Seven times you shouldn't tip on a cruise

Many first-time cruisers (and some repeat passengers) are confused about how tipping is handled on a cruise ship – when, whom and how much to tip.  Most ocean cruise lines add a specified daily gratuity to your sailing account (NOTE:  this doesn’t cover luggage porters, room service deliveries and tour guides).   But what if you receive incredible service from your room steward – or your dining room staff goes above and beyond to make your cruise a truly memorable experience?  Or how do you show your appreciation to a spa therapist who just did an amazing “Calgon-take-me-away-from-here” moment?

There are several online guides to cruise tipping – but here, we’re going to share seven times when you should NOT tip.

Do NOT tip when:

• You buy a drink:  Whether it be a beer, wine, the drink-of-the-day or a soda, the cruises lines automatically add 15 to 18 percent to the bill.  There’s no reason to toss in another dollar or two like you would onshore.  Of course, there’s nothing wrong in giving your favorite bartender a little cash – we usually do that at the beginning of the cruise to ensure good service throughout the cruise.
  
• ​You’re sailing on a luxury cruise:  Upscale small-ship lines like Seabourn and Silversea Cruises do not require or expect tipping.  Most river cruise lines include gratuities – one less thing for you to deal with!  Of course, if you receive exceptional service and want to show your appreciation, you can certainly do so.  You could also donate to the crew fund so that everyone shares the bonus.
  

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• You’re visiting the Spa:  Just like ordering a drink, almost every onboard spa automatically adds the gratuity to your bill – so check your receipt.  Again, you’re looking at an 18 percent tip, so there’s no reason to feel obligated to add anything extra, unless you truly want to (anyone who has visited the spa knows their treatments are rather pricey to begin with!).
• When dining at a Specialty Restaurant:  Specialty Restaurants are for-fee restaurants – you’ll pay anywhere from $30 to $65 (or more) for an evening in the Steakhouse, Italian or Asian restaurant, etc.  Gratuities are almost always included in that rate.  Some cruise lines (such as MSC and Norwegian) automatically add the tip to your final bill – so if you’re not sure, check before you dine!
  

• Your children spend their time in the Kids’ Club:  Yes!  You finally get some adult time with the confidence of knowing your little ones (or teens) are being well cared for and having a blast with other kids their age in the ship’s Kid’s Club.  Do not feel you have to tip the club counselors!  The fees for this service are included in your fare.  Again, if you feel the youth staff has done an exceptional job, you can show your appreciation with an added tip – just don’t feel it’s expected or required.

• You required some sort of maintenance in your cabin:  Yeah, it happens.  Maybe your toilet needed some attention, or the hot water in your is taking its’ own vacation.   It isn’t necessary or expected that you tip the engineers who come to your rescue.
• The Captain or Cruise Director:  A handshake to the Captain, if you meet him, is always appreciated.  And a hearty “Thank you!” to the Cruise Director will make his or her day.  Tips are neither necessary nor appropriate

So, go have a blast and rest assured that, added tips or not, your crew is going to go out of their way to ensure you have a cruise that create lifelong memories!

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