Tips Included

One of the longest conversations I have with cruisers, new or seasoned, is around the cruise lines policy regarding  the tipping for staff.

P&O, earlier this year, announced they are included in the cruise fare and now MSC have done the same for bookings made after 29th June.  There are other lines which have them included amongst the luxury sector but for mainstream lines to do this, I believe is a good thing.  Celebrity have a current offer until 2nd July where they are including them.

Many people will still give tips to various members of staff that they believe have gone over and above and will be happy to do so as it is now just a personal choice to make.

For some cruisers, a daily charge of £7 each can add up to a heavy ‘extra’, nearly another £200 for a 2 week cruise.

For MSC, the cost of the cruise has not increased which is a question prospective passengers are asking, there will be still a 15% Bar Service charge added on to all purchases but that has always been there, just to let you know P&O don’t do this.

This figure is generally a contentious topic, from my own perspective I have always accepted that is is part of my cruise fare and will pay before I sail to keep a better eye on my cruise account, I have been one of those people who have received an absolute shocker of a final bill because I had forgotten about them being added.

Whether you agree or disagree with gratuities, no one can deny the fact that the cabin stewards, in particular, work so hard to ensure you have everything you need and they do keep your cabins clean and tidy and they do it with a smile, I believe the majority of passengers will tip them on top of the cruise line addition, let’s not forget tht they will then split that between other staff as well.

For American lines, their philosophy and the way they treat tips is different to us, it is expected regardless of the service they give, if you have ever eaten in a restaurant in the US it is nearly impossible to leave the building without a tip, a waitress in Canada explained the tipping expectation before she had even taken my order!  Explaining that as I was from England I might not leave her enough, I can not even begin to tell you my thoughts, I did respond by explaining to her why tips were received in the first place.

With all that said, I think it is a great idea to have it included in the cruise fare and I hope the other main stream lines will follow suit.

What do you think?  Dare I ask 🙂  ?