History of Cruise Ship Tipping from one Cruisers 35 Year Perspective Feature Article Discussion Forum

Tipping has been part of the compensation plan for most cruise line employees in the American pleasure ship market for years. It also seems to be one of the most talked about aspects of cruising. People often wonder how much they should tip and what constitutes exceptional service. As traditionally American market cruise ships expand into other markets where tipping or high tipping is not common place, so cruise lines are re-examining their tipping policies. The whole concept of tipping has evolved over the years that I have been cruising, and I wonder if tipping has now or will soon be a service charge rather than a discretionary tip.

Tipping for Good Service Reflects an American Tradition
The concept of tipping for outstanding service reflects the concept of "hard work, high reward". The waiter or service person who moves quickly, pay attention to details, and provides friendly service with a smile would generally receive higher compensation than a service person who mixes things up, drags their feet, and has a bad attitude. For restaurant service most Americans, with a few exceptions, generally tip about 10% for acceptable service and 15% to 20% for excellent service. In other countries, it is more common to leave only about the equivalent of a dollar or two even for excellent service. You could say that the American tipping system, is the ultimate implementation of a capitalist system, with a high risk/high reward scenario. …

The whole subject of tipping gets people really riled up on other forums. So much so that people get flamed left and right just for having an opinion one way or the other. So it started me reflecting and really thinking about what my true feelings are about the whole subject. I think I would love it if the cruise lines were just more upfront about what the costs are, but as an experienced cruiser, I know what my actual costs will be above and beyond the basic cruise price. I just hate to hear about people who don't know or understand the added cost. I read a review from one guy slamming Carnival cruise line for a free cruise he had won. I think it was a 4 day cruise, so instead of paying the $40 to $80 for he and his companion in tips, he ate at the buffet and put a do not disturb sign on his door. I guess he wasn't meant for cruising.

One of the reasons I put together this web site is to put information together for people who might be considering cruising but are unfamiliar with the details.   Dress Codes, Alcohol Policies and Tipping seem to be the areas where people have the most questions, and I think it is a good idea to be able to compare different cruise companies side by side when choosing which line fits one best.

Thank you again for your contibution to our site.  If you have any recent cruises you would like to review or other information feel free to add them to our site. We really value our readers' input.