Celebrity applies a daily gratuity to your SeaPass account, and the rate depends on the cabin you booked. There are three of them, and the gap between the cheapest and the dearest is $5 a day.
This guide covers all three rates, the percentage added to anything you buy on board, and how to change the amount. The charge is set in US dollars, so what it costs in pounds moves with the exchange rate.
The Three Rates
If you did not prepay at the time of booking, the gratuity is added to your SeaPass account daily. Cabin grade decides which of the three rates applies.
All three figures are charged for each person in the cabin, for each day of the sailing. Two people in a Veranda cabin for seven nights are looking at $273 between them.
$19.50, most of the ship
Inside, Oceanview and Veranda staterooms all sit at the same rate, which covers the majority of cabins on any sailing.
Two people on a seven-night voyage are committing to $273 between them before anything else touches the account.
$20.50, Concierge and AquaClass
A pound or so a day more in practice. Over a week the difference against a Veranda cabin is $14 for the two of you, which rarely changes a booking decision.
$24.50, The Retreat
The suite rate, and the only one that opens a real gap. It runs $5 a day above a standard cabin, or $70 across a week for a couple.
The 20% on Everything Else
The daily charge is separate from what gets added to your purchases. Celebrity applies a single flat percentage, and it covers a wide list.
A 20% gratuity is added automatically to spa and salon services, beverages and beverage packages, speciality dining and speciality dining packages, room service and mini bar purchases. It applies whether you buy before the cruise or once you are aboard.
The same 20% applies to speciality dining as to drinks. A drinks package advertised at $90 a day is $108 once the gratuity goes on, and a speciality restaurant bill works the same way.
Group Bookings
Anyone travelling on a group reservation is directed to their group leader or travel agent for the details, and the arrangements may differ from the standard terms.
That matters if gratuities were folded into what the group agreed. Checking there before you sail avoids a conversation at the Guest Relations desk on the last morning.
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Where the Money Goes
The gratuities are pooled instead of going to individuals. They go towards the pay of dining, bar and culinary staff, stateroom attendants and hotel services teams.
That is why the charge is daily and per guest instead of being attached to particular services. It covers crew you never meet as well as the ones who look after your cabin.
Changing or Removing It
The daily gratuity can be modified at your sole discretion, and it is done in person at the Guest Relations desk on board.
- The deadline is the last morning. You can change it at any point before the morning of disembarkation. Once the sailing has ended, modifications cannot be made.
- Speak up during the cruise instead. If something has gone wrong, raising it while you are aboard gives the team a chance to fix it. That is usually the better outcome.
Prepaying and Included Fares
You can settle them at the time of booking instead of letting them accrue daily. The total is identical, so this comes down to keeping the onboard account small.
Some Celebrity fares bundle gratuities into the price and some do not, which is the usual reason two people quote different numbers for the same sailing. Your booking confirmation shows which applies to you, and that is the document to trust.
Whether gratuities are already covered depends on the fare you booked. Check the confirmation before assuming either way.
What It Adds Up To
Gratuities are among the larger predictable costs on a Celebrity cruise, and they are easy to leave out of a rough budget because they sit outside the fare.
Do one sum. Take the daily rate, times the nights, times the number of people. Then add 20% to any package or speciality dining you have already booked.
For two people on a seven-night Veranda sailing, that looks like:
- $273 in daily gratuities across the week.
- A drinks package at $90 a day each becomes $108 once the 20% lands.
- A speciality dinner at $60 a head becomes $72.
- A spa treatment at $200 carries $40 on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
The daily rates are $19.50 per guest for Inside, Oceanview and Veranda staterooms, $20.50 for Concierge Class and AquaClass, and $24.50 for The Retreat.
They can be modified at your sole discretion by visiting the Guest Relations desk on board. It has to be done before the morning of disembarkation, because changes cannot be made once the sailing has ended.
No. A 20% gratuity is added to beverages and beverage packages at the point of purchase, on top of the advertised price.
Yes. The same 20% covers spa and salon services, beverages and beverage packages, speciality dining and speciality dining packages, room service and mini bar purchases.
Per person, for every day of the sailing. Two people in a Veranda cabin are charged $39 a day between them.
No, the rates are set in US dollars. The sterling cost depends on the exchange rate applied when your account is settled.
The Retreat, at $24.50 per guest per day. Concierge Class and AquaClass pay $20.50, and everything else pays $19.50.
Yes, at the time of booking. The amount is the same, but it comes off the onboard account and is settled upfront.
The daily rate for your cabin grade, and 20% on anything you buy on board. Those two together are what separates the fare you paid from the bill on the last morning.
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