Do you tip cruise baggage handlers?

Tipping on a Cruise Begins Before Sailaway Savvy cruisers know that gratuities begin before you board your ship. Why? If you plan to drop off your larger pieces of luggage, be prepared to give the portside luggage handler a $2- $5 tip per bag. The amount can depend upon size, weight and amount of luggage.



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Tipping on a Cruise Begins Before Sailaway Savvy cruisers know that gratuities begin before you board your ship. Why? If you plan to drop off your larger pieces of luggage, be prepared to give the portside luggage handler a $2- $5 tip per bag. The amount can depend upon size, weight and amount of luggage.

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When you book a cruise, you also agree to tip the crew. Most cruise lines add a daily gratuity or service charge to your fare, either prepaid in advance of your sailing or once you are on board. They add auto-gratuities to many onboard purchases.

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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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Luggage attendants take your bags from reception up to your room. Whether they carry bags themselves or use a luggage cart, a small tip per bag is the norm. Recommended tip for luggage attendants: $1 per bag.

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Tip $1-5 per bag when you are escorted to your room (especially if your luggage is heavy or they prepare your room or show you around). Tip the same if you request bell staff service checking out. Tip $1-2 for getting a taxi. If they unload your luggage, tip in proportion to the amount and weight.

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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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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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Because gratuity is already included in the price of these purchases onboard, it's not necessary to tip extra. However, many passengers still like to tip a few dollars with a drink or specialty restaurant dinner to show their appreciation.

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As with most forms of tipping, a hard-and-fast rule is hard to come by. The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) suggests leaving a $1-to-$5 tip per day for the housekeeping staff.

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Always keep cash and other valuables with you in a carry-on bag. Never leave such items in checked baggage.

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Though this is a great advantage for the guests, oftentimes it devalues the work of housekeepers due to people forgetting that they're even doing work or should be tipped. Despite this, you should definitely tip your housekeeper if you're staying at any kind of hotel, even if it's just for one night.

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The standard tip for hotel housekeeping in the U.S. is $2 to $5 per day, says Cohorst. Now, with all the additional work housekeeping must accomplish, it's only fair to tip a consistent $5 per day—even more, if you're feeling exceptionally benevolent.

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Tipping is entirely at the customer's discretion, and many do it.” Admittedly this confuses a lot of passengers: On the one hand, if you're in the United States, you're asked to tip, and you're being provided a service, many may feel cheap not tipping.

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Your auto-gratuities will cover all waitstaff in the main dining room, buffet restaurants and specialty dining venues alike. If you dine at the same table and enjoy regular service from one or two particularly excellent waiters, consider leaving an additional $10 to $20 at the cruise's end.

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As mentioned above, not all members of the ship staff receive a share of the gratuities paid by passengers. Bartenders, main show entertainers and third-party shop employees are some of the more obvious ones, but they're not the only ones.

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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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