Key Aspects:
- Celebrity Cruises is clarifying an earlier communication informing guests of an increase in gratuity rates.
- The cruise line clarified that the extra charges would only apply to reservations booked on or after July 29, 2026.
- Guests who booked before the change went into effect will have the option to pay gratuities at the prior rate.
A day after guests began receiving notifications of an increase in gratuity rates, Celebrity Cruises is clarifying the change. Cruise Hive reported on the cruise line’s original notification sent to guests July 29, 2026.
That notification specified that, starting that day, rates for gratuities onboard Celebrity Cruises ships would be increasing by an extra $1.50 per guest, per day. This fleet-wide change prompted intense backlash from guests. Many cruisers already booked on upcoming cruises were upset at the last-minute change.
The company initially stated that guests could still pre-pay gratuities at the “current rate”. However, it did not specify whether that would be the updated pricing or the previous cheaper rate.
“If you’d like, you’re welcome to prepay these discretionary gratuities at the current rate prior to your sailing,” the original email reads. “Otherwise, they will be conveniently applied to your onboard account daily at the new rate starting July 29, 2026.”
Guests who had not yet prepaid these gratuities expressed concerns that they would be automatically charged a higher rate than they were originally expecting at the time of booking. Now, Celebrity Cruises has sent out another email to guests clarifying the change.
“Yesterday, you received communication about an update regarding gratuity changes that went into effect,” the email states. “Please note that the new gratuity amounts impact new reservations booked on or after July 29, 2026.”
The cruise line clarified that guests who booked their sailings prior to July 29 will be able to prepay their gratuities at the original lower rate, not the increased rate. However, the lower rate will only be applied for guests who prepay prior to sailing.
Guests must ensure that gratuities are completely paid no later than 48 hours prior to their sailing date to receive the previous rate. The notification also ensured that guests who have already prepaid their gratuities would not be impacted.
Some Guests Still Unhappy With The Change
In a Reddit post sharing the email, some cruisers still expressed frustration with the price increase. Many took particular umbrage with Celebrity Cruises’ handling of the situation.
“Obviously that’s not what their email said, but they’re ‘walking it back’ and changing their plans,” one user commented.
Some cruisers were of the opinion that gratuities shouldn’t be prepaid at all. They argue that offering cash tips to crew members is a better method for the staff and your own pocketbook.
“Never pay gratuities on a cruise on your bill,” said one user in a comment. “The crew gets paid the same no matter how much they collect in tips on your bill. Feel free to tip directly if you want. Gratuities are subsidized salaries.”
Celebrity Cruises does not state that gratuities are deducted from crew members’ salaries, however. Instead, its gratuity policy states that prepaid tips are “pooled and applied toward the compensation of onboard crew members.” However, it does not clarify in the policy how exactly those pooled gratuities are applied.
Crucially, it also states that guests who choose not to prepay their gratuities will have gratuities automatically applied on a daily basis to their SeaPass account. However, guests are permitted to modify their gratuities onboard at the Guest Relations desk at their discretion.
