I know this gets discussed a lot here, but honestly it feels like cruise gratuities have gone too far. At $18–21 per person per day, it easily turns into hundreds or even over a thousand dollars on some trips. On some sailings that’s 30–40% of the base cruise fare. Advertising a low ticket price and then stacking on mandatory “tips” later just feels misleading.
From what I’ve read and from conversations with crew, most cruise lines aren’t really paying staff extra on top of gratuities anyway. The gratuities are used to offset operating costs and wages, while the company reduces what it pays directly. So it’s not really a tip in the traditional sense.
If I stay at a Hilton or Marriott, I don’t tip housekeeping daily. I don’t tip for complimentary breakfast. If I have a paid dinner or bar tab, sure, I tip because that’s a separate service. But the base services are included in what I paid for.
I feel like cruises should work the same way. The cruise fare should include the service. If someone goes above and beyond, I’m more than happy to tip them extra directly.
And before anyone calls me cheap, keep in mind most of the world doesn’t have a tipping culture like the US. This guilt based system feels wrong. Cruises should just be transparent, pay staff properly, and roll the real cost into the fare instead of pushing it onto passengers afterward.
Curious how others feel about this.
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