Royal Caribbean fees add to cruise vacation costs
Daily service charges, purchase-based gratuities, port duties and late-night childcare can increase the total cost of a sailing.
Royal Caribbean’s daily rate for passengers in interior, oceanview and balcony staterooms is $18.50 per person. For a family of four sharing a cabin on a standard one-week itinerary, the charge totals $518. According to the report, the full adult gratuity rate applies to every guest regardless of age.
A separate service-charge structure applies to Grand Suites and above. The listed rate is $21.00 per person, per day, totaling $84.00 daily or $588.00 per week for four guests. Royal Caribbean guidelines cited in the report say automatic service-charge funds are pooled and distributed among stateroom attendants, dining room waiters, culinary staff and hotel service teams.
An automatic 18% gratuity is also added to individual beverage purchases, specialty dining covers and spa services, on top of daily room fees. Daytime youth activities remain complimentary, while the Late Night Party Zone after 10:00 p.m. increased from $10 to $15 per hour, per child.
Destination fees may add further costs. According to the report, Mexico increased its Non-Resident Duty for cruise passengers to $10 per person for ships stopping at ports such as Cozumel, Costa Maya or Ensenada. Peak-season visits to Santorini and Mykonos carry a €20 charge per person, per port, while secondary Greek ports assess €5.
