Do you pay gratuities on Marella Cruises?

Do you have to pay tips and gratuities on Marella Cruises? No! All the tips and gratuities are included in your cruise fare. Gratuities will never be added on at restaurants or at the bar.



No, you do not pay extra for gratuities on Marella Cruises, as they are fully included in your holiday price as standard. Unlike many other major cruise lines where a daily service charge is added to your onboard account or expected in cash, Marella operates on an "all-inclusive" basis that covers all tips for cabin stewards, restaurant staff, and bar servers. This policy is designed to provide a stress-free experience for passengers, particularly those from the UK, where Marella is based. While the "tips are included" rule is firm, some guests still choose to give a small additional cash amount for exceptional service, though this is entirely at your discretion and by no means expected. This inclusion makes Marella a very transparent choice for budget-conscious travelers in 2026 who want to avoid the "sticker shock" of a final bill loaded with unexpected service fees.

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Tips are included in the price of your cruise, so there's no need to tip extra while you're onboard.

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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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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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While the automatic service charges will cover their basic gratuities, it's generally considered good form to tip them a bit extra for a job well done, especially if you have made any special requests. Should you choose to, for a seven-night cruise, consider tipping about $2 to $3 per person, per day.

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61% tip their stateroom attendant an additional $20–$40 per couple per week, 26% tip $40–$70, and 13% tip an additional $70–$140. The average amount tipped to the head waiter was an additional $20–$50 per week per couple.

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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.

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Average Daily Cruise Line Gratuity Roughly speaking, you can expect to pay anywhere from $11.50 – $20.00 per passenger per day for onboard gratuities. As mentioned, cruise lines automatically add gratuities to your onboard account.

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How much should you tip cruise waiter? The cruise gratuities cover the wait staff, so you're not obligated to give them any more of a cash tip. However, if you received outstanding service from a waiter and would like to show them your appreciation with a cash tip, $5 per day per passenger is the suggested amount.

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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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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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If your bill is not paid, as you try to leave the ship, your SeaPass card will bong, and someone from Guest Services will take you aside to make provisions for payment. Maybe you have friends with you that can lend you some cash or a credit card. You may have to call someone to get a valid credit card number.

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Dress Codes During the day, you are free to wear what you like! Smart casual wear is required in the evenings, which means full-length trousers for men and an open necked shirt, and separates or dresses for women. Once a week there will be a formal night, which is usually the Captain's cocktail party.

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