A recent Facebook exchange between a Carnival Cruise Line guest and John Heald, the cruise line’s brand ambassador, has reignited debate over the cruise line’s gratuity policies. 

The controversy began when the passenger expressed frustration with the automatic gratuity charges on Carnival cruises, stating guests should retain the right to decide whether to tip and how much.

The passenger’s post was direct, stating, “If I feel occasionally that someone deserves a gratuity I will give it to them. If not, then I will not. It is our choice.”

The concern was raised in response to fears that Carnival might remove the option for passengers to adjust or remove these gratuities. “If you stop your customers having the right to remove all gratuities, then you would see an exodus like never before,” the passenger warned.

The post prompted Heald to respond that there are no plans to alter the current policy. He wrote, “I do not remember saying anything about this and before I continue, let me say to the people on cruise news blogs and websites that there are NO plans to change anything.”

Read Also: Carnival Cruise Gratuities – How Much and Why?

He then continued to acknowledge that some passengers remove their gratuities in order give cash tips directly to crew members, and some who do so in order not to tip at all.

“If they have a legitimate reason to give nothing, then, of course, they should not, but, well, it would be dishonest of me to say that it makes me sad to read this and to see people remove their gratuities and give the crew who have given their all nothing,” Heald wrote.

Understanding Carnival’s Tipping Policies

Tipping policies on cruise ships, particularly automatic gratuities, have long been a topic of debate among passengers.

These charges are typically applied daily, covering the services provided by various members of the onboard staff, including stateroom attendants, dining servers, and others working behind the scenes.

Carnival Cruise Line’s current tipping policy suggests a daily gratuity of $16 per person for standard staterooms and $18 per person for suite staterooms, and apply “regardless of the dining options selected, such as eating at the casual dining restaurant or open seat dining.”

Additionally, $18 service charges are automatically added to the bill for beverage purchases, as well as to the reservation fee for the Chef’s Table and Bonsai Teppanyaki.

Eighteen percent is also added to the a la carte fee at Bonsai Sushi, Emeril’s Bistro, Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse | Brewhouse, and the Seafood Shack.

These gratuities can either be prepaid during booking or charged to the guest’s account toward the end of the cruise to “streamline the recognition process and ensure our crew will share in your generosity.”

Carnival specifies “100 percent of your gratuities are distributed to the crew who you interact with.”

While these charges aim to ensure that all crew members are fairly compensated for their work, passengers retain the option to adjust or remove them based on their satisfaction with the service received.

Heald, a staunch supporter of tipping on cruises, has posted frequently about gratuities on ships. In a poll conducted on his Facebook page, 77 percent of the 25,500 respondents have given a cash tip to crew members apart from waiters and stateroom stewards.

Another poll with 31,300 respondents reported 96 percent of passengers tip porters at embarkation.

More than 200,000 guests have already enjoyed sailing aboard the newest Carnival cruise ship, Carnival Jubilee, and it is time for the vessel to end her inaugural sailing season.

The news has been announced by Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, and means a slight change in dining options for guests onboard the Excel-class vessel. Passengers should be rest assured, however, that the change is minimal and the Texas-sized fun will remain.

“As we did on Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration we will end the official inaugural season with one included meal at the fabulous Cucina del Capitano starting from the September 7, 2024, sailing and at the brilliant Chibang starting from the October 12, 2024, sailing,” Heald explained. “Each meal after that will have only an $8 charge.”

The two specialty restaurants have offered free dining since the ship debuted on December 23, 2023. Now, guests will still enjoy one free meal if they choose, but additional meals will incur the $8 per guest service charge.

Considering that other specialty restaurants onboard have much higher charges, this is still a great deal for cruisers. The elegant Rudi’s Seagrill, for example, is $49 for adults and $15 for children, while the energetic Bonsai Teppanyaki is $44.84 for lunch and $49.56 per person for dinner.

It should be noted that Carnival’s website is slightly unclear, as Cucina del Capitano is listed at $24 per person ($11 for kids) for the first meal and $8 per meal thereafter. Chibang! is still listed as a free first meal and $8 per visit afterward.

Both restaurants are amazingly popular and offer delicious dining options not available elsewhere onboard. Of course, Carnival Jubilee also has a wide variety of other specialty dining options as well as highly popular included venues such as Guy’s Burger Joint, Shaq’s Big Chicken, the BlueIguana Cantina, and much more.

Read Also: Free Carnival Cruise Dining Options You’ll Want to Know (With Menus!)

The 183,521-gross-ton Carnival Jubilee is the third of the Excel-class ships and the newest vessel in the Carnival fleet. With the Texas Lone Star on her bow, she is homeported year-round from Galveston, welcoming 5,228 guests at double occupancy for every sailing, or up to 6,631 travelers when fully booked with all berths filled.

Carnival Jubilee sails 7-night Western Caribbean itineraries visiting Cozumel, Costa Maya, Roatan, with multiple days at sea for every guest to thoroughly enjoy all the amazing features, amenities, and venues onboard.

Cruise ship inaugural seasons vary and may last for just a few weeks or could be as much as a year or longer. Factors such as the limited availability of “Inaugural Season” merchandise, strength of bookings, itinerary diversity, or the addition of even newer ships to a fleet can impact exactly when a cruise line declares one ship’s inaugural season complete.

About the Restaurants

Cucina del Capitano is an Italian-themed restaurant, complete with red-and-white checkered tablecloths, exposed brick walls, and a true “neighborhood” feel.

Especially fun is the Carnival-themed artwork on the walls, including both historical photos as well as construction photos of Carnival Jubilee and other vessels.

Chibang! is the cruise line’s new Mexican-Chinese fusion restaurant, offering unique menu pairings that permit guests to customize their meal to both international tastes at once. The bold décor also reflects both cultures and celebrates the vibrant culinary traditions of each one.

While Cucina del Capitano is available on a number of ships in the Carnival fleet, Chibang! is only found on the three Excel-class vessels – Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, and Carnival Jubilee.

Both restaurants are located on Deck 8. Cucina del Capitano is located portside at midship, across from the Marina Bar and the Pixels gallery, while Chibang! is portside forward of Grand Central, across from the Havana Bar.

Reservations are not required for either restaurant but are highly recommended for peak dinner hours, when wait times could become significant.