Cruising as a kid is easy – as your parents or guardians are in charge of planning, paying, and tipping. Sailing as an adult, however, is a whole different ball game – especially when it’s your first time.
One 22-year-old who is preparing to embark on her first Carnival cruise since reaching the legal drinking age had one important question to make sure she is respectful of the crew: “Will I seem rude if I don’t tip for every (alcoholic) drink I order?”
As the young woman has never ordered an alcoholic beverage on a Carnival ship before, it’s a fair question to ask – especially since bartenders are not automatically included in pre-paid gratuities that are made to the cruise line prior to setting sail.
“I’m 22, this is my first time being on a cruise ship 21+, and I’m a bit worried about coming off as rude if I don’t tip for my alcoholic drinks,” the future guest shared on Reddit.
“I feel like I’m fine since the 18% gratuity is added upfront, and frankly I DON’T want my next drinks to be made stronger if I just happen to consistently tip the same person,” the future guest continued.
Considering she referenced the automatic 18% gratuity, this guest most likely purchased the Cheers! Drink Package – which includes up to 15 drinks per day.
The package starts at $82.54 per person, per day, and already includes a service charge of 18%. Most bartenders do not expect an additional tip on top of this, but that doesn’t mean something extra for exceptional service wouldn’t be appreciated.
However, even without purchasing the Cheers! package, an 18% service charge may still automatically be applied to a la carte drink purchases.
Tipping Strategically Onboard
Even this novice cruiser admitted that she was happy to tip more for crew members who deserve it. That said, tipping every single time can rack up quite a bill on its own – especially if it’s not expected.
The more experienced cruisers who replied to the young lady’s inquiry also agreed that tipping wasn’t necessary unless she wanted to be extra generous or a crew member goes above and beyond – and even then a couple extra dollars would be more than enough.
“Given how each bar tab will automatically have a gratuity included on your bill, I don’t think you should feel obligated to tip for each drink,” one person wrote in reply.
“If you happen to run into the same bartender multiple times and especially like their service then you can always mention their name on a comment card from guest services to commend them and/or leave an additional 10-15% tip on top of the gratuity to be extra generous,” they continued.
Leaving positive feedback is a particularly good suggestion, as it’s free to the guest but can lead to positive recognition and new opportunities for the crew members.
Read Also: When Should You Not Tip on a Cruise?
On the other side of the spectrum, some cruise fans said they tipped their favorite barkeepers – even when it wasn’t necessarily expected – as a means of getting better service.
“If you want to sit in the same spot all day just tip a server a $5 for the first drink and they’ll come back to you quickly all day long. We normally just do a $1 a drink after that to keep them coming,” one cruiser shared.
“When I tip bartenders at a busy bar, I really consider it a bribe…I over tip at my usual places. I do this so they know me and will take care of me. If there is a major line and they see me, they will make my usual while making the drinks for those in front,” another echoed.
Ultimately, when and how much someone tips is a personal choice – and it’s okay for decisions to vary based on individual experiences and financial situations.
