Princess Cruises announced it is raising the cost of daily gratuities, the sum of money based on the service provided by staff members, charged onboard their ships.
The daily gratuity amount increase by US$1 and affect all voyages departing on or after May 21, 2019. This does not include Australian and New Zealand itineraries as gratuities are not compulsory.
The new daily gratuities are US$14.50 (up from US$13.50) per passenger staying in standard cabins, while guests staying in mini-suites are to be charged US$15.50 (up from US$14.50). Full suites increase to US$16.50 (up from US$15.50).
Passengers on most mainstream cruises are encouraged to pay gratuities. Many members of the staff rely heavily on the generosity of vacationers for the majority of their salary. The extra fee, however, can sometimes come as a surprise to travelers when they see how much the charge adds to the cost of their cruise.
Most lines automatically add gratuity to guests' onboard accounts but passengers have the right to adjust or remove the automatic charge. However, if passengers do opt out, some voyages will charge them an extra fee.