What are tips on Princess Cruises?

The amount of the Crew Appreciation will be based on stateroom category, as set out below:
  • Interior, Oceanview and Balcony - $16.
  • Mini-Suite and Club Class - $17.
  • Suite - $18.




Tipping on Princess Cruises is handled through a structured system known as "Crew Appreciation," which is a daily per-guest charge automatically added to your onboard account. As of 2026, the standard daily rates are approximately $17 USD for interior, oceanview, and balcony staterooms, $18 USD for Mini-Suites and Club Class, and $19 USD for full Suites. This fund is distributed among various staff members, including dining room waiters, stateroom stewards, and "behind-the-scenes" crew who support the hotel operations. In addition to the daily fee, a mandatory 18% gratuity is automatically added to all bar purchases, wine orders, and spa services. While the daily crew appreciation can be adjusted at the Guest Services desk before you disembark, it is generally considered a standard part of the cruise cost. Many guests also choose to give additional cash tips for exceptional personal service—such as to a particularly helpful cabin steward or a favorite bartender—though this is entirely at the guest's discretion. If you have purchased a "Princess Plus" or "Princess Premier" package, these daily gratuities are typically bundled into the package price, so you won't see individual daily charges on your folio.

People Also Ask

What about tipping? You are welcome to reward our onboard crew for exceptional service, however, tipping is not required.

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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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In general, plan on giving $16–$23 in gratuities per day for each passenger. 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.

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Gratuities are not mandatory on a Princess cruise but are automatically charged to cruisers' onboard accounts. Alternatively, gratuities can be prepaid online up to two days prior to the start of a cruise. Cruisers staying in inside, oceanview and balcony cabins will be charged $14.50 per person, per day.

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Pre-paid gratuities means that we {Cruise Specialists} have negotiated a special offer for you and you are not expected nor will you be charged for tips. On most big-ship mainstream lines, the service crew members are dependent on the generosity of travelers for the vast majority of their salary.

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If you want to make your life easier, and don't plan on removing or adjusting the gratuities on a cruise, it's better to prepay before you go. In our experience, prepaying gratuities does not negatively affect the service onboard.

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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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Princess Cruises does offer a variety of complimentary beverages. These include juice during breakfast, non-bottled iced water, iced tea, tea, and brewed coffee. Other beverages like specialty coffees, smoothies, fresh juice, soft drinks, bottled water, and energy drinks are all an additional fee.

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On booking there might be an option not to pre-pay gratuities before you sail. However, if you opt out at this stage, most cruise lines will add the gratuity to your onboard account daily. You can choose to either amend the amount or remove altogether by visiting guest services in most cases.

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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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Do cruise ship employees actually get the gratuities? The automatic gratuity pool onboard cruise ships covers the housekeeping staff (cabin stewards) and wait staff. If a passenger is staying in a suite which includes butler service, the automatic gratuity is increased to include their butler.

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Technically cruise lines cannot force you to pay gratuities, especially if you have a complaint or issue about the service you received on board. Gratuities on a cruise are not mandatory, but instead heavily suggested and added automatically.

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