Tipping on a Cruise


Tipping guidelines vary slightly from line to line and are detailed on each cruise ship profile on this site. Generally, you should plan to tip your room steward $5.50 to $6.50 per person, per day, and plan an equal amount for your dining room waiter, and half of that for the busboy.



In order to make tipping as convenient as possible, many cruise lines including Carnival, Celebrity, Costa, Cruise & Maritime Voyages, Cunard, Disney, Holland America, MSC Cruises, Norwegian, Oceania, P&O, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Victory Cruise Lines, Viking and Windstar now charge gratuities to your account automatically. If you feel this amount needs to be adjusted, whether increased or decreased, arrangements can be made onboard the ship, generally at the end of your cruise.

Some lines do not encourage tipping, including American Cruise Lines, Azamara, Crystal, Paul Gauguin, Ponant, Regent Seven Seas, Ritz-Carlton, Seabourn, SeaDream, Silversea and Voyages to Antiquity. Crew members are reportedly higher paid and not tip dependent. Some passengers tip anyway for outstanding service or special favors.

Tips on Tipping

Cabin steward
$5.50 to $6.50 per person per day

$5.50 to $6.50 per person per day

Assistant waiter
$3.50 to $4.50 per person per day

Bartender, wine and deck stewards
15-18% of the bill

Maitre d'
$5.00 to $10.00 tip for each special service

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