Celebrity Cruises Raises Daily Gratuities Across All Cabins

Celebrity Cruises has introduced higher automatic daily gratuities for all guests, with the revised charges coming into effect immediately from July 29, 2026.

The cruise line notified passengers with existing bookings about the change, explaining that the daily service charges are used to reward the crew members who help create the onboard guest experience.

The new gratuity rates are as follows:

• Inside, Ocean View, and Veranda staterooms: $19.50 per guest, per day (up from $18.00)
• Concierge Class and AquaClass staterooms: $20.50 per guest, per day (up from $19.00)
• The Retreat suites: $24.50 per guest, per day (up from $23.00)

Each accommodation category has received an increase of $1.50 per person, per day.

In its communication to guests, Celebrity explained that these gratuities are distributed among dining room staff, bartenders, culinary teams, stateroom attendants, and numerous other crew members who contribute to guests’ vacations.

As with most major cruise operators, Celebrity automatically adds the daily gratuity to guests’ onboard accounts unless the charges have already been prepaid before the voyage begins. These daily gratuities are separate from the automatic service charges applied to drinks, spa services, and certain other onboard purchases.

Since the revised rates took effect on the same day they were announced, guests who had not prepaid their gratuities before July 29 may no longer be able to secure the previous pricing. Passengers who settled their gratuities in advance are generally expected to remain on the original rates.

The increase comes shortly after Holland America Line raised its own daily gratuities in June, increasing them to $18.00 per person, per day for standard staterooms and $20.00 for suite guests.

Meanwhile, Celebrity’s sister company, Royal Caribbean International, has not announced any adjustments to its gratuity structure. Its current rates remain at $18.50 per person, per day for standard staterooms and $20.50 for suites, where they have remained since October 2024.

Although gratuity policies are set independently by each cruise brand, pricing changes at one Royal Caribbean Group cruise line have often been followed by similar updates across others. As a result, many cruise travelers will be paying close attention to see whether Celebrity’s latest increase signals further changes elsewhere in the group.