Does the automatic gratuity on cruises actually go towards the salary of cruise employees?
Most cruise lines add an automatic gratuity to each passengers bill. I don't mind tipping if the money actually goes towards the employee, but I absolutely abhor giving businesses extra cash under the pretense of "tips".
How can I find out if a given cruise line actually pays out 100% of my "automatic tip" to its employees? Should I just ask the crew members? I wouldn't want to ask the cruise company itself as I presume they would either lie or give me a non-answer.
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Do cruise staff get gratuities?
How much do non-salaried cruise ship employees earn? Gratuities usually come into play for service-oriented crew members who earn an hourly wage. The base wage is usually low -- sometimes as little as a few dollars a day, leaving tips to represent as much as 95 percent of their total take home pay.How does gratuity work on a cruise?
On some ships, many gratuities are automatically included. Most major cruise lines automatically add gratuities to your onboard account. The fee is usually between $12 and $15 per passenger, per day, and the cruise line then divvies up that money between all service-oriented crew.Is it better to prepay gratuity on a cruise?
If you want to make your life easier, and don't plan on removing or adjusting the gratuities on a cruise, it's better to prepay before you go. In our experience, prepaying gratuities does not negatively affect the service onboard.How are tips distributed on a cruise ship?
Generally speaking, mainstream, U.S.-based cruise lines automatically add gratuities of about $14 to $15 per person, per day, to your onboard bill. These tips are divided among the dining staff (waiters, assistant waiters and head waiters) and housekeeping staff (such as cabin attendants).Cruise Ship Onboard Gratuities: How Much the Crew Gets | Royal Caribbean Gratuities Explained!
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