Recent observation from a cruise experience where multiple groups were seen removing automatic gratuities at guest services on the final night, reportedly influenced by social media advice suggesting it as a “money-saving hack.”
The situation raises a few points worth clarifying:
It is indeed possible on most cruise lines, including Princess Cruises, to adjust or remove automatic gratuities through guest services.
However, doing so is not necessarily the norm across all passengers; many guests leave gratuities in place as part of standard service compensation.
Claims of “tipping in cash instead” are subjective and not always verifiable by the cruise line, though some passengers may choose to tip certain staff directly.
The prevalence of removing gratuities can vary by passenger demographics, awareness of policies, and influence from online content.
From an operational perspective, gratuities are pooled and distributed among service staff, so removing them affects the overall compensation structure. Because of this, cruise lines typically encourage keeping the automatic gratuity system intact.
In summary: while removing gratuities is allowed and not uncommon in isolated cases, it is not universally practiced, and usage as a “hack” tends to be overstated compared to general passenger behavior.
0