Cruise gratuity guidelines put typical daily suggestion near $18

Major cruise lines commonly publish tipping guidance and may automatically place suggested gratuities on passengers’ onboard accounts, according to the report. For standard cabins on large lines that do not bundle gratuities into fares, the report estimates an average suggestion of about $18 per passenger per day. That would total roughly $126 per person on a seven-night sailing, or $504 for a family of four.

Suite passengers with personal butler service may see another suggested $5 per day on average. On river cruises, Viking and AmaWaterways generally recommend $20 to $25 per passenger per day, the report says.

Celebrity Cruises’ automatic daily gratuities range from $19.50 to $24.50 per passenger, depending on room class. Passengers may adjust the charge through guest relations until the morning of departure. Citing an industry newsletter, the report says Celebrity raised its fleetwide daily amount by $1.50 in July 2026, its first increase in three years.

Celebrity also automatically applies a 20% gratuity to spa and salon services, specialty dining, beverages, room service and minibar purchases. More broadly, bar gratuities are usually included at 18% to 20% of the bill, according to the report.