Princess Cruises Ups Automatic Gratuity Charges

Princess Cruises is raising its automatic gratuity charges.

Currently, the automatic gratuity charge, which Princess calls its “Crew Appreciation” amount, is $14.50 per person, per day for interior, oceanview, and balcony cabins guests; $15.50 for mini-suite and club class; and $16.50 for suite guests.

Starting on Dec. 14, all those amounts will go up, making the charges $16 per person, per day for interior, oceanview, and balcony cabins guests; $17 for mini-suite and club class; and $18 for suite guests.

It is the cruise line’s first daily gratuity increase since 2019.

Princess, in a notice to travel advisors, said the “daily charge recognizes our crew for exceptional service they provide and is shared among the many members of our crew.”

The charges are automatically added to guest accounts and can be adjusted at guests’ discretion during their sailing. The charges can also be pre-paid prior to sailing, so those with booking son Princess can pre-pay now, prior to Dec. 14, to lock in the old rate.

Princess is not the only cruise line to raise daily gratuities this year.

Carnival Cruise Line did the same in May, pushing its daily gratuity for standard staterooms to $14.50 from $13.99 and its daily gratuity for suites to $16.50 from $15.99. A month prior, Norwegian Cruise Line also upped its daily gratuities, making it $16 per person, per day for balcony and below guests, $18 for club balcony suite guests, and $20 for guests in The Haven and other suites.