Carnival Cruise Line Tipping

Everything You Need to Know About Tipping on Carnival Cruises

Ah, tipping—everyone’s favorite cruise topic (not). If you’re sailing with Carnival Cruise Line, brace yourself for the automatic gratuity system, the eternal etiquette debate, and the inevitable question of whether to remove those auto-charges. Let’s break it down, sass included.

Automatic Gratuities: The Silent Wallet Ninja

First things first: Carnival hits your onboard account with automatic gratuities faster than you can say “sunburn.” Currently, Carnival charges $16 per person, per day for standard cabins and $18 per person, per day for suite guests. These magical numbers make their way into your final bill, covering your room steward, dining staff, and any other crew folks who make your cruise bearable.

Check out the Carnival Cruise Line Dossier for more details on these charges and how they stack up against other lines.

What’s Included in Automatic Gratuities?

Lucky for you, these automatic charges cover the basics:

• Room Stewards: Keeping your cabin from turning into a disaster zone.
• Dining Room Staff: Ensuring your plate is never lonely.
• Buffet Servers: Because even self-service needs some service.

Sadly, they don’t include specialty restaurants, spa services, or bars. Beware of surprise fees lurking like sharks in an infested sea.

When to Tip Extra—And How Much

You think you’re done with tipping? LOL. Dream on. Here’s your cheat sheet for when to open your wallet a tad more:

• Room Steward: If they create towel animals or grant you extra pillows, consider rewarding them with an extra $10-$20.
• Waitstaff at Specialty Restaurants: Tack on an additional 10-20% of your bill.
• Excursion Guides: Show some appreciation with $5-$10 per person, especially if they keep you entertained while herding cats (aka tourists).

The Etiquette Debate: To Remove or Not to Remove?

Now, here’s the tea: You can technically remove automatic gratuities by hitting up Guest Services. But should you? This move is a social minefield. Sure, you might end up saving a few bucks, but you’re also potentially stiffing hardworking crew who rely on these tips.

Some argue that tipping should be merit-based. If that’s your stance, know that Guest Services will let you redistribute tips as you see fit. But unless your service was Titanic-level bad, think twice before stiffing the staff. It’s not just about you; it’s about the people who make your cruise a floating paradise.

Room Steward, Waiter, and Bartender Norms

Each position has its own tipping culture:

• Room Stewards: They’re your go-to for room comfort. Extra tips can go a long way in securing exceptional service.
• Waiters: Found in the main dining room, these heroes ensure your dining experience is top-notch. A little extra dough is usually appreciated.
• Bartenders: While 18% is automatically added to bar tabs, a couple of bucks thrown directly at your mixologist of choice can result in stronger drinks—not that we’re advocating that.

Specialty Restaurant Tipping

Tipping here follows the same playbook as on land. An extra 10-20% is customary, even if you’re looking at astronomical steakhouse prices. Ignore this at your peril, or risk receiving a side of stink eye with your lobster tail.

Excursion Tips: Showing Love to the Cat Herders

If you think guiding tourists is easy, you’ve never tried to corral a group of selfie-stick-wielding humans. Excursion guides appreciate—and often rely on—tips. Shelling out $5-$10 per person is a classy move that’ll keep you from being the Grinch of the bus tour.

Can You Remove Auto-Gratuities? And Should You?

Yes, you can remove them. But unless you have a horror story to share (and who doesn’t?), it’s generally frowned upon. Removing auto-gratuities might make you a few friends at Guest Services, but it won’t win you any popularity contests with the crew.

If you absolutely must, consider reallocating the funds privately. Just don’t be that person who doesn’t tip at all. That’s grounds for a serious side-eye from your fellow passengers.