Revealed: the best and worst cruise lines for costly gratuities

The issue of tipping has long been a thorn in the side of British cruise customers, leaving a sour taste for the unwary who can be hit with unexpected charges running into hundreds of pounds.

As the popularity of cruising has grown, more passengers have become accustomed to this quirky tradition that takes its cue from an era when cash was traditionally placed in envelopes and personally handed to crew members.

Now ocean lines largely follow an American-style tipping system with daily service charges automatically added to passengers’ on-board accounts, though gratuity policies and amounts between lines vary. 

Not surprisingly, charges among US lines are higher and the gulf between these and equivalent rates of other cruise brands has widened following the Covid pandemic. 

The resumption of sailings sparked a cluster of increases as companies followed each other like dominos in hiking gratuity levels, fuelling suspicions this was a convenient way to boost finances decimated by the pandemic. However, lines stress the money goes to a wide variety of crew members.