Cruise Gratuities: The Elephant in the Room Cruise Lines Can No Longer Ignore
The cruise industry gave me everything I have in life, and I can't stand aside and watch cruising get a bad name over gratuities, people being criticized for removing them, and crew members living in uncertainty, not knowing what their next paycheck will look like.
Today's reality is that so many passengers have started removing the service charge that cruise lines can no longer ignore this topic. Still, how could I blame the passengers? They only want things to be more transparent and straightforward — no surprises, no second thoughts, just one clear price for their cruise. And I can’t blame the cruise lines either. In a situation where there’s no law requiring them to include the gratuities in the cruise fare, no cruise line will take that step alone and make its offer seem less attractive than the competition.
That's why I decided to start this petition, whose goal is to bring all cruise lines (that charge gratuities separately) to the table to ideally decide to include* them in the cruise fare. So, whether you are a passenger, a crew member, or a travel agent, your voice matters. Sign and share this petition if you believe cruise lines should come together and do this for the good of everyone involved.
*Also, I understand that some passengers would prefer the gratuities to be waived by cruise lines, but I know the inner workings of cruise ships very well, and I can guarantee it won’t happen. So, either they will include the gratuities in the fare (like luxury cruise lines do), or we'll keep wasting time discussing them instead of focusing on our next cruise and enjoying all the benefits — amazing service from friendly, well-trained crew members from all around the world, food included, a room cleaned every day, different shows in the theater every night, tons of other entertainment options, indoor and outdoor pools, and visits to some of the most beautiful places on earth without the hassle of packing and unpacking each time and waiting at airports. Nothing comes close to that, and I just hope cruise lines won’t let such a technicality continue to overshadow all their efforts to give passengers the vacation of a lifetime.
— Zlatko Simovski, former employee aboard cruise ships.
Updates
Reached 100 supporters
January 18, 2026
58 Comments
crew works extremely hard for lower pay than most of people who cruise. if you cannot afford gratuities then maybe stay home until you can afford to vacation . it is part of the cost of a cruise vacation.
From a country where tipping is not the norm, I always get then taken off on cruises. If tips are included in the price of a cruise then I could fairly compare cruise prices before booking and I wouldn’t need to remove tips, nor could I, once onboard.
The fare should be the fare...no surprises and no slight of hand to make a deal appear better than it is. Drinks and food can be a choice, service levels should be consistent and therefore the gratuities should be included within the cost of the cruise. Be open about it and the discussion goes away.
Gratuities should be included in fare. This way ALL staff, including behind the scenes staff, receive a bonus at the end of each cruise. Passengers can still give a generous "thank you" tip to individual staff who have gone above and beyond, to make our cruise even more enjoyable.
The lack of transparency about gratuities has made me shy away from some cruise lines and book with British lines who include tips in their pricing (and hopefully pay a fair wage!). Do lines who charge gratuities separately pay staff less when they are not fully booked? This is so wrong!
Definitely add them into the price and let people pay gratuities as and when they appear justified. Not all cultures are the same as regards this situation.
i wish to choose how and when to pay my cruise gratuities
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Cruise Gratuities: The Elephant in the Room Cruise Lines Can No Longer Ignore
The cruise industry gave me everything I have in life, and I can't stand aside and watch cruising get a bad name over gratuities, people being criticized for removing them, and crew members living in uncertainty, not knowing what their next paycheck will look like.
Today's reality is that so many passengers have started removing the service charge that cruise lines can no longer ignore this topic. Still, how could I blame the passengers? They only want things to be more transparent and straightforward — no surprises, no second thoughts, just one clear price for their cruise. And I can’t blame the cruise lines either. In a situation where there’s no law requiring them to include the gratuities in the cruise fare, no cruise line will take that step alone and make its offer seem less attractive than the competition.
That's why I decided to start this petition, whose goal is to bring all cruise lines (that charge gratuities separately) to the table to ideally decide to include* them in the cruise fare. So, whether you are a passenger, a crew member, or a travel agent, your voice matters. Sign and share this petition if you believe cruise lines should come together and do this for the good of everyone involved.
*Also, I understand that some passengers would prefer the gratuities to be waived by cruise lines, but I know the inner workings of cruise ships very well, and I can guarantee it won’t happen. So, either they will include the gratuities in the fare (like luxury cruise lines do), or we'll keep wasting time discussing them instead of focusing on our next cruise and enjoying all the benefits — amazing service from friendly, well-trained crew members from all around the world, food included, a room cleaned every day, different shows in the theater every night, tons of other entertainment options, indoor and outdoor pools, and visits to some of the most beautiful places on earth without the hassle of packing and unpacking each time and waiting at airports. Nothing comes close to that, and I just hope cruise lines won’t let such a technicality continue to overshadow all their efforts to give passengers the vacation of a lifetime.
— Zlatko Simovski, former employee aboard cruise ships.
Updates
Reached 100 supporters
January 18, 2026
58 Comments
I'd be happy to see gratuities included in the quoted price. I dislike the idea of having to fork out an extra (up to $1000) at the end of the cruise. Not finishing the cruise on a high note - in my opinion!!!
crew works extremely hard for lower pay than most of people who cruise. if you cannot afford gratuities then maybe stay home until you can afford to vacation . it is part of the cost of a cruise vacation.
From a country where tipping is not the norm, I always get then taken off on cruises. If tips are included in the price of a cruise then I could fairly compare cruise prices before booking and I wouldn’t need to remove tips, nor could I, once onboard.
The fare should be the fare...no surprises and no slight of hand to make a deal appear better than it is. Drinks and food can be a choice, service levels should be consistent and therefore the gratuities should be included within the cost of the cruise. Be open about it and the discussion goes away.
Gratuities should be included in fare. This way ALL staff, including behind the scenes staff, receive a bonus at the end of each cruise. Passengers can still give a generous "thank you" tip to individual staff who have gone above and beyond, to make our cruise even more enjoyable.
The lack of transparency about gratuities has made me shy away from some cruise lines and book with British lines who include tips in their pricing (and hopefully pay a fair wage!). Do lines who charge gratuities separately pay staff less when they are not fully booked? This is so wrong!
Definitely add them into the price and let people pay gratuities as and when they appear justified. Not all cultures are the same as regards this situation.
i wish to choose how and when to pay my cruise gratuities
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I'd be happy to see gratuities included in the quoted price. I dislike the idea of having to fork out an extra (up to $1000) at the end of the cruise. Not finishing the cruise on a high note - in my opinion!!!