Norwegian Cruise Line Raises Onboard Gratuities

Table Of Content

• What are recommended gratuities for cruise staff?
• Understand the Terms & Conditions Before Booking (Lots of Fine Print)
• I spent $20 at NCL's Ice Bar, and it was the best-kept secret on Epic
• More Cruise Line Price Hikes
• Tipping on a cruise: What to know about cruise ship gratuities
• Who Else to Tip While On the Ship
• I stayed in a $2,554 studio cabin on NCL Epic, and it was one of the best sailing experiences I ever had

A 20% gratuity will still be automatically added to all beverages, mini bar purchases, spa and salon services. Though, guests will not pay gratuity for drinks that are part of the complimentary classic beverage package. The exact charge for these cruise gratuities do vary by cruise line and by stateroom category. While gratuities are part of the cruise fare on some luxury lines, cruisers should plan to pay the following fees on the majority of major cruise lines. With the extra gratuity cost of some perks like free drinks and specialty dining, there can actually be a disadvantage to having it included on your cruise if you don’t use these offers.

What are recommended gratuities for cruise staff?

Currently, the rate for that category is $18.50 per person per day. This will be a $1.50 increase that will go into effect from April 1, 2022. Gratuities, or tips, are standard practice in the cruise industry and are given to the crew members onboard. Norwegian Cruise Line has decided to raise gratuities to better align with industry standards and to provide their crew members with a more competitive compensation package. On Disney Cruise Line, the recommended cruise gratuity is $14.50 per night, per guest, including infants and children. For beverage purchases, an automatic 18% gratuity will be added to the bill in addition to the cruise gratuity.

Understand the Terms & Conditions Before Booking (Lots of Fine Print)

Guests are usually charged automatically for these additional fees. And unfortunately, most contemporary cruise lines have increased or plan to increase these charges in 2023. Also keep in mind that the 20% gratuity is already added in when you sign the receipt for a drink at the bar. Feel free to tip more if you like, but know that you’ve already paid, and it’s not required. As you might expect, there are some caveats when it comes to free flights. Most notably, airfare charges will vary depending on where you’re flying from.

I spent $20 at NCL's Ice Bar, and it was the best-kept secret on Epic

The tips are spread out between the room steward, dining staff, and others that have customer-facing positions. That said, cruise lines are quiet on exactly how the charges are distributed. For most people, the service they receive on a cruise is outstanding. They recognize that the staff goes above and beyond to make their vacation enjoyable.

More Cruise Line Price Hikes

These days, the gratuities are set daily amounts paid by each passenger. Instead of one passenger paying a lot and another paying hardly anything, these set amounts ensure that everyone pays the same. While the name sounds fancy, gratuities are nothing more than a tip paid to the staff members for service during the cruise. Some people also like to pay their service charges in advance for budgeting purposes. It'll be one less thing on your final bill at the end of the cruise. Still, some critics see the charges as a sneaky way for cruise lines to make their fares appear lower than they really are.

Tipping on a cruise: What to know about cruise ship gratuities

If you received bad service and want to deduct part of your gratuities fee, you can discuss the problem with the ship’s Guest Services before the end of your cruise to see about an adjustment. For many people, selecting the Free at Sea offer is a no-brainer (or may be required if a sail away fare isn’t available), and they will end up saving a considerable amount of money. In that case, it’s worth a quick search of flight-search websites like Kayak to see what the airfare rate will be. In a recent search, we found flights on our own for several hundred dollars cheaper than what we were quoted on the NCL website. However, when you consider the free airfare for the second guest, the Free at Sea offer was better overall. For instance, many passengers would be just fine with the basic drink package.

When sailing with Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), it's important to understand their specific guidelines regarding tipping. You can get the charge out of the way early, or hold onto your money until you actually sail. You can still hand out cash to individual members of the staff that you appreciate, although it’s not required. The amount you pay will vary by cruise line, but they are all in the same ballpark. Most lines charge $16 at the moment, but it steadily rises each year.

Norwegian Cruise Line will increase the daily gratuity rate for all cabin types, including suites and regular staterooms, in 2023. Further, a 15% gratuity is automatically added to bar, beverage, wine, and deck service tabs. An 18% gratuity is automatically added to bar, beverage, wine, and deck service tabs. With the All Included pricing, guests receive tips, basic Wi-Fi, and the Classic Drink Package as part of their cruise fare. These charges serve as a means to reward the hard-working crew for the excellent service provided during your cruise vacation. Now that you have a glimpse of the key points, let’s dive deeper into Norwegian Cruise Line’s tipping policy.

While some cruise lines charge every person who sails – no matter their age – Norwegian Cruise Line only charges passengers three years or older. The payments go toward staff members providing service, including your room steward and dining staff. While some see these tips as forced payments, others see them as a rightly deserved reward to hardworking crew. Most recently we’ve seen seen free airfare for second guests (for those flying to the port) and free cruise credit to put toward booking another trip while onboard the ship. Keep in mind the daily gratuity applies to all guests sailing who are 3+. You're also able to prepay your gratuities up to 24 hours before embarkation.

During our most recent price checks, we looked at several cruises departing in the weeks ahead all the way to more than a year out. While the option was shown for all cruises, the website labeled them all sold old — even for cruises leaving more than a year from now. Meanwhile, there were still options available with the Free at Sea perks included. In years past, there was a rather large difference between the cruise fares with the Free at Sea offer and those sail away balconies (on the order of hundreds of dollars).

It is important to note that gratuities are not included in the upfront price of the cruise and are an additional charge. In summary, understanding Norwegian Cruise’s gratuity policy is essential for anyone planning a cruise with this popular cruise line. By understanding Norwegian Cruise’s gratuity policy and familiarizing yourself with the key points outlined above, you can plan and budget accordingly for your upcoming cruise. From the traditional automatic gratuity system to the more personalized approach of prepaid gratuities or cash tips, passengers have the flexibility to choose what works best for them.

Each day there will be a gratuity charge — or a lump sum added at the end of the trip. How much to tip on a cruise is a question that trips up many first-timers. That's because some cruise lines tack daily service fees onto passenger bills — yet many travelers still hand out additional cash gratuities, either as a matter of course or for exemplary service. These additional gestures of appreciation are not mandatory but are highly encouraged if guests feel that a particular crew member has provided exceptional service. Similar to Celebrity Cruises, Princess cruises offers more all-inclusive packages that include crew appreciation. If guests upgrade to the Princess Plus or Princess Premier Packages, they will not pay any additional gratuities once onboard the ship.

60 Best Norwegian Cruise Line Tips, Tricks & Hacks (2024) - Cruise Blog

60 Best Norwegian Cruise Line Tips, Tricks & Hacks ( .

Posted: Mon, 02 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

How much to tip extra on a cruise is entirely up to you because it is in no way required. That said, if you want to, you can often adjust the charges (either up or down) while you're on board by visiting the guest relations desk. If you are adjusting a gratuity charge downward, expect to be asked about the reasons behind the adjustment. The guest relations staff will want to know if you've experienced particular service issues. Norwegian Cruise Line has informed guests and travel agents that it will increase gratuities starting from April 2022.

Others may take only an excursion or two during the trip, meaning the discount isn’t as big a deal. Norwegian also offers a “Sail Away” balcony, which is a room that’s not part of the promotion, and the cruise line picks your room. So with the deal you can pay one price and then get drinks for the duration of your trip, wi-fi, shore excursions, and more. While cruise passengers have gotten used to shelling out plenty of cash for extras on the ship after they board, not everyone likes being nickeled-and-dimed. The advantage is that you get your payment out of the way ahead of time.

There, you will see gratuities on the free meals with the offer, which are paid when booking. Remember that for that price difference you get all the perks and get to choose your actual cabin on the ship. As well, if you plan to buy things like drink packages ($109 per person, per day), you still come out way ahead despite the higher price. You would think that paying a hefty daily tip would cover everyone on the ship. In fact, there are a couple of instances where paying additional gratuity is recommended or automatic.