Royal Caribbean quietly raises a key onboard fee

In the media industry, there are lots of thoughts about when it's best to release bad news. Back in the print newspaper days, public relations companies tried to make sure bad news came on Fridays so it could disappear by Monday.

That logic no longer applies in the digital era, but there are still ways to hide bad news. One tactic is to release your bad news at the same time a rival has something much worse going on.

Related: Royal Caribbean shares a scary Hurricane Milton update

For example, if your CEO is being fired for having an inappropriate relationship with another member of the C-Suite, maybe press release that when a competitor's CEO has been arrested for murder. That's an extreme and unlikely scenario, but the core logic holds.

Nobody will, for example, notice that you have a pimple if the person who sits next to you got a purple mohawk and a nose ring over the weekend.

Burying bad news can work, but it's not always appropriate. That makes a recent Royal Caribbean decision questionable. Yes, the timing was almost certainly set before we knew that Hurricane Milton would happen, but in this case, a delay would have made a lot of sense.

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Royal Caribbean is raising its daily gratuities

Royal Caribbean, like most cruise lines, charges a daily gratuity for each passenger onboard. These are added to your shipboard account each day and get split between service workers including waiters, bartenders, room stewards, and others behind the scenes that passengers don't see.

You can technically reduce, or remove those daily gratuities by going to guest services, but it's considered bad form to do that. Royal Caribbean, as the cruise world braces for Hurricane Milton, has quietly shared that it's increasing its daily gratuities.

"Starting November 1, 2024, the cruise line will raise the daily gratuity rate by 50 cents per day, bringing the new rate for standard cabins to $18.50 per person, up from $18, and suites to $21 per person, up from $20.50. It is the same amount for all passengers, regardless of age," the Royal Caribbean Blog first reported.

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It's a small increase, but the previous increase in gratuities was less than one year ago.

Gratuities can be paid in advance or onboard. They are the same price, but paying in advance locks in current pricing.

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Royal Caribbean could have pressed pause

Royal Caribbean shared the news of the price increase in a weekly email newsletter sent to travel agents.

"For new reservations, the adjusted gratuity amounts are effective as of November 1st, 2024. Guests booked prior to November 1st, 2024, can opt to add prepaid gratuities before sailing to take advantage of the current rates. On or after November 1st, 2024, regardless of when the booking was created, gratuities paid while onboard are subject to the new, increased rates," the cruise line shared.

While this is a small increase, some passengers already resent the daily gratuities. Many argue that this is just a way for the cruise lines to advertise a lower price by passing off some of the cost of paying their workers to passengers.

If Royal Caribbean (or any other cruise line) simply added gratuities to its basic fares, prices would rise significantly.

For most people booking a cruise. a few dollars here or there is not an issue. Many people pay the daily gratuities and tip extra for people who offer exceptional service.

It's common to give added tips to bartenders ($1-2 per drink), room stewards, and waiters. That's not required, but it's appreciated.

ALSO READ: Top travel agents share how to get the best price on your cruise

Removing daily gratuities and "handing them out on your own" punishes workers who do laundry and other service jobs that are not passenger-facing.

A request for comment from Royal Caribbean on the timing of the announcement was not immediately returned.

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This story was originally published October 8, 2024, 9:01 AM.