A recent change to gratuities has cruise passengers looking for ways to lower their vacation costs.
With critics claiming that tipping culture in the United States has gone out of control, weary travelers are looking for ways to save a few dollars while on vacation. Cruises have long been considered a cheaper alternative to other kinds of trips, but passengers are pushing back on ever-growing bills they say aren’t reflected in the advertised price of the booking.
“Holland America now charges guests $18 per day in ‘Crew Appreciation’ fees for standard cabins and $20 per day for suites,” The Daily Mail reported. “MSC Cruises recently increased its daily hotel service charge to $17 per person per night on Caribbean and Alaska sailings, while Yacht Club guests now pay $23 per night.”
“Carnival Cruise Line also raised its gratuities this spring to $17 per day for standard cabins and $19 for suites. The cruise line simultaneously increased pricing on its Bottomless Bubbles beverage package, which is also subject to a 20 percent service charge,” the outlet added.
One TikTok user even suggested foregoing automatic gratuities in exchange for tipping workers with cash directly.
@grayrosehome Replying to @RichardsonAL ♬ original sound – Melissa
X users weighed in on the tipping debate:
I tip directly. We had to contest ours on our last Royal Caribbean cruise. It’s a big scam.
— Séan (@SeanDowey) June 14, 2026
EVERYTHING’S a Shakedown: • Daily gratuities,
• Drink-package,
• Service charges,
• Specialty dining fees and,
• Other automatic add-onsTravelers say cruise vacations are a shakedown being advertised one way, but suck big time for real in another.…
— “The Old_Man” (t.o.m.) (@alohadms) June 14, 2026
It sounds like the industry wants the customer to bear the cost of their workers. Employees should be rewarded for exceptional service by the cruise line. There are ways to measure this.
I recommend not going on cruises. They have become too expensive. https://t.co/WfsX8DQzcU
— republicanolatino (@republicanolat) June 14, 2026
When booking cruises all of these fees need to be transparent up front. You can spend a day adding extra perks to make your cruise nicer but the bill at the end gets hefty if you don’t pay attention. https://t.co/NOfaMgxdgQ
— Allecal (@caldarone_al) June 14, 2026
#cruiselinevacation No thanks. Tired of the bullshit charged that are shoved down your throat. If you want to appreciate your crew then pay them more. But i don’t want my bill to be 20% or more than the inclusive vacation was planned to be. BS!!!! https://t.co/41Ji0wErQx
— FOXTROT ROMEO (@FOXTROTROMEO_V2) June 15, 2026
