Can you opt out of gratuities on Norwegian Cruise Line?

Yes, you can choose not to pay your gratuities automatically. All you need to do, when making your booking, is request to pay on-board. Then when the gratuities are added to your on-board account, you can visit Guest Services during your voyage and request to pay cash gratuities instead.



On Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) in 2026, you cannot technically "opt out" of the daily service charges if you are simply trying to avoid the fee, as they are considered a mandatory part of the service contract. However, if you experience substandard service, you have the right to visit the Guest Services desk on board to discuss an adjustment. NCL’s 2026 policy states that service charges are automatically added to your onboard account to ensure fair distribution among the crew, including those behind the scenes. It is important to note that for certain bookings made in 2026, such as "Free at Sea" promotions, these gratuities for specialty dining and beverages are often prepaid as part of the package. While you can't cancel them purely for cost-saving, the crew is permitted to accept additional cash tips for exceptional service, which many 2026 passengers still choose to provide.

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While you should not feel obligated to offer a gratuity, all of our staff are encouraged to go the extra mile, so they are permitted to accept cash gratuities for exceptional or outstanding service if you care to offer them.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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The gratuities that you either prepay or are charged at the end of your cruise are similar to the tip at a restaurant: In theory it's optional, but it's the main source of crew wages for folks you interact with (and in the case of cruises also for the folks behind the scenes supporting the on-deck crew), so please ...

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NCL OBC's would have otherwise not been usable for daily gratuities, but can be used for most everything else you purchase onboard. Credits are never usable in a casino - only purchases of food, beverages, excursions & services (such as in the Spa).

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* If a travel partner or guest finds a lower advertised price from Norwegian for the same cruise within 48 hours of booking a fully deposited cruise, the guest will receive 110 percent of the price difference in on-board credit, or the cruise line will re-price the cruise at a lower rate.

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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.

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Cruise gratuities or service gratuities are daily service charges automatically added to your onboard account. The total cruise bill is charged at the end of the cruise to the credit card on your account. Cruise gratuities are used by the cruise line to tip crew members throughout the ship.

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There aren't any hard-and-fast guidelines for this type of tip since it's contingent on your experience, but $25 to $40 on behalf of a couple roughly works out to an extra $2 to $3 per person, per day, for a seven-night cruise.

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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.

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Passengers should not bring the following items onboard any Norwegian Cruise Line ship:
  • Drones (Game Flying Device) ...
  • Samsung Galaxy Note7. ...
  • Alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages of any kind including water, pop and juices* ...
  • Unsealed food items will not be allowed onboard.


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Is bottled water included in NCL beverage package? Bottled water isn't included with Norwegian's Premium Beverage Package, the once which comes included as a Free at Sea perk. However, you can purchase or upgrade to the Premium Plus drink package, where bottled water is included.

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Eligible guests are entitled to two beverages per person per transaction. Includes premium spirit brands, cocktails, beer, soda, juices, and wines by the glass up to $15 value. Any items over $15 USD will receive an $15 USD discount and the guest will be charged the difference to their account.

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Onboard Credit (OBC) is virtually free money that you can spend on the ship. This extra perk is typically an exclusive offer provided by us, or a special deal we've negotiated with the cruise line to ensure you get the most value for your money.

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Gratuities to the shipboard staff are customary on Carnival as well as other cruise lines, and you can cover these using your OBC. If you plan to use onboard credit to pay for these gratuities, be sure not to pre-pay them at the time of booking -- your onboard credit could take care of the rest.

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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.

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Because they are charged on a daily basis, you do not have to worry about tipping each crew member yourself. Many passengers, however, still like to leave extra tips for their stateroom attendant and dining room waiters at the end of the cruise.

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Technically speaking, you can remove gratuities on a Royal Caribbean cruise, but you absolutely shouldn't do this. Although Royal Caribbean gives you two options for paying gratuities (prepaying or being charged daily once onboard), some passengers try to opt out of paying any gratuities whatsoever.

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