How much I tip everyone on a cruise

[@roc2028]

I don't mean to be negative but the tipping culture has gotten out of control.

[@laughremixsquad]

Tipping culture is a corporate propaganda campaign to extract the maximum from customers

[@blargblarg5657]

It's a fact. Facts are neither negative nor positive. Being negative would imply you're starting some kind of opinion.

[@nellietuiasosopo5694]

Yesssss

[@laughremixsquad]

The tipping culture is propaganda by the corporations. They are trying to brainwash you and normalize higher and higher amounts by making it a social norm and getting others to shame you into compliance.

[@raedeanehawthorne1313]

I agree

[@myminions3962]

Tipping is an *American* thing. Cruisers from other countries (rightly) don’t understand the hubbub. And I’m tired of being expected to tip *every* single person on an excursion- tipping everyone would exceed or equal the cost of the activity.

[@QueenKayKay47]

I totally agree! I do not tip on American excursions, or excursions that are way over priced!

[@MrM4DD0gg]

Not to mention the hospitality industry in the USA is not what it was.

[@roger9463]

The whole tipping thing is just a joke.

[@trekguy66]

I’m prepaying gratuitiesfor a reason, so I don’t have to worry about it later on. Isn’t that the point? So no, I don’t tip beyond the prepaid part.

[@laughremixsquad]

The corporate strategy is to guide you to spend as much ahead of time as possible. They refer to this metric as a “fresh wallet”. That’s so that you spend more when you’re on the ship. I know exactly how much I spent before walking on the ship and I think about that number every time they try to nickel and dime me.

[@Dangic23]

You are too smart trekguy66. I agree it’s not our job to be on vacation and itemizing who gets what tip. I always say prepay, forget about it, and let the corrupt cruise line do what they do.

[@QueenKayKay47]

EXACTLY!!!!

[@gamingwithalfredo]

I will tell you that the gratuities system is dated. Its way better to deny gratuity and just give individual people cash in hand. Way smarter.

[@Dangic23]

@@gamingwithalfredo Nope. That’s not your job during a vacation. Prepay. You can’t fix the cruise industry.

[@TheClimateChannel]

I think tipping is out of control and this video shows it. When he says he tips on top of the dining package and he said it makes HIM feel better, that’s what got us here in the first place. Tipping used to be at 10% but now we seen recommended tips being at 25% at most American based restaurants. If you don’t tip that high and you tip at 15 or below, you are “viewed” as a bad person. Meanwhile inflation is higher than ever and service rendered should be based on good they were and what they actually do. I think tipping should be made NON mandatory and it should be reflected in the prices to make service a livable wage and if service is above normal for what they do, then it should be added at the customers discretion. I feel like no matter what I tip, I hate it. If I tip too high, it will make other customers think I’m a big baller or trying to get away with more from the service member, if I tip too low, I’m cheap and I shouldn’t have even gone out in the first place. I work in sector where I don’t interact with customers but it’s in utilities but I don’t get tipped. Cashiers at grocery stores don’t get tipped but now at many places that are quick service they now have screens where you are almost expected to tip, which is ridiculous. After the long rant above, for cruising with auto tipping, I don’t tip anyone else unless they really go beyond with us. Usually that’s the room steward , excursions, or the casino cocktail servers. But even then, it’s not nearly as high as Matt noted

[@7mpest]

I come from a civilised country where people are paid fair wages. Over tipping contributes to the problem

[@donaldboyd9610]

I’m calling nonsense on these numbers for a seven day cruise.

[@donaldboyd9610]

And these amounts are on top of the built-in gratuity 😳

[@laughremixsquad]

@@donaldboyd9610 The corporations are trying to normalize these amounts. This is propaganda.

[@laughremixsquad]

@@donaldboyd9610 You are correct to call nonsense on these numbers. They are slowing trying to move the needle on normal tipping culture.

[@lsjerome83]

I agree. I really like this blog, but if I’m paying a $50-65 or even up to $100 for a tour, I really think that a $100 tip is extreme. And all these additional tips on top of the prepaid feels so extreme. It feels like cruising would never be a more affordable family vacation for me and my son.

[@bbeach117]

I absolutely can't afford to "tip" anything more than the bare minimum. We save for an entire year to afford the actual costs of plane tickets to Florida, and a few thousand dollars for the cruise fare. I "work really hard" too, and no one tips me.

[@kerrychabot]

I feel you! We had to pay in instalments for 18 months to afford our cruise next year!

[@RichardMarks-q6g]

OK I am all about rewarding those who are of service. I completely agree to pre pay the RC tipping set rate. But Dude, I added up your rate of tipping above that and came up with $1500 - $2000 extra for the cruise. I think maybe you should reconsider. We bring an extra 2-3 hundred on board for over tipping. That is enough.

[@DaveW966]

To be fair a lot of his higher numbers are on the very expensive items anyway. The cabanas are what; 1500 - 3k ? The star class / Genie tip of $100 a day sounds crazy, but hell I'm booking an interior room half the time - I'm nowhere near star class.

[@klimbers38]

How many rolls of dollar bills are you taking on a cruise?

[@chrism4432]

you are surprisingly high on some of these - interesting and love to get other perspectives.

[@laughremixsquad]

This is Royal Carribean’s Marketing. The advice is usually good to great, but the advice always skews toward more money to Royal Carribean.

[@Marshdom3]

I was in a junior suite and I tipped my attendant $100 because he respected my privacy when I left the Do not Disturb magnet on. I was by myself and I only needed once a day cleaning. I also tipped my MDR waiters $20 each, plus $20 for the Coastal Kitchen waiter. The CK waiter checked in on me regularly and was fantastic. Coastal Kitchen staff had a real lousy manager who would lecture his staff in front of the guests and I didn’t like that. I made sure to mention that in the survey. I also tipped a Windjammer waitress $20 because she was nice to me and always made sure I was ok. Got free drinks at casino bar. Tipped $1-$2/drink.

[@mango34943]

@@laughremixsquad neither Matt or this Channel glare payed by royal to advertise these things… RCB is just how he and his employees interact with the cruise line and their opinions

[@jackiebyers3424]

@@laughremixsquadMatt does not work for Royal Caribbean. He is not RC Marketing. RC is simply his preferred cruise line.

[@CarlyCarly1636]

Influencers with a big enough following get bonuses, points, gifts, upgrades and sponsorships. It’s also a tax write off for the business. So they can be more lavish than the ordinary traveller.

[@laughremixsquad]

I’ve found daily tips to stateroom attendant makes the most sense. You tip bartenders and servers at the point of interaction, so why not the person keeping your room looking amazing on a daily basis. Matt’s recommendations are on the high side for my taste. I do take into account the 18% I already paid. Never let Royal Carribean trick you and your “fresh wallet”.

[@danielc365]

Well considering how much cruising is and the costs involved on your cruise fair why is it our responsibility to pay the wages of the workers? The cruise line charging these ridiculously crazy prices needs to start paying their workers a fair wage I will always argue that. Vacations cost so much as it is! Stop having the people who are living paycheck to paycheck pay the wages of your workers. Cruise lines make way to much money it’s disgusting that they pay you a low base and you’re working for your tips no not how it should be take your millions in profits and start paying your own men and women fairly. And do not raise cruise prices because you want to be greedy.

[@laughremixsquad]

Wall Street will not allow this, unfortunately

[@JDRusse11]

Supposedly, Cruise Lines 🚢 make more profit than Airlines ✈️

[@LongTimeCruisers]

Someone living paycheck to paycheck, obviously, could not afford to cruise in the first place. As a teacher, I have to keep a close eye on my funds but do want to tip for service that is above and beyond. Otherwise, the standard tips are sufficient.

[@stephanebrunelle6498]

Well, question of perspective really. I agree with you it would be better if the price was like in other parts of the world but how much more expensive would the base cruise price need to be to include all costs? It would prevent cheap cruisers from removing the gratuities on their last day, leaving the staff high and dry. But, there may be a hidden reality. Are tips considered income in the worker's respective countries, do they benefit from a tax break/no taxes on tips back home where they have to declare their income, leaving them with more money in their pockets than if it was a salary? How much more expensive would the cruises be if they had to pay an actual fair wage salary and would they be able to staff the ships? According to what I read from different sources, if you were not to spend a dime on board (no specialty restaurant, no shopping, no excursions) they actually lose money on you. Let's face it, try to do the same on land (hotel, 3 meals a day and a show/movie) and see if you can stick to the same amount as you do on a ship, I have done the maths and could not find the same type of service and food in North America. Possibly some all inclusives in Central America could match it, but you are then stuck to a single location.

[@stephanebrunelle6498]

@@JDRusse11 Of course, but this is because they can! They offer a wider array of services and shops. From excursions to art, from drinks every day to expensive internet access they have many different revenu streams compared to airlines for which, once you paid for the ticket and checked luggage the rest of the sales opportunities are slim (yes, some splurge for a seat upgrade or the occasional drink on board).

[@dan81275a]

I feel like some of these amounts are a bit too high. $100 for the room steward seems exorbitant. As a single traveler, I feel that $25 for the week is OK, in addition to the prepaid gratuity. As for specialty restaurants, as a single person, I think $10 or $20 is more than sufficient. Lastly, I always get the soda package. I think $1 per soda is sufficient. Remember that you are already paying an automatic gratuity for everything.

[@PaulBishop-v1o]

No you’re being cheap. $10 a day for the cabin attendant is entirely appropriate providing they are providing good service. Specialty restaurants at least $5 per meal on top of the included gratuity.

[@stephanebrunelle6498]

@@PaulBishop-v1o Out of curiosity, how much do you leave the hotel room staff per night on land?

[@georgelomarro4677]

Any extra amount is too high. The gratuity is built in so that you don't need to deal with the hassle of tipping when you are on vacation. I can understand tipping someone who has gone over and above, or done something special, or went out of their way to help. However, you've already tipped for this standard level of service in the pre-paid/auto gratuity.

[@ScottLara]

I’m glad that Virgin Voyages includes the price of tips in the cruise fare!!

[@SherryMooneyhan-oo8yw]

That’s what all cruise lines need to do

[@drityson4025]

I mean you can still pre pay it on royal. It's the same thing

[@deerodrigues3914]

​@drityson4025 I prepaid, and they still tried to tackle on 2 separate 18.5% charges per all 4 people at the end

[@gaslight2024]

We tip the porter $5 (we usually drop off one bag); room steward we tip $5 per day at end of cruise (we keep our cabin pretty neat); specialty restaurant waiter $10; MDR waiter $20 and assistant waiter $15; $5 for room service; $1 for diamond drinks and $1 for casino Prime drinks; $5 for excursion tour guide.

[@catlikes2travel]

Re: the tour guide… we once gave our tour guide $100. He was incredible and it was during SARS in Montreal. No one was travelling. He still went above and beyond.

[@kerrychabot]

This sounds much more reasonable to me. I tipped the same on our last cruise.

[@reenakemp9132]

You sound very cheap.

[@kerrychabot]

@@reenakemp9132 who?

[@stephanebrunelle6498]

@@reenakemp9132 Just curious, as I am in about the same ballpark (do remember we pay gratuities ahead of time so this is above the 18$ per day per person). What is your ballpark? I mean, for a hotel room I will tip 5$ per day, On the ship I do 5$ per day (envelope left on the pillow on our last day), on top of what they get from the gratuities. Mind you we are 2 tidy adults who believe in reusing towels so the only task the room attendant has is to finish making the bed to their standard. MDR waiter and assistant I dropped 10$ per night for the waiter and 5$ per night for the assistant , given to them in an envelope at the end of my cruise. Excusions, well this varies greatly as I tend to tip more for longer excursions and do tip the driver and the tour guide so, no set guidelines here. I have done as little as 5$ for a quick hour in Costa Maya to 20$ per adult for the tour guide and 5$ for the driver for longer group tours.

[@SRS6779]

im sure its far easier to tip when the cruise if paid for or when you can write it off as a business expense.

[@laughremixsquad]

Good point!

[@therealbobafett]

If they’re charging you for tips, regardless, then you shouldn’t have to tip at all. Now, if they go out of their way to provide exceptional service, then you can leave something if you feel it is worth it, but otherwise having a tip included in the fair means you shouldn’t have to tip at all if you don’t want to

[@ja_sweet_tart4539]

For me, as a mostly solo cruiser , Porter: $5 Room attendant: $5 to $10 per day Bar staff: $1 per drink Barista: $5 to $10, depending on the length of the cruise (I'm a creature of habit, so I normally see the same person every day) MDR: $5 - $10 per day for each waiter as i usually do " My Time" and don't always have the same people, and I am more of a buffet person so may visit MDR once or twice. Tour guide: $5 to $10 Tour bus driver: $3 to $5

[@babbego]

Exactly the same for tips on all my cruises

[@Yasooh]

You’ve doubled the price of the cruise!

[@laughremixsquad]

I wonder who this benefits.

[@heidi_d]

Why are they automatically adding gratuities, if we’re expected to tip on top of that? (Like at the spa, the bar, etc) Seems like that IS the tip. Am I way off base? I don’t mind adding to it if someone goes above and beyond or tipping extra to my room steward, but on EVERYTHING? Help!

[@georgelomarro4677]

You are correct. It is the tip, and you don't have to tip anything more because it is automatically added. I remember when the gratuity was paid in cash at the end of your cruise and whenever you bought a drink. Who wants to deal with that when on vacation. It was a hassle, so the pre-paid and auto gratuity was added. I think this extra tipping came just out of exaggeration, bragging, guilt and shame. Just stop following the herd, don't take it personal, and don't feel pressured to tip any more extra than you want to.

[@GerardPinzone]

A $100 a DAY for the Genie?!! For what?! Tell you want. I'll book my own specialty dining. Thanks for nothing.

[@Bekind817]

What is the prepaid gratuity for?

[@donfayetteville3582]

Matt: ARE you serious? Maybe you travel for FREE? If we have to go to GET our own drink we tip 1. per drink. If we have the attendant get it------------ it's still a dollar per drink. We tip our cabin person the 1sr day 20.00 then 2 days later 10 to 20 and if I send out laundry add 10.00 into the laundry bag. Last day another 20.00. We travel almost exclusively on RCI so when you do a special restaurant the bill has the gratuity on that bill. we'll give 20.00 cash to the waiter. I get coffee in the morning by hanging a tag on the door. I tip 3.00-- yes -- even when there a half hour late. If I order fruit plate I give 5.00. You know the daily grat is about 18 a day X's 2-- 38.00 extra per day. The way you throw money I'm thinking of quitting my pilot job and going to room attendant.

[@laughremixsquad]

Room attendants can make bank in the suites on newer ships

[@reenakemp9132]

I tip my room attendant really well also. My husband and I were talking about that last week when got off Liberty. Our attendant had 12 rooms. If everybody leaves $50+, then that's a big addition to your already base pay for just a 4 day cruise. But he was really good and really deserved it.

[@QueenKayKay47]

I think most of his cruises are sponsored by RC!

[@anthonymrbs]

I'm sure he is compensated quite a bit by Royal. Which is why he feels obligated to tip so much.

[@SherryMooneyhan-oo8yw]

I think it should be up to the individual/individuals if they want to tip or not the cruise lines should be paying them a decent wage already

[@rapunzel1701]

Baller! That's not necessarily a compliment... Way too much. I pay the automatic gratuities and that's it.

[@ASarge77]

Phew, I’m not alone. Crazy tipping. What’s the point of prepaid gratuities if he tips that much

[@tonydiaz4097]

My numbers are almost the same. But when I get ask the “how much do you tip question?” I always say don’t go by me, tip what you’re comfortable with.

[@georgelomarro4677]

Brag much? :)

[@poolstrick2446]

Easy! I tip $0 on top of the included gratuities. American really have a problem with tips...

[@MrjbushM]

I agree, I do the same, I already paid a lot in the included gratuities so I think tipping more is not required.

[@Fll3nAngel]

This is the one thing I am terrified of, going on a cruise. I come from a country where people are paid a wage, and tipping is not a thing. How many people am I going to offend, by just assuming that having paid gratuidities beforehand and drink packages.. 😅

[@laughremixsquad]

Don't worry about what other people think and you’ll be fine.

[@myminions3962]

The staff only expect tips from American guests. 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

[@Naomi-xu4hq]

The best tip is leaving them a review, they get big incentives and rewards for a number of reviews

[@billd7120]

TIL I am a cheap ass. I pay base gratuities and $20 to my room attendant and main dining staff each at the end. $5 for excursion hosts.

[@laughremixsquad]

Don’t let them shame you. You are a good person for tipping what you can afford.

[@PaulBishop-v1o]

Yes you’re a cheap ass. $10 per day for the cabin attendant. They have to clean 20+ rooms a day and work their ass off.

[@coleenbruening1843]

I have asked Michael Bayley's office if the D and above free drinks include a gratuity. Their response was the free drink is all inclusive of the gratuity. They swipe your card and it banks them a gratuity.. I still tip a dollar extra, but they are getting a gratuity, similar to how the system tips them when they scan a drink for the drink package.

[@K4757]

This is a great reference. Makes me feel like I am doing it right sometimes for our room Stewart like you said if they are wonderful, we would sometimes tip $20 a day which is a little bit more than our hundred dollars which is our base start.

[@RllngRckBrw]

Thank you for doing this. I imagine that there was a certain level of internal debate on whether to do this video or not as you knew what the comment section would look like. I remember tipping being something that was stressful to figure out before our first cruise and there was very little information about it. This will be a video I will recommend to new cruisers as I feel like it’s a question friends and family ask me a lot.

[@Ant_White]

Hi Matt, this was an interesting video to watch. I'm from Australia and as you'd be aware we are predominately a non-tipping culture. Our hospitality workers are generally well paid and don’t expect large tips. I full appreciate when you travel abroad you should adopt any of the customs of the country you are visiting. When we first started sailing with Royal 25 years ago we tipped as you highlighted in this video as gratuities were not prepaid. However, I really struggle with the concept now that Australians have to, by default prepay their gratuities which are inclusive in our cruise fares. Effectively the choice of what to give for tips has been stripped away from us. We still do tip our wait staff in the MDR and cabin attendant, mainly because I see how hard they work, and they do generally go above and beyond in an effort to please guests. However tips are "To Insure Personal Service". Now that a lot of cruisers prepay gratuities by either default or by choice, I don't believe staff should be tipped again for doing their job. It should be only be done sparingly to acknowledge exception service to give special thanks for a staff member service IMO. There seems to be a culture now within the cruise industry where the exception is to double tip staff.

[@christinedelrossi2819]

Thanks for this, Matt. It's always helpful to hear what others do. I also prepay and tip extra and I'm a little higher than you on some things and a little lower on others, but in the same ballpark.

[@donfayetteville3582]

I'm proud to say I'm lower on all.

[@KristieWalker-qw9yq]

Super helpful! My husband and I have both been in hospitality many, many years ago so we know the value of tipping and getting to know the staff. We have been on several cruises and always feel it necessary to give extra (while our family that we cruised with thought we were crazy) We booked our first suite coming up this next year and had no idea what to tip, considering “gratuities are included.” I feel more confident now what to give.

[@jeffkirby7261]

Floyd appearance right off the bat! Floyd @ Pesky deserves extra gratuities. Dude is a great bartender, fun guy, and exceptional human.

[@johnhourigan3274]

I’m Australian and 18% gratuities are included in our prices - but I do tip extra in USD

[@beckman2713]

Thanks Matt! I really appreciate the transparency and now I feel better that I'm right on par...WOW what a bunch of cheapskates below..obviously they never worked in service. I never take these hard workers for granted..

[@eyre1720]

Ive heard the cruise line takes some or most of that tip money. Maybe tip zero to the cruise line then hand over cash directly to the person on board?

[@johnc4]

If RC paid their staff a real living wage and charged us the customers a price that covered that we would not have to be subject to this weird US tipping bollocks

[@laughremixsquad]

Exactly!

[@brandongodfrey8596]

Bar tender I talked to about that on one of the newer RC ships didn't directly tell me how much they make for 6 months on a ship but he hinted at it's really good

[@gamingwithalfredo]

My first week working on royal caribbean as restaurant attendant i made 500+ on tips. Shout out to brian and friends from odyssey, mediterranean cruise. It really helped me recover from the investments i had to make such as uniforms and medical studies.

[@maureenwebb9716]

You are VERY generous!

[@jeffdinter600]

Will personally myself who works in a kipping industry. The tip amount that we are charged on Royal Caribbean is a little bit high. Per day I know that it is split amongst all of the different crew people like you mentioned. However in my industry I don't see that in my check they are making more in tips on a cruise than I make in a week if you're looking at being charged $32 or more per day between you and your wife not counting kids. That adds up that's more than I see in my paycheck I don't know about you

[@rachelallen5779]

Most of your recommendations are in line with what we tip as well. The exception for us is the main dining room staff. We eat in the MDR every night and tip closer to $20 for each waiter per night of the cruise. $20 each for the whole cruise seems low if you eat there every night.

[@jenniefowler4968]

Do the excursion people expecting a tip, planning my first cruise

[@joeo7693]

Agree with most of what you said, depends on the service and if you're getting free drinks, they don't include the base gratuity. However, Royal Genie $100 @ Day??! Yeah, no. Never had the experience, but nothing they do could be worth that much more per day in my mind (Baby Boomer). If I am wrong, enlighten me.

[@MagarBoy47]

The thing is if you're in a cabin with a genie you'll be well off. Another $700 wouldn't hurt you. Us regular people would be on a cruise for $700

[@laughremixsquad]

You are not wrong. ❤

[@marylamb7897]

No, you're not wrong. This video was useless. We tip our Genie according to the service they provide, and 2 people who are low maintenance don't require the same tip as a family with children who act like their Genie is at their beck and call. Matt provided zero context here.

[@JimD2781]

I absolutely feel that people in the service industry should be paid what they are worth. I do not feel that it should be up to me to determine what that should be. Businesses should pay their employees accordingly and add the cost to the service. Yes, prices will go up but I will know the cost up front and I won’t have to worry that I’m under tipping or over tipping. This should go for any business where tipping is considered normal, not just cruises. Oh but tipping is discretionary? Bullshit. How can someone say that and in the same breath say how much is “expected”?

[@JbRanch-l8d]

When my wife and I cruise. We tip extra for 5:37 room service, room Stewart. The only others we tip extra are the crew that obviously goes above and beyond to make our trip better.

[@sirobin171]

The corporate cheerleader for Royal telling everyone in a video "how much they should actually tip", too funny..

[@roc2028]

Thanks because you said exactly what I was thinking!

[@laughremixsquad]

That’s the common thread in many of Royal Carribean’s Marketing Department’s videos on YT.

[@shequitawashington8146]

I just wrapped a 7 day on Symphony of the Seas. I prepaid the gratuities. However RC still tried to assess an $18.50 per day gratuity fee on the card on file. I removed the card on file and paid a little extra tip to the 3 crew members that took great care of me during my stay. [Main Dining Room /& helper , and Cabin Steward]

[@donfayetteville3582]

Oh thats a good one. Love it.

[@JDRusse11]

Pretty ironic that a company founded in Norway 🇳🇴 and registers their ships in the Bahamas 🇧🇸 in order to avoid American Labor Laws 🇺🇸, expects us, the paying customer, to excessively tip their underpaid and overworked staff 👏 😂

[@robertvogel5049]

How much for a suite concierge? I never know what to tip them.

[@deej9697]

If you are on Royal Caribbean, and prepay for the tipping, do the wait staff know that you prepaid? If you prepaid the gratuity, are you still expected to tip every person that provides a service? It has been many years since I have been on a cruise. I don’t want to be “cheap”, but I also don’t want to be bamboozled or exploited.

[@LinusCello75]

For the waitstaff, you may want to tip for each meal. Once for CK, we had a great waiter, but he ended up being sick the last day, and the replacement waiter wasn’t as good. Tipped the replacement $10, and gave the replacement waiter $50 to pass on to our usual waiter; not sure if the latter happened.

[@hollypotter6989]

We prepay gratuities then if we request something extra for our cabin, like ice every day or extra towels, we tip cash to the cabin steward at the end of the cruise. We don't tip the dining room staff. They are included in the gratuities. On excursions we tip the driver/guide. We tip the porter at bag drop off. We don't tip for drinks as there is already an 18% tip added in. IMO doing a job you are paid to do doesn't warrant a tip. If the salary isn't enough find another job.

[@misslululipstick]

I’m going on my first cruise in April. I’m Australian and taking Quantum from Brisbane to Sydney. Tipping isn’t really something that’s done much in Australia so I’m curious what it’ll be expected on board in that situation. Also keeping in mind we don’t have a bill smaller than $5. Our $2 & $1 are coins.

[@kerrychabot]

When my Hubby and I went for a 7 day cruise, we tipped our cabin stewart by leaving them a tip at the end of the week (you will be provided with an envelope to use if you so choose) because she left us a towel animal everyday because I had mentioned how much I ADORE them on our first day🥰 I took pictures of every single one! We also tipped our table wait staff in the main dining room as they always remembered our wine preferences & how we took our coffee or tea! They went above and beyond!

[@roger9463]

Bigger fool you

[@davidroden3799]

On our last cruise we were in a suite for the first time. This brought us into daily contact with the Suite Concierge. She was delightful, and helped us with several situations. In hindsight, I probably under tipped her. What’s your recommendation for this role?

[@RoyalCaribbeanBlog]

How much to tip the Suite Concierge depends on how much you use them. Some cruises my only notable interaction is the escort off the ship on the final day, and that's like $20. But if you're in the lounge a lot and they assist, you speak with them a lot, etc, then you could tip more.

[@jasonbeeler1155]

Main dining is 20 for the whole cruise or 20 per meal? Everything you said ranged from exactly on point to a little high to outrageously high for a few of them. The worst was the spa tip on top of the 18% mandatory tip.

[@RUBYY813]

We always tip bartenders, MDR waitstaff and room attendants pretty heavily. We usually find a handful of great bartenders day one and give them each $20. Typically they’ll remember your go to drink and serve you first if there’s a crowd. MDR waitstaff we’ll usually tip $20-50 for both the waiter and assistant waiter. And when cabins open we always introduce ourselves to the room attendant and usually tip them $20 as well. Of course more tips will be sprinkled in over the duration of the cruise. It can add up but we’ve always felt it was worth every penny.

[@911HRW]

I carry my own bags on as I travel light, I tip bar staff half way through the week if they’ve gone over and above then another at the end, I tip the room staff half way through the week then again at the end. We don’t do speciality restaurants as they’re often too pricey as it is with such excellent complimentary food. That’s about it.

[@johngraves8561]

Were your amounts for a 5, 7 , 10, 14 day cruise? Too bad you didn’t break it down by day.

[@donfayetteville3582]

It doesn't matter. He's comped by the crusieline. I say do what you want since they are already taking money and not asking your opinion. 18.00 a day per person.

[@itewksbury]

Matt, thanks for another great video. Do you know what the crew do with a cash tip we hand to them? Does it go into a pile and divided equally or do the keep for themselves? Does the job matter? Bar vs Stateroom vs MDR?

[@hackman1616]

What I don’t get is how people pre pay the gratuities before they even have received the service.. do you not receive the service first then tip based on the experience?

[@vicki8042]

I don't do that much. I already do the auto grats. I have no specific amount but not that much.

[@JotaSE30]

Wait, you do all this on top of the prepaid? Even when tips are prepaid you are expected to tip more? I think it's very nice of you to do this, but it doesn't sound like a vacation to me to constantly have to think about tips. I prepaid, I'm on vacation, I just want to enjoy what I paid for. As for the porter, this is a service I don't even want. I can roll my bags onboard no problem. So the service is pretty much forced, and they expect tips... But not being from the US we fly in a day before, sometimes we land late, have to rush to the hotel, sleep, wake up and go straight to the pier. No time to withdraw cash, which also usually have minimum of $50 (and a nasty fee) which is way more than we need in cash. If we did withdraw cash, we then need to buy something we don't need in an overpriced shop at the airport to get smaller denominations. If it's too late most stuff will also be closed. It's on point that the first thing that meets you in the US is someone expecting tips though.

[@hansgustaf540]

I always take a lot of 10 and 20 Euro bills with me when I go on a cruise in Europe. From my free ATM at home. No stress at the port where to withdraw money for tips...

[@lanceb7438]

Do you tip dealers or people running other table games in the casino? If so, how much?

[@jduke989]

they add gratuity to the specialty restaurant package

[@ero1456]

Matt the state room attendant numbers you suggest are based on a seven day cruise. How long?

[@TheHobbsTV]

I can't say enough about how grateful I am that you made this video! I have frequently stayed in Star Class cabins (and Haven for NCL for that matter) and it's nice to get another solid opinion. Awesome!

[@gaslight2024]

We've never been in Star Class but we have stayed in NCL's Haven a few times. We always struggle over how much to tip the butler. We've heard $100 per day, but the butler really doesn't do that much for us (refill coffee pods, replace coffee cups, bring daily canapes). Not the butler's fault, we just don't need a lot of personal attention. So we just try to put a dollar value on everything the butler does for us and tip according to that.

[@JulieThompson38]

Our typical tips: Porter = $5 for our bags, whether that is 2 or 3 bags Bartender - $1 per drink Main Dining - We rarely go to main dining, so we have not tipped extra for it yet. Room steward - $40 for 7 days (We may need to increase this) Spa - We do get massages and feel the automatic 20 percent, which is usually $30 to $35, is enough. Specialty dining - There is an automatic tip charged, but we usually add $10. Excursions - If there's a driver, we usually tip $5 each way and the operator $20-$25 depending on the group size, length of outing, etc.

[@DaveW966]

Your numbers feel a little high overall, but I think a key point is you also have a larger party. $5-10 seems high to me on the bags; but I've never checked more than 1 bag. $20 on a specialty restaurant sounds high - but I'm a solo traveler. $100 tip to the stateroom attendant seems high (on average), but if you had 2 rooms on a 7 day cruise, that's not so crazy anymore. $100/day genie sounds crazy - but then again, the price of star class suites is pretty crazy also. I pre pay gratuities. And then honestly, I just go with what feels good. I end up tipping $5 in most specialty restaurants.... because I get amazing service. I don't tip because I feel obligated - I tip because I want to thank them. My stateroom tip has went from $0 to $100. I was on adventure over Christmas - and my stateroom attendant was giving me 1.5 cleaning a day; They'd clean my room in the morning - and in the evening when I was at dinner - he'd drop off new ice, make my bed back up, drop off fresh towels if needed. Was just a nice little perk. He just went above and beyond. But I also have no problem tipping nothing extra - if the service is just basic/average. In terms of drinks, I tip $1/drink in the casino (Prime member); On a ship like adventure, this gets me royal treatment from the bar staff. I almost never even need to show my card with prime after the first night. On Wonder/Utopia - I'm having to frequently reshow my card to the same staff.

[@7r1n3santiago]

I don’t even know what a genie is all about 😂

[@livingmybestlife7391]

I may have missed it but what about the concierge when you are in a suite?

[@teaprez]

It's difficult to answer this because it depends upon how much they have assisted you. There have been times when my only interaction with the suite concierge, during the cruise, is friendly conversation. In that case, I'll tip $20 at the end when we are escorted out. My husband and I are pretty self-sufficient but there are times we do need assistance. Unless I have received a lot of service, I'll leave between $50 and $100. One time we had a plumbing issue in our suite and our concierge was on top of it and even visited our cabin. At the end, she gave us a discount certificate for a future cruise. She received well over our usual amount.

[@moymoy919]

I'm planning a trip and it's literally a sacrifice. Do I really have to tip so much? I'm on a budget as is.

[@teaprez]

No, you do not. I would suggest a tip at the end for your stateroom attendant, perhaps $1 per drink for bar service, and a something for your waiters at dinner. Consider the number of times you eat in the dining room, how often you have had the same server and their level of service. Decide ahead of the cruise what you think is affordable and decide how to divide it up. My experience is that they appreciate anything they get over and above the pre-paid gratuities. They appreciate being mentioned in the survey you will receive so keep track of names. Please don't create extra stress over your cruise by worrying about tips. Some of the tips mentioned in this blog are clearly given by some for whom money is not a concern. I'm in the middle. Just enjoy knowing you did what you could afford.

[@davee8113]

Specialty Dining package 20$ per meal tip would be very very expensive for the whole cruise, that can be almost as much as the package per day for two people , I give 5$ per meal/table and an extra 20$ dollars for the best server for the entire cruise

[@markrobertson304]

How do you prepay gratuities? I looked on the website without joy? Can you do it through your travel agent

[@QueenKayKay47]

You call the cruise line, or some allow it on their website!

[@DavidGQTravel]

I typically tip $100 for room steward if that person is good, $100 to MDR waiter $50 Assistant Waiter. Spa - will be depend on how good the service is. I rarely tip extra for bars though. Room Service will be depend on how much I order but $5 is typical.

[@sportsMike87]

I don’t think there is a right or wrong way to tip. it’s what your comfortable tipping.

[@MISSMARIE723]

Maybe I missed this but do the prepaid gratuities go to the kids and teen club staff?

[@RoyalCaribbeanBlog]

No, the prepaid gratuities go towards cabin attendant and dining room staff

[@ero1456]

Just got off the allure of the seas and had the same conversation looking forward to hearing your thoughts . We like to tip on top of the mandatory tipping.

[@hackman1616]

No such thing as mandatory tipping

[@Bum_Hip]

To all those who don’t tip a bit extra to cocktail servers, and bartenders, do not be surprised when you don’t get the prompt service you may hear others received. A buck or two per drink will get you faster service, and stiffer drinks.

[@JCogs1]

I always stay in star class.(Royal Loft Suite) Porter $10-20. Genie $800-$1,000. Room cleaning -service porter $400-$600. Room service $5 . Breakfast $10. Lunch & dinner at specialty restaurants $20-$25. Drinks $3-$4. It all depends on how everyone is. I believe in tipping because they all work hard and it's there living. By the video it sounds like I am right in the mix. Let me know

[@dandominey8280]

I realize this guy has some sort of affiliation or personal gain from royal Caribbean, I mean the only time I hear him criticize RC is usually some moot point that most everyone has come to accept, like “ it would be nice if allowed bottled liquor brought on board” or “cabin is limited room for storage”, it would be nice to get some straight up criticism, like the pillows suck or something. I mean Im pretty laid back, not a complainer, but I have never been on a cruise that I couldn’t find at least one thing though usually minor, that warrants some criticism. Anyways this is really not the point of my comment, but what is wrong with everyone. Sure I got his little disclosure at the beginning another moot point he is not insinuating that tipping is mandatory, but why would I spend an additional probably grand on top of the already included gratuity. Sure if I really liked a person or they helped me in some over and above way, yeah I would give over and above tip, but we’re talking like if I left a bag in taxi, and someone hopped off the ship and chased down the taxi as the ship is pulling in the gang ways, yeah that warrants some additional gratuities, but why would I give a bar tender a couple extra bucks, on top of the included gratuity, all of which a good portion is being going straight to RC. I don’t know maybe it’s my generation, but this is just to much. The corporations in the service industry has brainwashed everyone into paying more for everything. I sure as hell don’t get a tip in my job, in fact if I don’t help a client I may lose a deal all together, and get paid zero for my efforts. Typically the reward of offering my clients good service is repeat business. Perhaps RC and all the other corporations in the service industry should consider this model, give your best employees good bonuses, fire the lazy ones. This ain’t the 70’s anymore no one goes around tipping the door guy 100 bucks to be big shot (accept for the degenerate gamblers maybe still do), now days everyone walks around tapping their iPhones on everything.

[@thomasjparks]

It’s nice to see Matt “paying it forward” for the comp’ed / discounted cruises he receives for his social media marketing and his casino play. It took some courage to make a video about a controversial topic (tipping) knowing he probably would receive some criticism about how much he tips…

[@morninglight67]

You have way more discretionary/disposable income than I have.

[@jeffreyhowell1012]

I’m in the wrong business. I’m gonna be a genie!

[@RyansTravelChannel]

Add gratuities to the cruise fare, pay it, tip a bit extra as the week goes on to the employees that exceed your expectations is what I do.

[@JM-tp3wg]

It is not tips; it is a service charge. They add 18% tip on everything, so why give even more. All the people you are tipping are contracted employees with salaries and benefits. It manipulates the employees and the cruisers. It reduces the salaries the employees are paid. The cruise lines should charge the price that includes a fair wage for the employees. Some people do not pay the automatic tips or any other tips and are "free riders" that increases the amount the rest of us pay. Do you tip the security personal or healthcare staff when they save your life? Do you tip the captain and crew for getting you there safely and on time? Of course not, because they are paid a fair wage as every employee should be. Tipping allows the cruise lines to underpay some staff in the hope that the customers are generous. Tipping is manipulative and deceptive and should be done away with and thereby forcing everyone to pay the full price up front and the crew to get paid fairly without having to grovel in the hopes of getting a fair wage.

[@ffssathena]

Here is my gut check: gratuities pre-paid is enough (for food and beverage service - including in cabanas). The tours are additional unless you prepaid a gratuity….Question: Room attendants…do they get part of the prepaid gratuity. Also, I do not think if a server acts like a long lost friend they are providing great service. Many people are not going on cruises to meet new friends. Many are just looking to get away from it all. For me making friends that I am never going to see again is just exhausting. Friendly yet Professional does not mean bad service.

[@shamajack1]

We actually see the maitre d' on the first day of our cruise and give him a $50 tip. We are Kosher and have special needs; it works wonders! At the end is the week, we give him another $50.

[@l.wallace4252]

If you book specialty dining ahead of time, Royal adds gratuities. So if you also tip $20 at the time of dining, then that is 38%. I think this is a money grab from Royal. Where do the upfront gratuities go? What about anytime dining? We often have different servers each time. So we leave $5 a meal. If we have assigned waiters, we pay as we go because once our waiter left the ship unexpectedly because of a family emergency. No one would agree to take the tip on his behalf and make sure he got it.

[@CruisingMama1987]

Wow, $100 a day for a genie. We give $300 for the entire trip. And it’s just three of us. And we’re very easy guests.

[@janetgraves4015]

Every quarter the cruise lines announce publicly the huge profits they earned, but they never serm to pass those earnings on to the hard working people who make the corporate folks look good.

[@georgeazan8988]

Just remember to tip your lawyer and his clerks as well.

[@romeoserback]

Pun intended. These are great tips! I'm a generous person when I toke and I'm giving about the same as you.

[@shyrahhall4266]

Damn I feel like I didn’t tip enough lol, i tipped what I could. I Prepaid my gratuities and at the end gave my room attendant like $15 and my waiters $15 each. I carried my own luggage on n off. I did one specialty lunch, that wasn’t all that but tipped the waiter $10. If you got $100 to give, that’s good.

[@teaprez]

I think it is nice to tip extra to recognize those that provide excellent service over and above, IF one can afford it. It's obvious by the comments that some have no problem tipping but others save and save to even go on a cruise. I understand that people feel pressured to tip but I don't think they should add extra stress to their cruise by worrying about a tip. For many, I would recommend deciding on how much they can afford to add to their cruise price and decide how they want to divvy it up.

[@charlesravenscraft8543]

So we don't spend singles pretty much ever and save them for going on cruises or some other relevant outing and bring a couple hundred or so for drink tipping that doesn't have to be budgeted or acquired for the cruise.

[@pvtts05]

I think what he tips is completely reasonable. I just don't use all the services he tips for so it seems fine to me.

[@Cash4Jesus]

I like how he’s so grateful for bad service he only tips $50. Then again if I got paid KZbin money for cruising then I wouldn’t care either since I’m not a normal cruiser.

[@DexterTheDuck]

$600-$800 in tips. That seems like a lot. I despise tipping culture.

[@SamuelCaramela]

Nonsense numbers in this video. I prepay my gratuities. My soda package includes the tip. I tip the head waiter $20 for the entire cruise because they get me 2 pints of chocolate milk which I use to take some medications before bed. I tip the piano player in the Scoorner bar $20 to 50 dollars at the end of the cruise depending on how much I enjoy them and how long the cruise is. I don't tip excursions as most are over priced to start with. I also usually make a connection with one or two waitresses that go out of there way to take good care of me in the theater and or the scrooner bar. They get an extra $20. at the end of the cruise