For years, cruise lines have assessed passengers a daily gratuity fee, which the companies say gets divvied up among the crew. But this summer, several major lines have suddenly hiked the fee, and some passengers say it is part of a pattern of being nickel-and-dimed with surprise onboard increases.
Cruise companies, including Carnival, Celebrity, Princess and MSC, say the hike is necessary to keep crew compensation competitive. While the charges are automatically added to guest accounts, they are recommended and not mandatory, so guests can adjust or remove them at the end of the cruise.
In April, Carnival Cruise Line increased its daily gratuity rate by $1, to $17 per person per day for staterooms and $19 per day for suites. The company said its team members provide “exceptional service” and that guests would agree that the “slight increase was well deserved.”
Celebrity Cruises also increased its daily gratuity charge by $1.50 in July, with rates ranging from $19.50 to $24.50 per passenger per day. Some passengers questioned whether the extra funds would go to the crew members or be used to offset operational costs.
“Celebrity has amazing service and the crew deserve to be paid well, but it’s hard to trust big corporations,” said Harry Evans, 66, an avid cruiser who recently retired in Miami. “The costs keep adding up, and if this trend continues, I’m going to go back to tipping cash.”
In an emailed statement, a spokesperson for the Royal Caribbean Group, which owns Celebrity Cruises, said gratuities are shared and are a part of crew compensation.
The fee is bundled into the overall fare, which also includes accommodations, food and entertainment, creating one predictable price tag, which is one of the main draws of a cruise.
Carnival also recently raised the price of its “Bottomless Bubbles” nonalcoholic beverage package for adults to $11.99 per day, up from $9.50, plus an automatic 20 percent gratuity, citing the higher cost of newly added Coca-Cola products.
Some cruise lines are also making changes to their booking and payment policies. Princess Cruises recently announced an increase to deposit prices and tightened the deadline for final payments before a voyage. For short sailings of six to nine days, deposits will be raised to $300 per passenger, up from $250, in stateroom categories, and suite deposits will cost $600 per passenger, up from $500. For longer sailings of 10 to 44 days, deposits will range from $500 to $1,000, depending on the cabin category.
The new rates will go into effect for bookings made after Sept. 2 for 2027 sailings. The rates will include a 120-day final payment period, along with progressively higher cancellation fees as the departure date nears, making the fares less flexible.
“These changes bring greater consistency to the booking process and reflect broader industry practices,” Princess Cruises said in an emailed statement.
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