Why You'll Want To Consider Paying Gratuities Ahead Of Time On Your Cruise

One of the perks of cruising is that your fare covers transportation, accommodation, and even drinks if you decide to pony up on a package. But don't be fooled — cruise lines are pros at sneaking in extra fees, turning your supposedly affordable getaway into a bill that stings. Want room service? Some cruise lines slap on a room service charge. Traveling solo? Get ready to pay a single supplement charge, or what some call "single occupancy fees." The one fee that's practically unavoidable, though, are gratuity fees, with major cruise lines offering the option to prepay them before you even set foot on board. And if you do get that option, grab it. Gratuities typically creep up annually — sometimes even multiple times in a year — and securing the rate ahead of time saves you from sticker shock later.

Now, if you're a first-time cruiser, gratuities may be one of the things you fail to check before booking, and the idea of tipping before you've even set sail might feel, err, backward. After all, tips are usually for good service, not an entry fee. And when you see that some gratuities run up to $25 per person per day, it's easy to feel robbed — especially if, say, you're a family of four suddenly dropping an extra $100 daily. But before you start plotting a way around it, remember: these tips don't just go to the bartender mixing your piña colada. They're split among the entire crew — the folks scrubbing sheets, prepping your buffet spread, and keeping the ship running. Obviously, they earn those tips. But if you want to save a little, prepaying is your best bet — because those rates are only going up.

If you think gratuity fees are just a minor expense, think again. Cruise lines have been quietly hiking them up like clockwork. Disney Cruise Line, for instance, bumped its rate from $14.50 to $16 per person per day in January 2025 — just two years after its last increase. Royal Caribbean wasn't far behind, jumping from $16 in late 2023 to $18.50 by November 2024. And let's not forget, these are just the base rates — book a much swankier stateroom, and you'll be paying even more. And yes, plenty of other cruise lines are pulling the same move.

These tip hikes might seem small, but they can stack up fast — especially on a lengthier cruise. If you're on a 10-day trip with three of your pals, that extra $1.50 per person per day suddenly becomes an unexpected $60, money you could have spent elsewhere. The bad news? With rising costs across the board, don't expect these fees to plateau anytime soon. Cuise lines aren't about to stop passing the buck to you. "I think this is very much in line with just an increase in costs, increase in wages. Basically, across the board, things cost more ... It's a periodic thing that happens," travel expert Danny Genung told USA Today. "You look at the cost of hotels and transportation, fuel and food and everything else, and I think it's really just a normal response. You know, compensating employees, offsetting costs that have increased."

And so, while prepaying gratuities might not seem ideal at the time of booking, it does protect you from future hikes and keeps your final bill from being a nasty surprise. Besides, nothing kills post-vacation bliss faster than realizing your cruise cost way more than expected.