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Cruise gratuities: your questions answered
What are cruise gratuities?+
A daily fee covering tips for your cabin steward, waiters, and behind-the-scenes crew. Most lines also add 15–20% to drinks, spa, and specialty dining separately.
Do I have to pay them?+
The daily charge can usually be adjusted or removed at Guest Services. The percentage added to drinks and spa purchases can’t be — that’s applied automatically, per transaction.
Do all cruise lines charge the same?+
No. Daily rates range from £0 (P&O, MSC UK bookings) to over £20 per person, per day. Drinks charges range from 15% to 20%. Use the calculator below for the exact figures on your cruise line.
Are gratuities included in drinks packages?+
Usually yes — the service charge is built into the package price, so you won’t pay it twice on each drink. Worth checking your specific package terms before you sail.
Why do P&O and MSC UK bookings show £0?+
P&O rolled gratuities into the fare in 2019, so there’s no daily charge at all. MSC does the same for UK-booked cruises specifically — though the separate drinks service charge still applies either way.
Is this my exact final bill?+
No — treat it as a solid estimate, not an invoice. Rates change without notice, and actual figures can vary by ship, itinerary and promotion. Always check your cruise line’s own site closer to sailing.
Can I get my own number?+
Yes — the calculator below does exactly that, broken down by what’s adjustable and what’s compulsory for your specific cruise line.
Researched pricing — reviewed every 3 months · last reviewed 18 July 2026
Rates below are based on each cruise line’s published gratuity and service-charge policies as of July 2026, but cruise lines change these without notice, and figures can vary by ship, itinerary and region of booking. Always confirm the exact current rate with your cruise line before you sail.
Avg price each is auto-estimated for your selected cruise line — edit any of them to match what you actually plan to spend.
Enter what ONE person will spend on spa/salon across the whole cruise, not per day and not for everyone travelling combined. Spa and salon service charges are applied automatically per treatment and described by cruise lines as non-removable, unlike the daily hotel & dining charge, which you can usually adjust at Guest Services.
These two figures are for one person, added up across the whole cruise — not a tip themselves, and not the cost for everyone travelling. They’re just the base the gratuities below are calculated from.
Total per person · whole cruise
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what ONE person pays in tips across the entire cruise — not a nightly rate, and not the total for everyone travelling
HOTEL & DINING
Per person · whole cruise
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Adjustable
DRINKS GRATUITY
Per person · whole cruise
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Compulsory
SPA GRATUITY
Per person · whole cruise
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Compulsory
Total for everyone travelling · whole cruise
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How this works
Estimate only, not a quote. This tool calculates an estimate based on gratuity and service-charge policies each cruise line has published, correct to the best of our research as of 18 July 2026. Rates can vary by ship, itinerary, region of booking and promotion, and the figure shown won’t necessarily match what appears on your final onboard account.
Adjustable vs compulsory. The daily hotel & dining charge (sometimes called “crew appreciation” or a “service charge”) is billed automatically but is a default most lines let you adjust or remove at Guest Services before the end of the cruise. The percentage added to drinks, and to spa and salon purchases, works differently — it’s added per transaction and every line covered here describes it as non-removable, so we treat it as compulsory.
Not official cruise line figures. This calculator is provided independently by CruisePriceSpy and isn’t affiliated with, endorsed by, or sourced directly from any cruise line named here. Always confirm the exact current rate on the cruise line’s own website or your booking confirmation before you sail.
Drinks and spa spend are rough estimates. Actual spend depends on venue, drink or treatment choice, and promotions. If you buy a drinks or spa package, the service charge is often already included in the package price and shouldn’t be added again on top.
Currency conversion is approximate and for guidance only. CruisePriceSpy accepts no liability for decisions made, or budgets set, based on figures produced by this tool.
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