Thoughts on additional gratuities

we always tip bartenders extra cash. w/ the drink package, they still swipe your card per drink - just hand 'em a few bucks each time. better service, stronger pours. on our last MSC cruise, we slipped our room steward some extra mid-cruise. kept the room spotless and didn't blink at some… unusual messes. worth it.

Depends on the situation but yes. If I have the drink package I’ll usually tip a dollar or so to the bartenders/waiters (especially casino waiters). If I’m paying per drink I’m honestly a bit less likely to or maybe add a dollar to the gratuity. I always tip room service, typically $5 especially if I’m not getting it too often or if I got a packing that includes the room service fee. I almost always tip my room steward extra. $10-$20 per day depending on how much they cleaned. For example, I tend to sleep in late on sea days so if they’ve come back to clean my room during odd hours i’m more generous but if they never touched it until late night then maybe less so. Also if I do get room service and they’ve taken care of the tray after. At the end of the day, it really depends on what cruise I’m on, and how much the trip is costing me. Having prepaid for most of it or if the trip it’s self was a casino comp I’m more likely to be generous since my cruise bills/spending won’t be as high. If I’m paying out of pocket that day for shore excursions or expect a large room bill at the end filled with drinks/activities, then I’m a bit cheaper. Also of the casino treats me well, easier to tip when you walk away up vs blown your daily gambling budget.

if they make a round for our cabin group, we tip them cash at the end