As a frequent cruiser, I’ve stopped noticing the difference between various fees depending upon what cruise line I’m sailing on.
Yes, I’ll notice that MSC Cruises offers much cheaper drink packages than Royal Caribbean or Carnival Cruise Line, but smaller things like the price of a cup of coffee, how much it costs to use the escape room, or some other extra-fee activity generally don’t phase me.
Cruisers, however, seem to pay serious attention to daily gratuities. These are fees tacked onto your bill each day that go to your room steward, main dining room (MDR) waiters, and some behind-the-scenes workers like the people who do your laundry.
These can be prepaid, or paid daily, and in many cases, you can remove them by going to the front desk, but that’s hurting the people you don’t see, even if you tip the front-facing workers. Some cruisers, and I’ve talked to thousands over the years, resent the forced tips and would rather see the cruise lines just raise prices.
“The extra cost of the automatic gratuity charges can be a shock to first-time cruisers. At some lines, these charges run as high as $25 per day. And, unlike the typical service fee or resort fee found at a land resort, automatic gratuity charges on cruise ships are not per room. They are per person,” wrote The Points Guy’s Gene Sloan.
Cruisers tend to react negatively to gratuity increases because they view them as a hidden price increase. Many passengers aren’t opposed to paying crew members more, but they want the full cost included in the advertised fare rather than added later as a separate daily charge.
Carnival Cruise Line, and MSC Cruises have both recently raised their daily gratuities.
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Carnival, Holland America, and MSC Cruises raise daily gratuities
Carnival Cruise Line raised its gratuities back in February. The increase was a modest $1 per day, person no matter the category of the room. Cruisers in staterooms will now pay $17 per day instead of $16, and those in suites, $19 per day instead of $18, according to Carnival’s website.
Carnival does allow guests to remove these charges.
“Should a guest not be satisfied with the service they receive, they can contact the Guest Services desk while on board. This will allow us to address their concerns in a timely and appropriate fashion. At the discretion of the guest, gratuities may be adjusted after they have been posted on the guest’s account, while on board,” the cruise line shared.
Once you leave the ship after your cruise, gratuities cannot be adjusted.
MSC actually calls its gratuities a “Hotel Service Charge,” and it recently raised those charges for all Caribbean and Alaska itineraries starting from May 11, 2026.
That equals $17 per night for standard staterooms, up from $16, and $23 for MSC Yacht Club suites, previously $20, according to the company website.
“Affected guests received notification emails stating that daily gratuities will increase by $1 per night per guest for standard staterooms, and by $3 per guest per night for travelers staying at the MSC Yacht Club,” according to Cruise Critic.
Royal Caribbean has not raised rates
Royal Caribbean, Carnival’s largest competitor has held the line on gratuity rates for nearly two years.
The cruise line last raised its daily gratuity rate in November 2024, bringing the new rate for standard cabins to $18.50 per person (up from $18) and suites to $21 per person (up from $20.50).
Royal Caribbean Blog, which is not affiliated with the cruise line, expects an increase to come soon.
“Royal Caribbean hasn’t publicly announced any gratuity increases. However, we wouldn’t be shocked if an email popped up in travel advisors’ inboxes sooner rather than later,” Elizabeth Wright wrote.
It’s fairly common in the cruise industry for other lines to follow when a cruise line raises any regular fee.
It’s not the gratuity increase, it’s about transparency
While the increase amounts to only a few dollars per day for most passengers, cruisers often react strongly to gratuity hikes because they see them as a fee added on top of the advertised fare.
That frustration often centers on transparency rather than the actual amount being charged.
Royal Caribbean Blog Editor Matt Hochberg shared, that many passengers are asking why the charge is not simply included in the cruise fare.
“Tipping on a cruise isn’t new, but many are questioning why it’s not part of the cruise fare,” he wrote.
Cruise lines, however, generally argue that gratuities are a direct way to compensate crew members who provide onboard service. Many passengers, it should be noted, tip above and beyond the daily gratuities for excellent service.
Cruise gratuities reward the crew
While some cruisers have an issue with paying gratuities, or at least that they’re not part of the cruise fare, PostCard Travel Planning Co-Owner Dennis Post thinks that you should be careful before making any changes.
“We have clients that complain, and there are options for them to either remove the gratuities, pre-pay them and maybe get a slight discount or tip directly to the staff,” he said. “We just ask them to take a clear look at why they have gratuities and balance out average amount services, drinks and meals each day they receive.”
Given the service you receive, he noted, it’s “still a fraction of the cost on a cruise than at home.”
Daniel Kline is the founder and editor of TravelHost’s Come Cruise With Me.
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