Should i prepay my gratuities on a cruise

If you refuse to tip on principle, you are impacting the salaries of the people who have served you well onboard. What Our Members Say: "I don't tip. Do I feel bad for it? I'm British. This one's a given. If you loved your sailing and feel the crew did a superb job, leave your tips as they are. You might even want to give an extra tip to specific crew members who served you well.

Even if you had a minor grumble here or there, or you had a negative experience with a particular employee, seriously consider whether it warrants removing your tips altogether.

Keep in mind that if you pull your tips because of one rude member of the staff, the whole group is affected. What Our Members Say: "I have been fortunate enough to have excellent service During a galley tour, Cruise Critic member Wennfred saw a list of all passengers who opted out of auto-gratuities posted in a prominent locale.

We've been assured by various cruise lines that crew members aren't told which passengers have removed their auto-gratuities until after the sailing has ended, but we understand the concern that quality of service could suffer if crew members did find out. If you're worried about this but still wish to remove auto-gratuities in favor of tipping in person via envelope, let your room steward and waiter know up front that that's what you'll be doing, so no misunderstandings arise.

What Our Members Say: " Been on the one Thomson cruise with tips included and it's some of the best service we had. Had some terrible service on a cruise where tips were not included.

I'm not convinced removing auto-gratuities would see a drop in service standards. Poor staff are poor staff regardless in my opinion. If you plan to remove tips from your onboard bill, you will need to plan in advance to bring enough cash for personal tipping, then wait in a potentially long line at the guest services desk to remove the auto-gratuities and chase down all the crew members you wish to thank on the last evening.

Determine whether the hassle is worth doing things your way. Automatic tipping takes all the work out of rewarding shipboard staff. What Our Members Say: In a poll taken on Cruise Critic's message boards about auto-gratuities, 52 percent of more than 3, respondents said they appreciate the convenience of auto-tipping on a cruise. Find a Cruise. Cruise Tips. You may also like Dismiss. Gratuities: What's the Point?

Cruise Tipping and Salaries Dissected. Tipping on a Non-Tipping Cruise Ship. Princess Cruises FAQ. The Truth About Gratuities. Facebook Pinterest Twitter. You've Received Subpar Service It's rare that all areas of service are lacking onboard, but it's certainly not out of the question. Featured Videos See all videos. Cruise Critic Cheers to 25 Years! There is no charge for children under 2 years of age. Cruises in Europe, World cruises and those departing from a non-US Caribbean port charge 10 Euros per person, per day.

Other itineraries may differ. Service charges for guests ages are half of the adult rate. Children under 4 are not charged. There is no service charge applied for children under 2 years of age.

Cruises in Europe are charged in Euros. There are different service charges for certain itineraries. There is no charge for children under 3 years of age. Related: How to Save Money on a Cruise. This happens every year or two, but there is no set schedule. Essentially, you are getting the value of the cruise line gratuities as a perk, saving you money on your cruise.

Norwegian Cruise Line has Free at Sea , but we rarely see prepaid gratuities on the list of perks options anymore. Gratuities or service charges are added to drink and drink packages purchased onboard. Specialty restaurants usually have a service charge, as well as spa and salon services. You can prepay your gratuities tips at the time of booking your cruise, either with your travel agent or with the cruise line if you booked directly.

You can usually prepay your gratuity up until hours before your cruise, depending on the cruise line. On most cruise lines you can adjust the gratuities up or down, or remove them altogether at the guest services desk on the cruise ship. The cruise line does want to solve any service issues and complaints , and make sure that you are happy. Norwegian Cruise Line, which charges a service charge in lieu of a gratuity, will attempt to solve the service issue.

According to their website , If the issue is not solved to your satisfaction, charges may be adjusted.