For years, right up there with saving deck chairs and show lounge seats, one of the most controversial topics of discussion among cruise passengers has been tipping. In the past, it was often cruise lines themselves that fostered this controversy with confusing policies that left passengers unsure how, who and how much they should tip.
Up until a few years ago, most North American-market cruise lines adhered to a similar policy; while tipping was technically at the discretion of the individual passenger, the cruise director or the daily program would suggest a "recommended amount" for service personnel like cabin and dining room stewards. At the end of the cruise, passengers would find in their cabins a set of envelopes with the name of each crewmember that one was supposed to tip. The envelopes would be filled with the amount decided on by the passenger, and then distributed to the appropriate crewmember on the last day of the cruise. This became an accepted end-of-cruise ritual, right along with the Parade of the Baked Alaska and the cruise director's inevitable jokes about people packing all their clothes in their checked baggage and disembarking in pajamas.
The past 15 years, though, have brought sweeping changes to the cruise experience, and many of the innovations brought on by this revolution have caused many cruise lines to change their tipping policies. The practice of tipping one's dining room staff became particularly difficult with the advent of alternative restaurants and open seating, which meant that passengers might not have the same dining room steward more than once or twice in a cruise. And many first-time cruisers were simply uncomfortable with the unfamiliar ritual of handing out envelopes at the end of the cruise. As a result, many cruise lines have changed their tipping policies in recent years to reflect the changes in other aspects of cruising. On many lines today, tips are "automatic" and charged to one's account; they're usually pooled among many different crewmembers. Other lines -- usually in the high-end luxury category -- simply discourage tipping altogether, and still others continue with the traditional system, though that number has dwindled.
There's also the issue of tipping for children -- something which wasn't much of an issue in the past when children on cruises were a rarity. Some lines suggest a lesser amount for children; others recommend the full adult amount. One cruise line executive said that her line doesn't recommend a lower amount for children because they actually often require more service than adult passengers -- a very fair point in my book.
Either way, while we would never presume to tell Cruise Critic members how to tip, it still helps to know what's expected on any given ship. This holds equally true whether you're trying a new line, or returning to an old favorite that may well have changed its tipping policy. In compiling our roundup we went directly to cruise lines for their latest news in tipping -- so all information is accurate and up-to-date. With a few exceptions, that is: Folks at the following lines did not respond to our request for information: Discovery World Cruises, Ocean Village and Viking River Cruises. We've still included their policies below, but be aware that what's here may not be the most recent information. Otherwise, here's the most comprehensive overview of tipping policies ever launched:
For years, right up there with saving deck chairs and show lounge seats, one of the most controversial topics of discussion among cruise passengers has been tipping. In the past, it was often cruise lines themselves that fostered this controversy with confusing policies that left passengers unsure how, who and how much they should tip.
