How to Avoid the Crowds on a Cruise Ship (Top 12 Tips) (2023)

FAQs

How to get laid on a cruise ship? ›

What happens if you don't tip on a cruise? Most cruise lines work on the basis that the crew members' pay structure is based on receiving tips. If you choose not to tip, for whatever reason, you are impacting the salaries of the crew who have served you so well during your cruise.

If you're at all prone to seasickness, you'll want to avoid an upper deck cabin. The higher you are on a cruise ship, the more motion you'll feel.

On a cruise ship, the secret symbol of an upside-down pineapple is regularly used as a code for swinging or “wife-swapping”. In most cases, an illustrated and upside-down pineapple is fixed to the cabin door of a guest interested in swinging and partner swapping.

Average American Cruise Lines Housekeeper weekly pay in the United States is approximately $916, which is 64% above the national average.

As for daily housekeeping gratuity, $2 to $5 per person per day is a good rule of thumb. For help with your luggage when boarding and disembarking, tip the luggage handler immediately following the service. Beyond the day-to-day staff, you may also want to tip out specialized crew members you encountered regularly.

The average suggestions for cruise tips amount to between $12 and $16 per passenger, per day—which for a standard seven-night cruise comes to between $84 and $112 extra per person, or $336 to $448 extra for a family of four.

This fee ranges anywhere from $12.50 to upward of $20 per person, per day, depending on the cruise line -- usually on the higher end if you're staying in a suite.

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You have the right to refuse this automatic gratuity charge and may compensate cruise staff on your own terms. However, you will need to notify the front desk of this desire. Otherwise it will appear on your bill when your cruise ends and it will be charged to your credit card on file.

Can cruise force you to pay tip? ›

Technically cruise lines cannot force you to pay gratuities, especially if you have a complaint or issue about the service you received on board. Gratuities on a cruise are not mandatory, but instead heavily suggested and added automatically.

In general, plan on giving $16–$23 in gratuities per day for each passenger. Note that the amount should be tabulated for each individual in your party—don't try to tip once per couple or group. So if you're planning to go on a 7-day cruise, expect to give a total of between $112 and $161 per person in gratuities.

You want to be as close to the pivot point as possible to feel the least movement. Avoid cabins near the front (bow) or back (stern) and on decks higher than the middle deck of the ship. So, on a ship with fourteen passenger decks, your best options are below deck seven.

Cruise ships are equipped with cameras that monitor the outside areas, because if they didn't and someone went missing, then they would have no way to check whether that person had fallen overboard.

It used to be a symbol to show your hospitality and morphed from there. Today, the pink flamingo meaning is used as an indicator of a swinging lifestyle. This type of symbol is not as common as the others, but it does exist.

"An 'Alpha' is a medical emergency, a Bravo' is a fire, and 'Kilo' is a request for all personnel to report to their emergency posts - in the event of, say, a necessary evacuation." If a person has died, "Operation Rising Star" will come over the tannoy, according to Cruiseoholics.

What does an upside down flamingo mean? There's no meaning to an upside-down flamingo. Flamingos advertised outside a room or home can indicate that someone is into swinging, and an upside-down pineapple can mean the same, but the idea of an upside-down flamingo is just the two symbols being muddled together.

It comes as no surprise that the ship's captain has the biggest salary from working on a cruise ship. The master of the vessel has a huge responsibility for ship safety for crew and passengers along with navigation.

Do cruise ship employees get free food? A majority of cruise ship lines offer their employees free food throughout the duration of their contracts. There's typically a special kitchen on the boat that prepares food for staff members. Employees may eat in separate dining areas, depending on their classifications.

How much does a Cruise Waiter make? As of May 7, 2023, the average annual pay for a Cruise Waiter in the United States is $50,264 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $24.17 an hour. This is the equivalent of $966/week or $4,188/month.

Do you tip housekeeping daily or at end of trip? ›

When to tip your hotel room cleaners. Some travelers like to leave one tip for hotel housekeeping at the end of their stay. But most experts say it's better to leave a tip every day of your trip. “We recommend tipping nightly, as your room may be serviced by different people,” said Ten Eyck.

Tip between 10% and 20%, based on how long your charter is, your itinerary, and how well it's executed.

Many people suggest $100 per day, and this has generally worked well for me in my cruising experiences, but there are a lot of variables to consider.

You are not expected to tip on these sailings at all. However, slipping your butler or favorite waiter or bartender some cash is welcomed; good service should be rewarded. You might also want to express your thanks by donating to the crew fund, which provides treats and entertainment options to the hard-working crew.

Here's the short answer: You don't actually need any cash when on a cruise ship. Most cruise lines operate on a cashless system. This allows you to pay for any and all of your onboard charges using your room key rather than bringing extra cash.

We hope you find the gratuity to be an accurate reflection of your satisfaction and thank you for your generous recognition of our staff. A 18% gratuity is automatically added to all beverages, mini bar items, and spa & salon purchases.

Average extra tips vary, with most cruisers averaging $1-2 for drinks or room service, and $10-20 per day for cabin stewards. It's up to you if you decide to tip extra, but your automatic gratuity charge covers all the essentials.

Benefits of Prepaying Gratuities

The biggest advantage is simply getting the charge out of the way. By paying the charge at the same time you pay your cruise, it's one less cost that will hit your onboard account while you are cruising. Another advantage is that cruise lines regularly raise gratuity amounts.

Special Services - Butlers, concierge, salon and spa attendants should be tipped for their services at your discretion - usually 15%. Gratuities for Drinks - Bar bills almost always include a 15% gratuity, even if the ship has a "no tipping" policy.

If you do not prepay cruise gratuities before sailing, the cruise line will add them to your onboard bill. The cruise line will then charge your credit card for the gratuity amount at the end of the sailing – along with other purchases you made with your cruise card (drinks, souvenirs, spa treatments, tours, etc.).

How much do you tip a baggage handler? ›

Airport Baggage Handler

An average tip is $2 per bag, “but feel free to give more for particularly good service, awkward or heavy bags, special requests and a cheery attitude.”

The amount you pay will vary by cruise line, but they are all in the same ballpark. You can expect to pay about $15-$20 per person, per day. So a couple traveling together will see about $30-$40 per day in gratuities, or about $200+ over the course of a week-long cruise.

The exact amount is probably somewhere between $1 to $3 a day. Your waiter in the main dining room probably receives $3 to $5 per person each day from that charge. Your assistant waiter most likely gets somewhere in the range of $2 to $4.

On formal nights, proper attire includes tuxedos, suits or slacks (jackets required) for men and evening gowns, cocktail dresses or dressy pantsuits for women. Jeans are welcome in all dining venues during the day, but they're not appropriate in any public venues for dinner or cocktail hour.

Pack one outfit for every day, or plan to do laundry on your cruise ship. I like to look for ways to reuse pieces to save space. For example, I'll dress up a top with a skirt or dress pants for dinner, then wear the same shirt with jeans in port the following day.

“I wish to advise you of an update to our onboard mask wearing policy,” the letter, delivered to guests' cabins onboard, read. “While masks are no longer required, we do recommend guests wear masks indoors when not in your own stateroom or when not eating or drinking.”

If seasickness is a worry of yours, the best way to avoid that is getting a room in the center of the ship. As cruise ships tend to bob on waves and slightly roll from side to side, the heart of the ship is its only part that stays virtually in the same place.

Balcony cabins on cruise ships are more spacious due to the outside space. They have spectacular ocean views, fresh sea air, and a private seating area. Although these cabins are more expensive, the rewards of a private balcony sometimes outweigh the cost. If it fits within your budget, balcony cabins are worth it!

Yes, but we recommend waiting until you're in port and finding a place with free Wi-Fi. Onboard Internet plans are available for purchase but can be pricey, often charging you by the amount of data you use. Photo and video uploads can quickly eat up your allotted data.

All cruise cabins have room phones with a messaging system the same as a hotel. Also like hotels, there are "house" phones throughout the ship that you can use to call directly to the stateroom phones. Some cruisers bring walkie-talkies onboard, particularly families with kids old enough to spend time on their own.

Do you have to share a bathroom on a cruise? ›

Do I have to share a bathroom with other passengers? Thankfully, cruise ships are not hostels (phew!), so you will not have to share a bathroom with other passengers. Every cabin on a Royal Caribbean cruise has a private bathroom, where you'll find a toilet, sink, and shower. Suite category cabins also have a bathtub.

It shouldn't be a surprise, then, that hookups can and do happen on a cruise. Call it love, call it romance, call it a one-night stand. No matter what you call it, there are people on every cruise that end up getting down after meeting on the ship.

Yes, Tinder does work on a cruise ship, but as with any location-based app it may not be accurate – after all, the cruise ship is moving from port to port. If a person remains close-by even out in the middle of the ocean, or every time you dock in a new port, it's safe to assume they're on board the ship.

Among many difficult jobs on cruise ships, handpicking the toughest one is tricky. Still, one job will stand out in terms of horrific working conditions and cruel working hours-the galley steward.

Do single guys go on cruises? It's perfectly normal for single guys to go on a cruise. However, it tends to be more single women that travel alone. If you want to cruise alone then look for ships with single cabins to avoid surcharges, and consider requesting large dinner tables to meet other solo travellers.

26, 2008 - Contrary to popular belief, guys and cruise travel do go together. Convincing one's husband, father or a male friend to take a vacation at sea may have been a challenge in the past, but cruises today offer men of all ages plenty to do - with or without the women in their lives in tow.

Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean and Carnival are all still great choices for this age group, whether you're traveling on your own or with a group of single friends. Another cruise line that works well for young singles is Virgin Voyages, which is child-free and has rooms and activities designed for singles.

Proof of identity, such as a certified copy of a U.S. birth certificate, U.S. passport, employment authorization document, permanent resident card, or foreign passport with an approved form I-94. Proof of your Social Security Number, such as an SSN card, W-2, or paystub with full SSN.

It's possible to send and receive text messages at sea on a cellular signal, as long as you have a signal through your ship's roaming network. (Just make sure you turn on data roaming in your settings.) Texting costs a lot less than a voice call -- usually in line with standard, international "pay as you go" rates.

How do you meet guys on a cruise ship? ›

Try striking up a conversation with fellow singles at the piano bar or during cocktail hour. Spend time at the swimming pool, or introduce yourself to solo cruisers during dinner. You may even be invited to sit and enjoy a meal together. Shore excursions are another great way to meet people with similar interests.

Entry-level kitchen positions usually have the lowest wages found on cruise ships. However, on the plus side, they have the highest opportunities for advancement. Furthermore, wages may be low in this area, but the tips and gratuities make up for 95% of the difference.

The average Carnival Cruise Lines salary ranges from approximately ₹1.3 Lakhs per year for a Waitress to ₹21.8 Lakhs per year for a Sr Sous Chef. Salary estimates are based on 991 Carnival Cruise Lines salaries received from various employees of Carnival Cruise Lines.

For passengers looking to enjoy views, especially the scenery in the wake of a ship, we recommend higher decks and the back of the vessel. The higher you pick, the farther you'll see. If you're after views, the best room on a cruise ship will be a balcony cabin at the ship's rear end.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $102,500 and as low as $14,500, the majority of Cruise Ship Worker salaries currently range between $30,000 (25th percentile) to $58,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $90,000 annually across the United States.