When clients ask me about cruise gratuities, it is usually right after they have carefully budgeted for airfare, hotels, excursions, and the cruise fare itself. Then they notice a daily service charge and wonder what exactly is included and whether they are expected to tip more.  Some folks new to cruising are not even aware of automatic gratuities until the night before disembarkation, when they whey they receive their pre-disembarkation cabin account invoice.

Cruise tipping is different from tipping at home. 

On land, we are used to leaving a percentage at the end of a meal or handing something directly to a driver or guide. On most mainstream cruise lines, gratuities are structured as a fixed daily amount per person, not per stateroom. That amount is either prepaid before sailing or automatically added to your onboard account.

This often surprises first time cruisers.

Personally, I budget the gratuities when I am planning a cruise and they are always part of my entire cost.

How cruise gratuities typically work

  • Most contemporary and premium cruise lines automatically add a per person, per day gratuity

  • You can usually prepay this before departure or have it added daily to your onboard account

  • Bar tabs and spa services often include an automatic service charge – ask about this to be sure as each cruise line may treat this differently

  • The gratuity pool is distributed among crew members, including those you may never see, such as laundry, housekeeping, and galley staff

Prepaying versus paying onboard

One thing to consider is if you are Canadian, and purchasing your cruise in Canadian dollars, is that if you prepay the gratuities you are doing so in Canadian funds.  Once on the ship, most ocean lines operate in USD and most river cruise lines operate in Euros. 

If you pay your gratuities on the ship, the cruise line will take (usually) the CAD amount and convert that to either USD or Euros.  When you pay this amount onboard using your Canadian credit card, your bank is now taking that USD or Euro amount and converting it back to CAD as per the bank rate that day.  Essentially you are paying a rate that has been exchanged at a buy and sell rate twice, and potentially adding a foreign transaction fee on your credit card statement.

I will always suggest that you pay your gratuities when booking, or at final payment.

There is no etiquette difference between the two. From a planning perspective, many of my clients prefer to prepay because it allows them to:

  • Lock in their budget before departure

  • Avoid a larger onboard bill at the end of the cruise

  • Avoid a double exchange scenario

  • Enjoy a more seamless, worry free experience

However, choosing to pay onboard is perfectly acceptable. The key is simply understanding your cruise line’s policy before you sail.

You also have the right – if gratuities are optionally added – to increase, decrease, or remove them all together. This requires a trip to Guest Services, and I never recommend that gratuities be removed.

Can you give additional cash tips

Yes. Cash tips are allowed and sometimes appreciated when a crew member truly goes above and beyond. It is important to understand that any extra cash should be in addition to the daily gratuity, not instead of it.

The daily service charge forms part of how crew compensation is structured. Removing it to reduce costs can directly impact the crew who have taken care of you throughout the voyage.

Common gratuity mistakes I see

  • Not realizing gratuities are per person, NOT per cabin or stateroom

  • Double tipping because the automatic service charge was overlooked

  • Forgetting that bar and spa services usually already include a service charge

  • Waiting until the final night to raise service concerns that could have been addressed earlier

  • Note as well, that most alcoholic and soft drink packages have gratuities included in the daily rate or package rate, so there is no need to tip a bartender per drink or per day

Luxury and expedition differences

Some luxury and European based lines include gratuities in the cruise fare. For example, brands such as Explora Journeys, Seabourn, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises typically bundle gratuities into the overall price. Policies can change, so it is always best to confirm for your specific sailing. Newly added to this list are Oceania and AmaWaterways.  Note that AmaWaterways will include gratuities on all 2027 sailings and beyond.

As I always tell my clients, cruise ships are global workplaces. Crew members come from around the world, and gratuity structures vary by brand. Do not assume it works the same way everywhere.

My advice before you sail

  • Review your cruise line’s gratuity policy

  • Decide whether you want to prepay or settle onboard

  • Monitor your onboard account regularly and on most lines you can do this on your cabin TV set

  • Address service concerns early and politely and don’t wait until the final night when gratuities hit.  In many cases Guest Services can rectify your service concerns when brought to their attention.

A final note from me would be that any excursion you go on is generally not covered by the cruise line gratuity charge.  The driver and the guide are generally not receiving any gratuity from the cruise line so these gratuities are almost always extra.

If you are unsure about what is included on your sailing, ask as that is part of my role as your Ontario based TICO registered travel advisor. Clear expectations make for a much more relaxed cruise experience.

Now let me ask you something.

Are you booking a mainstream cruise, a premium river cruise, or a luxury ocean experience? The gratuity structure can differ significantly between those categories, and the advice I give will depend on which type of cruise you are considering.