Royal Caribbean has updated its official gratuity policy to make clear that passengers can remove automatic service charges on drinks, dining and spa treatments, while also addressing confusion over reports of a possible increase in gratuity rates.
The revised wording, introduced in October 2026, explicitly states that gratuities are optional and can be adjusted or removed at the passenger’s discretion.
This includes the 18% gratuity automatically applied to beverages, drinks packages, speciality dining, room service and minibar purchases, as well as the 20% charge on spa and salon services.
Although these charges continue to be added automatically, passengers can now refer to the cruise line’s published policy for confirmation that they are not compulsory.
The clarification comes alongside a separate issue involving Royal Caribbean’s UK website, which appeared to suggest that gratuities on drinks and dining had increased from 18% to 20%.
However, the cruise line has confirmed that the higher figure was published in error and that the existing rates remain unchanged.
Royal Caribbean Makes Gratuity Removal Policy Clearer
The most significant development is the wording now included in Royal Caribbean’s official gratuity guidance.
Previously, the cruise line’s website explained that gratuities could be modified, without explicitly stating that passengers could remove them entirely.
An archived version of the policy from 5th October 2026 used the more limited wording, suggesting that some adjustments were possible but leaving the extent of those changes unclear.
The revised policy goes considerably further, stating:
“Gratuities are optional. Guests may adjust or remove them entirely at their sole discretion.”
The same clarification appears in the section covering charges on individual onboard purchases, confirming that the policy applies beyond the standard daily gratuities collected to compensate crew members.
This means passengers who purchase alcoholic drinks, soft drinks, beverage packages or speciality restaurant meals can request that the associated gratuities be removed.
The policy also covers room service and minibar purchases, along with spa and salon treatments.
Under the published arrangements, passengers must visit the Guest Relations desk onboard to request any adjustments.
Changes can be made during the cruise, provided they are requested before the morning of disembarkation. Once the sailing has ended, gratuity adjustments are no longer available.
Importantly, the updated wording does not mean that Royal Caribbean has stopped automatically adding gratuities to purchases.
The charges remain part of the standard onboard billing process, and passengers who are happy to pay them do not need to take any action.
Instead, the clarification establishes that passengers have the option to challenge, reduce or remove those charges rather than being required to accept them.
The distinction is particularly relevant for purchases such as drinks packages, where an additional percentage-based gratuity can represent a substantial amount on top of the advertised package price.
For example, an 18% gratuity on a $500 drinks package adds another $90 to the total cost.
Royal Caribbean has not made a separate public announcement explaining the change in wording or whether it reflects any broader operational changes to how gratuities are handled onboard.
As a result, it remains unclear whether the revision represents a change in the cruise line’s underlying practices or simply a more explicit explanation of rights that passengers already had.
Confusion Over Reported 20% Gratuity Increase
The updated policy has also attracted attention because of an apparent discrepancy between Royal Caribbean’s regional websites.
While the US and Australian versions of the gratuity guidance continued to list an 18% charge for beverages and dining, the UK version displayed a 20% rate across onboard purchases.
This prompted concerns that Royal Caribbean might be preparing to increase gratuities on drinks and restaurant purchases, bringing them into line with the existing 20% charge applied to spa and salon services.
However, Royal Caribbean subsequently clarified that the UK figure was incorrect.
In a statement provided to Royal Caribbean Blog on 19th October 2026, the cruise line confirmed:
“Gratuities for beverages and dining remain at 18% as previously communicated.”
The clarification means passengers should not expect an increase in the standard gratuity rate for drinks, beverage packages or speciality dining as a result of the website discrepancy.
The applicable charges therefore remain at 18% for drinks and dining-related purchases and 20% for spa and salon services.
The incorrect UK wording appears to have been an error in the cruise line’s online FAQ rather than an announcement of a new pricing policy.
It is a significant distinction because percentage-based gratuities can add considerably to the cost of onboard spending, particularly for passengers purchasing multiple packages or treatments during a longer sailing.
Daily Gratuities Remain Unchanged
Royal Caribbean’s clarification also extends to its daily service gratuities, although the amounts charged have not changed.
The standard daily rate remains $18.50 per person, while passengers staying in suites are charged $21 per person, per day.
These charges are normally added automatically to passengers’ onboard accounts unless they have been prepaid.
For a couple sharing a standard cabin on a seven-night cruise, the daily gratuities amount to $259 in total.
For two passengers staying in a suite on the same length of sailing, the corresponding total is $294.
The daily charges are intended to recognise the work of crew members providing services throughout the cruise, including housekeeping and dining staff.
Royal Caribbean’s published policy confirms that these gratuities are also optional and may be adjusted or removed through Guest Relations.
However, the distinction between daily gratuities and charges attached to individual purchases remains important.
Daily gratuities are calculated according to the number of passengers and nights onboard, while the additional 18% or 20% charges are linked to specific products and services.
Passengers may therefore encounter both types of gratuity during the same sailing.
The revised wording makes it clearer that the ability to request adjustments is not limited to the daily service charge.
For passengers planning their cruise budgets, the main takeaway is that Royal Caribbean’s published gratuity percentages have not increased, but the cruise line has made the optional nature of those charges more explicit.
Passengers who wish to make changes must still take action onboard, with requests completed before the morning of disembarkation.
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