How does tipping work on Cruises & Excursions?

 

Should you tip on shore excursions?

October 4, 2023 | Travel Pedia

On shore excursions, it's expected that passengers tip tour guides and bus drivers. 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.

On the Celebrity Cruise we are taking to Antigua, Barbados, St. Lucia, Martinique and St. Kitts, we recommended $5 per half day and $2.50 for the driver.  This is what is built into the the trips we contracted for Antigua and Barbados.  For St. Lucia, Martinique and St. Kitts, our guests need to carry small bills on the excursion in US dollars so they can tip the guide and the driver.  It is not necessary to exchange money into local currency.

Is it better to prepay gratuities on Celebrity?

All guests on the Celebrity Equinox are required to pay the gratuities upfront in their booking fee for cruise.  Guests who have pre-paid their gratuity will not see a daily charge during their cruise. The automatic daily gratuity is based on customary industry standards. Applying this charge automatically helps streamline the recognition process for the crew members that work to enhance your cruise.

Do cruise workers get their tips?

Normally there is a standard rate of about $15–20 per day, which is added to your bill at the end of the cruise, this is divided up to each of the service staff, so cooks, laundry workers etc get a share, and of course, for excellent service you can tip people directly, cabin stewards for example.

Do housekeepers on cruise ships get tips?

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).

Can cruise staff accept cash tip?

Some cruisers believe offering a tip at the start of the cruise helps ensure excellent service, and another tip at the end if they've done an extraordinary job. If you want to tip your attendant, a cash tip at the end of the cruise is appreciated. A tip of $10-20 per guest is appropriate.

What is Celebrity's automatic gratuity program?

(most in our group paid $18/person per day or $180.

A service gratuity will be automatically applied to each guest’s SeaPass® account on a daily basis for sailings*, excluding guests in Excluding Bookings.** Current amounts*** for the daily gratuity are listed below.  The gratuities described above are distributed to the crew, such as dining, bar and culinary services staff, stateroom attendants and other hotel services teams, and others who work to enhance the overall cruise experience. 

 

• Inside, Ocean View, and Veranda staterooms:      US$18.00 per guest, per day
• Concierge Class and AquaClass staterooms:       US$18.50 per Guest, per day
• An 18% gratuity will be automatically added to spa and salon purchases and a 20% gratuity will also be automatically added to specialty dining, beverage, beverage package, room service and mini bar purchases.
• Gratuities may be adjusted at the guest’s discretion onboard at Guest Relations up until the morning of their departure.

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