the service charge (the service surcharge) is calculated on the package or per drink. An all-inclusive package is financially more advantageous than separate orders with an 18 or 20 per cent surcharge every time.
For exceptional service you should always give an extra cash tip. Many passengers at the end of the cruise give an envelope with $5 to $10 to their cabin steward or barman. This is not compulsory but is always appreciated. Children up to 12 years of age travel for free with many cruise lines or pay a reduced tipping rate. Check this when booking.
Differences between American and European cruise lines
American cruise lines such as Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian generally apply higher tips than European companies. This is because tipping in the United States is an integral part of the service culture. Staff there often receive a lower basic hourly wage. European cruise lines such as AIDA, TUI Cruises and P&O are more likely to choose an all-inclusive model in which tips are already built into the cruise price.
The way in which tips are distributed also differs. With American cruise lines the gratuities go into a shared pool that is divided between all staff. With some European cruise lines employees receive a higher fixed salary and tips are additional or voluntary. With Phoenix Reisen or Hurtigruten, for example, you do not have compulsory daily tips. You can still leave a voluntary amount.
What travellers share about tips on cruises
On forums and review sites many cruisers share their experiences with tipping policies. Do not forget tips when calculating your total budget. Some travellers say they were surprised by a final bill of more than $200 per person for a week’s cruise, on top of the cruise fare already paid. Others particularly appreciate the transparency of cruise lines that clearly communicate all costs in advance.
A practical experience that often recurs is the choice of an inclusive drinks package. Travellers report that the 18 to 20 per cent service surcharge on individual drinks quickly adds up, especially for cocktails and special beers. A package at a fixed price prevents you from having to do the maths every time. The option to prepay tips is also appreciated by many cruisers, as it leads to less admin and stress during the holiday.
‘ Both first-time and experienced travellers will find useful information to help them prepare their trip better. ’
Discover more about cruises on Traveler Tips
Tips and service charges are only one aspect of the total costs and preparation for a cruise. On the Traveler Tips website you will find extensive information on cruise prices, packing lists, destinations, cruise lines and practical tips to help you plan your cruise in the best possible way. Both first-time and experienced travellers will find useful information to help them prepare their trip better. Take time to browse through our articles and get the most out of your next cruise.
Frequently asked questions
With many cruise lines, tips and service charges are not truly hidden, but they are tucked away in the small print or booking conditions; luxury and (semi) all-inclusive cruise lines often already include them in the price, whereas American mass-market cruise lines almost always charge them separately and automatically per day. Check in advance for each cruise line the fixed tipping amount per person per day and the standard service surcharge (usually 15–20%) on drinks, speciality restaurants and spa. For your travel budget you should therefore add to the basic cruise fare both the total tipping amount for all travellers and a realistic estimate of your bar/speciality spending (for example: expected drinks × price × 1.2). If you want to avoid surprises, choose a cruise line where tips are included or buy in advance a (drinks) package in which service charges are already factored in.
For a budget-conscious and well-planned cruise, cruise lines where tips are already included in the price work best, so that you know your total costs in advance. These include AIDA Cruises, Azamara Cruises, Oceania Cruises, P&O Cruises (UK), TUI Cruises/Mein Schiff, Virgin Voyages, Hurtigruten and various more upmarket all-inclusive cruise lines such as Seabourn and Silversea. This way you no longer have to factor in any extra compulsory tips or daily service charges on board.
Yes, on many cruise lines you can pay the standard tips (gratuities) in advance so that you have no surprises on the spot. With some companies (such as AIDA, TUI, P&O, Seabourn, Silversea, Virgin) tips are even already included in the price. On many large, especially American cruise lines, service charges are largely compulsory, but you can sometimes still have them adjusted on board (increased or, to a limited extent, reduced), though not always removed completely. If you want a truly carefree experience, choose at the time of booking a cruise line or fare where tips and service costs are already included.
Yes, some cruise lines offer (on certain ships or under certain formulas) all-inclusive options where tips and service charges are already included, such as various more upmarket cruise lines and brands like AIDA, TUI Cruises/Mein Schiff, Virgin Voyages and P&O (UK). This can be more cost-effective if you make extensive use of services on board and do not want any surprises on your final bill. For travellers who spend little time at the bar or in speciality restaurants, a non-all-inclusive cruise can sometimes work out cheaper. Comparing total costs (cruise fare + tips + service charges + drinks/extras) per cruise line therefore remains important.
Cruise lines with an inclusive or transparent tipping policy usually provide a more relaxed travel experience, because guests are not constantly confronted with extra costs and mental arithmetic. Where compulsory or steeply increasing automatic tips and service charges apply, some travellers experience price stress and a feeling of “hidden costs”, which can reduce overall satisfaction. At the same time, a well-organised central tipping policy can increase staff motivation and stability, which translates into consistent service quality. Conversely, a tipping structure that is too low or unclear can lead to differences in service (with more focus on guests who tip) and therefore to a less uniform experience on board.
