Tipping on a Carnival cruise sounds simple.
Until you’re actually on the ship.
We’ve sailed with Carnival 22 times. Nine of those cruises were on the Carnival Panorama alone. And if there’s one topic that consistently sparks debate, quiet tension, and strong opinions among cruisers, it’s tipping.
Not because people don’t want to be generous.
But because no one seems to agree on what’s fair anymore.
Between prepaid gratuities, automatic drink package charges, and the unspoken rules of extra tipping, cruise tipping culture has become complicated. And for many cruisers, a little uncomfortable.
This guide breaks down how Carnival cruise tipping actually works, what most articles won’t say, and what we’ve learned after years of sailing and questioning the system ourselves.
Carnival Cruise Tipping Explained for First-Time Cruisers
Before diving into the deeper conversation, let’s cover the basics.
On a Carnival cruise, tipping happens in three main ways:
Quick Guide: How Carnival Tipping Works
| Tipping Type | Cost / Rate | Automatic? | Can it be adjusted? |
| Daily Gratuities | Per person / per day rate | Yes (added to onboard account) | Yes (at Guest Services) |
| Drink Gratuities | 18% of drink price | Yes (included in purchase) | No (fixed at point of sale) |
| Spa & Specialty Dining | 18% service charge | Yes (added to bill) | No (fixed at point of sale) |
| Extra Cash Tips | Any amount you choose | No | N/A (Voluntary) |
1. Daily Prepaid Gratuities
Carnival automatically adds a daily gratuity per guest unless you prepay it before the cruise. These gratuities are distributed among:
- Room stewards
- Dining staff
- Behind-the-scenes crew
Guests can keep these gratuities in place, prepay them, or visit Guest Services to adjust or remove them.
2. Automatic 18% Gratuity on Drinks and Specialty Items
If you purchase:
- Individual drinks
- Drink packages
- Specialty coffee
- Some onboard food items
An automatic 18% gratuity is already included in the price.
3. Optional Extra Tipping
Guests can choose to tip extra:
- Bartenders
- Room stewards
- Dining staff
- Anyone who provides exceptional service
And this is where things get interesting.
Because “optional” doesn’t always feel optional.
The Two Most Controversial Tipping Issues on Carnival
After more than two decades of cruising, two tipping topics consistently come up in conversations with other passengers.
Prepaid Gratuities
Some cruisers see prepaid gratuities as convenient and fair.
Others question why they’re framed as optional if most people feel expected to pay them.
There’s also growing discussion around whether it’s the responsibility of the cruise line or the passenger to ensure crew members are paid fairly for standard service.
The Automatic 18% Added to Drinks
When you purchase a drink package or individual drink, an 18% gratuity is already included.
Yet many cruisers still tip an extra $1–$2 per drink in cash to bartenders in hopes of faster service or better attention. This creates a culture where some people feel like they’re tipping twice.
The result is confusion and, for some, pressure.
The Social Pressure to Tip More Than Required
Here’s what most cruise articles won’t say.
The biggest tipping pressure on a cruise doesn’t usually come from the crew.
It comes from other passengers.
On one cruise, we traveled with a family member who tipped extra everywhere. She tipped the room steward at the beginning of the cruise and added extra cash for every drink at the bar, even though gratuity was already included.
When we didn’t tip extra, we felt the pressure. Not from the crew. From someone in our own group.
That kind of social pressure is common on cruises.
Many passengers tip extra not because they want to, but because they feel like they’re supposed to.
Our Turning Point After Researching Tipping Culture
While preparing a podcast episode about tipping culture in the United States, we started researching how tipping has evolved and how expectations have changed.
That research forced us to ask some honest questions:
Why are customers expected to supplement wages in so many service industries?
If tipping is meant to reward exceptional service, why is it expected for average service?
Why do people feel guilty for not tipping extra when gratuity is already included?
Those questions changed how we approached tipping.
Not just on cruises. Everywhere.
We decided to stop tipping out of pressure or habit and start tipping based on our own reasoning and values.
Why We No Longer Pay Prepaid Gratuities
After a lot of thought and discussion, we made a decision that may be controversial to some cruisers.
We no longer keep prepaid gratuities on our account.
Instead, we remove them and use that same money to tip crew members who provide exceptional service and who we actually interact with during the cruise.
Our reasoning is simple.
It is the responsibility of the cruise line to pay its employees for standard service.
A tip, in our view, is something extra given for above-average or exceptional service.
Not every crew member provides that level of service.
And we believe tipping everyone automatically for standard or poor service removes the incentive for service to go above and beyond.
This isn’t about being cheap.
It’s about being intentional.
What Happened When We Changed Our Approach
Many people assume that removing prepaid gratuities or not tipping extra automatically will lead to worse service.
That hasn’t been our experience.
Service didn’t decline.
Staff didn’t treat us differently.
No one gave us attitude.
What did change was our awareness.
When a crew member truly went above and beyond, it stood out more.
And when we tipped, it felt meaningful instead of automatic.
When Exceptional Service Truly Earns a Tip
Early in one Carnival Panorama cruise, we had a frustrating breakfast experience in the main dining room.
We arrived right when breakfast opened because we had an excursion planned. We were seated quickly and placed our order. Then we waited. And waited. Other tables seated after us were served and finished before we received our food.
Eventually my wife had to leave without eating to finish getting ready for our excursion.
I spoke with the Maître D about what happened. He apologized sincerely and offered to send food to our room, but it was too late to help.
What he did next surprised us.
For the rest of the cruise, he personally monitored every meal we had in the main dining room. Our names were flagged so he would be notified whenever we arrived. He ensured our orders were correct and timely and stopped by our table each time to check on us.
We felt seen.
We felt valued.
We felt taken care of.
We also noticed he did this for many other guests, not just us.
At the end of the cruise, we waited until our final breakfast to hand him a generous tip in person. His reaction was grateful and professional. And for us, it felt completely different from automatic tipping.
That moment felt like what tipping is supposed to be.
A genuine thank you for exceptional service.
Our Personal Carnival Cruise Tipping Philosophy Now
After 22 Carnival cruises, here’s where we stand.
We tip generously for exceptional service.
We tip people who go out of their way to make our experience better.
We tip intentionally and personally.
We don’t tip out of guilt.
We don’t tip out of pressure.
And we don’t believe in tipping automatically for standard or poor service.
To us, tipping should be a reward for going above and beyond.
Not an expectation for simply doing the job.
Carnival Cruise Tipping Comes Down to One Simple Question
Tipping on Carnival cruises can feel confusing and even controversial.
But after years of cruising, researching, and reflecting, we’ve realized something.
Tipping isn’t really about money.
It’s about intention.
Ask yourself this:
Are you tipping because you genuinely want to recognize exceptional service…
or because you feel pressured to follow the norm?
There’s no single right answer.
But being intentional about it can completely change how you experience tipping on your next cruise.
Let’s Talk About It
This topic always sparks strong opinions among cruisers.
So be honest.
Do you keep prepaid gratuities or remove them?
Do you tip extra even when gratuity is included?
Have you ever felt pressure to tip more than you wanted?
Share your experience. Your perspective might help another cruiser navigate one of the most debated parts of cruise life.