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Who gets tipped on a cruise?

Generally speaking, mainstream, U.S.-based cruise lines automatically add gratuities of about $14 to $15 per person, per day, to your onboard bill. These tips are divided among the dining staff (waiters, assistant waiters and head waiters) and housekeeping staff (such as cabin attendants).



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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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On most cruise lines, you can refuse to pay or opt out of the automatically charged gratuities.

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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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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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While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $102,500 and as low as $14,500, the majority of Cruise Ship Worker salaries currently range between $30,000 (25th percentile) to $58,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $90,000 annually across the United States.

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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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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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How much you tip on cruise excursions is entirely up to you, but a suggested starting price is $3 per person for a half-day tour and $6 per person for a full-day tour for the guide and $1 to $2 for the bus driver. You can, of course, increase that amount based on your experience on the excursion.

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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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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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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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Are there jails on cruise ships? Yes, cruise ships have brigs, which is the nautical term for a jail on a vessel, including a cruise ship. The term comes from the word brigantine, which is a type of two-masted sailing ship formerly used to house criminals.

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Average extra tips vary, with most cruisers averaging $1-2 for drinks or room service, and $10-20 per day for cabin stewards. It's up to you if you decide to tip extra, but your automatic gratuity charge covers all the essentials.

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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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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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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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