Cruising gratuities simply means tipping on a cruise ship. Some cruise lines call it crew appreciation or daily service fees. Every cruise line has a name for these automatically-added services. Most cruise lines will add the daily gratuity fees to your onboard account throughout your cruise. While tipping is not a complicated concept when you are onboard, there are a few things you need to know before you go on your first cruise trip. Let’s take a deep dive:

What Are Cruise Gratuities?

Cruise gratuities are tips that travelers pay during the trip. Based on the cruise lines policy, they are usually calculated per person/day or night. The exact fees will be determined by the type of cabin you book, and every person in the cabin will be assessed for the charge. Please note that children below three years old are exempted.

Additionally, on your bill, cruise gratuities will be listed in different ways, including crew incentives, tips, service charges, and crew appreciation fees. These charges are automatically added to the journey’s final price. This is to ensure that all the passengers pay a fair share. While tips are not required, they are expected nonetheless.

Charging an automatic cruise gratuity also assures all the crew members, including those who work behind the scenes to deliver an exceptional cruise experience, receive a share. Previously, gratuities in cash envelopes would only benefit the staff directly interacting with the passengers. The gratuities also contribute directly to the income of all the crew members.

How Do I Pay Tips Of A Cruise Ship?

There are three ways in which you can pay tips on a cruise ship. The first one lets you pre-pay the tips once you book your reservation. Many passengers say that the main benefit of this payment method is sticker shock avoidance. While it doesn’t look like a lot of money when quoted per person per day, it is quite expensive when you see it on your onboard bill.

The other is to allow that charges to be added every day you are onboard. All the expenses accrued while on the trip will be due at the end. However, this does not include the price of your trip. For many large cruise lines, cruise gratuities are charges along with other extras you bought throughout the cruise.

The third option is deciding to tip the old fashion way with cash. You can give cash tips during the services or at the end of the trip. This way, you get to thank a crew member directly. However, it is unlikely that you will be able to tip all the crew members who you will come across on your cruise.

Who Gets A Share Of The Automatic Cruise Gratuities?

It is important to note that it takes a combined effort for a team of crew members to ensure that the ship is in top shape and you get a great experience while on vacation. While we only interact with a small percentage of crew members in certain positions, many work hard at their jobs.

Previously, crew members who interacted face-to-face with the cruisers were only given tips. This only favored the front-of-the-house crew members, while others worked behind the scenes for a chance to make more money.

The new system of charging gratuities per person per day has helped iron out the issue. The wait staff and the room stewards enjoy a piece of the fees, and the funds are  also shared with some crew members in other jobs such as food preparation, laundry, and maintenance.

Book Your Parking Early at Safe Cruise Park Miami

It is essential to ensure your parking is safe and secure when going on your cruise. If you plan to drive to Miami to catch the cruise, consider saving and securing parking for your car. We recommend booking your parking space early to avoid inconveniences due to the upcoming spring break.

At Safe Cruise Parking, we ensure your vehicle is safe while on vacation. You can book your slot early to save some cash. Safe Cruise Parking is at 189 NE SECOND STREET, MIAMI, FL 33132.  Check out some directions to get to our lot below.  Check out some directions to get to our lot below.

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