Cruise line workers work very hard for, in many cases, relatively low wages because the major cruise lines operating from the United States do not flag their ships here. That means that Royal Caribbean (RCL), Carnival Cruise Lines (CCL), and Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH) do not abide by American labor laws.
And while cruise lines have many workers that passengers never see -- the people who make the ship run -- they also have hundreds, sometimes thousands of passenger-facing service workers.
These include the waiters and waitresses who get to know your preferences in the main dining room, the waitstaff in specialty eateries that deliver high-end service, the bartenders who make your drink exactly the way you like it, and the room attendants that not only clean up your mess but leave towel animals to amuse you.
Frequent cruisers often build bonds with these front-line workers, getting to know them and being delighted to see them when their paths cross. And, in many of those cases, cruise passengers tip their favorite workers but overlook the people they interact with less. And, in some cases, people just don't tip at all.
To make up for that Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Norwegian all have daily sort-of mandatory (with a few exceptions) gratuity policies. Essentially, it's an added fee you must pay that gets split between the service personnel who serve you during your trip.
Norwegian raised its mandatory gratuities in March, effective in April and now Carnival has sent out an email to passengers that it plans to do the same.
Image source: Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival Raises Its Mandatory Gratuities
Cruise fares are all-inclusive but with a lot of exceptions. You have the option of prepaying gratuities or having them added to your bill on a daily basis but can opt out with the rules for that varying by the cruise line.
Norwegian raised its gratuity rates as of April 1.
"The price of taking a cruise on Norwegian Cruise Line is getting a little more expensive. The cost of the daily service charge on the ship is increasing to as much as $20 per person, per day," Cruzely reported.
The changes apply to cruises booked after April 1 and are not retroactive, so anyone already booked will pay the earlier prices regardless of the sail date. These new rates mark a hike of $1.50 daily for The Haven and Suites, no change for Club Balcony Suites, and 50 cents a day for other cabins.
Carnival has raised its gratuity rates and it appears the changes will impact cruises that are already booked.
Effective with all cruises departing on or after May 1, 2022, we are making adjustments to our recommended onboard gratuity guidelines, as follows:
- Standard staterooms: $14.50, per person, per day
- Suites: $16.50, per person, per day
These amounts are automatically added to your onboard Sail & Sign® account as a convenience. However, while on board, you are free to adjust gratuities at your discretion. No adjustments will be made after the cruise.
Adjusting your gratuity rates on a Carnival ship requires going to guest services.
Carnival, which had the lowest gratuity rates of three major cruise lines, previously charged $13.99 per person per day for standard staterooms and $15.99 per person per day for suites.
Royal Caribbean charges $14.50 per person per day for guests in junior suites and below, or $17.50 per person per day for guests in Grand Suites and above. These can be prepaid or paid on board on a daily basis via an automatic charge.
Raising gratuities operates as a backdoor price increase, but the amounts are so small that few passengers would object to the increase. In the case of Carnival, any disgruntled customers could ask to pay the old rates once they are onboard.
