Crew member reveals the truth about tipping on a cruise ship

[@j.wilson1000]

On our Alaska cruise this past year on Ovation, my 14 year old daughter bought some salted chocolate when we were on an excursion. She took it to dinner and, while talking to our waiter, let him try a square of it. He loved it and said he would have to buy some to send his daughter because she loved chocolate. At our next port, my daughter found the same bar of chocolate and bought it for our waiter. When she gave it to him that night at dinner I couldn't believe how happy/ touched he was. It brought out way more of a reaction than slipping him money like we normally do from time to time. The last night at dinner, the wait staff manager came to her and gave her a few RCCL merchandise items (small things like a highlighter, etc.) and told her how much the waiter had enjoyed the gesture. She brought home several souvenirs from the cruise but the items he gave her are her favorite. Funny how two people from two totally different walks of life can bond over a $5 chocolate bar.

[@JennyBussee]

This is wonderful! 🥰

[@tiffanyhanson3701]

I love this!

[@musicladyelaine]

Thank you for sharing this lovely story. ❤

[@kylegray738]

Kudos to you for raising a thoughtful daughter and kudos to your daughter for thinking and acting in such a genuine, caring manner.

[@curtissalden]

Great to hear that they get extra stuff when we include their names in our survey. Cash is still king for everyone, and we always tip extra for great service.

[@JennyBussee]

Matt- this video is much needed. We should be taking care to appreciate crew members in the way they FEEL appreciated ❤

[@dlgregory35]

No thet should be earning a proper wage as in Europe or Australia New Zealand and so on and Americans should be calling for the cruise lines to all be registered in the US

[@gerrymanning1766]

Shouldn't the cruise line appreciate their staff and pay them a proper living wage? Cruise lines make billions, their CEOs make millions yet their business practices are disgraceful.

[@queenofmovinghands]

So we have gratuities charged and give extra tip to waiters and cabin stewards? It can add up!

[@arbonneladyTN]

Been on a ton of cruises, 24+ years worth. Never knew about Laundry soap, or the ducks. Both of which I will be doing soon on our next cruise. We are RVers and leave little animals at camp grounds for people to find with a fun note, never thought about cruises👏🏼 We have always recognized the staff via cash tips & reviews. *** May I add another way to help your cabin steward? CLEAN UP your cabin! Keep it clean! The less they have to clean the faster they are off duty.

[@Bobrogers99]

Many years ago on a Rhine River cruise, we had a fortysomething Austrian named Walter for our waiter. Unlike most of the other waiters, he spoke faultless English. This was our first ever cruise, and he was a great source of information about procedures and about every city that we visited. In fact, other passengers asked us to ask him about questions that they had. On our last day I added a note to the tip envelope describing how Walter had enriched our experience and how valuable he was to us. The ship's staff lined up as we disembarked, and Walter broke from the line to shake our hands and wish us a safe journey. Apparently, my note was appreciated!

[@carolyntemplin488]

My hubby and I love to mention names in reviews for the cruises.. we have always had friendly and kind staff and we feel they should be mentioned and therefore rewarded .. also, keep in mind, these crew members are supporting families back home.. we think it is nice to share what we have with them to help them out, we know they are not as fortunate as we are and we appreciate them

[@AxelQC]

Once on Odyssey OTS, I waved to a server in 270 Lounge. He asked if I needed anything and I said, "oh, I was just saying "hi." You waited on us yesterday at breakfast." He was so touched that I had remembered him that he gave me a high 5. The rest of the cruise, he would wave to me when he saw me again.

[@carolinelane9599]

We are Aussies who can speak Indonesian. We had ordered a drink and we thanked him in Indo.on a cruise out of America. Honestly you would have thought we gave him a 1k tip. We chatted for a few minutes in Indo and got a big hug as he want off.back to work. Poor guy seemed so home sick and in a way we were the closet thing to home for him. Wave and had a chat with him every day.

[@ernestgregg]

@@carolinelane9599 I rarely comment, but had to do so here. I make it a goal to learn and say "Thank you" in as many languages as I can, so that I can thank people in their native tongue. On our last cruise, I learned two (2) more for my list: Tagalog (Filipino) - "Salamat" Turkish - "Teşekkür ederim" The latter I was taught a way to remember: "Two sugar on the rim" - Will get you close

[@altairolp1557]

Why has Royal Caribbean increased their prices substantially? Their prices are extremely high now a days.

[@Brendt-Bsatsea]

Then they increase the percentage of tips on top of those price increases,....they have effectively tripled the tips. Well,...Im sorry but the service has dropped like rock as those tip and other costs went up. Probably WONT be on RCL EVER AGAIN

[@CruisingIsTherapy]

I try to learn their native language, and statements of appreciation, so that I can tell them in their own language that I’m grateful for what they’ve done

[@AznPrzsn]

I find Filipino is a real easy one. It's very similar to Spanish.

[@davidbykowski9678]

On a particular good cruise on Celebrity on the last day I took all 4 bartenders from the Martini bar to the gift shop and bought them each a pair of RayBan sunglasses. They had a blast picking them out and I made 4 friends for life!!

[@bradjohnson233]

Great idea. I tried the same but they all wanted Persols which were not available on the ship. No friends made that cruise. Also created a problem when Martini bar was left unattended.

[@SinisterMD]

On a recent cruise we went on, I asked our cabin steward what he likes and though he was very hesitant trying to be polite, he said he likes chocolate. When in port at Cozumel, I took my son to a local shop and we picked out some chocolates and other things for him. I think he was very appreciative.

[@wondrafuladventures]

I take a picture of their name tag so when i do the post survey i can look at the photos and call them out by name

[@user-mp9tu6cp7d]

Me too! Otherwise, I might forget their name or what their official title is.

[@judithstrachan9399]

Good idea. I have trouble with names, might do that now.

[@B737900ER]

His name isn't Bob so I can't spell it.

[@DocPicklez]

I "Pre-tip" and When I go to my room this first day, I find my room attendant, learn their name, and give them a little extra cash on the spot. Then when I leave I always leave a note with additional cash. Its not much to me and i know its a super big deal to them. Why not skip star bucks 5 times and spread a little more love.

[@JLingo]

Been on Freedom and Utopia so far with Royal. Always paid the gratitudes when booking the cruise. Then tip the waiters and statesroom attendants with cash the final day of the cruise.

[@pw-sz6ds]

I take pictures of their name tags and write their names on the survey along with their titles. If there is enough room, I write how much they enhanced my vacation.

[@afsoccommando]

I have been doing that for years. They really appreciate it and I seem to get even better service when they realize I have all their information for the cruise survey. I have NEVER used it as a threat or written poorly about any crew member. I take it the first day and tell them it is to write about how great the service is and by golly, I always get great service! Do the same thing at the bars and guest services as well. I was told years ago it helps their paycheck and promotions!

[@lillianmartinez1593]

I have started talking pictures of their name tags, as I tend to forget how to spell their names!

[@schwarjm100]

@@lillianmartinez1593 Taking a photo of each staff member assigned to your stateroom/dining table & noting each name is a great idea when we take the time to complete the cruise line post-cruise questionnaire!

[@marinaward1177]

I do the same. This way, I have everyone's name and can recognize them and their service in the survey at the end of our trip.

[@BEYONDYOURIQ]

I liked the old way of tipping....handing cash directly to those who earned it, at the end of my trip. I was always very generous and appreciative of those who took good care of me. I find that this is a far better way to incentivize staff to do a good job.

[@biffhenderson1144]

I agree. My twist is that I also tip throughout the week if I receive excellent service. Who knows, I may never see the person again during the remaining days.

[@richscary]

We have gotten into the habit of tipping our MDR waiter and assistant waiter a smaller daily tip instead of one large tip at the end of the cruise. We think it's a win/win. It is a great way to show appreciation after every meal and it puts money in the pockets of the crew members in case they are running a little short during a cruise for some reason.

[@RachelKirkman-k6o]

I totally agree with remembering and using crew member names. My youngest son did this with a crew member who greeted us with hand sanitizer outside the main dining room each night and she was very touched and always gave him a hug in appreciation.

[@venezuelaentexas3456]

This will never stop until RC CLEARLY explain how are the TIPS/GRATUITIES distributed, period! I like and always tip, I have never removed my gratuities and always pay them in advance, and also, I tip cash for my waiters and room attendants BUT the fact that RC has never explain the process, tells me that it's something shady... they are hiding something...Thank you Matt for all you do

[@georgelomarro4677]

Problem is no one believes what RC says about how its distributed, and that will never change. If you believe them now, it's all good. If you don't, it is a conspiracy. If they say anything more or less about how it is distributed, it will not change anyone's mind. In the end, if you don't like how RC says they hand out the gratuity, then you can remove it, and tip directly with cash. The prepaid/auto gratuity did not always exist and was introduced as a convenience, so you don't have to be bothered with cash and envelopes while on vacation.

[@dlgregory35]

@@georgelomarro4677 there is no way in this world that I would ever allow tips or gratuities to be paid to the cruise lines I pay directly who should be getting paid a proper wage anyway about governments got a grip on these greedy cruise lines.

[@ho66se]

The personal notes and taking picture of name tags to do the survey are my take aways! I cruise in February. Great post

[@kimacnz]

My understanding of the auto-gratuity was that the tip could go to the folks that we never saw, but worked hard at laundry, dishes, etc...When I saw that, it didn't bother me as much to pay it. Now, I hear that if the crew member makes $1000, and he/she is given a tip of $300, he/she is then paid by the cruise line only $700. Is that really true? If it is, I can't believe it is legal. Passengers think that a tip is a tip, that is an amount given above the salary line for exceptional service. Having the cruise line take away an amount equal to the tip is pretty much getting the crew member nothing, but the cruise line (using the above numbers) adds $300. to its bottom line. I would really appreciate it if someone could really clarify how this tipping thing works. Thanks.

[@judithstrachan9399]

So would I! I see so many passengers saying this, but I’ve never heard it officially confirmed. There are plenty of crew members online, why can’t *they* clarify this once & for all?

[@markbarton2652]

​​@@judithstrachan9399I've seen the pay slip on Facebook that shows one employee's "minimum monthly salary of $1450 minus $700 or so of gratuities leaving a balance of $750 for Royal to pay them. So our gratuities actually subsidizes Royals payroll

[@lisasansone2630]

We used to bring ducks for the kids, but have found crew members are so much more appreciative. At a cost of less than 50 cents each it's so easy too. We continue to sail because of the service and the opportunity to get to know the crew. We once gave a duck to a room steward at the end of a cruise (plus cash) and she cried, sharing she had spent the week looking at our bucket of ducks.

[@mlhobbs]

I remove the automatic gratuities. The gratuities are an income line for the cruise lines. Crew members are paid the salary they are contracted to receive. Some crew members may receive an award or bonus from the gratuities fund. Bottom line is you want a specific crew member to get a gratuity, you need to hand them the cash!

[@kathleenflavin4764]

One Halloween cruise we took candy and went all over the ship giving it to the crew, it amazed us that they were so appreciative. Lots of smiling faces, and we had so much fun.

[@tylerburkley9035]

Defenitely learned tips for our next cruise only been on one so far. Got new ideas to show my appreciation to my cabin steward

[@schwarjm100]

You wrote you “got new ideas to show appreciation to the cabin steward”. Please tell!!

[@tylerburkley9035]

@ I meant ideas from the video that I hadn’t thought of

[@gsadventures]

I know of a few people personally that I’ve spoken to have said they don’t tip the ship. They go to guest services and tell them they don’t want to add gratuities and then they pay the people who actually are waiting onthem.

[@OurYouTubeChannel25]

I wish I would have known I could do that!!! We were cruise rookies so had no idea!

[@georgelomarro4677]

Because that is exactly how the gratuity was done before the prepaid/auto gratuity was created in the mid-2000s.

[@raymondii436]

Yup, this is the way. This way, you tip for the actual service, and the money goes to the worker directly, RCL doesn't see a cent of it, nor they should

[@deeandjerrydoingrealestate1395]

That’s exactly what we continue to do. I hand my waiters and room attendant cash and we always tend to bring $8-10 per day in $1.00 bills so when we get free drinks (Diamond Plus so we get free drinks per day) we tip the crew members that serve us those drinks.

[@csmith2435]

Yeah, be honest with yourselves. Not everyone who removes the gratuity from their bill tips the crew properly. Unless you have a very good reason related to poor service, removing the gratuity is rather...a rookie move. I want to say that it is ignorant, but either way, it is not appropriate. Don't drive a Mercedes if you can afford the insurance. Not a sermon. 🤨🤨🤨

[@sarahwilliam7467]

So glad to live in Australia and not have to worry about automatic gratuity. Extra tip for extra service.

[@robbroere1384]

Australia is leading common sense on this while America (on land and on cruises as well) is stuck in the past. Europe is a mixed bag. Will be on an MSC Cruise in Europe in February, booked through a European agency, and Gratuities are part of the cruise price. On another cruise in Europe in March on Celebrity booked through the same agency and Gratuities are not part of the Cruise price. MSC being European seems more sensible. Celebrity although originally Greek seems now more aligned to their parent company RCL. MSC in US will not include it as they would suddenly seen as more expensive. Wish the world follows Australia, pay a fare wage and increase it by the gratuities in their base salary and include gratuities in the cruise price and then tip for extra ordinary as we see fit.

[@mdepfl]

Yes.

[@CruisingwithCrystalandMarshall]

Very nice and important video! We are aware of the surveys but have not thought about the personal notes. We tend to stay with cash tips but will think about small gifts also. As always Matt, thanks!

[@beachymamaadventures]

Great information Matt! Sharing your video!

[@geoffdrew5207]

Compulsory "gratuities" are not tips, they are simply a slave tax. It is the employer's responsibility to pay their staff fairly and then set the fares accordingly. The childish practice of these compulsory charges is an insult to the intelligence of the passengers and supporting them is condoning the cruise line's practice of underpaying their staff. If you want to support the crew then remove the gratuities from your account.

[@rosemarie9956]

I have to agree with you - anything added directly on your bill is an extra charge You can take it off with a little bit of awkwardness and then tip how you want but even hear people make judgments about that and some are nasty - tip however you want !! I do not like how the cruise lines are telling service staff that the tip sharing is part of their salary however. It is getting out of hand

[@cocoaeve9054]

It's a pleasure to know that the crew is appreciative of receiving positive feedback. I always leave complimentary remarks for my most cherished crew members. ❤

[@davie2983]

I recently went on an 8 day cruise. I spoke to a number of the workers and each one of them questioned where our tip money went because they felt the cruise ships were shorting them and there was no accounting to how the cruise line accounted for the money received and given out.

[@soshiangel90]

i had heard the vagueness about how mentioning a crew member in the post cruise survey can help but actually getting the breakdown of what they get really does help to know. We always take time to jot down the names of any crew member who helps make our trip the best it can be and while we can't give cash tips to everyone, we do make sure to mention them by name in the survey and what they did to help us.

[@tammeyarthur4724]

Good to know about the laundry soap! I’ll definitely be bringing that each time in addition to my tipping

[@susankara7520]

We buy a pouch of pods at dollar tree but get the bag from Canada not China. 🎉❤

[@sgtbrendan289]

I did a cruise on Oasis a few weeks ago. One of the bartenders was from Kenya, and I used to spend quite a bit of time in Tanzania (pre Covid). He graciously let me knock the rust off my Swahili. I think he was thrilled the someone knew some Swahili, (or did a GREAT job pretending ;) ) He got good tips each time, and a mention in my survey. :)

[@margi9103]

The blogger mentioned that Australia isn’t included. Australian citizens on a cruise that starts and ends in an Australian port do not pay these automatic gratuities on some cruise lines. When we are on such a cruise we always tip our room attendant and the waiters that help us. A few years ago we took our niece on a cruise. She was 21 at the time. She studied Indonesian in high school and always spoke to the Indonesian crew members she came across in Indonesian. They thought she was Indonesian. She also picked up how to say hello, how are you and thank you in other languages on board and use them with other crew members. She befriended a young retail crew member on board. She would go and talk to him when it was a bit quiet in the shops. He was the same age and it was his first cruise and it was nearing Christmas so he was a bit home sick. As a family we got to know him too and had a photo taken with him. When we got home my sister printed off the photo and put it into a Christmas card for him. She had a close friend going on a cruise on the same ship two weeks after we returned home. She asked her to give this crew member the card. Her friend said that when he got the card and saw the photo he got very emotional, thanked her and apologised and left because he was crying.

[@tammyd7400]

I think we'll probably take a package of Gain Flings to give to the crew, in addition to the mandatory gratuity and cash, because we have a Sam's Club account and get discounts, so it could really help them without costing us much. I never considered that the crew would have to pay for laundry detergent . . . Thanks Matt!! This was really informative!! I always keep crew names in my phone and notes for the survey after the cruise.

[@webdzinelvr8920]

Great idea about putting their names in your phone! I’m horrible at remembering names.

[@OurYouTubeChannel25]

I kept a running list of names as well.

[@dlgregory35]

It is not mandatory at all

[@LivingwellwithamberL]

The Laundry detergent remark! I'm going to remember that and on our next cruise bring a few boxes of laundry sheets to gift some crew members! Those are affordable (off amazon) and easy to pack!

[@Its-All-Random]

We do cash tips every day of the cruise and on the last night of the cruise, we go to guest services to take off the gratuities. I’ve talked to a lot of crew members and they do not get all the gratuities being charged to customers. I bring a bunch of $5, $10 and $1 bills worth about $300 to tip bartenders, waiters, room steward, buffet servers etc. I’d rather tip directly.

[@kylegray738]

I still give an additional cash tip to our 2 waiters and cabin assistant. Recently, I even included the Head Waiter when I saw how much he was helping his wait team and how oftern he stopped by each table to check on everyone. I have been cruising for 24+ years and still find that the service provided and the attitude of all crew members far outweighs the service from any land-based restaurant or hotel.

[@teleensantillan3947]

I found a duck on my first cruise on my way to the cabin for the first time. It made my day. I was later gifted a duck from a person working in the art gallery. This also made my day. I will bring both on a future cruise to hide and give away. Hopefully they will make someone else's day.

[@mamaturner3955]

We cruised Disney a few years ago and at the end you received a list of where your pre-paid tips went and then you can add more if you like. It was nice to see where it all went. We just took NCL and they put a “service charge” but do not tell you where it goes. The staff was much grumpier on NCL too, not all but many. The worst service was in the Specialty Dining. The best was the buffett and 24 hour dining room. I did make sure to thank those folks and tipped extra in those spaces.

[@AC-lz1zv]

Very informative Matt!

[@ss_sailaway]

Well I guess I’ll keep up my duck hiding game for everyone including the crew. Might also figure out where to get some crew laundry supplies. Thanks Matt!

[@blahblah7083]

They make laundry detergent sheets. I bring some so I can wash in the sink. That would be really easy to pack if you want to gift to the crew

[@RussLuvs2Cruise]

Let's call it what it is, a salary subsidy. I would like to know how these "gratuities" are really divided up amongst the crew, if that is in fact what happens.

[@nea273]

100% I think it is a subsidy. A type of loophole on the system. Do you remember when ebay started? The seller started selling items cheaply and uses shipping to subsidy the rest. To avoid paying fees and taxes.

[@mdepfl]

Indeed and it is deceptive to say “but 100% of autograt is distributed to the crew” when it is used to reduce the amount of the contract that the line funds. Whose really getting tipped here?!

[@terrishaw7640]

Great information. I won a drawing on an Alaska cruise and there were close to 15 items in the bag. I spent the second week giving away a lot of the items to the crew because I did not have room to take all of it home and some items were not anything I would use. I think they all enjoyed picking items they wanted.

[@goldwingerppg5953]

My sister and her husband have done dozens of cruises and my wife and I are about to go on a 13 day cruise with them. They said we should make sure to have RC take the tips off our accounts and pay the tips ourselves. They are very good tippers and so are we. My wife and I met in the restaurant business when I was a bartender and she was a waitress and have always been good tippers.

[@Its-All-Random]

Yes! I would suggest tipping directly then on the last night go to guest services and have them remove the gratuities from your bill. They actually didn’t ask me why and I thought they will give me a hard time. But I did explain that I gave out cash tips throughout the cruise. enjoy!!!

[@ckilgore001]

The adults including crew members or passengers get more excited than the kids 😂

[@OurYouTubeChannel25]

We went on our first cruise in December and felt very confused by the tipping/gratuity thing. We were under the impression handling cash was poo-poo’d and paying it in advance was the most preferred. So we didn’t bring any cash aboard other than an emergency stash if for some reason that would be needed? LOL anyway, now that I hear these comments from crew I am sad and wish I could go back and bless all the amazing people who served us all week. We loved them so much! We did take some of our cash stash and leave a thank you note and a little something for our room attendant because he serviced two rooms (one teenager room so he deserved a medal)! And we mentioned every single name on the survey of those who served us.

[@m3angarage428]

There's your answer. If the crew members have no idea about where the gratuities go, that means there's no additional bonus (gratuity) they receive other than their contracted salary. So that extra $300k-500k+ that's being automatically charged goes back into the cruise line's pockets.

[@biffhenderson1144]

Or equally distributed to a large group of people making the tip useless at rewarding excellent service of an individual.

[@jburch5752]

I have asked crew members on five different lines about the tips. I have never gotten an answer because they don't know what happens to them. I do know that the private concessions like the photo studio and jewelry stores aren't involved in that I think the Senior Crew isn't either but the problem is nobody can tell you where the money goes.

[@Tee55118]

Exactly. LIke how all my recycling probably ends up in the South China Sea (fun activity: put an airtag on your recycled matter and see where it goes.) Autmated gratuities go into a big black hole, and are basically in the same category as Death and Taxes. Do what you want. My understanding from this video is: 1. Cashi is King. 2. Qualified Gifts are ok. 3. Handwritten Thank You notes to individual crew is ok.

[@webdzinelvr8920]

I have no problem with gratuities EXCEPT for having to pay them on the soda package. I’m going to the soda machine & filling the cup myself. If I got to a bar or main dining room and get one I will happily give a tip.

[@MahirYouTubechanel]

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[@kasha4892]

I can vouch for the survey’s and how beneficial it is to the individual crew members. Of course I would not remember all the WONDERFUL names.. I have made a habit of taking their pictures with the Name tag visible. I create a folder for that sailing and add their work location to the specific crew members. I sailed the same ship within a 60 Day Period and the actually remembered me and told me that had great surveys and had received things like Guest Room, Financial incentives, time off and other recognitions. I always tell them I am talking the photo with name tag, so I can mention them specifically… PLEASE NOTE: The immediate submission of the survey is important because incentives are often determined by a certain time frame when survey is received… Like, first Come first serve.

[@gamingwithalfredo]

It's a win win situation for guests and crewmembers to opt out of the prepaid tip and just tip whoever helped you the most. The surveys are highly manipulated by the managers and help their paisanos over the rest

[@randyfurco2720]

We pay hundreds of dollars in gratuities ahead of time. Then get charged 18% gratuities on everything we buy , on every drink or food purchase. There should be no expectations of tips. We tip our room attendant well and that is it. Royal needs to disperse the tens of thousands they collect in tips , a little better I think.

[@kytsunman8592]

Just dont pay gratuities. Sounds controversial, but we shouldn't be expected to pay 20/30% of ticket fee. Just give handshake tips to people that you really enjoyed their service

[@randyfurco9783]

Gratuities on food or drink purchase are compulsory. Also they automatically charge you gratuities daily or ahead of time. That is why I am saying the k my person I feel compelled to tip extra is the Room Stewart. Anyone that has to clean up people's cruise bathrooms deserves all the money they can collect.

[@cheribushman2106]

This is why I cruise with Princess. Buy the plus package that includes everything, including gratuities. No extra costs through the trip other than an extra tip for my steward and favorite bartender.

[@nascarmadman]

Our last cruise on HAL, the waitstaff at one of the bars knew our names before we knew theirs! They all got a little extra. And of course the cabin steward - an extra hundie!

[@biffhenderson1144]

The prepaid gratuities and in some cases the handshake tip that is forced to be shared with others, are no longer tips.

[@nea273]

The question is: Does the company pay revenue taxes from tips? Are tips subsidiesing their salaries? I'm just asking. I think it is a loophole.

[@biffhenderson1144]

You're onto something. Reporting of tips to the corporation often results in the tips being reported to the respective tax collection agency of the country of employment.

[@Chip.N.Lisas.Travels]

Great info Matt

[@kitana097]

on NCL - they charge a daily "Service Charge". Has no language of gratuity. Makes me wonder if the cruise lines keep some if it for themselves

[@judithstrachan9399]

More like most or all of it. Do they have an annual report, showing gratuities charges & paid?

[@JoanBaranek]

WoW! allot of info i did not know, thank you for sharing

[@pcrusier3715]

Great video!!!!😊

[@DixieDevil78]

I never received my post sailing survey. We encountered so many wonderful crew members on Allure of the Seas, I wanted to give them their “flowers”.

[@GlamGail]

Spam or junk mail

[@DixieDevil78]

@ wasn’t in there either, that was the 1st place I checked.

[@2LoveAndAdventure]

Great topic. Love the crew insight and ideas for ways to so appreciation. I'm pretty sure the tipping system is confusing to crew members because they don't get 100% of the "TIPS" that the cruise lines take from passengers

[@HissingKitty2008]

They also appreciate big boxes or bags of assorted chips. 😊

[@peterhenderson5441]

Thanks for this informative video Matt. Tipping in Australia is only given for EXCEPTIONAL service. That’s why Gratuities are included in the price for Royal Caribbean cruises booked in Australia. Unfortunately, we have not experienced any exceptional service on Royal Caribbean ships in recent years. Although crew members on the sister line, Celebrity, often warrant extra tips for exceptional service.

[@caioferraz7981]

Calling it mandatory is misleading. They are auto added, but you can definitely ask to remove them from your room and tip accordingly using cash, either by hand or using the tipping envelopes. Guest services never ask why you are removing them. So... NOT mandatory.

[@MrChrisg0625]

Gratuity on food/beverage purchases on cruise planner ARE mandatory! When you buy a $14 cocktail, 18% gratuity is mandatory!

[@RoyalCaribbeanBlog]

The only reason to remove them is to pay them in cash. Six of one, half a dozen of another.

[@AnonyMous-nl7ig]

Not the first time...hey man, just say that daily auto grats are not mandatory...

[@georgelomarro4677]

What Matt did not mention is the history of the gratuity. Nothing has changed. 20+ years ago when I went I my first cruise, the gratuity was all cash, in an envelope, an you handed it directly to your wait staff and cabin steward. It was a PITA. So Royal started automatic and prepaid gratuities, so we as the customer, do not have to be bothered with this ritual on our vacation. Nothing has changed in 25 years, the recommended amount has increased over time, and Royal still publishes this same gratuity breakdown of where it goes. You can still remove the automatic gratuity and tip directly, or tip more than recommended if you like. Nothing has changed.

[@mdepfl]

It has changed though. Back when we passed out the envelopes those dollars added to the contracted minimum salary. Today they reduce the amount of that salary the line funds and the employee gets the contract salary. If you opt out the crew member still gets the minimum and the cash you give is over and above that. No?

[@judithstrachan9399]

@@mdepfl, I’d REALLY like to know if that’s so.

[@kathryncashner3294]

I expected to be commenting that a lot depends on the cruise line. In reality, while small details do vary from one line to another, most of what was stated mirrors what crew have told us on our favorite lines. The biggest thing across all lines is that crew benefit greatly from being named, with country or department if possible, in the post-cruise survey. We've heard of benefits ranging from an extra hour off on a shore day to promotions and raises. One thing that does vary is what the cruise line does with those automatic gratuities. Some lines are very clear about how these are divided, while others make it a deep dark secret. One cruise line was holding a finding ducks event for crew--if they found a numbered duck and turned it into their manager, this was supposedly evidence of good cleaning and they got a bonus. They were somewhat surprised when passengers began hiding ducks as well, and the crew competition was ended. A huge "yes" to giving leftover laundry detergent to crew members. We bring our own on lines that have self serve laundry, and crew is delighted to have any we have left rather than us taking it back home. And on most lines we've sailed, any cash tips handed to a crew member are their's to keep and don't have to be shared or turned in.

[@kevinmyers8325]

I took my first cruise last march. I'm normally friendly to everyone. I would always ask the staff there name where there from. Tell me about where there from and I mentioned it to my gf that I felt like we got more appreciation from the crew on the later days

[@jetskiordie7976]

Dude. The tipping propaganda must STOP! I will not help the cruise lines walk away with even more billions. If you want more money, ask your employer, not your employer’s customers!

[@josephfraley4432]

Honestly, tipping is out of hand everywhere. Why should people be tipped for doing thier job. Tipping has become an expectation. It was at one time done only when someone performed beyond expectation and was a form of acknowledgment and appreciation. Just charge more for the cruise and forget the guilt ridden tipping. Will it be enough, or should I of shouldn't I. Subsidizing company's employees.

[@neishabarrett2209]

I wish tips were included in the cost. But I'm def tipping.

[@ROBERTGREENE-k6h]

I tip room stewards bar tenders food staff individually usually daily . Then have the bill tip removed from my final bill.

[@davidseitz6726]

Great video

[@davidb0327]

Just charge me $560 more for my trip and stop calling it a tip

[@kevinsong1855]

I wonder if royal Caribbean is doing this to avoid paying tax on it. It's likely it is currently being taxed as gratuity on the crew member from their country and not revenue to Royal Caribbean like if they just directly increased cost.

[@mblitch]

@@kevinsong1855 No, it is to make the cruise seem cheaper when signing up. You do know that expenses write off against income ... right?

[@markg3380]

Just tip and quit being cheap

[@nickstark8479]

Isn't that basically the same as selecting to pre-pay the gratuities? Or do you just want it to be hidden all together and pretend it doesn't exist?

[@izzo2998]

@@nickstark8479 That was my question as well.

[@KimJohnson-k4u]

If mentioning crew members is so important why isn't it available on the app? I have suggested this option for years on surveys post cruise! Complimenting crew members in real time right after a crew member goes the extra mile is most accurate, especially if you could post it with a picture of the crew member. Post cruise surveys probably don't get filled out very often as people are going back to their busy work lifes. Give your guests the ability to comment on the ship while they are the on the ship!

[@rebeccalyons1327]

You can do this on Holland America. My waiter thanked me the next evening after I had left a comment through the app.

[@kevincameron8437]

My feeling is if it's "mandatory", then it's not a gratuity...it's part of their salary. But this was good information to learn about.

[@georgelomarro4677]

Don't call it it "mandatory" when you can do something about it, no questions asked. Don't prepay it, and remove/reduce/increase it as you like.

[@pirate2031]

I think it’s terrible the crew doesn’t even know how the auto gratuities work and how it affects their pay. Makes me think it’s a scam as they aren’t transparent.

[@markphillipson768]

Cruising on RC in April. Pre paid Tips, booked Giovanni’s and the Coffee Package both also added Gratuities, crazy. Won’t be Tipping on the Ship, if Crew Members want to vent anger about Tips talk to RC Management. I do the Reviews and always add the names when getting great Service.

[@sarahbiggs6410]

I've always wondered if I add a dollar or two tip when signing the receipt at a bar, does that tip go directly to the crew member? Or is it better for the crew member if I hand them cash instead?

[@scottchace780]

Passangers are not "obliged" to leave mandatory gratuities. Royal (and the other lines) might try and make you think you are, but you can have them removed at any time.

[@7elysian]

My first stop when boarding is guest services to ensure no gratuities are added to my account, as a gratuity can not be expected or enforced. It is far better to to tip staff in cash directly as tips collected by the cruise company are not voyage specific. These funds are pooled fleet wide and used by the cruise companies to pay bonuses ect. That staff member you so appreciated is most likely never going to see any of the money.

[@bernievandewalker1420]

I have heard the tips don't even really go to the crew but are used by the cruise line for their expenses.

[@jeffdinter600]

Yes I believe the cruise lines should pay their employees a better pay. Why should we have to cover their lack of taking care of their crew I believe that the crew members make more in tips than I do per week

[@judithstrachan9399]

If the line does pass it on!

[@williammiller5449]

1) Cruise lines should publish their tip distribution policy. and have adherence to that policy verified. I've seen too many charities where most of the donated money goes to "administration expenses". How do we know that sort of thing isn't happening with the "mandatory" cruise tips? 2) So crew that have a lot of contact with the guests get money from the "mandatory" tip pot. What about the crew that work sight unseen (e.g. the laundry crew)? They're important too.

[@reginarizer5797]

I always take a gift bag, but never thought of laundry detergent. Thanks

[@philc7135]

I cruise solo and pay a 90%+ solo supplement. I’m not paying gratuities as well

[@dominiquetheeasyminimalist]

It's not the crew's fault if you don't know where to find better deals.

[@ryanbrown8497]

I pre pay tips, but for each service I give them a dollar each, it’s just a little extra as I always see good service from the staff at all times.

[@l.wallace4252]

I would like to know how and when the automatic gratuities are distributed. There is zero transparency. I’ll continue to pay them but I would like to know that 100% actually is paid to the crew. I have serious doubts.

[@kerrychabot]

I try my best to remember names, but I’m SO so terrible at it! To the point where, even some of my co-workers that I don’t see daily, I can’t remember their names😓 I’ve taken to putting the names in my phone! I did this with our waiters from our last cruise so that I could mention them by name in the survey! I’m going to try to bring little Canadian maple leaf pins on our next cruise to gift to staff. It’s something small that can be pinned to a bag or coat that won’t be obvious, but that will hopefully say “thank you for making our cruise amazing.”

[@KJM1919]

In normal life, I enjoy tipping people that provide excellent service. Automatic gratuities can be frustrating, if you wanted to give more to a specific crew member. I wish they would allow you to allocate where your prepaid gratuities go, by team or crew member. Whatever splits they have in place don’t account for the service the individuals provide. Imagine if you could pick an individual that really took care of you to give a majority of your prepaid gratuities to! We took a cruise where our Housekeeping staff was AMAZING but the MDR staff wasn’t so great, and since I always prepay, I wished that I could allocate more to the Housekeeper from the already paid amount. Of course, we carry some cash for tipping above that, but it’s nowhere near the upfront amount. Anyway, appreciate your coverage on this topic, as I think a lot of us want to be kind to the hardworking staff but also feel our tips are going to the people who truly deserve it... or worse, fear the tips never make it to the crew at all. I do wish they would adjust the fare prices to pay non-service crew members more and remove assumed/compulsory tips altogether.

[@annelouise99]

I would like to get absolute confirmation that some of the prepaid gratuities go to behind-the-scenes people. I've heard differing answers on that. I've always written down crew members' names so I can give recognition later. I've never, ever, had a bad crew member. On our last cruise, a crew member got cornered by a guest who felt he had a connection with the poor guy and that crew member intently listened for quite a long time. He was in the middle of cleaning guest rooms. He spoke very little and just nodded but he was very gracious.

[@amandawelch2706]

Used to work for them and can confirm the crew gets every penny

[@sludog]

Shirtless guy at the buffet line 2:45 😱 please tell me that that is a carnival ship B role footage. 😂

[@shelleylarose]

I seen a couple in bathrobes and barefeet

[@ashleyearley7829]

Good to know we have to let their managers know we're gifting them something from the ship!

[@jhollie8196]

On HAL we leave our room attendants an Amazon gift card and my wife puts out chocolate treats for them every evening before we go to dinner. We give an Amazon gift card and sometimes a handmade nautical pens I make to Neptune Lounge staff and cash for the MDR waiters cash. I will admit the dollar amount left depends on the service provided, but we leave something . We were told long ago that the amazon cards allowed them to get what they wanted and it’s delivered to the port for them.

[@biffhenderson1144]

I have always wondered if I tip an individual for excellent service, do they have to report it and share it with others.

[@richardleatherman193]

We chose to not pay the gratuity at booking but let it show up daily. We have had cruises where something changed that caused us to get an OBC. We then use the OBC to pay the gratuity. We also give extra to the room attendant, waiters, and a bartender or two.

[@relaxfarms6627]

Hello Matt Its been 20 years since I have been on a cruise and I am about to go one one soon. Do you know if those gratuity fees are mandatory charges? Do you know if those charges can be removed from your bill? If not, do you know of any lines that will remove the automatic charges? I want to be able to decide who I tip and how much I tip. If this is a true tip for service, and I want to decide who gave me good service, why should I be declined that option? I love your ideas about going to the manager or making management aware of tips, and will do that. I dont think my tips should pay every single room cabin steward. I think I should be able to pick what I want to give. Same for the rest of my tips. I hope you see this and comment. Thanks in advance!

[@christinevillela2710]

I bring some googly eye stickers I get from Amazon for my cabin steward. They dont take up much room. Always fill out the survey. I take pictures of staff that is great along my cruise so I can remember their names. They always love to pose for a picture!