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Can I use Carnival Cruise cash to pay gratuities?

General Cruise Cash provides an immediate credit to a guest's Sail & Sign account. This credit is good for any charge made to their account including taxes and gratuity charges.



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Cruise Cash is sold for specific revenue areas on the ship such as Bar, Photo, Shore Excursion, Spa, etc. Guests will be able to purchase: Cruise Cash ($25, $50, $75 and $100) – Can be used for any expenses on the guest's Sail and Sign account. This includes staff gratuities.

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Gratuities can be added at the time of booking or anytime up to the sail date. Guests who booked directly with Carnival may add their pre-paid gratuities on Carnival.com. If a guest booked with a travel agent, they may contact their travel professional to add pre-paid gratuities to their booking.

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Any extra cash tips you give a waiter is kept by them and shared only with their assistant waiter who also served you directly.” This means that all staff members get that extra monetary recognition through the automatic gratuities, whether pre-paid or added to guests' accounts during the cruise.

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Cash Gratuities Most cruise lines that recommend tipping in cash ask you to tip $4.50 per person per day for your room steward, $4.50 per person per day for your dining room waiter, and $3 per person per day for the assistant waiter.

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But most cruise lines also give you the option to prepay your gratuities – paying for them in advance. You can sometimes add this option as you book your cruise, otherwise, you would log into your account with the cruise line and add them on once the booking has been made.

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Carnival operates on a cashless credit program on board which allows you to charge all your services, gratuities and purchases during your cruise to your stateroom. All locations on board will accept your Sail & Sign card (onboard expense account) for payment; the casino will also accept cash.

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Gratuities. Your credit can go towards tips if you haven't prepaid them before boarding. Tips generally cost $14.50 for each person daily for most rooms.

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Carnival Cruises The gift card can be used toward a cruise booking, pre-purchased shore excursions or spa treatments. You can also apply it to beverage packages and gratuities.

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On embarkation day, an initial bank hold of up to $200 (depending on cruise length) is placed on all credit card and debit card accounts to verify that the card is valid: 2 - 6 day cruise: $100 USD for each stateroom charged using the same credit card or debit card.

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We recommend paying for on shore purchases that are over $10 with a credit card to reduce the amount of cash you need to carry when off-ship and for a good record of your purchase, and use pocket change or local currency for the rest.

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So how much money do you need? The answer to this question varies a lot by person, their travel habits, spending preferences, length of the cruise and destination. Many people suggest $100 per day, and this has generally worked well for me in my cruising experiences, but there are a lot of variables to consider.

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Cons: You can't get a refund if you have prepaid gratuities. You can't use your onboard credit towards them if you prepaid.

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On Carnival Cruise Line, the automatic gratuity rate is $16 (USD) per person, per day as of April 1, 2023. This covers guests in all standard staterooms, whether interior, ocean view, or balcony cabins.

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Note that the amount should be tabulated for each individual in your party—don't try to tip once per couple or group. So if you're planning to go on a 7-day cruise, expect to give a total of between $112 and $161 per person in gratuities. Don't forget to factor those charges into your overall vacation budget.

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When a cruise line adds gratuities to your cruise fare, you can usually ask for them to be removed. You would just need to visit the Guest Services desk and explain your decision, and the cruise line will remove them for you. You may be asked for your reasoning.

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