Frequent cruisers know that the excellent service crew members provide can make an oceangoing vacation truly memorable.
While automatic gratuities are in place to ensure all crew members get recognized for their hard work, guests often want to give a little extra to those crew members they interact with the most or who go above and beyond.
But how do you offer those extra tips? Because the majority of cruisers link a credit card to their onboard account, it can be easy to increase the gratuity amount that is charged to that card. Doing so, however, will not recognize an individual crew member.
An interested guest with Carnival Cruise Line recently reached out to the cruise line’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, with the question about offering extra gratuities.
“I have a quick question about tipping our room steward,” the guest explained. “We like to tip extra at the end of our cruise for the excellent service we always receive. Can we add a gratuity specifically for our room steward on our [Sail & Sign] card at guest services? Or should we bring cash?”
Heald routinely responds to hundreds of comments, questions, and requests through his popular Facebook page each week, and was easily able to clarify this question.
“How lovely of you. It would need to be cash,” he explained. “You can leave extra on your card, but it’s not possible to do that specifically for one crew member.”
If extra service gratuities were added to a passenger’s onboard Sail & Sign account, that extra amount would be split amongst all the tip-receiving crew members who served that guest. This includes not only the cabin attendant, but also the dining and culinary team and other behind-the-scenes personnel.
Therefore, to offer an extra bonus to an individual crew member, guests would need to present cash to that crew member. This could be done in person with a heartfelt thank you, or in an envelope, card, or even a small gift.
The Guest Services desk onboard does have tipping envelopes available. These may be set out on the desk in the last day or two of the cruise for passengers to take as needed, or guests can simply ask for one at the desk and it will be provided.
About Carnival Cruise Line Gratuities
Carnival Cruise Line’s gratuities are currently $16 per person, per day for standard staterooms, and $18 per person, per day for guests staying in suites. Gratuities apply for all passengers age 2 and older.
Furthermore, the same gratuity rate applies whether guests indulge in specialty dining options, visit the Main Dining Room (or Main Restaurant) every day, or simply prefer casual dining such as the buffet, Guy’s Burger Joint, or the pizzeria throughout their cruise.
Travelers should note that cruise line gratuities are subject to change. While Carnival Cruise Line has not increased gratuities since April 2023, Princess Cruises increased their gratuities in late August 2024. Both lines are owned by Carnival Corporation & plc.
Extra service charges are assessed for some specialty dining options, such as the Chef’s Table experience or Emeril’s Bistro, as well as the 18% service charge for all beverage purchases.
Read Also: Carnival Cruise Gratuities – How Much and Why?
When a crew member goes above and beyond, however, many travelers wish to reward that extra service with an extra tip. This may be a dollar or two to a bartender who customizes a favorite drink, a dining room server who ensures that warm chocolate melting cake is just right, or a stateroom attendant who crafts the perfect towel animal scene.
Extra gratuities can be extended at any time during the cruise, whether offered in advance, after individual tasks, or as an end-of-cruise thank you.
