Americans face a tipping culture.
In a broad sense, we have decided that it is okay to underpay service-industry workers and have customers make up the rest of their wages. The effectively turns tips into salary, especially in industries that are allowed to pay low hourly wages to holders of tipped jobs.
Most major cruise lines have also made tipping part of the compensation package for their workers. In many ways it works a lot like American restaurants., But it is not exactly the same.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line changes key adult beverage policy
Carnival Cruise Line explained on its website how its daily tips work.
“It is customary for our guests to extend gratuities to the shipboard staff in appreciation for their hard work and exceptional service," the site says.
All gratuities that cruisers contribute are distributed to the crew members with whom they interact — including stateroom attendants and dining and culinary-services staff — as well as to "other members of the onboard team who work behind the scenes to enhance your overall cruise experience," it adds.
"Applying this charge automatically streamlines the recognition process and ensures our crew will share in your generosity. To help you plan, we have provided the recommended on-board gratuities guidelines.”
The cruise line also outlined recommended tips for each day by cabin class:
- Standard Staterooms: US$16 per person, per day
- Suite Staterooms: US$18 per person, per day
These tips are not mandatory and in most cases you can remove them by going to the customer-service desk.
Some passengers prefer to do this and then hand out tips to the workers they see making their vacation better. Others say this method shortchanges service workers whom you don't see but who do things on your behalf.
Tipping prompts a lot of controversy and questions, and Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald recently weighed in on two of the biggest questions many passengers have.
Image source: Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival outlines how your daily gratuities are divided
Some passengers are concerned that their tips will go to crew workers who are not service workers.
“John, is it true that the gratuities that you pay in advance are split between all or most of the crew and not just given to the stateroom attendant, waiter, and so on," asked Duane Johnson.
The brand ambassador made clear who gets the daily gratuities without being fully specific.
"Thank you for asking. The vast majority is equally divided between the cabin attendant and the dining room team, with a smaller portion for those that serve you and those behind the scenes on Lido," he said. "I hope that helps a little bit. Thank you for asking and please let me know if you need anything else."
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Carnival pushes back on tipping rumors
In 2023. Heald was also emphatic about a popular rumor that Carnival pays employees salaries from tips.
“Normally, I would never comment on this, but let me say categorically that this is nonsense, totally 100% false and 100% inaccurate,” said Heald. “We do not use the gratuities you so graciously give to ‘pay the crew.’ It is utter fabrication and untrue.”
In addition to the daily tips passengers pay, many people also tip extra to bartenders, waitstaff and others who serve them well.
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How those tips are shared can depend on the department. Some bars pool tips while others allow individual servers to keep the tips cruisers give them directly.
That can sometimes be the decision of the group of workers and not the cruise line.
If you tip your room steward, they keep those tips, while a separate tip to your head waiter will likely be split with those working on your waitstaff.
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