Another Cruise Line About to Increase Daily Gratuities
It was bound to happen. Following in the footsteps of Carnival, Holland America and Norwegian, Princess Cruises daily gratuities are about to increase.
New Princess gratuities charges
Beginning on May 1 and beyond, every passenger will see a $1 per day increase in their automatic gratuities, beginning on all cruises that depart on May 1 and beyond.
If you’ve reserved a standard cabin – interior, oceanview or balcony – your new charges will be $14.50 per person per day.
Those in mini-suites will pay $15.50 per person per day. If you’re lucky enough to book a suite, your new gratuity charge will be $16.50 per person per day.
How to avoid paying the additional cost
There is one way to avoid the additional automatic gratuity charge. If you are already booked, you can prepay your gratuities before May 14. That’s the only way to save a little bit extra.
Princess gratuities – the bigger picture
So how does this add up for an average cabin with double occupancy on a seven-night cruise? At first, the $1 a day doesn’t seem like a whole lot if you think of it like an additional $7 per person for the week. But when you add it all up, the total gratuities for two people now comes to $203!
On most cruises I hand my stateroom attendant or waiter (if I’ve used the main dining room) a bit of cash as a thank-you for excellent service. If the sommelier or bartender has provided exceptional service, same there. I see how this can add up to quite a bit of expense. I guess the solution is to simply budget enough to cover higher gratuities and the extra thank you cash well in advance to avoid stick shock at the end of your cruise. That’s partly the reason I try to always prepay gratuities well before my cruise. It’s one last thing to worry about at the end of a wonderful cruise.
What do you think of the across-the-board gratuity increases? Please leave your comment below.
FYI…The last time Princess raised their daily gratuities charge was in 2016.
It’s reasonable, for example, look at the price of food. The staff on cruise lines are pathetically underpaid, unfortunately the gratuities are not distributed as advertised. We always give cash to those who have given us exceptional service at the end of the cruise.