Here is a complete guide about gratuities and tipping on MSC cruises.
Let me be very clear right from the start: this is not about being cheap or not tipping. Cruise staff work deserves fair pay, and I fully support tipping for exceptional service.
But there are several things about MSC’s gratuities that feel confusing, misleading, and honestly a little frustrating. Below, I’ll go over exactly how MSC gratuities work, how much you’re actually paying, and what your options really are.
Gratuities Are Not Built Into the Cruise Fare
MSC refers to gratuities as “hotel service charges,” but for most passengers, they’re essentially mandatory tips. And this is one of the biggest pain points with cruise pricing: the sticker shock.
MSC often advertises very low cruise fares, so it feels like you’re getting a great deal. But then the cruise ends, you check your final onboard account… and suddenly there’s a sizable gratuity charge added on.
For U.S., Canada, and Caribbean itineraries, MSC charges $16 per person, per night. On its own, that number doesn’t sound too bad. But it’s per person—and it’s every single day.
So let’s put that into perspective.
Take a family of four on a 7 day cruise. At $16 per person, per night, that’s an extra $448 added to the cost of the cruise. That amount is automatically applied unless you go out of your way to have it adjusted.
I’ve been on over 25 cruises, and I can tell you—every single time I see that final gratuity total, it still catches me off guard. Even when I know it’s coming, I always get sticker shocked when I see the total.
I really wish MSC would include gratuities in the advertised fare from the beginning. Just show the real price. Luxury cruise lines like Silversea and Seabourn already do this, and it makes budgeting easier and the entire process feel much more transparent.
Removing Gratuities
On MSC cruises, it is possible to have gratuities removed—but you have to go to Guest Services and request it in person. It’s not something they advertise, and it’s not automatic.
If you’re trying to remove gratuities simply because you don’t want to tip, they may push back a bit. However, if you have a legitimate service issue, MSC can and sometimes will adjust or remove gratuities.
I learned this firsthand on one of my MSC cruises. I complained about the lack of notice for balcony cleaning. That morning, I had ordered room service—and even paid the room service fee.
I ordered omelets, pancakes, bacon, the works, because I planned for me and the kids to enjoy a relaxed breakfast on our balcony.
But instead, the balcony cleaning crew showed up without any notice and immediately started cleaning. We couldn’t use the balcony at all. So instead of enjoying breakfast outside, we were cramped inside the cabin. If I’d known the balcony would be unavailable, I never would’ve ordered room service that morning.
I went to Guest Services to complain, and their resolution was to remove gratuities for one person for the cruise. That adjustment saved me $112 in gratuities.
Again, I’m not saying this to encourage people not to tip—but it’s important to know that if something goes wrong, guest services can adjust and remove gratuities.
You Can Use Onboard Credit to Pay Gratuities
One thing I appreciate about MSC is that they allow you to use onboard credit to pay for gratuities. Not all cruise lines do this—some have restrictions on onboard credit and won’t let you apply it toward gratuities at all.
MSC doesn’t have that limitation.
For example, on one of my MSC cruises, I had $50 in onboard credit. As you can see, gratuities came to $112 for one person, and I also had $9.38 in room service charges. MSC applied the $50 onboard credit to my onboard account, which reduced my balance and left me with a balance of $71.38.
Being able to use onboard credit toward gratuities helps offset the final bill and makes the overall cost of the cruise feel much more manageable.
Prepay Gratuities
“Should I prepay gratuities?” This is one of the questions I get asked the most.
The biggest advantage to prepaying gratuities is that you lock in the rate. Every few years, MSC—like all major cruise lines—raises its daily gratuity amount. When you prepay, you’re protected from any rate increases that happen between booking and sailing.
However, there are disadvantages to prepaying gratuities.
The first is onboard credit. If you prepay your gratuities, you can’t use onboard credit toward them, because they’ve already been paid in advance. That means you’ll need to find other things to spend that onboard credit on during the cruise. Since onboard credit is usually non-refundable, anything you don’t use by the end of the sailing is typically forfeited.
Another disadvantage to prepaying gratuities is that you lose flexibility. Once gratuities are prepaid, they generally can’t be removed or adjusted. So if you experience a service issue onboard and removing gratuities would normally be part of the resolution, that option is no longer available.
Gratuities on Beverage Packages
One thing that confuses a lot of MSC passengers is gratuities on drink packages.
With MSC, all beverage packages automatically include an 18% gratuity—but most people don’t realize it. It’s not obvious, and if you don’t read the fine print, you could easily miss it.
Because of that, many passengers end up tipping the waiter or bartender every time they order a drink—essentially tipping twice without knowing it.
Don’t get me wrong—tipping extra for outstanding service is always welcome. But tipping simply because you weren’t aware gratuities were already included? That’s not right.
Paying Gratuities for Services You Don’t Even Use
One thing that doesn’t feel fair about cruise gratuities is that they’re a blanket service charge—everyone pays the same amount, whether or not they actually use the services.
Take dining, for example. Some passengers never eat in the main dining room. They eat at the buffet, or dine at specialty restaurants. Yet they’re still paying the same gratuities as someone who eats three full meals in the dining room every day.
Then there’s stateroom service. Some guests ask their cabin steward not to clean their room daily—maybe for privacy or to be more eco-friendly. Yet, they’re still charged full gratuities with no credit or adjustment at all.
Why isn’t there a credit for opting out? Major hotel chains, like Marriott, already do this—skip housekeeping and you’ll earn loyalty points or perks.
Double Tipping on Spa Services
If you book a spa treatment or salon service on MSC, they automatically add an 18% service charge.
But here’s the confusing part—they still leave a blank gratuity line on the receipt.
The first time I got a massage, what did I do? I almost tipped another 20%. Thankfully, I did not add extra gratuity.
The lesson? Always check your receipt before tipping. I’m all for rewarding great service—but tipping twice by accident? That’s something I like to avoid.
Lack of Transparency in Gratuity Distribution
One of the most frustrating parts of cruise tipping is not knowing where your gratuities actually go.
MSC says that service charges are distributed to crew members—including stateroom attendants, dining staff, bar staff, culinary staff, and behind-the-scenes hotel operations. But here’s the problem: we’re almost never told how that money is divided.
Some crew members go above and beyond—remembering your name, anticipating your needs, making your vacation unforgettable. Others… not so much. Yet everyone gets the same cut from the gratuity pool.
Because of that, I almost always end up tipping certain crew members extra in cash, just to reward the people who truly made my cruise special.
This lack of transparency can start to feel like MSC is using the “service charge” more as a way to boost revenue than as a direct reward for the crew. I really wish all cruise lines would be fully transparent: show exactly how gratuities are divided and confirm that the crew actually receives them. That way, tipping would truly feel like rewarding exceptional service, not just adding money to the cruise line’s bottom line.
Paying Adult Gratuities for Kids
One thing I really don’t like is how gratuities are charged for kids.
On U.S., Canada, and Caribbean cruises, MSC charges the exact same daily gratuity rate for children ages 2 and up as they do for adults. That means toddlers—who aren’t potty trained, can’t use the kids club, and aren’t ordering drinks—are still being charged the full adult gratuity rate.That’s not fair for families.
What I don’t understand is why MSC doesn’t use a tiered gratuity system for U.S. and Caribbean cruises. Because when you look at MSC’s pricing elsewhere in the world, kids do get discounted gratuities.
For example, on Mediterranean, European, and Middle Eastern cruises, kids ages 2–11 pay half the adult rate—6 euros per person per night compared to 12 euros per person per night for adults—while children under 2 years old aren’t charged gratuities.
South American cruises follow a similar model. Adults pay $16 per person, per night, while children ages 2–11 are charged $8 per night.
It’s frustrating that families sailing from the U.S. end up paying more in gratuities than cruisers in Europe, South America, or the Middle East.
Asian cruisers have it worse. Their gratuities are even more expensive—both adults and children ages 2 and up are charged $18 per person, per night, which is higher than U.S. sailings.
To be fair, MSC is at least better than some cruise lines. It does not charge gratuities for infants under 2 years old. Some cruise lines—like Disney Cruise Line—charge the same gratuity amount regardless of age, even for babies. So I do appreciate that MSC draws the line there.
Cruise Essentials to Buy Before Your Cruise
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Travel Must-Haves
Passport neck wallet – Keeps your passport and travel documents secure and accessible. It also has RFID protection.
Cruise lanyards – A super convenient way to keep your cruise card within easy reach. No more digging through your bag every time you need it! I recommend getting one lanyard per person in your group and choosing different colors so it’s easy to tell them apart.
Anti-theft crossbody bag with anti-pickpocket clip – Genius anti-theft clip and versatile enough for both port days and evenings in the dining room.
Anti-theft crossbody bag with RFID – Padded shoulder straps with RFID lining to safeguard against identity theft.
Insulated water bottles –I don’t like spending money on bottled water, and I always want fresh water in my cabin. I’ll fill my bottle at the buffet or ask my server at dinner, then bring it back so I have water at night. This is my go-to water bottle—I prefer ones without straws since they’re much easier to wash in the cabin sink.
Pashmina – This multi-purpose wrap always earns its spot in my luggage. Use it as an evening wrap, a lightweight plane blanket, or a cover-up when visiting places of worship that require modest dress. I never cruise without one—you’ll be surprised how often it comes in handy.
Cruise Planning Essentials
Day Passes to Resorts– Booking private beach resort access in advance guarantees a comfortable beach experience at the cruise port.
Travel Insurance with CFAR Coverage– CFAR travel insurance gives you flexibility to cancel your cruise for any reason and recover part of your costs if plans change.
Last Minute Cruise Deals– Search for last minute cruise deals.
Cabin Comfort & Organization
Non-surge Cruise power strip– Cabins never have enough outlets (check cruise line rules first).
Magnetic hooks – Super-strong magnetic hooks that attach easily to your cabin walls. They’re perfect for hanging hats, cruise lanyards, goggles, swimsuits, and towels. I personally use the 85+ lb hooks—they’re incredibly sturdy and can even hold backpacks!
Small portable fan – Improves airflow and keeps Inside Cabins from feeling stuffy.
Motion sensor night light – Perfect for Inside Cabins, for when you get up at night to use the bathroom. It also has a magnetic base, so you can easily attach it to your cabin walls.
Toiletries & Laundry
Hanging toiletry bag – Keeps your essentials neat and accessible.
Fabric freshener spray – Fights wrinkles and refreshes clothes between wears.
Travel-size detergent – Handy for washing swimsuits, underwear, and quick-dry clothing in the sink.
TSA-approved travel containers – Easy to pack your lotions, creams, and other liquids without worrying about TSA rules.
Health & Wellness
Anti-seasickness medicine – My go-to meds for anti-seasickness. I take one in the morning on sea days (bring chewables for kids).
Acupressure bands – A natural alternative for seasickness relief. I use this with the anti-seasickness meds.
Packing & Storage
Cruise travel planners– Check out my travel planners, they help you stay organized before and during your trip.
Packing cubes – I never travel without packing cubes! They make packing and unpacking so easy—you can simply slip the entire cube into the cabin closet or drawer. I like to assign a different color to each person so there’s no mix-up.
Foldable duffel bag – I always pack a foldable duffel bag in case I bring home too many souvenirs or do some extra shopping. It doubles as an extra carry-on and barely takes up any luggage space.
Foldable shopping bag – Perfect for shopping at cruise ports, these bags fold up small enough to keep in your purse. I always carry one with me—you never know when you’ll need it! Plus, many countries charge a fee for shopping bags, and I’d much rather use my own than pay extra.
Foldable backpack – Perfect for cruise port days when you need an extra bag. I love that these backpacks are lightweight and fold down small, so you can toss one in your luggage without taking up much space.
Travel luggage scale – I always keep one in my suitcase so I can weigh my bags before heading to the airport. It’s a simple way to avoid overweight baggage fees.
Apple AirTags – I pop one into each of my bags so I can track my luggage for peace of mind. They’re especially helpful if you have a short layover and worry about your suitcase getting left behind.
Beach Essentials
Towel Clips – A simple must-have for pool and beach days! They keep your towels from slipping off lounge chairs, and I never cruise without brining a few in my luggage.
Waterproof phone pouch – Protect your phone from water and sand while still being able to snap photos. I always bring one when cruising the Caribbean or Mediterranean—it’s a lifesaver for beach and pool days.
Striped beach bag with zipper – You’ll need a beach bag with zipper to keep your things secure. I like this one because it’s stylish, has a water bottle holder, keeps belongings secure and has a lot of pockets.
Kid-Friendly Cruise Essentials
Magnetic toys – Cabin walls are magnetic, making these toys perfect for fun, mess-free entertainment. They keep kids busy when you’re in the cabin, especially since cruise TV options for kids can be limited. It’s always best to bring your own toys.
Collapsible beach buckets and toys – You’ll definitely want to bring beach toys if you’re going on a Caribbean cruise! This collapsible set includes foldable buckets, shovels, and sandcastle molds, all packed neatly in one bag. They’re easy to fit in your suitcase without taking up much space.
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