Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines have recently made the decision to increase daily auto-gratuity rates. Disney Cruises has followed their lead, but the increase is much higher for some passengers.
Gratuity is technically optional, but all cruise lines add in a daily gratuity automatically. You can request to remove this daily fee, but typically you have to stand in line at guest services—not a fun way to spend time on a cruise. You might think the cruise line should just pay their staff more, but by including these auto-gratuity fees, cruise lines can keep their fares low.
Daily auto-gratuities are divided among the hard-working staff who keep the ship running smoothly. Disney “recommends” a gratuity of $14.50 per stateroom guest per night. This rate remains unchanged. For Concierge Staterooms and Suites, however, the rate is taking a big jump. While other cruise lines have raised their auto-gratuity rates slightly (Royal Caribbean, for example, raised theirs just 50 cents), Concierge guests will face a 51 percent increase.
The suggested Concierge guest auto-gratuity—which includes gratuity for the assistant stateroom host and the Concierge Lounge team—was $15.50 per night, but has now jumped to a whopping $23.50 per person per night. This increase would add $224 to the bill for a family of four on a seven day sailing.
So if you’re sailing a Disney Cruise in any of the Concierge rooms, you’ll have to opt out, opt for a lower gratuity or be prepared for a heftier bill.