Cruiseline Tipping Policies

A Quick Guide to Tipping

Cruiselines Where Gratuities are not Included in Cruise Cost
P&O Cruises sticks with the cash and envelope system for passengers on fixed dining, but clients on Ventura or Oceana, who have opted for Freedom dining, will be changed £1.60 a day for the waiters. Envelopes will be provided for the stewards. Tipping is optional.

Princess Cruises adds $10 per person per day to the bill for all passengers. This can be removed on request.

Norwegian Cruise Line adds $10 per person per day service charge for adults, $5 for under-12s, which is mandatory. NCL also adds a mandatory 18% gratuity to all spa treatments.

Fred Olsen Cruise Lines recommends £2 a day each for the cabin steward and restaurant waiter. Envelopes are supplied at reception.

Crystal Cruises includes gratuities for British passengers who have bought a flycruise package.

Cruiselines Where Gratuities are Included in Cruise Cost
Ocean Village
Island Cruises
Thomson Cruises
Silversea
SeaDream Yacht Club
Yachts of Seabourn
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Hebridean International Cruises

Ocean Village Unveils New Caribbean Destinations

Ocean Village is to run 14-night cruises in the Caribbean in winter 2009-10 to give access to new destinations not accessible on one-week sailings.

Three different fly-cruise itineraries will run by the line’s two ships with prices starting at £1,199 per person, including a 45% early booking discount.

New destinations on departures from Barbados include Samana in the Dominican Republic,

Grand Turk, Mayreau in the Grenadines and Colon for the Panama Canal.

All holidays are for 14 nights, reflecting a clear passenger preference for two weeks away – more than 85% of current Caribbean passengers opt for this duration, according to the company.

Prices Revealed for Oasis of the Seas

Royal Caribbean International has revealed that prices for nine-night fly cruises on mega ship Oasis of the Seas will start at £1,299 per person.

The ship is one of the most hyped vessels of all time and, with capacity for 5,400 passengers, will be 40% larger than the current largest ship in the world, Independence of the Seas, which is also owned by RCI. Oasis of the Seas will make its first sailing on December 12, 2009 from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The inaugural season will begin with 19 consecutive seven-night sailings to the Eastern Caribbean, with ports of call at Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; and Nassau, Bahamas. From May 1, 2010, Oasis of the Seas will alternate its Eastern Caribbean itinerary with the Western Caribbean itinerary, which will call at Labadee, Royal Caribbean International’s private beach destination in Haiti; the new port of Falmouth, Jamaica; and Cozumel, Mexico.

The ship will feature the first ever outdoor park at sea, called Central Park. Cabins will go on sale on September 3rd and the company is so confident of strong sales that it has decided not to offer early booking discounts.

MSC Places New Ship Orders

MSC Cruises has placed orders for two new ships. The Italian line reportedly placed orders with the French Aker yard for two Musica-class vessels.

The ships are due for delivery in February 2011 and February 2012, further expanding the company's fleet.

MSC introduces its biggest ship, MSC Fantasia, in December. The 133,500-tonne ship will bring the fleet up to ten vessels, rising to 12 before the two new orders.

P&O Cruises Revamps Shore Excursions

P&O Cruises is offering holidaymakers the chance to drive a Ferrari for the day or race a private yacht if regular coach-based shore excursions no longer excite them.

P&O Cruises managing director Nigel Esdale said: “We are attracting more new cruise passengers than ever before and these holidaymakers are looking for something a little different to do on shore than a guided coach tour.

“We can now offer them experiences that simply would not be possible on any other type of holiday.”

Ferrari driving is available to cruisers in Italy, from the port of Livorno, while racing a private Beneteau 40 yacht can be done for those stopping off in Antigua. Zip wiring trips through the rainforest are also available to cruisers in Jamaica, while in Grasse, near the port of Cannes, holidaymakers can create a personal fragrance with master perfumers.

Meanwhile, glaciers and ice-fields can be explored from Reykjavik. Many of the new excursions are available now, with some offered from 2009.

TAKE A CRUISE AND COME BACK LOOKING TEN YEARS YOUNGER

NCL Freestyle Cruising has taken holiday rejuvenation to the next level as it becomes the the first cruise line to offer BOTOX® Cosmetic, Restylane® and Perlane® facial aesthetic treatments on board in its Mandara operated spas, in partnership with global provider of spa services Steiner Transocean, LLC (“Steiner”).

The treatments, which are part of Mandara’s medi-spa programme, are currently available on select NCL ships, including Norwegian Gem - currently based in Barcelona - Norwegian Dawn and Norwegian Spirit, with plans to launch fleet-wide this autumn.

Guests simply book in for a 30 minute consultation period with a medically-licensed doctor, and an individual treatment plan is created to tackle those areas showing the telling signs of aging.
All facial aesthetic treatments are under the careful supervision of Steiner’s Medical Director, Dr. Brad Herman, a Miami-based, board-certified plastic surgeon and his team of medically-licensed doctors who have been trained specifically in the administration of these treatments.
“Our spas are the best at sea and we are always looking for new ways to enhance the guest experience,” says Stephen Park, general manager, NCL UK.

“NCL has always been the most innovative cruise line, and being the first to offer these popular medi-spa treatments is a further example of our product development and offering.
“We are excited to be able to offer Botox treatments for those passengers sailing on Norwegian Gem on her popular Western Mediterranean itineraries out of Barcelona and look forward announcing that not only do we have the youngest fleet at sea – but we also have the youngest looking passengers!”

Leonard Fluxman, president and chief executive officer of Steiner Leisure, says, “We believe this expansion of our medi-spa services provides yet another opportunity to perpetuate our philosophy of imparting inner and outer beauty for our guests. As beauty and wellness needs continue to evolve, we always strive to present our guests with a premium selection of treatments that suit their individual lifestyle and preferences.”

BOTOX® Cosmetic is a simple, non-surgical treatment that can safely and effectively soften lines and reduce wrinkles. BOTOX® Cosmetic has been used therapeutically for over 18 years, and according to the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, has been the number one non-surgical cosmetic procedure in the US since its FDA approval for cosmetic use in 2002.
Guests who want to reduce lines from the nose to the corners of the mouth can opt for the number one selling dermal filler in the United States: Restylane® or its sister product Perlane®. Restylane® and Perlane® treatments can provide volume and fullness to the skin with instantaneous and long-lasting results.

These medi-spa treatments supplement NCL’s wide-range of skin, body, massage, and hair and nail care already available on board. Other treatments available at sea include GoSmile Tooth Whitening, Microdermabrasion and Ionithermie Cellulite Reduction Program, a body contouring treatment instantly improving the look of cellulite.