Disney Cruise Line raises gratuity rates in 2025 – here’s what to know
FILE - General views of the Disney Wonder cruise ship at Avalon harbor on Oct. 26, 2022, in Avalon, California. (Photo by AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
Disney Cruise Line has increased its recommended gratuity rates.
The cruise line’s base rate is now $16 per person each day, including infants and children, according to its website. That’s up from $14.50.
Disney Cruise Line gratuity rates
What we know:
The gratuities are distributed to crew members "in recognition of exceptional service," the cruise line says. That includes dining room servers, head servers, and assistant servers, as well as stateroom hosts.
Guests in Concierge Staterooms and Suites are recommended a gratuity amount of $27.25 per night per person, the company’s website says – up from $23.50. These tips are also given to the dining room staff and stateroom hosts, as well as the assistant stateroom host, who services the concierge accommodations, and the Concierge Lounge team.
There is also an 18% gratuity charged for bar, beverage, wine, deck service tabs and spa services that are charged to a guest's onboard account.
Dig deeper:
Gratuity rate increases are not unique to Disney Cruise Lines, as all companies generally raise these rates periodically, the industry news outlet Cruise Hive notes. Disney's last increase in recommended gratuities came in July 2022.
What they're saying:
The company notes that the guidelines are just guidelines and, while they do now offer the ability to prepay the recommended gratuities, each guest can still choose to tip below or above the recommended amount.
"Disney Cruise Line, in particular, is well-known for its exceptional service, bringing the company’s iconic magic to every sailing and ensuring that guests have amazingly memorable cruise vacations," Cruise Hive said.
By the numbers:
Disney Cruise Line’s new base recommended gratuity of $16 per person, per day, is the same as the suggested gratuities for Carnival Cruise Line ($16), and less than that of Royal Caribbean ($18.50) and Norwegian Cruise Line ($20).
The Source: This story was reported based on information from Disney Cruise Line as of Jan. 23, 2025. It also includes other information as published by Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Line, and Norwegian Cruise Line. It was reported from Cincinnati.
Editor's note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Disney Cruise Line had raised some of its recommended gratuities in October 2024. This version has been updated.