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How Much Are Cruise Gratuities Per Day?

2 min read
Quick answer

Quick answer

Most mainstream cruise lines charge about 16 to 20 dollars per person, per day in automatic gratuities. Suite guests usually pay a few dollars more per day, and the charge applies to everyone in the cabin, including children.

Most mainstream cruise lines charge roughly 16 to 20 dollars per person, per day in automatic gratuities. That charge applies to every guest in the cabin, including kids, and it’s added to your onboard account daily unless you prepay. Suite guests typically pay a few dollars more per day because they receive extra service.

What the daily rate covers

The standard daily gratuity is a pooled service charge, not a tip you hand to one person. It’s split across the people who keep your cruise running: your cabin steward, the dining room waitstaff, and a long list of behind-the-scenes crew you rarely see, from galley staff to laundry teams.

Rates vary a little by cabin type:

  • Inside, ocean-view, and balcony cabins: usually around 16 to 18 dollars per person, per day.
  • Suites and concierge-level cabins: often 18 to 23 dollars per person, per day.

Exact figures differ by line — our gratuities compared by cruise line breakdown lists each line’s current daily rate side by side.

Luxury lines work differently. Many all-inclusive lines bake gratuities into the fare, so there’s no separate daily charge at all.

How it adds up

Because the charge is per person and per day, it grows fast for families and longer sailings. A quick way to estimate your total:

Daily rate x number of guests x number of nights.

For a couple on a 7-night cruise at 18 dollars per day, that’s roughly 252 dollars in gratuities on top of the fare. A family of four on the same sailing would owe around 500 dollars. It’s worth budgeting for this up front so it doesn’t surprise you on your final statement.

Prepaid versus onboard

You can usually prepay gratuities when you book or anytime before sailing. Prepaying locks in the current rate, which matters because lines raise these charges periodically. If you don’t prepay, the daily amount is simply added to your onboard folio each night and settled at the end of the cruise.

Bar tabs and spa services are separate. Those typically carry their own automatic gratuity of 18 to 20 percent added at the point of purchase, so the daily charge doesn’t cover drinks or treatments.

Part of our Cruise Costs & Money hub.

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