Princess to Increase Automatic Gratuity

Jan115 · October 7, 2015

Princess Cruises will raise the gratuity for service staff from $11.50 to $12.95 per passenger, per day for voyages that depart on and after Jan. 1.

The increase would bring the suggested amount for two passengers on a seven-day cruise to $181.30.

The line said guests in mini-suite categories and above, who currently pay $12 per day, will contribute $13.95 per day.

The amounts are automatically added to a guest’s final shipboard bill, but can be adjusted upwards or downwards at the guest-services desk. Princess noted that gratuities will be deemed “undisputed” unless a request to modify is received prior to disembarking the ship.

Princess said, “This gratuity will be shared amongst those staff who help provide and support your cruise experience, including all waitstaff, stateroom stewards, buffet stewards and housekeeping staff across the fleet."

The suggested gratuity has been $11.50 since 2013.

Besides Princess, cruise lines that have increased or will increase their gratuity charge this year are Norwegian, Royal Caribbean and Holland America Line.

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Source: Tom Steighorst (Travel Weekly, October 6, 2015 "Princess the Latest Cruise Line to Raise Gratuity")

Re-posted on CruiseCrazies.com - Cruise News, Articles, Forums, Packing List, Ship Tracker, and more.

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jacketwatch · October 7, 2015

Well sooner or later that has to happen. Lucky for us our Sapphire Princess cruise in Feb. came with pre paid gratuities. I hope they wont try to add the difference.

btate · December 2, 2015

You guys know that you can just go to the passenger services desk and ask that gratuities be removed from your portfolio. That way you don't have to tip people who you don't want to. We rarely go to the dining room, so we just get envelopes and tip who we want what we want on each cruise in cash. We do it away from where people wan see, so they get to keep it all instead of a tip going into a pool of several cruise ships. We also tip our room steward in cash as well. Stop paying the head waiter and mater de (yes I said mater. . .) They didn't do the work, your waiter and room steward did! Give them the money!

My 2c. Now, back to your regularly scheduled program already in progress. . .