What You Need to Know

I thought I had planned for everything. My cruise had gone well, and it was time to close out my cruise account. Then, I learned one unique fact about the Ecuadorean expedition cruise I was on – tips had to be paid in cash.

I had forgotten one important rule of cruising—always check the cruise line’s gratuity guide before you travel. In this instance, I couldn’t add gratuities to my account like I have often done on other cruises. I was stuck making a last-minute dash to an ATM to reward the talented crew members who had taken such good care of us.

Don’t Forget the Gratuities

When planning your cruise budget, there are several key things to keep in mind. Once you’ve selected your cruise line, itinerary, and travel dates, you’ll choose a cabin class and decide whether to add drink packages or excursions. Then, you’ll factor in the travel expenses to and from your departure ports.

One often-overlooked expense to consider is cruise gratuities. Many cruise lines operate with a tipping culture, where it’s customary for guests to reward crew members for their service through tips.

Tipping guidelines can vary by cruise line, region and even by ship. It’s important to understand the tipping guidelines on your selected cruise.

READ MORE: What to Know Before You Book a Cruise to Alaska

Regional Tipping Norms

Tipping practices can vary depending on your cruise destination and even within the same cruise line. For example, AmaWaterways provides tipping guidelines for their European cruises of €100 per guest for a 7-night cruise, which is shared among the ship’s crew. For the Cruise Manager, who operates separately from the ship’s crew, the recommendation is €25 per guest for a 7-night stay,

The recommendation for AmaWaterways cruises in Asia is $80 per guest per week, divided among the crew. The recommendation for the Cruise Manager is $30 per guest per week. For Africa cruises, AmaWaterways suggests $20-25 per person per day, divided among the crew. In Egypt, the recommendation is a total of $120 per guest for a 7-night cruise.

AmaWaterways leaves tipping to guest discretion, and tips can be paid in cash or by credit card at the end of the cruise. Viking and Avalon follow similar policies.

Automatic Gratuities

On other cruise lines, tips are automatically added to guest accounts. This is the norm for many large cruise lines, such as Royal Caribbean, Norwegian (NCL), Holland American Line, and Celebrity. Fees typically range from $14 to $25 per person daily, depending on the stateroom class. These fees are shared among the crew.

On Princess Cruises, for example, the daily amount for suites is $19 per person per day, $18 per day for mini-suites, cabanas, and Reserve Collection, and $17 per person per day for all other stateroom types.

Guests have complete discretion on the tipping amount but must make any adjustments during the cruise.

READ MORE: How to Pick the Cruise That’s Right for You

Budget for Additional Tips

Some specialty services, such as onboard spa services, warrant additional tips. It’s also customary to tip bartenders, bar staff and attendants who deliver room service. Some cruise lines add this automatically, so check your bill.

If you book excursions, you’ll want to keep cash in the local currency on hand to tip your guides. Tipping amounts vary by destination, so check your cruise line guidelines. A broad guideline is $5-$10 per person for the guide and $2-$5 for the driver.

All-Inclusive Cruises

Many luxury cruise lines offer an all-inclusive experience and include gratuities in your fare. This eliminates the need for any additional tips. Ocean cruise lines that include gratuities in their fares include Silversea, Regent Seven Seas and Seabourn. All-inclusive river cruise lines include Scenic Cruises, Tauck River Cruises and Riverside Cruises.

When I reflect on the cruises I’ve taken, I often remember crew members and how they added to the experience. Showing appreciation through tipping and heartfelt thanks seems only fitting for those who help make the journey unforgettable.

Janna Graber is an award-winning American travel journalist and current editor of Go World Travel. Since moving to Austria at age 19 for college, she’s been in love with world travel, and has covered destinations around the globe for more than 40 newspapers, magazines and websites. She’s the author of three travel anthology books.

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