Calculate and Compare Cruise Gratuities
Easily calculate cruise gratuities with our up‑to‑date Cruise Gratuities Calculator. Compare daily and total tipping costs across major cruise lines, cabin types, and sailing lengths to know exactly what you’ll pay before you board.
Which cabin are you staying in?
Estimates only. Rates checked Sep 2026 and can change, so check with your cruise line before sailing.
About Cruise Gratuities
Cruise gratuities are the daily charge that goes to the crew who look after you: your cabin steward, the dining room team and plenty of people you'll never see. Most lines add them to your onboard account automatically, per person, for every night of the cruise. For two people on a week-long sailing that's usually somewhere between $225 and $280, which makes it one of the biggest extras people forget to budget for.
Our calculator works it out for your cruise. Pick your cabin type and it uses your line's current rate, the number of guests and the length of your sailing to give you a daily figure and a total for the trip. You can see how your line compares with the others, and how far rates have climbed. Royal Caribbean charged $12 a day in 2013. It's $18.50 now.
Your total is saved to your cruise and added to the Estimated Total on the Cruise Planner, next to drinks and WiFi. You'll need a free account to use it, and it's in the Cruise Hive app too.
Questions
How much are cruise gratuities?
On most of the big lines it's $16 to $20 per person, per night, in a standard cabin, and a few dollars more in a suite. Margaritaville at Sea charges the most for a standard cabin, $22. So a couple on a seven night cruise should expect around $225 to $280. On top of that, bars usually add an 18 to 20% service charge to every drink.
How much are gratuities on Royal Caribbean?
$18.50 per person, per night in interior, oceanview and balcony cabins, and $21 in suites. A couple in a balcony on a seven night sailing pays $259. They go on your SeaPass account automatically unless you prepay them.
How much are gratuities on Carnival?
$17 per person, per night in standard cabins and $19 in suites. Carnival raised both by a dollar on April 2, 2026. For two people on a seven night cruise in a standard cabin, that's $238.
What do Norwegian, MSC, Princess and Disney charge?
Norwegian is $20 per person, per night, or $25 in suites. MSC is $17, or $23 in the Yacht Club. Princess is $18, $19 for mini suites and Club Class, and $20 for suites. Disney is $16, rising to $27.25 in concierge. Celebrity is $19.50 and Holland America $18.
Do you have to pay gratuities on a cruise?
They're added automatically, so you pay them unless you do something about it. On most big lines you can ask guest services to change or remove them once you're on board. Bear in mind that a big part of the crew's pay comes from them, and most cruisers leave them as they are.
Should I prepay gratuities?
It costs the same, but it's worth doing. It takes a few hundred dollars off your onboard bill, so the final account is less of a shock. It can also protect you from a rise: when Carnival, Holland America and MSC put their rates up in 2026, guests who had already prepaid kept the old rate.
Which cruise lines include gratuities in the fare?
Virgin Voyages, Viking, Regent Seven Seas, Silversea and Seabourn all include them, so there's nothing to add. If your line is one of these, the calculator tells you there's nothing extra to pay.
