Cruise gratuities can be surprisingly confusing, especially if you're taking your first cruise. You may pay gratuities when you book, see a daily service charge appear on your onboard account, pay an additional gratuity when you order a drink, and still wonder whether you're supposed to hand your cabin steward cash at the end of the cruise.

The good news is that tipping on a cruise is much simpler once you understand how the system works.

Most major cruise lines automatically charge a set amount per person, per day to cover gratuities for crew members who provide service throughout your vacation. Depending on the cruise line, you may be able to prepay those gratuities before sailing or have them added to your onboard account during the cruise.

But those automatic charges don't cover every tipping situation you'll encounter onboard or in port.

Here's what you need to know about cruise gratuities, including what they cover, how much to budget, when an additional tip is appropriate, and whether prepaying your gratuities makes sense.

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What Are Cruise Gratuities?

Cruise gratuities are service charges distributed among crew members who help take care of you throughout your cruise.

Instead of requiring passengers to individually tip every crew member they encounter, most cruise lines automatically charge a daily gratuity. The money is then distributed among eligible crew members according to the cruise line's gratuity program.

That may include your cabin steward and members of the dining and behind-the-scenes service teams.

The exact terminology varies. Depending on the cruise line, you may see the charge described as:

• Daily gratuities

• Crew appreciation

• Hotel service charges

• Daily service charges

Regardless of what they're called, they're essentially the cruise industry's version of tipping for the service you receive during your vacation.

How Much Are Cruise Gratuities?

The exact amount depends on the cruise line and, in some cases, the type of cabin you book.

As a general guideline, you can expect automatic gratuities on many mainstream cruise lines to fall somewhere around $16 to $25 per person, per day, with higher rates often applying to suites and premium accommodations.

That means gratuities can add a significant amount to the total cost of your vacation.

For example, if two people take a seven-night cruise and the gratuity is $18 per person per day, they'll pay:

$18 × 2 people × 7 nights = $252 in gratuities

For a family of four on the same cruise, that becomes $504.

That's why I recommend including gratuities in your cruise budget from the beginning rather than treating them as an unexpected expense once you're onboard.

Cruise lines can change their gratuity rates, so always check your cruise line's current policy before sailing rather than relying on an older rate you may find online.

Who Gets the Automatic Gratuities?

One reason cruise gratuities can be confusing is that you don't necessarily see everyone who receives a portion of them.

Your cabin steward and dining staff are the most obvious examples because you interact with them regularly. But cruise ships also depend on many crew members working behind the scenes to provide the service passengers experience every day.

Cruise lines determine how their gratuity pools are distributed, and those policies can vary.

This is also why I don't recommend assuming that removing the automatic gratuities and handing cash only to the crew members you personally see is equivalent. You may unintentionally leave out people who contributed to your experience but never interacted with you directly.

Should You Prepay Cruise Gratuities?

Many cruise lines allow you to pay your gratuities before you sail.

I like prepaying because it gets one more expense out of the way before vacation begins. Once I'm onboard, I don't particularly enjoy watching charges accumulate on my account every day.

Prepaying can also make budgeting easier because you know that expense has already been handled.

However, there's nothing wrong with allowing the gratuities to be charged to your onboard account instead. You're generally paying for the same thing; the main difference is when you pay for it.

One potential advantage of prepaying is that if a cruise line announces an increase in gratuity rates after you've already paid, your prepaid amount may sometimes be protected at the previous rate. Policies vary, though, so check the terms for your particular sailing.

If you prefer to have as much of your vacation paid for as possible before you leave home, prepaying gratuities is usually the simplest option.

Can You Remove Cruise Gratuities?

On some cruise lines, passengers can visit Guest Services and request that automatic gratuities be adjusted or removed. Other cruise lines may have different policies, so you'll need to check the rules for your particular sailing.

But just because a cruise line allows gratuities to be removed doesn't necessarily mean you should remove them.

Automatic gratuities are designed to compensate a broader group of crew members than the people you interact with personally. If you've received good service, I prefer leaving the automatic gratuities in place.

If there is a genuine service problem, give the cruise line an opportunity to correct it. Speak with Guest Services or the appropriate supervisor while you're still onboard rather than waiting until the end of the cruise.

In my experience, cruise crews work incredibly hard, and I've found that most service issues can be resolved if you simply let someone know there's a problem.

Do You Need to Tip Extra on a Cruise?

No. You shouldn't feel obligated to tip extra when you've already paid the cruise line's automatic gratuities.

But you certainly can.

If a crew member has provided exceptional service, an additional cash tip is a nice way to show your appreciation.

Your cabin steward is a common example. If they've gone out of their way to help you during the week, you may decide to leave an additional tip at the end of the cruise.

The same applies to a favorite bartender, server, or another crew member who made your vacation particularly enjoyable.

There isn't a required amount. An extra tip is exactly that—extra.

What About Gratuities on Drinks and Drink Packages?

This is where passengers sometimes get caught by surprise.

The daily automatic gratuity charged by the cruise line doesn't necessarily cover gratuities associated with beverages.

When you purchase an individual alcoholic drink, specialty coffee, soda, or another beverage, many cruise lines automatically add a service charge or gratuity to the purchase.

If you buy a beverage package, a gratuity or service charge may also be added to the price of the package. Depending on the cruise line, you may pay that charge when you purchase the package before your cruise or when you buy it onboard.

That means you generally do not need to add another tip every time you order a drink when gratuity has already been included.

Of course, you can always tip an additional amount for exceptional service, but don't feel pressured to tip twice simply because there's another tip line on the receipt.

If you're considering a beverage package, remember to include the gratuity when calculating the real cost. A package that initially looks like a good deal can become considerably more expensive once the service charge is added.

Trying to decide which cruise extras are worth paying for? Comparing the total vacation cost—not just the advertised cruise fare—can make a big difference.

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Do You Tip at Specialty Restaurants?

Specialty dining can be another confusing area because gratuity policies vary by cruise line.

Some specialty restaurant charges already include gratuity. Others may automatically add a service charge, while certain cruise lines may leave an additional tip line on your receipt even when gratuity has already been included.

Before adding another tip, look at your receipt.

If a service charge or gratuity is already listed, you've already tipped for the meal. You can certainly leave something extra if the service was exceptional, but you aren't obligated to automatically add another 18% or 20%.

This is one of those situations where taking a few seconds to read the receipt can keep you from accidentally tipping twice.

Should You Tip for Room Service?

It depends on the cruise line and what you've ordered.

Some cruise lines offer certain room-service items at no additional charge, while others charge a delivery or service fee. Those fees don't always mean a gratuity is included.

If gratuity isn't already included, I think a small cash tip for the person delivering your food is appropriate.

You don't need to make this complicated. Keeping a few small bills in your cabin makes tipping for room service and other small services much easier.

What About the Luggage Porters at the Cruise Terminal?

The luggage porters who take your checked bags at the cruise terminal are not covered by your ship's automatic gratuities.

They're working at the port, not as part of the ship's onboard gratuity system.

A common practice is to tip the porter a few dollars per bag when you hand over your luggage.

This is one reason I always recommend bringing some small bills on embarkation day. You may not need much cash once you're onboard, but it's useful to have for porters and other situations where you want to leave a small tip.

Do You Tip Shore Excursion Guides?

Yes, if you've enjoyed the excursion and received good service, it's customary to tip your tour guide and, when applicable, your driver.

Shore excursion guides aren't covered by the automatic gratuities you pay onboard the ship.

There's no universal amount you must tip. The appropriate amount depends on the length and type of excursion, the size of your group, and the quality of the experience.

For a shorter group tour, a few dollars per person may be appropriate. For a longer excursion, private tour, or guide who provided exceptional service, you may choose to tip more.

This is another reason it's helpful to bring small bills into port rather than relying entirely on credit cards.

Do Kids Pay Cruise Gratuities?

On many cruise lines, yes.

Automatic gratuities are generally charged per person, per day, which means children may also be charged the regular daily gratuity. Some cruise lines have different policies for very young children, so it's important to check your cruise line's current rules.

This can make a substantial difference when budgeting for a family cruise.

If a family of four is paying $18 per person per day on a seven-night cruise, that's $504 in gratuities alone.

It's an expense that's easy to overlook when you're comparing cruise fares, especially when the advertised price looks inexpensive.

How Much Cash Should You Bring for Tips?

You don't need to carry a large amount of cash simply for tipping if your automatic gratuities have already been paid or will be charged to your onboard account.

However, I still like having small bills available.

Cash can come in handy for luggage porters, room service, shore excursion guides and drivers, and any crew member you personally want to thank with an additional tip.

How much you'll need depends on your plans. Someone taking several shore excursions and ordering room service frequently may want more cash than a passenger who spends most of the cruise relaxing onboard.

The important thing is that you don't need to carry cash to tip everyone you encounter on the ship. That's one of the reasons the automatic gratuity system exists.

Should You Tip in Cash or Add It to Your Account?

Either can work, depending on the situation.

For optional extra tips to individual crew members, I prefer cash because I know I'm handing it directly to the person I want to thank.

For purchases such as drinks or specialty dining, gratuities are often automatically added to your onboard account, so there's usually nothing additional you need to do.

Before leaving another tip, check the receipt to see whether a gratuity or service charge has already been included.

How to Budget for Cruise Gratuities

The easiest way to avoid being surprised by gratuities is to consider them part of the price of your cruise from the beginning.

Before booking, find your cruise line's current daily gratuity rate and multiply it by:

Daily gratuity × number of passengers × number of cruise nights

For example: