Automatic gratuities can add hundreds of dollars to the cost of a cruise, especially when you are traveling with a family. Depending on the cruise line, you may be able to adjust or remove these daily charges by visiting Guest Services.
But does that mean you should?
Before changing the gratuities on your account, it’s important to understand where the money goes, why cruise lines charge it and how removing it can affect crew members.
What Are Automatic Cruise Gratuities?
Most major cruise lines automatically add a daily gratuity or service charge to each passenger’s onboard account.
This system has largely replaced the traditional practice of handing cash in envelopes to individual crew members at the end of a cruise.
The daily amount varies by cruise line and cabin category. Passengers staying in suites or higher category cabins are often charged more than guests in standard cabins.
Keep in mind that gratuities are generally calculated per person—not per stateroom. That can make a significant difference for families.
For example, if a cruise line charges $20 per person per day, a family of four on a seven-night cruise would pay:
$20 × 4 passengers × 7 nights = $560 in automatic gratuities
This expense should be included when calculating the true cost of your cruise.
The money collected is typically distributed among several crew members, including dining staff, cabin attendants and employees working behind the scenes.
Although you may not interact with every person who receives a portion, many contribute to your overall cruise experience.
Can You Remove Automatic Gratuities?
Some cruise lines allow passengers to adjust or remove automatic gratuities, while others have more restrictive policies. The rules may also differ depending on whether the gratuities were prepaid or added to your onboard account.
If you are considering making a change, check your cruise line’s current gratuity policy before sailing. Do not assume that every cruise line handles these charges the same way.
Why Do Some Passengers Remove Cruise Gratuities?
Cruise passengers request gratuity adjustments for several reasons. Some are legitimate service concerns, while others are simply attempts to reduce the final cruise bill.
They Prefer to Tip in Cash
Some passengers remove the automatic charge because they would rather hand cash directly to the crew members who served them.
Others leave the standard gratuities in place and give additional cash to crew members who provided exceptional service. This is what I personally prefer to do.
One potential problem with switching entirely to cash is that you may unintentionally leave out crew members who helped make your vacation enjoyable but whom you never met.
They Are Traveling With Young Children
Because gratuities are usually assessed per passenger, families may be charged for children as well as adults. Age policies vary by cruise line.
Some parents believe a toddler should not be charged the same daily amount as an adult and ask Guest Services to reduce or waive the child’s gratuities. However, young children still create work for cabin attendants, dining staff and other crew members, even if they do not use every onboard service.
They Experienced Poor Service
A passenger may ask for a gratuity adjustment after receiving consistently poor service or encountering an unresolved problem.
If something goes wrong, speak with a supervisor or Guest Services as soon as possible. This gives the cruise line an opportunity to address the problem while you are still onboard. Waiting until the last evening to remove gratuities does not give the crew much chance to improve the situation.
They Want to Lower Their Cruise Bill
Unfortunately, some guests remove gratuities simply to save money and do not replace them with cash tips.
Although gratuity policies may permit an adjustment, removing the charge without tipping means the crew members who served you may receive less compensation.
Automatic gratuities should be treated as part of the expected cost of cruising rather than an optional expense to eliminate at the end of the trip.
Reasons to Leave Automatic Gratuities in Place
The strongest reason not to remove automatic gratuities is that crew members rely on this money as part of their overall compensation.
Cruise employees often work long days while spending months away from their families. Your cabin attendant, dining team and many behind-the-scenes employees contribute to your vacation throughout the sailing.
Leaving the automatic charge in place also makes tipping easier. You do not have to determine how much cash to carry, divide it among multiple employees or worry about overlooking someone who helped you.
Even if you plan to reward your cabin attendant or waiter personally, the gratuity pool may include other crew members whose work is less visible. Removing the entire charge and tipping only the people you know can leave those employees out.
Automatic gratuities also prevent an awkward misunderstanding. If you remove the charge, it may suggest that you were dissatisfied with the service, even if your only intention was to tip in cash.
How to Adjust Cruise Gratuities
If your cruise line permits gratuity adjustments, you will generally need to visit the Guest Services desk while you are onboard.
Explain whether you want the amount reduced or removed and why you are requesting the change. A crew member may ask about your experience, especially if the adjustment is related to poor service.
If you have a service complaint, report it early rather than waiting until the end of the cruise. Be specific about what happened and allow the cruise line an opportunity to correct the problem.
Keep in mind that daily gratuities are different from service charges automatically added to bar purchases, specialty dining, spa treatments and other onboard purchases. Those charges may follow separate rules.
What Happens When Passengers Remove Gratuities?
Cruise lines generally combine the gratuities they collect and distribute the money among eligible crew members. When passengers remove or reduce these charges, less money may go into that compensation pool.
The exact distribution process varies by cruise line, and passengers are not always given a detailed breakdown of how much each employee receives. However, removing the charge can affect more than just the cabin attendant or waiter you see every day.
That is why replacing automatic gratuities with cash may not benefit everyone who would have received a share.
Should You Remove Gratuities on a Cruise?
Unless you experienced a serious service problem that the cruise line failed to resolve, I recommend leaving the automatic gratuities in place.
Personally, I have never removed them. I consider gratuities part of the cost of taking a cruise and want the hardworking crew members to be fairly compensated.
When someone provides outstanding service, I give that person an additional cash tip on top of the automatic gratuity. This allows me to personally recognize exceptional service without reducing the amount distributed to the broader crew.
Ultimately, whether you adjust your gratuities is your decision. Just remember that the charge is not merely another cruise line fee—it helps compensate the people working throughout your vacation, including many crew members you may never meet.