Cruise gratuities are one of the most confusing costs in travel. They show up as an automatic daily charge, the name changes from one cruise line to the next, and nobody explains upfront who actually receives the money. This guide clears all of that up, covering how much to expect in 2026, exactly what the charge pays for, whether you can remove it, and the smart way to handle it before you sail.
Here is the short version. Cruise gratuities are an automatic daily service charge of roughly $14 to $25 per person per day, added to your onboard account to compensate the crew who look after you. You can usually remove them at guest services, but doing so takes money from the staff rather than the cruise line, so most travelers leave them in place. Prepaying locks in the current rate. Because these charges are rarely shown in the headline fare, they are also a big reason the true cost of a cruise runs higher than the price you first see, something worth understanding early if this is your first cruise.
What Are Cruise Gratuities?
Cruise gratuities, also called service charges, daily charges, or crew appreciation fees depending on the cruise line, are an automatic daily fee charged per passenger to cover tips for the ship's service staff. They are added to your onboard account each day of the voyage and cover your cabin steward, dining room servers, assistant servers, and in some cases a broader pool of crew who work behind the scenes.
They exist because cruise ship staff across most departments work for modest base wages, with the understanding that gratuities make up a significant share of their total pay. The pooled gratuity system is an attempt to spread tips fairly across everyone who contributes to your experience, not just the crew you happen to interact with directly.
How Much Are Cruise Gratuities in 2026?
| Cruise Line | Daily Gratuity (per person) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Caribbean | $18.00 to $20.50 | Higher for suites |
| Carnival Cruise Line | $16.00 to $18.00 | Higher for suites and Excel suites |
| Norwegian Cruise Line | $20.00 to $25.00 | Called a service charge; higher for The Haven |
| Celebrity Cruises | $18.00 to $23.00 | Often built into Always Included fares |
| Princess Cruises | $16.00 to $18.00 | Called crew appreciation |
| Holland America | $15.50 to $17.50 | Called a hotel service charge |
| MSC Cruises | $14.00 to $16.00 | Varies by itinerary |
| Disney Cruise Line | $14.50 to $15.50 | Guidelines provided; tips given individually in envelopes |
These rates are per person per day, so a couple on a seven night cruise with Royal Caribbean in a standard cabin pays roughly $252 to $287 in total gratuities. Suite passengers pay more. Rates change and tend to rise periodically, so always confirm the current figure with your specific cruise line before sailing. When you are comparing fares, add the daily gratuity across every passenger and night to see the real difference, which our cruise budget calculator does for you automatically.
What Do Cruise Gratuities Cover?
The daily gratuity pool is shared among a wider group of crew than most passengers realize. Depending on the cruise line, it usually covers:
- Cabin stewards, also called room attendants
- Main dining room servers and assistant servers
- Buffet and casual dining staff
- Food service workers behind the scenes, such as galley staff and dishwashers
- On some lines, the entire hotel department crew
What it does not cover: bar service, where a gratuity of 18 to 20% is added automatically to every drink purchase, spa services, where a gratuity is added at the spa, and specialty restaurant service on some lines.
Can You Remove or Reduce Cruise Gratuities?
On most mainstream cruise lines, yes. You can visit guest services and ask to have the automatic gratuity removed or adjusted, and the cruise line will usually process the request without much pushback.
There are some important things to understand before you do, though.
What Happens When You Remove Gratuities
When a passenger removes automatic gratuities, the cruise line typically claws back any tips already paid to crew from that passenger's share of the pool. The crew members who served you do not get to keep what they were allocated, and the money goes back to the cruise line. Unless you replace the gratuity with equivalent cash tips handed directly to each crew member, which many passengers who remove gratuities do not do, removing the automatic charge takes money away from workers who earn very modest base wages.
Should You Remove Gratuities?
The cruise industry's gratuity system is genuinely imperfect, since it props up low base wages and shifts the burden of fair staff pay onto passengers. That is a legitimate criticism. But it is the crew who bear the consequences when gratuities are removed, not the cruise line. The common argument for removing them is that you will tip cash directly to the people who served you well, and if you truly do that across everyone who contributed to your trip, it is a reasonable approach. Most passengers who remove gratuities never follow through with equivalent cash, which is why crew tend to view the practice negatively.
Prepaying Gratuities: The Smart Move
Most cruise lines let you prepay gratuities at the time of booking, or any time before sailing, at the current rate. Prepaying is almost always a good idea for two reasons:
- You lock in the current rate, which matters because gratuity rates have been rising each year, so paying before an increase saves money.
- You simplify your final bill, since gratuities are one of the larger variable costs on a cruise, and settling them in advance removes a big line item from your disembarkation statement.
If you are spreading the cost of your trip over time, folding gratuities into your plan early is easy, and our guide to cruise payment plans walks through how to budget for the full amount rather than the fare alone.
Additional Tips Beyond the Daily Charge
If a crew member has gone truly above and beyond, whether your cabin steward anticipated your every need, a server remembered your preferences across seven nights, or a concierge untangled a tricky problem, an extra cash tip is always welcome and genuinely meaningful. Small amounts go a long way at their pay levels. An additional $10 to $20 to a standout staff member at the end of a voyage is a lovely gesture.
Luxury Cruise Lines: Tips Included
On true luxury cruise lines such as Regent Seven Seas, Silversea, Seabourn, and Crystal, gratuities are fully included in the fare. No daily charge appears on your onboard account, and tipping is officially discouraged, though a small cash gift to an exceptional crew member is never refused. It is one of the quiet advantages of all inclusive luxury pricing that gets far less attention than the included excursions and drinks.
A Note on Bar Gratuities and Drink Packages
Because the daily gratuity does not cover the bar, a service charge of 18 to 20% is added to every drink you buy. If you purchase a beverage package, that gratuity is usually applied to the package price at the time of purchase and covers your bar service for the whole voyage, so you do not tip again on each drink. Whether the package pays off at all is a separate question, and our breakdown of whether cruise drink packages are worth it runs the numbers. Shore excursions are another cost the daily charge never touches, so factor those in too when you plan your port days.
More Cruise Planning Reading
- How Much Does a Cruise Really Cost? Use Our Budget Tool
- Are Drink Packages Worth It on a Cruise?
- Cruise Payment Plans: How to Pay for Your Cruise Monthly
- What Happens If You Miss Your Cruise Ship?
- Cruising 101: A Guide to Your First Cruise
Cruise Gratuities: Frequently Asked Questions
Are cruise gratuities mandatory?
Technically no, since most mainstream lines let you request removal at guest services. In practice they act as a mandatory part of the cost of cruising, because they represent real compensation for the crew who serve you. Some lines, particularly Norwegian and MSC, are moving toward service charges that cannot be removed, treating them much like a hotel resort fee. You can always confirm the latest policy on the cruise line's own site, such as Norwegian Cruise Line.
Do cruise gratuities cover bar tips?
No, bar gratuities are separate. Most cruise lines add an 18 to 20% service charge automatically to every beverage. If you buy a drink package, a gratuity of 18 to 20% of the package price is usually added at purchase and covers bar service for the entire voyage, so there is no need to tip again on each drink when using a package.
How much should I tip my cabin steward directly?
If you are paying the standard automatic gratuity, your cabin steward already receives their share through the pool, so no extra tip is required. To acknowledge exceptional service, $10 to $20 in cash at the end of the voyage is a generous and appreciated gesture. If you have removed the automatic gratuity and are tipping directly, a fairer range is $5 to $7 per person per day for standard service, and more for suites or unusually attentive care.
Do children pay cruise gratuities?
Yes. Gratuity policies apply to all passengers, including children, regardless of age, since children use the same cabin steward, buffet, and dining services as adults. Some lines apply a reduced rate for young children, while most charge the full adult rate. Check your specific cruise line's policy when you book.
Are gratuities included in cruise fares advertised online?
Rarely on mainstream lines. Advertised fares almost never include gratuities, which is why the real cost of a cruise sits meaningfully above the headline price. When comparing offers, add the daily gratuity, multiplied by the number of passengers and nights, for a true comparison. Celebrity's Always Included fares and some Norwegian promotional packages build gratuities into the fare, so always read the fine print.
