With the Cruise Critic news that both Royal Caribbean International and corporate cousin Celebrity Cruises have again raised their daily gratuity amounts, the great debate rages on: Would it not be better to simply bundle such service fees into the cruise fare?
The two brands are upping the tips automatically charged to guest accounts by a dollar per person per day across the board. As of January 2, 2018, Royal Caribbean passengers in staterooms now pay $14.50, and those in suites pay $17.50. Celebrity guests are similarly charged $14.50 for entry-level staterooms, $15 for Concierge Class and AquaClass cabins and $18 for suites.
Each brand last increased the amounts by 55 cents in 2016, and less than a year ago in 2017, Celebrity's premium competitor Holland America Line upped its own by $1.00 for staterooms and $1.50 for suites. In other words, it's becoming common practice for gratuity amounts to periodically inch upwards.
To be sure, the debate is not whether they are warranted. Of course, the dedicated crew is deserving of their extra money. However, some guests are feeling increasingly nickel and dimed by its a la carte nature when luxury lines already take an all-inclusive approach to bundling gratuities in.
Looking at the comments at the news link above, there is greater talk of guests having the higher charges removed as is a discretionary option.
The problem, then, is that the crew are perhaps likely to suffer than benefit from the added amounts. While others in the discussion think there is little difference between paying tips collectively up front or afterward per diem, it's difficult to swallow if the shipboard staff takes the brunt of any changes to the latter.
The only remaining variable is how it may affect the level of service, another growing concern in the comments. Tips are traditionally meant to incentivize greater attentiveness. If it's a given they will be earned, it could degrade, but all-inclusive luxury lines have proven otherwise. A guarantee of gratuities might then actually improve service.
As I've mentioned before, though, it's going to take one of the major cruise corporations or Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) to take a chance on behalf of the traveler to make it happen.
There will likely always be a constant ebb and flow to the cruise line's finding the right balance of what is inclusive and exclusive in each of their products. However, I do foresee a time when gratuities, tips and service charges are universally included. It's mostly a matter of who leads the charge and when.
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