Holland America Line has just revealed their decision to increase the price of the daily gratuities onboard the fleet.
The line announced the reasons behind this through an official statement on their website:
“Our crew works very hard to make sure that every aspect of your cruise meets the highest standards. This includes those crew members who serve you directly, such as Dining Room wait staff and the stewards who service your stateroom each day.
There are also many others who support their efforts whom you may never meet, such as galley and laundry staff.
To ensure that the efforts of all of our crew members are recognized and rewarded, a daily Hotel Service Charge is automatically added to each guest’s shipboard account.”
For all sailings departing before December 1st 2018, the daily Hotel Service Charge is $13.50 per guest per day for non-suite stateroom guests and $15.00 per guest per day for suite guests.
The same applies for the 2019 Grand World Voyage and the 2019 Grand South America Antarctica Voyage.
For cruises departing on or after December 1st 2018, the daily Hotel Service Charge is $14.50 per guest per day for non-suite stateroom guests and $16.00 per guest per day for suite guests.
If our service exceeds or fails to meet your expectations, you are free to adjust this amount at the end of each segment and/or voyage.
The Hotel Service Charge is paid entirely to Holland America Line crew members, and represents an important part of their compensation.
A 15% Bar Service Charge is automatically added to bar charges and Dining Room wine purchases. In terminals, airports, ports of call and on shore excursions, we suggest that you extend gratuities consistent with customary local practices.”
Holland America Line previous raised gratuities in October 2015 and in May 2017 whereas both Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises both entered the new year with a hike in tipping fees.
P&O Cruises announced the decision to scrap gratuity fees altogether in August this year, taking affect from May 2019.
What do you think of Holland America raising gratuity fees? Do you think this is understandably inevitable in order to reward every crew member onboard? Do you go for lines with free tips or is this not a priority to you? Tell us your thoughts!
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