It’s definitely been making waves among travelers and crew members!
Is This New Cruise-Tipping Trend a Huge Etiquette Faux Pas?
Published on Apr. 24, 2025
On the last night of every cruise I go on—and I’ve been on 14 in just the last 15 months—I follow a ritual that goes beyond pulling out my suitcase and packing to head home: Before dinner, I also pull my cash out of the safe and start making piles for tipping the various crew members who went above and beyond service-wise. This list of recipients usually includes my cabin steward, butler (when applicable), waiter and assistant waiter in the main dining room, and maître d’ of the restaurant I most often frequent, but it can vary based on my experiences and interactions on board. (This is also in addition to tipping the luggage porters at the terminal, tour guides on port days, spa service providers and so on.)
When it comes to my cabin steward, I typically hand them cash before heading to dinner on the last evening, or I’ll leave it in my room with a corresponding note of thanks. The other crew members I mentioned get a cash-enclosed handshake goodbye.
But I recently became aware of a new tipping trend that not everyone is thrilled about—and I haven’t yet decided whether to try it on my next cruise. While it’s certainly better than not tipping at all (one of the biggest mistakes cruisers can make!), it’s ruffling some feathers on the Internet.
I spoke to two cabin stewards on my most recent cruise to get their opinions. Read on to find out what this trend is, whether it’s actually an etiquette faux pas and how much you should be tipping your steward.
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How much should you tip your cabin steward?
OK, this is the most important place to start, especially since it can be confusing. The appropriate amount to tip is at every passenger’s discretion, but your calculation should factor in a few things. These include:
- Whether you’re cruising on an all-inclusive line. For instance, a few cruise lines—such as Azamara, Windstar, Ponant, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours, and Virgin Voyages—cover gratuities in their fares.
- Whether you’re sailing a cruise line like Royal Caribbean that automatically adds gratuities to your shipboard account.
- Whether you’ve purchased an upgraded package that includes pre-paid gratuities. Princess, for example, offers two of these that also include drinks, Wi-Fi, fitness classes and more.
Most cruises that add gratuities to your shipboard invoice (this is sometimes called “crew appreciation”) charge $16 to $20 per person per day (depending on cabin category), though it’s important to remember that the fee is shared with crew members beyond just your cabin steward. Even if gratuities are already included or added to your bill, you still may want to reserve some cash for extra tips; this is something I always do.
What tipping trend is causing controversy?
Some cruise passengers are getting creative with their tipping, using their dollar bills to literally spell out the words “thank you” on their beds. We know this through the power of social media, of course—and also have to wonder if social media is responsible for it in the first place.
While plenty of people think it’s a cute idea, critics commenting on these posts have complained about the various ways in which this tipping practice feels wrong to them. What’s the issue?
- Gathering up those dollars creates more work for the already-too-busy cabin stewards.
- Your regular steward might not be on duty that day, and therefore someone who’s barely serviced your room is reaping the rewards.
- It’s tacky and/or demeaning.
- It feels more like a gratuitous photo opp to garner praise from social media followers rather than being about giving the gratuity from the goodness of your heart.
Is it really that big of a deal?
I decided to investigate this trend and go straight to the source. On my media preview sailing of Norwegian Cruise Line’s new ship, Aqua, last week, I asked two cabin stewards for their thoughts.
My cabin steward, Wahyu from Indonesia, who has been working on cruise ships for more than a decade, thought this tipping method was great. “I’ve only ever received a tip this way once, and it made me very happy,” he told me. He went on to say that he’d love to receive more tips this way because it felt special and fun.
I also stopped a second cabin steward in the hallway to get her take. “I’ve never seen this before myself, but I would love to,” said Yasmin, who hails from the Philippines and has been doing this job for 12 years. “I would take pictures to show my own friends how cool it was.”
OK, so it may not be that big of a deal! Maybe people are projecting their imagined discomfort onto cruise-ship workers, or maybe some people really do hate it. Either way, I found two who clearly would not be offended by this method of tipping.
What’s the best way to tip your cabin steward?
To avoid any potential issues, you may want to go the traditional route: handing your cabin steward cash or placing those bills in a clearly marked envelope to leave in your cabin. You could also leave the cash on the bed or desk with a note for them if you don’t have an envelope handy. The key is to make it obvious that it’s for them to take, so they don’t wonder if you just left some cash lying around.
But if you’re looking for something a bit more creative, then feel free to try this viral trend—it seems the cabin stewards appreciate the gesture no matter how it’s done, and this extra effort just might make them feel extra special. After all, tipping is just one of those things polite people always do on cruises.
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