Tipping has become a controversial topic, not just at sea, but on land as well.
Some land-based restaurants have begun adding a mandatory 18% charge to their bills that acts as a sort of forced tip. In most cases, these are establishments that actually defy the norm and offer higher wages and benefits like health insurance to their entire staff.
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Waiters and waitresses in the United States generally get paid low hourly wages and make their real money in tips. If restaurants did away with tipping and paid a higher/living wage, then prices would have to be higher.
You might not actually spend more, but the price would go up to pay for the money lost from tips. That could make the restaurant seem more expensive and it’s really only a tactic that works if the whole industry adopts it.
Cruise lines have actually seen their advertised prices go up as the entire industry now shows the cost of taxes and port fees in their advertised fare, Those prices, however, still do not include the cost of the daily per-person gratuities that get added to your bill.
That’s because technically, those charges are not mandatory and you can (but shouldn’t) remove them from your bill.
Tips go to workers including your room steward, waitstaff, and behind-the-scenes service personnel who do things like washing your pool towels.
Image source: Carnival Cruise Line.
Carnival asks for tipping opinions
Carnival passengers tip in two different ways. The first is the traditional handing someone a tip directly for good service and the second is the daily gratuities added to your bill. The cruise line shared its tipping policy on its website:
“It is customary for our guests to extend gratuities to the shipboard staff in appreciation for their hard work and exceptional service. 100% of your gratuities are distributed to the crew who you interact with, such as your stateroom attendants, dining and culinary services staff, as well as other members of the onboard team who work behind the scenes to enhance your overall cruise experience.”
Those charges — $16 per person, per day in a standard cabin and $18 per person, per day in a suite — can be prepaid or added to your bill each day.
“Applying this charge automatically streamlines the recognition process and ensures our crew will share in your generosity,” the cruise line added.
Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald recently addressed the idea of making those charges mandatory in response to a recent message he received.
“If you stop your customers having the right to remove all gratuities then you would see an exodus like never before. I don’t concern myself about what the staff makes, how gratuities are divided up, or their workload. That’s between the employee and the employer. If I feel occasionally that someone deserves a gratuity I will give it to them. If not then I will not. It is our choice. It is not the cruise line to take away,” an unnamed passenger shared.
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Carnival shares its tipping policy plans plans
Heald made it clear that Carnival does not have any immediate plans to change its tipping policies.
“Many of the people who do remove their gratuities give the same or more in cash but yep, like this lady, some do not. If they have a legitimate reason to give nothing then of course they should not but, well, it would be dishonest of me not to say that it makes me sad to read this and to see people remove their gratuities and give the crew who have given their all nothing,” Heald wrote.
If you remove your daily gratuities because your room steward does not perform to your expectations and hand a tip to your waiters, you’re punishing the behind-the-scenes workers who share in the tip pool. You never meet the person who does your laundry, but that does not mean they don’t earn a tip.
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Many of the over 800 people who commented on Heald’s post shared some version of the idea.
“I totally agree with you, John. Some of the gratuities go to some crew members that I never see working behind the scenes. We always prepay gratuities and give extra to those who go above and beyond for us. They’re some hard-working individuals on those crew ships that make it an awesome experience for us all. Thank you for all you do Carnival,” posted Sheila Harris White.
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