A cruise ship worker of 10 years has explained why it's a 'really sh*tty thing to do' if you don't pay tips or gratuities to crew at the end of your holiday at sea.
Tipping is something that continues to divide people in all walks of life. From tipping bar staff for simply opening a bottle of beer to adding at least 10 percent of the bill at the end of a meal out, not everyone agrees on when or where the right time to give gratuities is.
Cruise ships are no different, with tipping an essential part of the industry since, well, its entire history.
And for one former crew member, it's simply not okay not to tip.
Lucy Southerton, from Birmingham, has worked for a number of cruise lines including Royal Caribbean, P&O Cruises, and Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Voyages.
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Currently taking a break from working at sea, she also runs the popular Cruising As Crew YouTube channel where she shares her tips, tricks, and insights into all things cruising.
And when it comes to tipping at the end of a cruise holiday, she says there is only one option. And if you don't tip, sh*t move (her words!).
"When you go on a cruise and you plan your budget, you need to factor in gratuities," Lucy stresses in one recent clip focusing on things that crew hate passengers doing.
Lucy explains: "You're going to have to give gratuities to your housekeep, to your waiter if you have a regular waiter, and to a few other crew members as well. Now, a lot of people think that gratuities are additional to a crew member's wage... but unfortunately they're not.
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"The gratuities make up the crew member's basic wage. The reason that cruise lines get you to add gratuities on at the end to make up the crew members wages is so that they can advertise cruises for less. You pay less for the cruise which means you're more likely to come on and cruise."
She adds: "If the cruise lines upped the crew members wages to what they should be cruising would be a lot more expensive, so it's really not okay to remove gratuities. Really sh*t move if you do that because this person has probably worked really hard for you all week.
"If they're your housekeeper especially, you're basically slapping them in face if you remove the gratuities. Morally, you have to pay. Bare this in mind when you're budgeting for your cruise."
If you want to really give a tip on top of their expected income, you might want to give more than the cruise line suggest.
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Lucy says: "If you have an exceptional service and you do want to give this person a bit of a top up for their salary, you have to give them a little bit more than the gratuities.
"The gratuities is just going to help make up their basic wage so bear that in mind."
Don't scrimp. And budget accordingly.
Topics: Cruise Ship, Money, Jobs, Royal Caribbean, Travel, Holiday, Cost of Living
Tom Earnshaw