are gratuities mandatory on msc cruisesare gratuities mandatory on msc cruises

We're here to help. Carnival and Norwegian Cruise Line (as well as their sister lines) recently increased their gratuity amounts for 2023. Antonio Paradiso, MSCs Managing Director UK & Ireland, stated: The decision has been made in order to simplify the booking process and ensure the best possible onboard experience for our guests.. The NCL service charge is $20 per person per day in Club Balcony Suite and below and $25.00 USD per person per day for The Haven and Suites. If you head to a cruise forum to ask questions about removing tips (or really any gratuity topic in general) youll be met with sarcasm, judgemental comments, and sometimes straight up bullying. Deals All Deals MSC Euribia . The below information on which cruise lines allow you to remove auto-gratutities is not a cheat-sheet on how you can save some money. I dont think any cruise line could technically enforce guests to pay gratuities, as they are considered optional payments as a show of gratitude. MSC Grand Voyages from South Africa (Northbound): MSC Grand Voyages to South Africa (Southbound): MSC Grand Voyages from South America (Northbound): MSC Grand Voyages to South America (Southbound): MSC Cruises does not recommend tipping individual members of staff. Related:Should You Prepay Gratuities on a Cruise or Pay Onboard? They bend over backward to give you a perfect voyage and I believe they should be rewarded for that.Now do I believe they should be automatically rewarded for their good service, in which they come to expect it? ago. On the flip side, and like I stated before, I 100% agree with tipping cruise ship staff. For your convenience, MSC Cruises will automatically add a daily Hotel Service Charge to your shipboard account, based on your chosen itinerary and the number of days for which the services are actually provided. You can monitor your daily onboard account through the cruise lines app, guest services, or the stateroom television. Service Charges / Gratuities During your cruise you will meet staff throughout the ship who provide you with excellent service. For your average cruise, expect to spend $15 per passenger per DAY. Some people just frankly dont like being told what to do. Increase: You may want to have Guest Relations increase your gratuities if you received great service during your cruise, but you didnt bring extra cash to tip with. Only a few years ago, cruise passengers would receive tipping guidelines from the cruise line along with envelopes where you could place cash for various crew members. Below are the cruise lines that have exceptions for young travelers: No, you dont have to pay gratuities on a cruise. If you are already a member with an upcoming confirmed cruise with MSC, update or confirm before your cruise your contact details (email, mobile, phone or address) to collect 100 extra points. This is exactly why I think its important to talk about. Of course, with those sorts of dollar amounts, you might have some questions about what this money is for, where it goes, and how the entire process works. MSC Cruises do not include gratuities if booked from the USA. Is the Drink Package Worth it on a Cruise? Restaurant workers typically get paid less per hour than other workers, but they rely on tips to earn them a better wage. When booking an MSC cruise from the USA it is possible to prepay the gratuities at the time of booking the cruise. This post contains affiliate links which means if you click and buy that I may make a commission, at no cost to you. For any additional information, please consult the below grids. For more on whether or not to pre-pay gratuities, see our article here. TIPS-MSC does not recommend tipping individual staff members. Gratuities arent mandatory on cruises, however they are widely expected and built into the price structure on most major cruise lines. Come join my Facebook Cruise Community Thanks for reading and Happy Cruising!! Cruise Ships vs Ocean Liners Measurable Differences You Need to Know, Inside Virgin Voyages Cruise Ship Casinos (Real Photos). Most cruise lines charge an automatic gratuity each day of the cruise. Some of the best customer service I have ever received in my life has been aboard cruise ships, exceeding even that of uber-luxury brand 5-star hotels on land. Does the service charge cover all the tipping around the ship? Cruise lines tell us that automatic gratuities or crew incentives are paid to your waiters, cabin attendant, as well crew members who work in various departments on your cruise ship. Norwegian Cruise Line asks guests to report any service issues while on board, so that they can make it right. Breaking News! Grand Voyages from Caribbean (Southbound), MEDITERRANEAN, NORTHERN EUROPE, SOUTHERN CARIBBEAN, EMIRATES, MSC WORLD CRUISE & RED SEA, Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Southern Caribbean, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, India Cruises and Red Sea, MSC Grand Voyages to/from Abu Dhabi, Dubai, India Cruises, Southern Caribbean and Red Sea, MSC Grand Voyages from South Africa MSC says on their website that the Hotel Service charge serves to ensure we maintain the highest quality standards of service to our guests. Example 3: Your cruise costs $1,000 total, and there are no gratuities anymore. For further reading on MSC Cruises' gratuities, consider visiting trusted sources such as Cruise Critic's article on "MSC Cruises Gratuities" [1]. Many staff members work behind the scenes in the laundry, kitchens etc and by tipping only the crew you see these members lose out. Another way is if you choose a cruise line that already includes gratuities in the price of the ticket. Princess Plus Whats Included and Is it Worth it? Of course, you can always tip extra to any particular crew members. Ability to book multiple staterooms with discount. To avoid issues, some lines that cater to passengers in regions where tipping isn't customary -- the U.K. and Australia, for example -- simply roll any such service charges into the overall cruise fares. Most of the time this can be handled and any problems can be rectified during your cruise. Onboard bar purchases will incur a gratuities, automatically added to all purchases: 15% gratuities on European, Emirates, South Caribbean, Red Sea, South America (Brazil and Argentine) and Far East itineraries, and 18% gratuity on North America itineraries.. They are supported by just as many staff and crew who work hard behind the scenes to ensure you enjoy every moment onboard. . What Cruise Critic Messageboard Members Say: "I prefer the personal exchange of handing a nicely filled envelope to those who have served me well." Greatly appreciated. Guests may tip additionally at their discretion, but tipping beyond the automatic gratuity isnt mandatory or expected. In some countries and cultures, gratuities are neither the norm, nor are they expected. This is our first cruise on MSC and wonder about how gratuities work with MSC. On a personal note, weve always been very impressed with the service on cruise ships. To ensure there are no surprises, heres everything you need to know about cruise gratuities in 2022. privacy policy, Registered Office: Grosvenor House, Prospect Hill, Redditch, B97 4DL, By using this site you agree to our cookies and privacy policy. Below, we explore the pros and cons of tipping versus not tipping on a cruise, and consider times when passengers may or may not think about removing cruise auto-gratuities. ST42496CST No. If this is the case it can sometimes be cheaper to book a Fantastica cabin which includes gratuities than a Bella cabin which does not. 2023 Cruzely.com | Laisman Publishing, LLC. Please let your booking agent know if you would like to add the Service Charge to your cruise price. During your cruise you will meet staff throughout the ship who provide you with excellent service. The average across all major cruise lines is $14 per person, per day. Almost no matter which cruise line you sail, these daily charges are a part of life. No. Frequent cruisers have compassion for the high number of hours worked per day by the staff. Many cruise lines from the UK have adopted a gratuity inclusive price with P&O and Marella also including gratuities. The crew member roles that receive service fees may differ between cruise lines, but its generally split between the behind-the-scenes crew members. 10% discount on Balcony, Suite and MSC Yacht Club (Deluxe Suite) staterooms. For a family of 4 on a seven-day vacation, this adds up to an extra $420 to the vacation cost. Posted Monday at 04:15 PM (edited) On 6/12/2023 at 3:59 AM, Mark_T said: This is a market problem, not a specific cruise line problem. For your convenience, MSC Cruises will automatically add a daily Hotel Service Charge to your shipboard account, based on your chosen itinerary and the number of days for which the services are actually provided. Carnival's daily gratuity goes from $14.50 to $16.00 for standard cabins, and . This price did vary based on the location of the cruise. You can also prepay gratuities when you book your cruise. They are wonderful people who are masters at the art of service and I believe they deserve fair and generous gratuities. Cruise line gratuities are usually between $12 to $16 USD, per person, per day. I'm not convinced removing auto-gratuities would see a drop in service standards. There are a few cruise lines (mostly higher end luxury ones) that include ALL gratuities in your fare so there are no added charges at the end of your cruise.These cruise lines are typically going to cost much more than a main stream brand. Meaning, you should still be tipping. For your convenience, MSC Cruises will automatically add a daily Hotel Service Charge to your shipboard account, based on your chosen itinerary and the number of days for which the services are actually provided. Drink Packages. If you look at the profits Cruise Lines have been making pre-pandemic you'll think differently about this unacceptable and unnecessary expense, it is a psychological trick. However, most cruise lines are based in the U.S., where the crew members' pay structure is based on tips. On Board Payment. MSC Voyagers Club. I come from a culture where tipping is not the norm at all. MSC called them service charges. During your cruise, you will meet staff throughout the ship who provide you with excellent service. When you prepay cruise line gratuities, youll lock in your rate. Thank you for visiting our site and we look forward to seeing you on board soon! If I were in your position, I would contact the cruise line directly to have the charges reversed. However, some cruise lines make exceptions for small kids. In the past (decades ago), the crew relied on the generosity of passengers to provide a tip. (Southbound), 2023 MSC Cruises S.A. All rights reserved. If you book in a higher class room, like a suite or a penthouse, auto-gratuities are charged 20% higher. Can I tip more if I want? Any cruise booked since will include gratuities regardless of if the cruise was booked through a travel agent or directly with MSC. An exception to this is Norwegian Cruise Line, which charges a daily service fee thats shared among the various crew members who provide a service, including behind the scenes. Some countries are completely foreign to the idea of gratuities, especially ones given before hand. Special Military Rates are not available to book online. Because we are! Do I feel bad for it? Final Thoughts: Treat others how you wish to be treated, be kind, and have fun on your cruise! We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Children under 2 do not have to pay any gratuities when cruising with MSC. Myself and my husband dont drink so we plan to not have a drink package. 2023 MSC Cruises S.A. All rights reserved. Cruising is one of the best vacations you can take, hands down. There are no current plans to increase this. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); If you do some simple arithmetic and calculate the TOTAL AMOUNT taken from passengers you'll start to doubt the sales script. If you choose to show crew appreciation by raising the automatic gratuity charge, you can do so by visiting Guest Services. The exception? General Information Introduction Whether you're just curious or you have already booked a cruise with us and want to find out more, here you can find all the information you need. I share cruise tips, tours, and videos on this website to help you master cruising on a budget. Were also aware that for the crew, the tips from guests are an important part of how they make a living while working on a cruise ship. I recently took three first time cruisers on an MSC cruise and they loved it. Below is a breakdown of the cruise line tipping policies and automatic gratuities charged by each cruise line. Most lines allow passengers to adjust or remove automatic tips by visiting the front desk. Ive never asked for the automatic service charges to be removed, but I have plenty of friends who have done so without difficulty. Do MSC Cruises Include Gratuities? In a recent Cruise Critic poll, 52% of people said they liked the convenience of automatic gratuities added to their bill. Norwegian Cruise Lines, who requires cruisers to file a reimbursement request after the cruise ends. Find out more. Guests should note thatno action is required from guestsin order to make this change as any changes will be automatically processed via the booking system. 100% Future Cruise Credit for redeployment. There are those that say they prefer to tip the crew members that have served them directly, and want to opt out of a pooled system. MSC Cruises issued a new policy statement that told all travel agents around the world that the cruise line would begin to charge all passengers a daily cabin gratuity fee on their ship. A huge part of why cruising is so great comes down to the staff. The roles may include: The roles above dont receive tips from the daily gratuity charge collected by cruise lines. Amounts are as follows: South Africa cruises, grand voyages, Caribbean and South America cruises, and eastbound grand voyages: US$12.50 per night, per adult, and $6.25 per night for children 3 and older. Those that manage to get these gratuities removed, the cruise line is forced to make up. What else should I know about MSCs service charges? Poor staff are poor staff regardless in my opinion." For further details, please read our If you refuse to tip on principle, you are impacting the salaries of the people who have served you well onboard. The cruise line charges an 18% gratuity on drinks and beverage packages. Dr David Whitaker. In general, no you cannot change the gratuity amount charged. I think Cruise lines should re think this policy. You will then pay with the payment method on file at the end of the cruise as you would with any other onboard spending. If the traveler comes from a culture where tipping is not customary. MSC speaks in even more vague terms about where the money goes: During your cruise you will meet staff throughout the ship who provide you with excellent service. If you want to pay the staff extra, here is a breakdown of some appropriate sums. Ever wondered how the mainstream cruise lines compare? Most popular cruise lines automatically charge a daily gratuity fee or crew incentive to your onboard account. Guests with existing bookings made before December 12th 2022, will not be impacted by this change. How much will this affect your budget? If youve booked directly youll usually be able to prepay online or phone MSC to do so. This blog isnt to debate whether automatic tipping is good or bad, but rather as an eye opener into if gratuities are mandatory, how they are distributed, which cruise lines allow you to remove them if necessary, and why they still should be an important part of your cruise budget. Each cruise line distributes these gratuities differently among front-of-house and back-of-house staff, so it's impossible to really know how much of this mandatory service fee goes . On the other hand, it also means giving the cruise line more money before you technically have to pay it. Hotel Service Charge valid for all bookings made up to 11th December 2022 regardless the departure date, Hotel Service Charge valid for all new bookings starting from 12th December 2022 for all departures, MSC Grand Voyage to/from Dubai, Emirates & Oman; Antilles,Red Sea, Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Antilles, Emirates, Red Sea, MSC Grand Voyages from South America, (Northbound), Grand Voyages from Caribbean (Northbound), Grand Voyages from Caribbean (Southbound). PLEASE NO ADDED GRATUITY IMPOSING A COMPULSORY LEVY TO BE ASKED FOR . Any suggestions as to what he should do? I went on a cruise 35 years ago and have not been on one since. Norwegian Cruise Line: $16 per person per day for standard cabins, $18 per person per day for Club Balcony suite, and $20 per person per day for The Haven and suites. The auto-gratuity varies by destination and onboard currency. MSC has several different gratuity rates that depend where the cruise occurs. The Ultimate Guide To Cruise Parking In Southampton. The daily amounts below have been calculated with this in mind and cannot be modified. This is not listed as a gratuity. When booking an MSC cruise from Europe (excluding the UK/Ireland) gratuities will be automatically added. For your convenience MSC Cruises will automatically add a daily Hotel Service Charge to your shipboard account, based on your chosen itinerary and the number of days for which the services are actually provided. As my wife and myself were avid cruisers(52cruises) we always made this request when cruising without a problem. Here is a list of the mainstream cruise lines that allow you to remove gratuities: With brands like Celebrity, Royal Caribbean and MSC, you simply need to head to Guest Relations BEFORE the end of your cruise and they will remove the charges for you. Cruise lines split the gratuity charge amongst the hardworking crew members, including servers, stateroom attendants, and the entertainment staff. Automatic cruise ship gratuities and the act of removing them.This is an extremely hot topic that has cruise line forums exploding with heated debates and arguments over the different opinions about tipping. Should You. Please rotate your device to enjoy a better experience, Grand Voyages from Caribbean (Northbound). Please ket me know your thoughts in the comments below. Starting on 1 April 2021 for all new reservations on Winter 2021-22 departures and onwards Hotel Service Charges will become mandatory as an integral part of the total cruise price. Tips MSC Cruises does not recommend tipping individual members of staff. Disney Cruise Line: The cruise line has a daily automatic gratuity of $13.50 for all stateroom classes. They are supported by just as many staff and crew who work hard behind the scenes to ensure you enjoy every moment on board. You've Received Subpar Service It's rare that all areas of onboard service are lacking, but it's certainly not out of the question. The vast majority of cruise ship passengers are charged an automatic gratuity. However it is optional and can be removed on board at the request of the guest. Luxury cruise lines like Azamara, Regent Seven Seas, Silversea, and Virgin Voyages include gratuities in the cruise fare. when booking a cruise you are booking an all inclusive service and the price you pay should be the price already payed including the service . In this comprehensive guide, we will unveil MSC Cruises' tipping policy, providing you with all the essential information you need to know before embarking on your dream voyage. I love to share my passion for cruising and travel with readers. So, let's dive into the details and . What Our Members Say: "I don't tip. This post may have affiliate links, which means we may receive a small commission if you choose to purchase through them. Do You Have to Pay Gratuities on a Cruise? Learn how your comment data is processed. November 4, 2022 If you're a first-time cruiser, then there's little doubt that you have questions about gratuities and tipping on your cruise. IMPORTANT NOTE :please be informed that as of December 12th, 2022, our updated and automatic Hotel Service Charge per person per day will be outlined as in the table below. Gratuities on a cruise are not mandatory, but instead heavily suggested and added automatically. Daily gratuity charges come in a lot of different names. Your onboard account is closed when you disembark, so dont attempt to have gratuities removed after your cruise is finished. Some travellers understand many of the behind the scenes workers (like janitors, food runners, bus boys, etc) might not get any tips if people only cash-tipped the main faces on the ship. However, the amount will be 15% for that region, not 18%. Quit this mandatory tipping BS, because it is not a tip. Cruise lines distribute the collected cruise gratuities among passenger-facing crew members like cabin stewards, waiters, and waitresses. If you wait until the end of your cruise and the cruise line increases the daily gratuity charge, youll have to pay the higher price. Any bookings made before this date, regardless of departure date, will be subject to the terms and conditions applicable at the time of booking, that state service charge will be included as part of the onboard invoice. This is based on the childs age on embarkation day so if they turned 2 mid-way through the cruise they dont have to pay gratuities. Or tip a specific person? Of the mainstream cruise lines,Celebrity Cruises includes gratuities, wifi and a beverage package in what they call Always Included. They want to make up their own minds if staff deserve tips and feel its well within their rights to decide how to spend their own money. Service Charges / Gratuities GuruAdmin 2023-07-11T14:54:43+03:00. . If you truly feel as though the crew has performed below an acceptable standard, you reserve the right to ask for a refund of the amount charged to your account for tips or to decrease it as you see fit. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The lump sum is added to passengers onboard accounts, and can vary depending on the type of cabin in which guests are booked. Sailings departing from US ports typically have a $12 daily gratuity charge. Many people see this as a cost they would have spent anyway and should be considered into the entire cruise budget. Can You Remove Gratuities on a Cruise? He requested Guest Services to remove the gratuities as he prefers to tip the cabin steward etc, independently. (Personal note: I firmly believe that if you are going to remove automatic gratuities, it should only be for the sole purpose of controlling who and when you tip. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Some people say they dont want to be responsible for paying for a cruise lines overhead costs or to supplement the wage of employees. I also disagree with the charge being laid on each person, my wife and i will share the same accomodation, house keeping will only have to clean one room, make one bed taking no or very little more effort than a single person. Please see MSC Voyagers Club Terms & Conditions for . By giving our extra tip in cash, we know its going directly to the crew member who gave us the outstanding service. Your email address will not be published. I was appalled by the constant and incessant pleas and reminders to every juncture to tip people. In addition to to the industry average of $14 USD per person/per day, there are also added gratuities on: Every cruise line differs slightly on how they divvy up the tips, but generally here is the breakdown: Dining room staff in all cases take biggest cut of the gratuity pool. To reward hard working staff. There is also no upcharge on the gratuity amount if staying in a suite (these cabins typically see higher gratuity charges on other lines), and there is the lower daily charge for kids 12 and under. Should passengers still not be satisfied, there is a reimbursement request form that you can fill out. Travel Documents & Visas. Royal Caribbean International: Royal Caribbean has a daily automatic gratuity charge of $16 per person per day for guests in Junior Suites and below or $18.50 for guests in Grand Suites and above.