Cruise Gratuities: The Elephant in the Room Cruise Lines Can No Longer Ignore

[Own_The_Ship]

Instead of focusing on our next cruise and enjoying all the benefits the best way of travel has to offer, we keep wasting time on topics such as gratuities. That’s why I started a petition that I named “Cruise Gratuities: The Elephant in the Room Cruise Lines Can No Longer Ignore,” and I would like to ask each of you who agrees that gratuities should be included in the cruise fare to sign it.

Here is the link:

Petition Cruise Gratuities: The Elephant in the Room Cruise Lines Can No Longer Ignore

Cruise Gratuities: The Elephant in the Room Cruise Lines Can No Longer Ignore

www.ipetitions.com

If, for any reason, the admins of this page consider that this post cannot go live, please just ignore it.

Thank you!
Zlatko Simovski, former employee aboard cruise ships.

 

[Paige Palmer]

1. The "Transparency" ArgumentThe author views gratuities as a "waste of time," suggesting that the current model—where cruise lines advertise a low lead-in price and then add $16–$20 per person, per day later—is deceptive. By moving to an "all-inclusive" model, the industry would align more with luxury lines (like Virgin Voyages or Silversea) where tips are included.

2. The Insider PerspectiveThe fact that a former employee started this is significant. It suggests that the current system might not just be "annoying" for passengers, but perhaps also inconsistent for the crew members who rely on those pools, especially when passengers choose to opt-out at the Guest Services desk.

3. Potential BacklashWhile many passengers want transparency, the "Elephant in the Room" is that including gratuities would make the initial sticker price of a cruise look 10–15% higher. This is a major hurdle for "budget" lines (Carnival, Royal Caribbean, NCL) that rely on low advertised prices to attract bookings.