Do cruise ship servers get tips?

Waiters and waitresses on most cruise lines get a portion of your daily service charge/gratuity on the lines that have them. Barstaff get a portion of the automatic gratuity added on to drinks. Both positions also come with a base salary that is part of the compensation package: room, board, and pay.



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The salary range for a Cruise Waiter job is from $26,240 to $34,205 per year in the United States. Click on the filter to check out Cruise Waiter job salaries by hourly, weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, monthly, and yearly.

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The salary range for a Cruise Waiter job is from $26,240 to $34,205 per year in the United States. Click on the filter to check out Cruise Waiter job salaries by hourly, weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, monthly, and yearly.

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Staff members often expect to work around 12 hours a day, seven days a week. Some employees may work early in the morning, like those who prepare food, while others work late into the night, like bartenders and entertainers. Your work schedule might depend on the specific cruise line and your position.

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A majority of cruise ship lines offer their employees free food throughout the duration of their contracts. There's typically a special kitchen on the boat that prepares food for staff members. Employees may eat in separate dining areas, depending on their classifications.

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There are no holiday entitlements, but crew members can choose when they take the six- to eight-week break that automatically comes with longer contracts.

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Who can earn the most money working on a cruise ship? It comes as no surprise that the ship's captain has the biggest salary from working on a cruise ship. The master of the vessel has a huge responsibility for ship safety for crew and passengers along with navigation.

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The head waiter is part of the automatic tip pool. However, if either one has provided some extra special service -- like getting you an upgraded table or having a special cake delivered, a tip of $5 to $10 at the time of the service would be appropriate.

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If you do not prepay cruise gratuities before sailing, the cruise line will add them to your onboard bill. The cruise line will then charge your credit card for the gratuity amount at the end of the sailing – along with other purchases you made with your cruise card (drinks, souvenirs, spa treatments, tours, etc.).

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However, the general rule of thumb is to tip approximately 15-20% of your daily cruise fare plus an additional gratuity of $5-10 per person per day.

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As mentioned, there are additional benefits that workers receive over their salary. Free room and board, meals, and medical care allow individuals to save money while working. Additionally, they work longer hours, which means more income if your wage is hourly.

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The estimated total pay for a Server/Waiter at Carnival Cruise Line is $50,541 per year. This number represents the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. The estimated base pay is $37,081 per year.

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Virgin Voyages, one of Carnival Cruise Line's top competitors, pays its employees an average salary of $112,803 per year or $54.23 per hour. This is about $68,635 more than Carnival Cruise Line's average salary, and $33.00 more per hour than Carnival Cruise Line's average hourly pay.

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The Cons of Working on Cruise Ships
  • There are no days off. On ships, weekends and holidays don't exist. ...
  • You work long hours. ...
  • Contracts are 4-9 months long. ...
  • You're on call 24/7. ...
  • Small living quarters. ...
  • No privacy. ...
  • It's like college all over again. ...
  • The food is not the same for crew and guests.


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Staff members often expect to work around 12 hours a day, seven days a week. Some employees may work early in the morning, like those who prepare food, while others work late into the night, like bartenders and entertainers. Your work schedule might depend on the specific cruise line and your position.

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For the most part couples working onboard together is encouraged by the cruise line. This is because happy crew members will likely be more loyal to a cruise line and stay with them longer.

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The bar is open until the early morning and is a good way to spend time with friends or even partners which are common within the ship's crew. Also in crew areas are fitness rooms where they can work out and release all their work stress. You'll usually see the same people there every single day!

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In addition, crew members also have access to 'crew only' areas, such as private dining halls and lounges. There are also fun activities organized such as excursions, movie nights, live shows and bingo games! I don't think a better way exists to travel and see so much of the world, than by working on a cruise ship.

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To complete their responsibilities, cruise ships require their employees to live on the boat. Most cruise lines offer their staff free room and board throughout the duration of their contracts. They often cover the costs of basic living expenses, such as water and electricity bills.

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