Are gratuities on Princess Cruises compulsory?

Gratuities are not mandatory on a Princess cruise but are automatically charged to cruisers' onboard accounts. Alternatively, gratuities can be prepaid online up to two days prior to the start of a cruise. Cruisers staying in inside, oceanview and balcony cabins will be charged $14.50 per person, per day.



People Also Ask

You have the right to refuse this automatic gratuity charge and may compensate cruise staff on your own terms. However, you will need to notify the front desk of this desire. Otherwise it will appear on your bill when your cruise ends and it will be charged to your credit card on file.

MORE DETAILS

On booking there might be an option not to pre-pay gratuities before you sail. However, if you opt out at this stage, most cruise lines will add the gratuity to your onboard account daily. You can choose to either amend the amount or remove altogether by visiting guest services in most cases.

MORE DETAILS

What about tipping? You are welcome to reward our onboard crew for exceptional service, however, tipping is not required.

MORE DETAILS

Gratuities aren't mandatory on cruises, however they are widely expected and built into the price structure on most major cruise lines. It's a bit like when you go to a restaurant and you are expected to give a tip to your servers.

MORE DETAILS

Things that aren't included in the basic cruise fare are airfare, shore excursions, alcoholic beverages, spa treatments, souvenirs and casino games. The cruise you choose will also affect your total cost. A longer world cruise vacation costs more than a shorter one, of course, but the cruise line matters, too.

MORE DETAILS

You can opt of paying gratuities once you are onboard your ship, by speaking to the team at Guest Services. You can remove them from your account once they have been added, which happens on the second-to-last day of your cruise. If you want to remove or reduce your gratuities, you need to visit the Guest Services desk.

MORE DETAILS

For lines that do have them, service and gratuity charges are touted as a convenient alternative to the practice of cash tipping on cruise ships — something that once was common. Cruise lines say they pass the money collected from service charges to the shipboard crew.

MORE DETAILS

Again, cash might be the only thing they will take, and in most of the Caribbean you can tip in U.S. currency. As a side note, it can be nice to have some cash on your cruise so you can also tip people like street performers while in port.

MORE DETAILS

Princess MedallionClass enables impeccable personalization and service, allowing you to get more out of your vacation. When you book a voyage on a MedallionClass-enabled ship, you can get started right away.

MORE DETAILS

If you opt not to prepay gratuities, your SeaPass account will be charged $16 or $18.50 each day of your cruise.

MORE DETAILS

For most, prepaying gratuities is a great way to keep track of your overall cruise budget. If they're paid for and out of the way, you won't accidentally spend your gratuity money while onboard or in port or receive a large(r) bill at the end of the sailing.

MORE DETAILS

If your cruise steward goes above and beyond, a cash tip at the end of your stay to show your appreciation. We recommend tipping your cruise steward $3-5 per person daily.

MORE DETAILS

If you want to manage your budget more effectively, it's a good idea to prepay your gratuities for your Princess cruise. The only time you would be better off waiting is if you want to use any onboard credit towards the gratuity amount.

MORE DETAILS