Carnival Cruise Line to Increase Gratuities From May 2022 Hi You might be wondering how you can get out of paying these cruise service charges. Advertiser Disclosure: Some links to credit cards and other products on this website will earn an affiliate commission. Gratuities or as Princess calls them "Crew Appreciation" currently run different amounts depending on the type of cabin that you book. Starting in January 2023, Oceania Cruises, owned by Norwegian Cruise Holdings, increased daily gratuities from $16 to $18 except in Penthouse, Oceania, Vista, and Owner's Suites, all with butler service, and all now incurring a $23 gratuity. Ditto a good US or French Red that is say $400 on the wine list but with the 25% discount that reduces to $300. Can I just take my wifes medallion with me, or would she have to accompany me? Dont worry this guide will help you make the right decision about whether to buy a Princess Cruises drink package or upgrade to the Princess Plus or Princess Premier fares which come with free all-inclusive drinks. Princess Cruises Drink Packages: The Ultimate Guide for 2022 We took our first cruise vacation together 13 years ago and have been hooked ever since. Theme by 17th Avenue. All other guests go from $16 to $20. Currently, the gratuity is $16.50 per guest for suites and $15.50 per guest for mini-suites. On all cruise lines, additional gratuities may be added at your discretion. Some consider this wage subsidization and I understand that sentiment. Youll find expert advice for experienced and first-time cruisers, as well as port and destination guides. (Updated 11:40 a.m. EDT) -- Its early in the new year, but some cruise lines are already raising standard gratuities. Guests staying in Concierge Staterooms and Suites are recommended a gratuity amount of $15.50 per night. Of note, Windstar Cruises also has an option for an all-inclusive package. Princess announced increases in early December, increasing tips to $16 for interior, oceanview, and balcony staterooms, $17 for mini-suites and Club Class, and $18 for suites. If you are caught giving drinks to another passenger, your drinks package may be cancelled without a refund. crew appreciation gratuities and princess plus - Princess Cruises "The Hotel Service charge serves to ensure we maintain the highest quality standards of service to our guests," MSC says on its website. For example if a bottle of Dom Perignon is priced as $250 on the wine list, a 25% discount would bring the price down to $187.50. Thanks but what do you think is the best option to take when we are taking grandkids of 14 & 15 with us for a week we have 2 cabins 1 adult & 1 teenager in each so we seem to have to pay$30 each? Jenni. This method is meant to be more equitable across all staff. Further, there are no additional service charges on other items like beverages or spa services. #1 Posted December 12, 2022 Hi all, Just put a hold on Sydney Tokyo cruise on Royal Princess.The cruise planner said gratuities are at my discretion and that was the policy for Princess out of Australia. Some of these new perks add very little value. Princess Cruises: Free Drinks, WiFi, Gratuities, and Shore Excursion, T-Mobile & GoGo Team up to Offer Free Texting & Visual Voicemail, Saying Goodbye To Princess Cruise Lines' Captain Stubing. In the case of a couple traveling on a week-long cruise, they can mean hundreds of dollars out of your pocket. It includes, a premium selection of beer, spirits, wine by the glass and cocktails $20 USD / $30 AUD. While cruise gratuities can be modified or removed, we never recommend that cruisers do so. Princess Cruises Is About to Get More Expensive Here's Why Thought that comment was a bit strange as I thought cruises purchased in Australia would have gratuities included. Is it 6am as advertised, or 12am midnight? Princess Sale Offers Drinks, Wi-Fi, Tips, Specialty Dining and More Its so confusing, but its true! If other cruise lines are going to follow these lines in increasing gratuities, one worth watching for any possible increases is MSC Cruises. Jenni. Featured Princess Cruise Deals. Only the Classic Soda Package, or the New Grounds coffee package, may make sense as standalone purchases. Luxury lines like Azamara, Ponant, Regent, Silversea, Seabourn, Sea Dream, Virgin Voyages include gratuities in the . Youre welcome to bring additional wine and champagne, but each bottle will have a $15 corkage fee. They start at $14.50 per day to cover cabin and free dining crew. The Princess Cruises Premier Beverage Package costs $84.99 USD per person, per day, plus an 18% service charge. Starting Dec 14, the price will increase by $10 to $60 per person, per day. The Premier Beverage Package is part of Princess Premier. If youve paid the corkage fee, you can drink your wine anywhere on the ship, including in restaurants and bars. This site is for entertainment purposes only. The Plus Beverage Package is prt of Princess Plus. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays. Youre right that the Premier package does include Champagne by the glass. . Oceania is not the only premium line that increased gratuities, but others have been more subtle about announcing the change. Royal Princess (Photo: Cruise Critic) . Following a trend in the cruise industry to recoup losses and unbundle fares, the unbundling of services come at a higher cost. The announcement from Holland America Line follows a similar increase from Princess Cruises, which is raising gratuity rates by $1.50 per person, per day for all cabin and suite categories,. Your luggage will be scanned and if youre caught then the drinks will be discarded. In March 2023, Royal Princess cruises on 16-to 18-day Australia to Asia relocation itineraries (from Sydney to Hong Kong). crew appreciation gratuities and princess plus - Princess Cruises The cruise drink package Plus beverage plan includes most alcoholic drinks below $12. On Disney Cruise Line, the recommended cruise gratuity is $14.50 per night, per guest, including infants and children. So a family of four in a balcony cabin will see a charge of $64 ($16 x 4) each day. An 18% gratuity is automatically added to bar, beverage, wine, and deck service tabs. An 18% service charge is included when booking, bringing the daily cost to $11.79. Princess Cruises will automatically charge a crew incentive of $14.50 per person, per day for guests in inside ocean view and balcony cabins. Is it included in the drink packages? Lower tier cabins see lower costs while more expensive rooms also have higher gratuities. Does the Crew Appreciation Charge Cover Everything on the Ship? Hi Gregg. Rocky started blogging on his own website When Doublewides Fly to share information about flying around the world on a dime. Suites in The Haven will have daily gratuities of $25 per day, up from $20. Its worth pointing out that this drinks package has essentially doubled in price since 2022, when it cost $19.99 USD per day. Princess Cruises gratuities are automatically added to passenger accounts. In addition, all non-alcoholic beverages including bottled water (500ml only), fountain sodas, the new Juice Bar, plus fresh juices (if available), specialty coffees and teas, frappes at Coffee & Cones, milkshakes (if available) and Red Bull energy drinks. Can I just check that the princess plus drinks package can still be used in speciality restaurants such as Salty dog gastro pub and the crown grill etc? The total cost of the package is $15.32 USD per day for all cruises except for Australian itineraries. Limited Time Offer 2nd, 3rd, & 4th Guests Sail Free on select Coastal sailings. Other perks may include onboard credit, free drink packages, free specialty dining, and so on. Cruise lines should pay a decent wage to all staff in the first place. The Princess Cruises drink package can be used on Princess Cruises private island, Princess Cays, which is located in the Bahamas. This is an increase of $5, up from $75. As of September 7th, 2022, the gratuities on Royal Caribbean ships are: This fee is applied to each guests SeaPass account on a daily basis. This includes daily per person cruise gratuities as well as service charges added to purchases like drinks and spa treatments. Further, cruises to Hawaii also have a 4.275% service tax applied. 50 spirits, 40 wines by the glass and cocktails to choose from. Further, a 15% gratuity is automatically added to bar, beverage, wine, and deck service tabs. Norwegian Cruise Lines cruise gratuities for bookings made on or after January 1, 2023 are: For bookings made before January 1, 2023, that pre-pay gratuities before the sail date, prices are as follows: There is an additional 20% gratuity for all spa and salon services. The bar prices on Princess Cruises ships are in line with most other cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean and P&O Cruises. Great site, Hi Bruce, great question! SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (May 11, 2022) - Princess Cruises today announced Princess Premier, a new premium add-on package that offers guests unlimited WiFi for up to 4 devices, premium/top-shelf beverages, photos, specialty dining, and crew gratuities/appreciation. Jenni. Princess Cruises Daily Gratuities Are About to Increase - Cruise Maven We tipped at the end of our dinner not knowing this. .css-hghiur{transition-property:var(--chakra-transition-property-common);transition-duration:var(--chakra-transition-duration-fast);transition-timing-function:var(--chakra-transition-easing-ease-out);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;outline:2px solid transparent;outline-offset:2px;font-weight:var(--chakra-fontWeights-medium);border-bottom-width:1px;border-bottom-style:dotted;cursor:pointer;color:var(--chakra-colors-blue-base);border-color:var(--chakra-colors-blue-base);}.css-hghiur:focus-visible,.css-hghiur[data-focus-visible]{box-shadow:var(--chakra-shadows-outline);}.css-hghiur:hover,.css-hghiur[data-hover]{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;border-bottom-width:1px;border-bottom-style:solid;}Royal Caribbean increased the daily per person gratuity rate for its passengers in September 2022.