Cruise Gratuities: What's "Right" And "Wrong" These Days?

[@andramiller6664]

I was once told by a crew member that they recieve the same pay regardless of guest gratuity. That it was a service fee that the cruiseline receives. In the same conversation, a long time-experienced cruiser, advised having the auto gratuity removed on the last evening, and simply pay cash directly to crew. Which I do feel better about. I know they are receiving the money this way. On land in some countries, any gratuity given goes to the business, not the wait staff. With that being said, years back, i looked into working on a ship. The pay was a consistent monthly wage. So, I've always given cash. The crew love it, and I feel good knowing they put it in their pocket.

[@barryhaley7430]

The problem with this is that there are several crew who are supporting the service staff that you meet. They help your server provide the great service but aren’t recognized.

[@xviolist]

You bring up a very good issue here. As customers of the cruise line, we have no idea if the crew really gets 100% of the gratuity. A gratuity should be above and beyond the usual service and is above the crew's regular pay. The fact that cruiselines are counting that tip in as part of the crew's standard pay is really cheap and unfair. We are taking a cruise to Mexico in December; we chose to pay the gratuity in advance simply because we don't want to be bothered paying it at the end of the trip. I hope our contribution is distributed throughout the crew, but we have to way of knowing.

[@willgaukler8979]

... you can be anything you want ... go anywhere you want ... for the most part ... ... who's to say you cannot take a cruise ship to do it ... YOLO as they say ...

[@carlosjaviervaldesavila5041]

Former wait staff on board a cruise here (our whole department is what the gratuities are for) The gratuities are not extra pay besides our salary, gratuities are what they USE to pay or basic salary. This gratuities are used to pay the entirety of the hotel staff salary, that includes the dishwashers, the cooks, the stewards. Literally anything hotel related. We wait staff always expect a tip because that’s what’s truly extra besides our salary (which to be honest is not enough for how overworked we are). Hope you understand now!

[@onjekaji5832]

Guys let me explain prepaid gratuities. Basically it goes towards higher up to down. So basically the staffs that impacted you the most will get a portion of a portion…..take the tips off and tip them manually! They’ll love u so much. U can see it in their eyes

[@chicagogyrl4846]

@@onjekaji5832 Ha ha, no. They use the tip money to pay their basic hourly salary!

[@paulrumohr]

I'm sure that these auto gratuities do not 100% make it to the crew. Cruise line: I'm sorry, but there's an accounting and admin fee associated with distributing these monies... we charge your room and board to these gratuities... miscellaneous fees and costs are deducted from your auto gratuities... I'm sure there's whole ton of accounting BS related to these.

[@jmanjr]

Thank you Gary for framing this “issue” of tipping correctly and I happen to agree with so much of what you have said here. I remain in the camp that a tip is in fact a voluntary and not automatic payment. Otherwise it doesn’t in fact do what it should.

[@neresq]

Amen!

[@davidbray7645]

An excellent presentation. As an Australian, I am incredibly uncomfortable with tipping. It reflects an old-fashioned master-servant relationship that infers the servant won’t perform unless incentivised to do so. In the modern era, I expect people to be paid a proper wage to do a proper job in return. Having said that, like Gary, I give a bit extra on a cruise where something particularly special has occurred. If a company under-pays its employees and expects them to make it up through tips, then that is not a company I will support.

[@PointNemo9]

I think your last sentence shows the big misconception that Australians have about US-style tipping, it is not that the company isn't paying their staff but that (some of) the cost of service is paid directly by the customer to the staff rather than being included in the base cost. Ultimately all employee wages come from customers pockets either way, that's just basic accounting. Personal do I think that base salaries should be included in the base fair but I know it means fairs will need to go up.

[@daveaglasgow]

@@PointNemo9 no, in America, they have no minimum wage law, therefore restaurants etc pay a very low wage to these people, and tipping started (in America) to make sure these people got paid enough to love. This then slowly spread around the world. The problem is, most if not every other first world country has minimum wage laws, and therefore tipping should not be necessary. I disagree with it, why should the customer pay the staff directly, the companies should be paying their own staff a living wage for the work they do. If one waiter works on 20 tables in a night, and each table leaves $20 dollar tip on average, that is an income of $400, which is not taxed because it is not put through the system, therefore the country/state does not get any money towards services. Those tipping are paying tax on income and then passing that on. Why is that a fair situation. And why does someone who puts a plate and a drink on your table desert $400 untaxed per night. There is something very wrong with that. People who do important jobs to keep the country running don't get paid even close to that, but they do get taxed. One other thing, if you get work done at a company, and the secretary deals with you, do you then pay the company, and then pay the secretary an additional tip because they were the one who dealt with you? No of course not, because the secretary is being paid a proper wage, and it isn't just something that society expects you to do, however society expects you to tip a waiter because "that is just how it has always been done"

[@SleventyFive]

@@daveaglasgow The US definitely has minimum wage laws, both federal and state, the problem is that it has 2 'types' of wages. The normal minimum and the 'tipped employee' minimum, which is significantly lower. technically, an employer is required to cover up to the normal minimum if tips don't get there, but who knows if they do every time. Additionally, tips are considered income, and so do have to be recorded in tax filings. I agree that the US system is stupid and needs to change, but it isn't anarchy in regards to wages. Also, tipping most likely began in 16th century England, it didn't really show up in the US until the mid 19th by wealthy Americans who wanted to be seen as aristocratic. For a long time it was seen as very un-American since it implied that the tipped person was a servant, seen as antithetical to the purported egalitarian values of the US.

[@PointNemo9]

@@daveaglasgow I don't really agree with the system either, I think the UK version of tipping is much better. My only point was that customers pay abouy the same amount either way, whereas many peole think the US tipping system makes them pay extra because they don't consider that base prices would be higher if staff wages had to be paid solely through company revenue, hence restaurants would need to increase menu prices to compensate for that. Minimum wage laws have nothing to do with it, it is all about culture. Singapore has no minimum wage laws but does not have the tipping culture. These are totally separate issues.

[@thierrypauwels]

I hate gratuities. I creates uncertainty for both the one who has to give and the one who has to receive. You do not know how much you should give, and the staff depends on the passengers. Moreover it is unfair. Some workers have a lot of contact with passengers, and have quite some opportunities to get extra money this way, while others work behind the screen, and do not have that opportunity. When you take a train, do you give a gratuity to the driver ? When you go to a shop, do you give a gratuity to the truck driver who brought the stuff you bought ? Why would these people have no right for gratuities, while others would ?

[@kwkw5711]

Could you do a video on which cruise line treats there staff the best or which treat their staff well. Potentially that might be a factor why some people would choose a cruise line. If they are ethically minded they might want to patronize cruise lines that treat their workers well.

[@karencossar1827]

Good point, I would love to see Gary do a video on this subject

[@ingelao5963]

It's about time something was done about this! We are now in 2022 and can't be expected to make up the wages for staff who should be paid properly by their Employees. Always happy to tip when service has been extraordinary!! But it should be my choice!!

[@classicsciencefictionhorro1665]

Choose Virgin.

[@asadb1990]

Most cruise pay white American and Canadian staff really well. And pay the overseas, carribean, etc the least

[@ninjakris3004]

Great suggestion!! Gary?

[@warrenwolf4690]

On our last AMA cruise I sought out the baker. The bread each morning was fantastic We took a picture together I handed him cash in hand as my token of appreciation

[@eddecook9252]

AMA Does have outstanding bread on their ships. It was often the highlight of the meal for us.

[@pdspartner1]

we always remove auto-tip from our bill and pay out cash tips...the reason? I spoke with a number of crew members who all said the cruise line takes a substantial chunk of the pot for "administering" the tips. The cruise line will not admit it it but the crew members said it was so....well, given believing the crew and the cruise line, I will go with the crew every time.

[@sandyneedham6499]

Gary - Can you check the facts on this - do the $$ given as auto tip all go to staff? - I mean 100% of what is given. Or does the cruise line skim some off the the top?

[@francoisedunne223]

Pretty much out of the 35+ cruises we have taken we have also deleted the cruise tips from our bill and paid individually cash for them to put directly in their pocket. We have also heard that the cruise lines take a percentage of this and we have heard it directly from someone that worked on the ship that we knew. So we definitely remove the Tips every time and we still will as we continue to cruise along.

[@co7580]

Now that's a very interesting bit of news! I might think of doing the same!

[@zschade27]

I read a discussion between a cruise staff member and an entertainer on a cruise. The entertainer wished people would stop paying the auto gratuities and tip individuals since she used to get more tips this way. The crew member said when the auto gratuities are removed they get no tips at all. They didn’t say what their role was but definitely not front line if they got no tips. Those you don’t see everyday behind the scenes are the ones hurt most by removing auto gratuities and those front line workers probably benefit more from direct tips since they get it all in their pockets. I will always leave my auto gratuities turned on for the back room workers and tip extra for those up front.

[@annesmith5192]

@@zschade27 I agree with you 100 %. It might be more gratifying to hand tips directly to crew members, but then the crew members you don't see get left out.

[@franceswalker2881]

I try to bring a supply of "thank you" or note cards. I've written notes to room stewards and wait staff who went above and beyond, and they've told me it could get them a bonus or cleared the way for promotion. One wait staff, years ago, told me he had been unhappy with the cruise line, which he had never demonstrated, and that my note would help him get a job on another cruise line.

[@ceceliamoreno1845]

Cash is king!

[@sunsetescapescruiseandtrav7962]

Hi! I like your idea for taking photos of crew with their name badge to give credit in the survey! I’ll be using that in the future!

[@loumello8813]

I approach gratuities today very similarly to what you do. I always do the prepaid gratuities or with Celebrity and Oceania recently including them, not a problem at all. I did take quite a bit of cash with me on my last 4 cruises since this past August to be able to tip those on board that actually went above and beyond. I kept most of it to tip the excursion guides on shore as many of them had been basically out of work for nearly two years.

[@cruisingforone]

Good point on the shore excursions. I do that as well, especially now as you say.

[@l.a.rivasesq.8841]

My spouse and I pay the automatic gratuities and give cash in envelopes to any staff that went above and beyond. We’ve given cash tips to staff who seemed surprised that they were receiving tips directly (or at all given their positions). We also take care to remember their names and specifically describe the elevated services they provided in the post cruise surveys. My spouse and I are aware that we live privileged lives and believe that staff who have contributed to that privileged experience should receive adequate compensation if not more. Great video.

[@helenorgarycrevonis2022]

Thank you for your reply. You should broadcast your approach to reach more people. I do exactly the same. I read comments, especially from non-US based passengers, and get so mad, they have money to pay for the cruise or the meal, but they never have money to pay for the service they have received. Not to mention that people who serve them get a lot less than they deserve - they all work very hard. They should be all ashamed of the luck of empathy and responsibility on their part. I cringe to think that I am sharing space with them.

[@ingeforman6140]

I love celebrity's 'always included'. It included all 3 that I wanted the most. I gave extra at the end to the most people that impressed us. Cruising is supposed to be stress free after all!

[@eeffiieejj]

As somebody from a country that isn't really big on tipping, I would struggle to hand out cash (wether in envelope or not), it would just feel awkward. I do like the idea of gratuities being split evenly between the crew (hoping that this actually happens...). But it means that the people behind the scenes, who you would never meet, also get a little extra. The people that clean your sheets, wash the dishes, cook the food, you name it. But I would like it to be something where the cruiseline give a suggested amount and you can choose how much you give based on the overal cruise experience.

[@silverdoe3658]

100%, Other than the occasional Uber driver I’ve never tipped anyone and would feel super awkward about individual tipping and would rather just leave that for someone else to manage.

[@danielueblacker9118]

I can not argue with you on that.

[@deborahkukal3978]

I would love to see an update on this. I STRUGGLE with it, and the gratuity package has never resolved the problem. I also believe it's just used to make up the crew's wages. On a Holland America Facebook group recently, people said they tipped hugly, some on the first day - others said never, some tried to do individually, and many of us were distressed at the choices we had to make. And I always thought we were supposed to tip excursion guides - that one surprised me. Though I am American, so that might be the reason. Tipping expectations may be even more confusing for Americans, since we live in a tipping demand culture second only to Egypt! :) Incidentally, I once had a crew member complain about how overworked/underpaid they were...I quit cruising for years, from First-World Guilt. But next time I'm going to suggest they get a different job.

[@ASarge77]

Tipping is gone out of control in my view. So we pay our daily tips which is also full price for a child which I believe is not proportionate. Then any drinks are 18% every time. The one that gets me the most is the speciality dining. On top of the daily tips which covers waiters you pay another 18% for the speciality restaurant. On our last cruise the waiter hovered over me while signing the bill which was prepaid, I.e I was signing a $0 bill but he was expecting and additional tip. In my mind that’s a triple tip. He looked annoyed when I didn’t put extra which makes you feel a bit guilty. Not a great relaxing holiday experience

[@benjaminbeasley]

I'd love to know what line this was. It does feel like a triple tip. Seems nuts.

[@ASarge77]

@@benjaminbeasley Royal Caribbean. Happened in Chops

[@nancylaird-burris6942]

I will admit I over tip, being from the US and have family members who worked in the service industry and know the importance of tips, I guess old habits die hard. I realized after my last cruise that I need to pay more attention to the auto added tips such as the Spa and bar drinks. I still feel I should tip for room service but then I checked my statement and noticed a $9.95 service charge but we know the delivery person didn't receive that amt...

[@tipsfortravellers]

It can soon get very costly and finding the balance that works I guess is key! I think US travellers are way more comfortable with tipping as much more part of the culture and way service industry works

[@larrykramer2761]

As the "auto gratuity" has increased in recent years I no longer tip extra.

[@blkbrn1952]

Going on my first cruise soon and this all seems so complicated and stressful when all I want to do is relax.

[@alexzapf6422]

We just pay to those we fee went above and beyond. We always plan for 500 dollars for auto gratuities into our bill we’ve already paid when boarding. So. I guess what I’m saying. Know you’re already tipping. And only tip when you feel it warranted it. We always have an amazing and relaxing time on our crews.

[@CruiseSeakers]

Don't stress. You are on vacation. You can simply pre-pay the auto gratuities before you even step a foot on the ship. Consider it as part of the base fare. Then if and only if you feel someone gave you exemplary service, make sure you have some cash on hand to reward that individual if you feel like you want to, and never feel like you have to.

[@Voorhees-Jason]

so the rule of thumb just know who you interact with the most. My last cruise i went on I only tipped 3 people. My room steward as he was amazing always asking every time he saw us if everything was ok, he would take care of any issues quickly, etc... On holland america they have the cabana's you can rent, we had one we rented for the duration of the cruise and our attendant was on point always checked in with us, he knew what my fav drinks were soon as he seen us heading in there he was already getting my drinks, etc... so i tipped him extra. There was one bartender that was really cool with me, he joked alot, we talked alot, and he knew my patterns of even when I need a drink and when to not ask and he knew my fav drinks. Everyone else got my normal gratuities that i prepaid. Do not make it complicated really. If your confused, only tip if you think they deserve extra, if you do not think you want to tip that is up to you remember they most likely will not see you again and they deal with new passengers every week. About time their second or third group you would of already been forgotten. If I do not tip someone on a cruise i lose no sleep over it. Tipping became a norm in all industries is a way for companies to cheap out and under pay their employees and bear that responsibilities on the customers. Some countries in land base business tipping is considered an insult.

[@blkbrn1952]

@@Voorhees-Jason So how would I determine how much the tip should be, is there anything to base it on?

[@Voorhees-Jason]

@@blkbrn1952 that is up to you on what u think is fair. the bar tender i gave him 20 as I was not there all the time but enough for him to be really cool with me and both the stewards I gave 40 a piece but again that is up to you and based off what you think is fair. I hear people doing 20 for their stewards i heard people giving them 100. Anything above what they get normally they will be happy really and it shows you noticed their extra care they done for you. Again, you can either give them a tip or not. Just do not pull the auto service charge as it will cheat them of tips and they do work really hard. Alot of times they are on a 6-9 month contracts and during that contract they get 0 days off and work lots of hours.

[@sangeetadarji6830]

I agree with much of what you say and share your frustration with the cruise line. Americans are used to tipping much more readily than other cultures as we have become accustomed to subsidizing wage employees. I wish the cruises would pay everyone a living wage and then ban tipping altogether. We can't the cruise lines at all to do that. I also think that there is generally a vast economic disparity between the crew and the guests. Being Indian, many of the staff feel more comfortable talking to me. I know that there are truly poor people coming on to these ships to whom even $5 will make a world of difference. I give a tip to everyone I contact, albeit a small one. To me, it's worth just giving it and knowing that it will help their families.

[@PointNemo9]

Tipping is not subsidising wages, all employee wages (expenses) come from customers (revenue) either way, this is basic accounting.

[@twinlights11]

@@PointNemo9 Subsidising 'wage employees' is not the same as 'subsidising wages'. This is basic comprehension.

[@PointNemo9]

@@twinlights11 Yes it is

[@1plaintext]

@@PointNemo9 ​ It is not. Think when a shop has no business (zero revenue), the staff still get paid (they better). Basic accounting.

[@PointNemo9]

​@@1plaintext That's the exception not the rule, such a shop is not a sustainable business. But my point was that US-style tipping culture does not mean that customers are spending more overall because base prices are artificially lower.

[@russellbeck9974]

We usually pre-pay the “crew appreciation“, to me, it’s just part of the cost of cruising. I usually offer a tip to our cabin steward at our first meeting, because I know how hard they work. The best way to help the other crew members is to do what you’re doing, and recognize them in the post cruise review. P.S., thanks for all you great work with these reviews!

[@PointNemo9]

I agree it is part of the cost of cruising, but it should simply be inlcuded in the base price rather than cruise-lines trying to brand it as something else.

[@idintvote4him]

@@PointNemo9 yep!

[@teresaallen2391]

I agree what you said but I always tip extra if I get good service, I feel horrible as they really are not paid that well. My last cruise last month in an ocean view room I left $50 for the room Stewart. He got me a fan which were on short supply and brought me ice twice a day, which I wanted, without asking. I also tip extra in speciality restaurants if the service was great, recently ate at the steakhouse on Carnival Splendor and the food and service was amazing, I left an additional $15. Won't break me and I felt they deserved it. I do feel guilty if I don't leave an extra tip occasionally so I totally get your dilemma. I have to budget and save for my cruises and I always add extra tips into my budget, I am by no means wealthy I just feel tipping is a part of a vacation.

[@willgaukler8979]

... agreed here you are a passenger ... sure you paid a lot for the cruise to begin with ... surely you can add an extra hundred bucks for tips ... remember there are excursions also ... if you can afford to cruise you should be able to budget tipping ... just makes everything run smoother ...

[@mpdarrigo]

Thanks for giving specific amounts in your comments. It's such a dilemma for me to know what "generous tip" means

[@bstanz5266]

On enchanted princess I gave the room steward 200.00 on the first day and said please be sure to leave extra bath towels. I came back to the room and it looked like I was in the towel section at bed bath & beyond!! During the cruise the second I opened my door he was coming to my room to ask if I needed anything. My cabin was then immediately cleaned. Needless to say everything in the room was always perfect. On the last I put more money in an envelope and he wouldn't take it. I basically had to force him to take the money and he started crying while saying thank you.

[@JamesIsHereRightNow]

I, too, tip my cabin steward and servers/wait staff at the beginning - not the end - of the cruise. This improves my service during the cruise. My cash tips are in addition to the auto gratuities, which I’ve never had removed.

[@joannbanks9963]

Overkill, mate!

[@achromatic03]

❤

[@dianeneglia]

We give them 10 to 20 dollars the first day. 200 seems excessive unless you're going on a world Cruise

[@onjekaji5832]

You did great man I salute you! Forget these cheapskates 😂

[@samruda23]

Great topic and content. Certainly from an American perspective, tipping as a cultural phenomenon has become out of control and gauche in my opinion. This includes the tip jar at the point of purchase. I am not making the case for not tipping. Rather, that it be discretionary. With respect to the daily fee, be it called a service charge, resort fee, etc, I am ok so long as it is transparent. It addresses the basic reality that even if tipping is discretionary, the vast majority of cruise ship employees do not have customer facing interaction and thus would never even have an opportunity to receive a tip. Lastly, I do not tip to bridge inherent inequities with respect to ship board employee compensation. This is the cruise line’s domain and if their compensation is lacking, then the market economy penalizes them thorough high turnover, labor shortages, labor strife, poor reviews and so on. I also agree with you that extra tipping for onboard drinks is the way to go. I do leave some money for the cabin attendant even though I keep my cabin clean and do not gravitate to room service. But I don’t think my cabin attendant should be penalized because I am a clean freak before he or she even enters the room.

[@samruda23]

To clarify, I agree that NOT tipping for drinks is appropriate as a high service fee is already included

[@barryhaley7430]

I empathize with your leaving your cabin clean. I have always done that even in hotels. I even tuck my toiletries away in my kit. It makes their job much easier and they are in and out in minimal time.

[@annbenson9760]

Glad you popped up on my you tube feed. Great advice. Lol. I’ve been watching you for 3 hours today.

[@lcmortensen]

I'm currently on my first ever cruise in Queensland aboard the Coral Princess (watched your videos in preparation - thanks for all the advice by the way!) On Princess voyages wholly within Australia and New Zealand, there are no gratuities or crew appreciation. This is because tipping is a completely foreign concept to us down under.

[@adoptedscot]

I wonder if that will be the same for our celebrity cruise in Australia and New Zealand in February/March 2023. I just wish people got paid properly as I find tipping very uncomfortable as I never know what to tip. I’m in the Uk.

[@markeaston7353]

​@@adoptedscot If a cruise is booked from someone in Australia the tip is always included in the cruise price but I'm not sure in your case. But I did think that tipping and other perks were always included in Celebrity fares these days, irrespective of where they occur or are booked.

[@adoptedscot]

@@markeaston7353 Thnaks Mark. Yes gratuities are included but still feel the need to tip cabin steward, dining staff etc. as you don’t know whether they actually get any of the included gratuities. That’s why I wish they would just get a proper wage and do away with tips altogether so you know exactly where to stand. Maybe it’s just a UK thing as tipping is so alien here and I just feel really awkward not wanting to make a fool of myself or the other person by not tipping enough.

[@markeaston7353]

​@@adoptedscot Exactly! Tipping is a very foreign culture to us too so we have the same dilemma. Having cruise all over the world we have settled on a policy of paying the mandatory tips but then only tipping extra for truely exceptional service, not just normal service. But it's a personal thing. I don't think we have ever paid additional tips on Australian cruises and neither have any of our friends.

[@danielueblacker9118]

@@adoptedscot if the cruise lines paid the crew more money who do you think will get the bill..... the passengers, either way, we pay.

[@janetacook1375]

I always tip my cabin Stewart. For my upcoming 12 day cruise I will tip at the beginning and at the end. You once made a comment about the importance of having them clean your bathroom so close to your toothbrush !! I have yet to run across anyone that has not gone way beyond their regular duties to help me.

[@jensgoldgrabe7052]

I very much enjoy your videos. Thank you for taking the time and effort. We always book a balcony cabin and have toyed with the idea of upgrading but never seem to feel that the extra cost was woth it. On our recent cruises we have opted into the upgrade package of beverage, gratuities, and wifi. We do not consume a lot of alcohol but enjoy just being able to enjoy a beverage of any kind, anywhere at any time and not have to worry about a large bill at the end. We have always tipped our cabin steward, the stewards helper (Person that does the cleaning and linens etc) and dinner wait staff extra at the end of the cruise, usually around the $20-50 per person mark. The reason I am commenting is that we have noticed even pre covid, that service was not as "genuine" as years previous. We believe that this stems from the "Cascading system" not being fairly distributed to the persons actually doing the majority of the work. I hope that I am wrong.

[@Verpal]

Not really a prolific cruise traveler here, but whenever I do cruise I go to help desk, remove auto gratuities, and just count how much I removed, hand them out to crew I appreciate. The only one super annoying time is I had to hunt down that one lady who washed my nearly destroyed coat by spill, who magically restored it, hunting her down is quite a journey.

[@sandraarnold7528]

Totally agree with you on the old habits die hard - I’m also cruising from days past where you give out the envelopes and feel so guilty now with the gratuities are added on! And I also only tip housekeeping extra (if I’m well looked after) and the waiters that I see every night (they are the ones that also put a lot of effort in to learn your names and your quirks) although I have found cruising to be nothing like it was and find I’m no longer enjoying it like I did - maybe I’ve done too many or maybe I’m just getting old!

[@willgaukler8979]

...were not " old " were seasoned ...

[@chicagogyrl4846]

I don’t think that you will be “well looked after” with most cruise lines cutting maid service to once a day!

[@janh1154]

Gary is absolutely right - tip exclusively for EXTRA performance. Do not feel guilty , you already paid it ! Generally the crew is well paid , in their home countries ( Indonesia 🇮🇩 Philippines 🇵🇭 India 🇮🇳 etc ) their Families are living very well lives. And remember : 4 x 5 U$D will bring you more extra service than one time 50 $. Be wise with your hard earned money 😊

[@Honolulu-Blue]

Thank you for your thoughts on what is often the third rail of cruise ship discussion. I think you handled things very well. I especially enjoyed your comments on who you DO NOT tip, which I mostly agree with.

[@williamd9205]

Thanks for the update Gary. We now book a fare that includes gratuities, an alcohol package and wi-fi such as Princess Plus.

[@2000konnie]

Thank goodness for auto gratuities. I LOVE them. I started going on cruises in the mid 1990's before auto gratuities, and the end of the cruise was always super stressful about getting the envelopes, have to have a lot of cash, going to the purser's to get it and then the super AWKWARD tip presentation ceremony. I also ask my travel agent to do pre-paid gratuities for my land tours. That saves me from having to get extra of the currency of the tour. The only ones I give tips over the pre-paid gratuities are the cabin stewards.

[@tiltingatwindmills7018]

Thank you for letting us know about possibly using leftover on-board credit for tips. I never considered it. Also, I didn’t know alcohol, coffee, spa, and drink packages were pre-tipped as well. They’ve been making bank on me! **And upgraded dining!

[@PaulDoe79]

I have taken back the pre-paid gratuity on last 2 cruises when I got to see where the money went. More than half went to the dining room, a place I never ate at. I took the money and gave it to room steward, housekeeping, buffet staff, a cleaner that we encountered every day and the bar that we went to every day. I did ask guest services if they could adjust the gratuity so it went to the people I encountered and went above and beyond. They told me they could not do this but could give me the money to do it myself.

[@tommyedodson2412]

We follow the same principles and have since the cruise lines started to auto charge the gratuities.

[@kathleenabell5933]

As always great tips for cruisers. I have to agree with you with regards to the gratuity issues. I will tip extra only for service above and beyond provided which enhance my cruise experience.

[@AlexFeldstein]

That is a tough one. Thank you for posting your comments. We always grapple with this issue. Everyone does. I am still unsure on what the proper way to treat it is. This video helps.

[@bradh3139]

“Service Charge” is deceptive. Zero assurance it’s going all going to crew. I’ve never been a big fan of forced gratuities, but begrudgingly pay them. I’ll supplement though for those that deserve (e.g. bartenders, wait staff, room attendant, etc). I once handed cash to a room attendant at the beginning of a cruise, thinking it would beget better service. It didn’t. Comment cards? Absolutely. I drown those who deserve with praise. For a negative comment, something awful had to have occurred. And then I’m tactful, respectful and factual. Thanks, Gary. Wonderful, well thought out advice as usual.

[@MandalorianFanboy]

I like to get a bunch of $2 bills and use those to tip for drinks, porters etc. People remember me as the $2 bill guy..and since most people just tip $1 for drinks and stuff…it’s double the average tip and gets remembered.

[@barryhaley7430]

Funny, I saw a guy tipping bartenders with $2 bills. I’m Canadian so never quite understood Americans aversion to them. I’ve acquired 25 of them for our next cruise.

[@dougrorapaugh5013]

Thank you, Gary. I always stress out over who to tip and how much to tip. The principles you establish here do a lot to create a clear and equitable approach.

[@ClaudiadeFries]

Thanks for the excellent nuanced advice about gratuities. I fall in the daily auto gratuities + select cash tips to some category, but some of the nuances you described had until now escaped me. In particular that if the services was as expected (room steward, dining room), no further cash tip is perhaps warranted. If elevated then to be considered. I was falling into the habit of routinely cash tipping even if the service was as expected. Will adjust my habits! So glad I discovered your channel (and cruising!). I'm just getting started...so much to look forward to, your guidance is invaluable!

[@michaeldianewynne8414]

So ratio of passengers to crew is around 3 to 1. Do the math and work out how much each crew member should get! We always have auto gratuity removed because we don´t believe the companies actually pay it all out.

[@ianleaver4967]

I do not agree with tipping unless I have received exceptional service from someone. It annoys me that I’m basically subsidising their wages and there has been a few times when I’ve had poor or just adequate service, because I believe the person serving me isn’t bothered as they’re going get tipped anyway by the automatic gratuity. In most cases I get great service. If I go out for a land based meal and get great service I’ll tip the waiter but I don’t expect to then have to tip the kitchen staff, the dish washers etc, yet on a cruise this is what is expected via the compulsory gratuity.

[@annette069]

Unfortunately at many land restaurants the server actually has to pay out a percentage of their tips to the kitchen staff etc, so while you are not directly tipping those people they are getting money from your tip.

[@enjoyslearningandtravel7957]

@@annette069 that’s true. Years ago when I worked as a waiter we had to shared portion of our tips to the Cook who actually he would often lose his temper and shout at us

[@brettswartz]

Thank you so much for this video. Even though gratuities have been included on virtually all of our previous cruises, I feel it's only right to leave a little extra something for people who go above and beyond the expected. I love your idea of taking a photo of the name badges of crew who have been especially helpful and mentioning them in the post-cruise survey or on the cruise line's app.

[@freda9809]

I really appreciate this video. I haven't cruised in a while and was wondering how this works from a practical standpoint. This is very helpful.

[@valeriebelmonte9556]

I don’t know what I enjoy more, your great cruise advice or you British accent!

[@70PaulK]

Great video. I usually travel with Marella, who include the tips in the fare, but I try to make a point of tipping the cabin steward early on the trip. You make a good point about photographing the name badges of the staff for the post-cruise survey- I often forget their names, yet the staff are aware of the survey, which suggests that management take it seriously. Also agree that tips aren't necessary for the senior staff, yet many passengers appear to disagree.

[@sroach2025]

My tipping philosophy matches yours exactly. Thanks.

[@GordonStewart-c1v]

Gary really appreciated your comments. I hope more cruise lines start including "gratuities" in the base fare. It is one think we really like about Azamara. Added fees are not gratuities. I also appreciated the advice to ensure all crew that have provided good service are included in your survey. We generally do this but will be even more diligent in future.

[@geelawjr]

We always reduce the 'added tip' by nearly half and typically cash tip room stewards and exemplary crew that have helped us. 7:18

[@marilynnkadan7948]

Hi I liked your comments on Tips. As I just got off Oceania 7dy ny/bermuda/ny. I did add some to room care, as 2 ladies worked well& remember mu special care! & added to dining as i had same special care from hostess. Plus buffet remembered i needed pillow on chair to create comfort.

[@duncanconnor5277]

We also wish the cruise lines would standardize the rates to include the 'auto-gratuities' rather than playing the price game.

[@Karli4Sure]

The auto tipping our family keeps on our pre paid cruise bill. And anything auto added such as spa or bar. But like you mentioned we tip to those in the main dining who go above and beyond. Or the cabin steward if service is above as well. We also fill out our surveys and mention their names. Leave thank you cards.

[@polmattpressurewashing4444]

I think the way you do it is perfect

[@mallery7]

Interesting topic. We just came off a cruise. We did the auto tips and then a small cash tip at the end for the cabin stewards. Good tip about naming specific people when possible in the survey.

[@machellep1]

I didn’t tip on my last cruise because the service was all around awful. I can’t recall One time a crew went above and beyond. By the end of the cruise I wanted my auto gratuity back.

[@mcfirebug]

great video......but please keep this in mind: PROFIT...whatever you paid for the cruise, a chunk of that is profit...aside from the almost mandatory gratuities, almost everything you buy on the actual ship is overpriced, thus adding to profit...generally speaking, the crew is underpaid, which adds even more profit....gratuities are included for each drink you get with the unlimited drink package you purchase....all of that, and we're not even sure of where the money is going....my next cruise prepaid gratuities will cost us $330....that's a plane ticket folks.....food for thought

[@recoil669]

Your named customer service response is true of any customer service survey you get!

[@cindykee3719]

In May, we went on our first cruise in 4 years (and we had only been on 3 cruises total before that). I think this was the first cruise with auto-gratuities and it did leave me feeling like I didn't know when to tip extra and when not to. I appreciate you addressing this in this video, as I found myself often agreeing with you many times on when not to tip but still feeling guilty. I actually like the pool of gratuities so that the crewmembers that are behind the scenes - that we don't directly interact with - get a little something extra, too. But it also made me feel like I didn't owe anyone anything extra unless they provided exceptional service. In our case, we didn't have much interaction with our cabin steward - he did a fine job, but we didn't feel like he went above-and-beyond. But we felt guilty that he provided an envelope in our cabin the last day, so we did add a little tip in there, but it still left me feeling guilty. The only other person we tipped extra was the person who did the wine tasting experience that I attended 4 nights! Even though there was a tip automatically added to the reserve-in-advance program (I think 18%), at the end of the last night I gave her extra because she was fun, entertaining, and she really made it a lot of fun for me. I didn't feel guilty at all giving her extra! Thanks for your opinion.

[@chicagogyrl4846]

Ha ha! Your first cruise in 4 years, and ONLY three before that. You poor thing!! 😂🤣

[@benyounce8390]

Thank you, Gary, for the great presentation. I'm making plans for my third cruise since December. All were and the next will be NCL. As an iron clad rule, I always pay the auto service charge and tip special my bartender (only one, as I have a favorite watering hole). and my room steward. All other bar/food service staff fall into my auto service charge fund. I have been told, that with regard to the auto service charge, it is in fact used by the cruise lines to supplement staff's regular pay. That is apparent when the paychecks move up and down based on how many on the cruise paid and or left intact the service charge. When up checks are higher, when many on a cruise ask for their auto charges to be returned service staff checks are lower. There is a direct correlation.

[@russmeans]

Glad you are addressing this. Advise is all over the place. We appreciate and value your viewpoint Gary. Thanks

[@stevebartley628]

I was shocked when the gratuities were added to my first cruise - and especially when they were added for my kids. Fortunately I had the kids sail free ( for base fare at least )

[@willgaukler8979]

... I was shocked to see port fares and taxes added ...but you gotta pay em ...

[@chicagogyrl4846]

You actually did not know that they add the tips automatically??!

[@chicagogyrl4846]

@@willgaukler8979 You did not know this??!

[@stevebartley628]

@@chicagogyrl4846 No, I didn’t know it then - 21 years ago

[@karencossar1827]

Thank you Gary, for this article. It's a sticky problem. I try and get the tips included in my cruise price. I absolutely hate the daily gratuity system, and have been known to ask them to be removed. Tipping isn't in our culture, I figure that it's the cruise lines responsibility to pay their crew a good wage.

[@Marshal_Dunnik]

"Gratuities" have indeed gotten to the point where it's just a useless separate line item that should be included. Almost as ludicrous as a "Navigation Fee" paid to the bridge crew in appreciation that they haven't driven the ship on to the rocks.

[@meganallday]

🤣 best comment

[@benjaminbeasley]

LOL well said!

[@tim18wheels76]

🤣 Ridiculous! They still charge you the "Navigation Fee," if the crew runs the ship against rocks.

[@SuperKenndog]

On our last cruise, I went to guest services and removed the auto gratuities and paid cash to the crew who went above and beyond. These corporations think they're slick. Just like now, companies ask when you check out at a store if you want to add a "donation" to your total. I'm good. If it's important to me, I'll pay them myself. I have zero confidence they'll actually do what's right.

[@FactsMatter]

I’m with you, even though I will get a lot of flak for admitting it out loud. Very skeptical.

[@SuperKenndog]

@@FactsMatter the truth is the truth

[@Roho8786]

I totally agree with everything you said. Go above and beyond to get more than I have paid ahead of time.

[@suzannecuerrier279]

I just watched another video on tipping and yours makes the best sense. Although I'll be going on my first cruise with Virgin next month, I feel better informed on what to tip or not to tip for. Thanks.

[@tipsfortravellers]

Great to hear it helped. Have a great trip on Virgin

[@christinap3825]

DCL adds 18% to drinks bills - but still has an ” add gratuity” above the signing line…. Cheeky!

[@benlogan2193]

This was a very helpful video for me as a first time cruiser next summer. Thank you!

[@thebestseason5034]

I agree with you and tip similarly. It has gotten out of control.

[@frankhawrusik165]

Very helpful review of the current tipping situation We just completed a Celebrity ‘always included’ cruise I am sure nothing is skimmed off the top of the gratuity but I don’t think we appreciate how big the pool of recipients is We did tip a small amount to wait staff and cabin along with a personal thank you for their service I think they appreciate the recognition of the hard work they put in

[@patriciasantoso4979]

Hi Gary, your tip video is super helpful. It is so hard to figure out who to tip but you have cleared it up for me and I'm currently on an 18 day cruise and this has helped me. Thank you. I agree with everything you say and your 5 tips is great.

[@alexhill1871]

Mandatory gratuities is one of the main issues deterring me from going on a cruise. As an American I know we have the expectation of giving a tip, but I don’t think it should be auto charged.

[@PointNemo9]

It should simply be a part of the base price

[@oldtwinsna8347]

Same here. Mandatory tipping to me is like ok, you want that then you'll get it, but I didn't negotiate it so that's all I'm going to pay, period. I understand some employees may go further out of their way, i.e. stand on their head and sing a song for you, but not all do, with a lot of dismal service and yet nothing you can do about THAT when you prepaid for the tip.

[@blargblarg5657]

​@@oldtwinsna8347 fun fact: if it's not optional it's not a tip/gratuity.

[@maureenosullivan7792]

G’day Gary, such a joy to view your cruising commentaries. We have a New Zealand cruise booked for November, embarking from Melbourne. I emailed Princess regarding the gratuities and was informed that no gratuities applied sailing from Australia. My only thought was that since we don’t tip here perhaps that was why. We also have two cruises booked for March through April and early May. These are from Sydney to San Francisco and a Caribbean cruise. We are dreading having to remember to tip for services. Take care. Maureen O’Sullivan Ballarat, Victoria Australia

[@annematu724]

Totally agree with everything you say Gary. It puts us cruisers in a difficult situation. I’m quite new to cruising and so far have done the same as you. I’ve got a P &O cruise booked next which includes tips and I have to say it’s a relief to not have to worry about it.

[@runarandersen878]

I think your arguments are good. I will have that in mind. I do definitely see the dilemmas. I am glad I live in country where the wages don’t depends on tip.

[@ve2vfd]

I have a similar tipping policy to yours. Auto-gratuities covers most and "cash in hand" for above and beyond service. Also I've seen first hand just how important praising a crew member by name in writing is. A few years ago on an NCL cruise, a sports activities crew member was being given a one week "tryout" on the cruise director's team and was assigned to host our daily solo cruisers meetings. He did such a good job dozens of us all filled out crew evaluation cards to praise his hard work and many of us spoke to the CD in person. Within a few weeks he was promoted. Years ago I was told by the Carnival Vista's HR officer that EVERYTHING written with a crew member's name is added to their file, even online reviews.

[@lenvella9541]

Strange that as no cruise lines take any notice of those forms they want you to fill in with your ideas.

[@katieb8762]

I watch other cruisers tipping and it looks so natural whereas I always feel awkward - never knowing how much or how to tip, I don’t know if this is because I am from the UK or because I’m female (hate to be gender stereotypical but my husband tips when we are together however I cruise solo). I always leave the pre paid gratuity but end up on the last night feeling guilty so rush to the casino to get dollars to tip my steward and waitstaff. It really stresses me out - thanks for the video Gary it makes me feel better that it’s not just me not knowing how to handle this 😏

[@HOlsen789]

I didn't realize that the waiters in the specialty restaurants were already tipped in the price we paid. Thank you for that.

[@TIFFandDRETV]

Great suggestions. Well done. It's important to budget for gratuities and remember where you have already paid gratuities. Thanks.

[@juliatarrel1674]

I'm in team "the base cost of the fare should include fair, reasonable payment to all the staff, including staff on shore." Since that's not the case in some cruise lines, I'll autograt and consider it part of the fare.

[@jimnoti3097]

Thank you very much for your insights. Gratuities are becoming another way for the "boss" to pay the staff instead of a living wage. I have to look at the total cost and the "included gratuities" are just an additional cost of the trip. And I would only tip special service at the end of the trip. Now what would be a "normal" size tip is the question. Do you bring your own envelopes to pass to the crew or are you able to get them from guest services? Thank you for all the videos and knowledge you are sharing

[@FraserAtSea]

This is such a good point - I've met so many first-time cruisers recently, who don't actually think about tipping crew members, as they had it included in their fare. I'll always tip crew members who go 'above and beyond', or to my cabin steward at the end of the week!

[@lindastansbury2067]

I've never been on a cruise and have been studying your videos repeatedly and taking lots of notes. My adult son and I have reserved a suite for our first cruise. We sail in 2024 on Carnival so I have a year to commit all of your tips, do's and don'ts to memory. We're excited but also very nervous about the whole idea of being on a ship for 8 days. You're helping me tremendously and I am so grateful for time and effort you take to do these videos. They've answered most of my questions and concerns. A question I have is who is everybody I need to tell that my son is a high functioning autistic and diabetic so everybody who needs to know will be aware of it, and when do I tell them?

[@jameskoch3118]

Diabetic is probably ok to tell the servers. Both are better up front. Are you using a travel agent? If so ask them to handle it if they can or who to contact if not. If you are going directly through the cruise line check the faq and/or call customer service. When you get on board double check with your housekeeper and servers as applicable. Make sure you inform them of any specific issues he has. Bright lights and/or noises may mean no shows or no to certain shows/events. I know that Carnival will work with some issues including headphones. They WANT you to come AND come back (more money). Do be aware that depending on the types and degrees of triggers you may need to change locations. I have Asperger's which is sometimes indistinguishable from "high-functioning" Autism and only the dance clubs sometimes bothered me... I hope that helped you...

[@snowleopard0412]

Dont need to committ to memory ...you said you took notes from Gary so take your notes in a document binder to consult on board !

[@julieharding308]

Tanks you to hepl me understand the gratuity. I am always unconfortable with the question of : should I give extra....now I am ready for my next cruise😁

[@markeaston7353]

All good points thanks Gary and we are of a similar mind on this issue. Some of it is definitional of course as different people have different perspectives on what constitutes "good" service. For me, 90 percent of the service is perfectly adequate and not falling in to the category of deserving a tip. Good service is when they do that bit extra, and it really stands out, but it is only in about 10 percent of cases that this occurs.

[@dbenadon]

A great topic and we just got off a Norwegian ship and stayed in the Haven. In addition to the automatic tip which we prepaid, we did tip our: butler, cabin steward, primary and secondary concierge as well as the hostess and a few waiters in the Haven restaurant. As you note, this still feels like the old way of doing things but I will note that everyone was extremely appreciative and since we can afford the Haven, I feel it only fair to afford additional gratuity since the staff work so hard and for so many months away from their family and country. Few jobs ask this of their employees so, with that in mind, I think additional tips for good to great service is appropriate.

[@joeln6861]

Agreed- I wish all the lines would just add it into the fare, then if someone went above and beyond, we could tip which is what it was meant for. I just got back from a cruise in eastern Med. (MSC Armonia). We were one of very few Americans on board (I would say less than 30). On ALL of our excursions, we were the only ones who tipped the tour guide. In North America, almost everyone tips the tour guide (we went to San Francisco last year and did numerous tours through Viatour and almost everyone on the tours tipped the guide). Could I have stopped tipping after the first tour? Yes, but I decided that it would be good to be seen as "nice Americans" and continued to tip the tour guides. And to answer the earlier questions, I paid the automatic tips and did also tip the cabin steward with cash as well as one bartender who both went over and above in my opinion.

[@corneliuswhite5139]

I've always wondered about this. Thank you.

[@mrscuteas]

Agreed Gary we started cruising with the removal of auto gratuities and paying cash to our service contacts but then changed our minds on realising that the unseen staff were not being paid a living wage either. Tipping is a dilemma as an Aussie as it is not part of our culture we strongly believe all workers should be paid a living wage and not have to rely on tipping to survive. So now we pay the auto gratuities or gratuities inclusive fare and tip cash for exceptional service but will keep in mind now thanks to your video about the beverages service fees!

[@alessia3293]

That's why I love P and O, tipping included in ALL fares including their saver fares.

[@spiegeje]

This post is really appreciated. I wish cruise lines would be clear about it at booking. I tend to double tip because the auto-gratuity feels sight unseen. Another thing that I don't appreciate is crew who ask for good evaluations despite the cruise line asking if any did. I have lied on post cruise surveys when crew who I liked did it. In instances when crew ask for a good evaluation, I try to tell them it's not necessary with me. This game these companies play muddle up everything so they can get a marketing leg up on the competition. I say...let the service and the product speak for itself, and make everything show up on direct or TA bookings up front. Gratuities or service charges or whatever you call it need to be apparent.

[@joeo7693]

Some of your points have me thinking of changing how I tip. Thanks for the well thought out and informative video. 😎

[@richardtraeger696]

I totally agree with you.

[@brentross9233]

Our Alaska cruise, in 2021, we reduced auto gratuity, but tipped cabana attendants and room stewards with cash

[@happycruiser]

Totally agree. As long as we get more than expected, we give extra US at the end. We gave a huge extra tip to our waiter in the Martini Bar on Celebrity. We save him every evening, and he was fabulous.

[@l.a.rivasesq.8841]

We keep the automatic gratuities and tip the cabin stewards and our set dinner waitstaff. We also provide tips to any other crew members who consistently performed above and beyond their standard duties. We also take notes so that we can include their names and positions as well as descriptions detailing an example of what they did that was above and beyond in the after cruise surveys.

[@ladydi5743]

I was just thinking of booking to Alaska next year. Looking for the right cruise line as we are beginning cruisers. I choose Oceania, when I was speaking to the personal concierge booker, ( supposedly a new service they offer instead of the general 800#). He told me they would add 23.00 per person per day on at the end if our cruise. He said if we remember BEFORE the end of the cruise to TELL them to remove it. Then we could tip cash. Only having been on an all inclusive cruise with Celebrity before and finding out how little each crew member gets. We doubled tipped key personal. This is very helpful Gary Thank you!

[@acftmxman]

Gary, thank you for this video. This is exactly what I could not figure out. As I’ve said before, the last time I cruised, it was three envelopes left the day before the cruise ended. One for the steward, the waiter and the busboy. Now that I have a better understanding I will use the auto gratuity but then give cash for those who went the extra mile. If they take care of me, I will take care of them.