How much and who on your cruise should be tipped? When and how should tips be given? The whole custom can be the source of considerable anxiety.

Tipping guidelines vary slightly from line to line and are detailed on each cruise ship profile on this site. Generally, you should plan to tip your room steward $5.50 to $6.50 per person, per day, and plan an equal amount for your dining room waiter, and half of that for the busboy.

On most ships, tip the maitre d’ or dining room captain only if you ask for special favors or table-side service; $5 to $10 is normal. Bartenders and wine stewards are tipped 15 to 18 percent, but many cruise lines will automatically add this gratuity to your bar or beverage bill. Check the bill to see how it is handled. Also, tips for special services such as salon & spa treatments and room service are left to the discretion of the guest, depending on services rendered.

Individual cruise line information is provided below. Gratuities are placed in envelopes from your cabin’s stationery supply. Generally, passengers on cruises of 10 days or less will tip at the end of the cruise. On longer voyages, tipping weekly may be the norm.

In order to make tipping as convenient as possible, many cruise lines including Carnival, Celebrity, Costa, Cunard, Disney, Holland America, MSC Cruises, Norwegian, Oceania, P&O, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Viking and Windstar now charge gratuities to your account automatically. If you feel this amount needs to be adjusted, whether increased or decreased, arrangements can be made onboard the ship, generally at the end of your cruise.

Some lines do not encourage tipping, including American Cruise Lines, American Queen Voyages, Azamara, Emerald, Hurtigruten, Paul Gauguin, Ponant, Regent Seven Seas, Ritz-Carlton, Scenic, Seabourn, SeaDream, Silversea and Virgin Voyages. Crew members are reportedly higher paid and not tip dependent. Some passengers tip anyway for outstanding service or special favors.

Tips on Tipping

Cabin steward
$5.50 to $6.50 per person per day

Waiter
$5.50 to $6.50 per person per day

Assistant waiter
$3.50 to $4.50 per person per day

Bartender, wine and deck stewards
15-18% of the bill

Maitre d’
$5.00 to $10.00 tip for each special service

Cruise Line Tipping Guidelines

Carnival	Carnival will automatically add $16.00 per day, per guest to your onboard account for standard accommodations ($18.00 per day, per guest for suite accommodations). These amounts can be adjusted onboard. A 18% tip is added to all beverage orders. Tipping is not required for children under the age of 2.
Celebrity	Celebrity will automatically add $18.00 per day, per guest for standard staterooms to your onboard account ($18.50 per day, per guest for Concierge or Aqua Class staterooms and $23.00 per day, per person for guests of The Retreat). These amounts can be adjusted onboard. A 20% tip is added to all beverage orders.
Cunard	Cunard will automatically add $14.50 per day, per guest to your onboard account for Britannia Accommodations ($16.50 per day, per person for Grill Accommodations). These amounts can be adjusted onboard. A 15% tip is added to all beverage orders and salon services.
Disney	Disney recommends $14.50 per guest, per day for standard staterooms and $15.50 per guest, per day for Concierge staterooms. These amounts can be adjusted onboard. An 18% gratuity is automatically added to bar, beverage, wine, deck service tabs and spa services.
Holland America	Holland America will automatically add $17.00 per day, per guest to your onboard account ($19.00 per day, per guest for Suites). These amounts can be adjusted onboard. A 18% tip is added to all beverage orders.
Hurtigruten	No tipping expected.
MSC Cruises	MSC Cruises will automatically add $10.00-$16.00 per day, per guest to your onboard account (depending on the region of the cruise). These amounts cannot be adjusted onboard. A 15% tip is added to all beverage orders. The service charge for children between the ages of 2 and 11 will be 50% less than adult fees, and no charge is added for children under the age of 2.
Norwegian	Norwegian will automatically add $20.00 per day, per guest to your onboard account for any category up to and including Club Balcony Suites ($25.00 per day, per guest for The Haven and other Suites). A 20% tip is added to all beverage orders, spa and salon services and all specialty restaurant or entertainment-based dining. There is no charge for children under the age of 3.
Princess	Princess will automatically add $18.00 per day, per suite guest, $17.00 per day, per mini-suite and Club Class guest and $16.00 per day, per non-suite guest to your onboard account. These amounts can be adjusted onboard. A 18% tip is added to all bar charges, dining room wine accounts and Lotus Spa services.
Royal Caribbean	Royal Caribbean will automatically add $18.00 per day, per guest for Junior Suites and below ($20.50 per day, per guest for Grand Suites and above) to your onboard account. These amounts can be adjusted onboard. A 18% tip is added to all beverage orders, mini bar items, and spa & salon purchases.
Viking	Viking automatically charges $17.00 per day, per guest to your shipboard account. A 15% gratuity will automatically be added to bar, beverage, wine and deck service tabs. To change the gratuity amounts or pay in cash, visit the Explorers’ Desk onboard.
Virgin Voyages	No tipping expected.