Do You Tip on a Cruise if Gratuity Is Included? 2026

This question comes up because the word "gratuity" is doing two jobs on a cruise and nobody explains the difference. When your booking says "gratuities included," it almost always means one specific thing: the daily auto-charge for standard service is paid. It does not mean every tip on the ship is handled. And the 18 to 20 percent that lands on your drink tab is a completely different animal that "included" rarely touches.

So the honest answer to "do you tip if gratuity is included" is: you are not obligated to tip more for standard service, because that is already covered. But there are real situations where extra cash is the norm, and there are charges people think are gratuities that are not. Let me untangle it.

What "gratuity included" actually means

On most major lines there is a daily gratuity, sometimes called a service charge or crew appreciation, that auto-posts to your account every day. It is pooled across the crew who serve you: dining room servers, your stateroom attendant, and behind-the-scenes hotel staff.

When a fare or package says gratuities are included, it means that daily charge has been prepaid or bundled. You will not see it auto-added to your onboard account because it is already handled. That is the whole promise. Standard service across the trip is paid for.

What it does not mean: that the 18 to 20 percent on individual drinks is waived, that spa gratuities are covered, or that you are barred from tipping extra. Those are separate.

The daily gratuity, by line, in 2026

Here is what that daily charge runs across the major lines this year. These are per person, per day, for a standard cabin unless noted. (Source: The Cruise Monkey 2026 cruise pricing dataset, compiled from each line's official gratuity FAQ, current as of June 2026.)

• Norwegian (NCL): $20.00 (called the Daily Service Charge; $25 in suites and The Haven)
• Royal Caribbean: $18.50 ($21.00 in suites; in effect since November 1, 2024)
• Carnival: $17.00 ($19.00 in suites; raised April 2, 2026)
• Celebrity: $18.00 ($19 AquaClass/Concierge, $23 in The Retreat)
• Princess: $18.00 ($19 mini-suite/Reserve, $20 suite; raised March 8, 2026, branded Crew Appreciation)
• Holland America: $18.00 ($20 suite; raised June 1, 2026, branded Crew Appreciation)
• Disney: $16.00 ($27.25 in Concierge; rates set January 23, 2025)
• MSC: $17.00 US Caribbean and Alaska sailings ($23 Yacht Club; raised May 11, 2026)
• Viking: $20.00 flat, no suite differential
• Virgin Voyages: $20.00 prepaid / $22.00 onboard per Sailor per night

If that daily charge is "included" in your booking, it is paid. You owe nothing additional for the standard service it covers.

The lines where gratuity is genuinely baked into the fare

A handful of lines actually fold the daily gratuity into the cruise price, so there is nothing extra on your account at all:

• Viking Ocean includes the daily service charge in the fare structure on many bookings, and WiFi too.
• Virgin Voyages changed its model on October 7, 2025. Bookings made before that date (Legacy Fares) have gratuities included in the fare with no separate onboard charge. New bookings under VoyageFair Choices unbundle it, at $20 per Sailor per night prepaid or $22 onboard. (Source: Virgin Voyages VoyageFair Choices FAQ, verified June 2026.)
• Celebrity used to bundle gratuities into its "All Included" fares but removed them in 2023. They are now billed separately at the cabin-tier rate even on All Included pricing. (Source: Celebrity gratuity program FAQ, verified June 2026.)
• Princess Plus and Premier fare packages include the Crew Appreciation, so it is not charged on top.

The takeaway: "included" depends on the line and even on when you booked. Virgin is the clearest example, where two people on the same ship can have completely different gratuity situations based on their booking date.

The 18-20% on drinks is not "included" and you cannot remove it

This is the charge people miss. Separate from the daily gratuity, nearly every line adds a percentage gratuity to individual purchases:

• Most lines add 18 percent to drinks, packages, specialty dining, and room service.
• Celebrity, Carnival, and Princess add 20 percent to beverages and packages. (Source: Celebrity beverage packages FAQ, verified June 2026.)
• Viking adds 15 percent to bar and beverage purchases. (Source: Viking tipping and gratuities page, verified June 2026.)
• Virgin Voyages adds no automatic gratuity to individual drink purchases, which is unusual. (Source: Virgin Voyages VoyageFair Choices FAQ, verified June 2026.)

This per-purchase gratuity is automatic and, on most lines, cannot be removed. "Gratuities included" in your fare does not cover it. If you buy a $13 cocktail on Royal Caribbean, you are paying about $15.34 with the 18 percent, and that is true whether or not your daily gratuity was prepaid.

So when do you actually tip extra?

You are never obligated to. The daily gratuity covers standard service and the per-drink gratuity covers the bar. But there are a few moments where cash is customary:

• Standout cabin or dining service. Many cruisers hand their stateroom attendant or favorite waiter $20 to $50 in cash at the end of a great week. This is on top of the pool, not instead of it.
• Room service delivery. Even though room service may carry a gratuity on the charge, a couple of dollars cash to the person at your door is common.
• The porter at the pier. Not a cruise-line employee, but the longshoreman who takes your bags at embarkation typically gets $2 to $5 per bag in cash.
• Specialty bartenders or a concierge who goes out of their way for you.

None of this is required. It is the norm for service that exceeded the baseline.

The one thing worth pushing back on: removing the daily auto-gratuity to "tip cash instead" sounds noble but usually shortchanges the crew. That daily pool covers a lot of people who served you invisibly, including the team that cleans and resets your cabin. If you want to reward a specific person, leave the pool intact and add cash on top.

Before you tip, know what you are already paying

The reason this question is so confusing is that the daily gratuity, the per-drink gratuity, and the fare bundling all hide in different places. Before you decide whether to tip extra, it helps to see the daily number you are already on the hook for. Plug your line and cabin into the cruise gratuity calculator to see your daily total, then layer any extra cash tips on top of that with full information.

Frequently asked questions

Do you have to tip on a cruise if gratuities are included? No. If your fare includes the daily gratuity, the standard service is already paid and you are not obligated to tip more. Extra cash for standout service is customary but optional. (Source: The Cruise Monkey 2026 cruise pricing dataset, compiled from each line's official gratuity FAQ, current as of June 2026.)

Does "gratuity included" cover the 18-20% on drinks? No. The daily gratuity and the per-purchase service charge are separate. Most lines add 18 to 20 percent to drinks, packages, and specialty dining regardless of whether your daily gratuity is included, and that charge usually cannot be removed. (Source: Royal Caribbean onboard service gratuity FAQ, verified June 2026.)

Which cruise lines include gratuities in the fare? Viking Ocean typically includes the daily service charge, Virgin Voyages Legacy Fares (booked before October 7, 2025) include it, and Princess Plus/Premier packages include the Crew Appreciation. Celebrity removed gratuities from its All Included fares in 2023, so they are billed separately there now. (Source: Celebrity gratuity program FAQ, verified June 2026.)

Should I tip my room steward extra? You are not required to, since the daily gratuity pool covers your stateroom attendant. Many cruisers add $20 to $50 cash at the end of the week for great service, on top of the pool rather than instead of it.

Can I remove the automatic gratuity and tip cash instead? On most lines you can remove or adjust the daily auto-gratuity at Guest Services. Doing it to tip a single person in cash usually shortchanges the wider crew pool that served you, including the cabin-cleaning team. The per-drink 18 to 20 percent cannot be removed.

Do I tip on a Virgin Voyages cruise? It depends on your booking. Legacy Fares (before October 7, 2025) include gratuities in the fare. New bookings charge $20 per Sailor per night prepaid or $22 onboard. Virgin adds no automatic gratuity to individual drinks, which is unusual. (Source: Virgin Voyages VoyageFair Choices FAQ, verified June 2026.)

How much should I tip the pier porter? The porter who takes your luggage at embarkation is not a cruise-line employee and is not covered by any onboard gratuity. The customary tip is $2 to $5 per bag in cash.

Do kids get charged the daily gratuity? On most lines, yes. The daily gratuity usually applies to every guest in the cabin regardless of age. A few lines exempt only the very youngest (NCL exempts under age 3; MSC exempts under 2). (Source: NCL onboard service charge FAQ and MSC service charges page, verified June 2026.)

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Figures come from The Cruise Monkey's 2026 cruise pricing dataset, compiled from official cruise-line gratuity FAQs and pricing pages linked above, current as of June 2026. Several lines raised daily rates in 2026 (Princess March 8, Carnival April 2, MSC May 11, Holland America June 1). Per-purchase gratuity percentages and fare-bundling rules vary by line and booking date; confirm your current rate before sailing.