Miscellaneous

Carnival stickers mark cruise passengers who prepaid their tips, crew told who has funded the gratuity pool

Cash tippers ask for a sticker of their own

Images

Automatic cruise gratuities aren’t going away despite growing frustration over the fees Automatic cruise gratuities aren’t going away despite growing frustration over the fees foxnews.com
The Carnival Vista cruise ship docked at a port in Nassau, Bahamas. The Carnival Vista cruise ship docked at a port in Nassau, Bahamas. foxnews.com
Carnival Panorama in distance as tourists sit on beach Carnival Panorama in distance as tourists sit on beach foxnews.com
Cruise ship passengers walk toward Pier 66 in Seattle. Cruise ship passengers walk toward Pier 66 in Seattle. foxnews.com
A cruise ship corridor with doors lining both sides and carpeted flooring. A cruise ship corridor with doors lining both sides and carpeted flooring. foxnews.com

Carnival Cruise Line is piloting stickers that mark the cruise cards of passengers who have prepaid their gratuities, a program that surfaced on TikTok on October 28 from a sailing aboard the Carnival Panorama. The sticker reads "Crew love, I pre-paid my gratuities," and a note left in the cabin thanked the guest for support that "helps recognize the many team members who work together to make your cruise vacation fun, memorable and enjoyable."

Carnival's own description is frank about what the money is. The gratuity program, the company said in a statement, is "an important way guests recognize our hardworking team members and ensure that gratuities are shared among both guest-facing and behind-the-scenes crew" — a pool the line collects and redistributes to staff the passengers see and staff they never do. The stickers are "simply a way to let our crew know that a guest has prepaid their gratuities, while giving those guests a little recognition for their generosity," and "one component of a broader pilot."

Passengers found the rest of the pilot quickly. "Not just [as] a sticker but a screen in the app, so likely servers and others you interact with see it," one Reddit user wrote. The first objections were about the audience: "I prepay my gratuities, but I feel it's my business, not everyone else's," one TikTok commenter wrote, and another objected that "people shouldn't be shamed if they can't afford to prepay." Cash tippers objected on separate grounds — "My servers and stewards love the cash I give them since it goes right into their pockets," one wrote — and one observation sat awkwardly against Carnival's assurance that "our team members provide great service to every guest": "I've always noticed you get better service if you tip upfront." Not everyone objected; one supporter reported spending roughly $250 to $300 in extra tips per sailing.

Clint Henderson of The Points Guy told Fox News that gratuities are likely to remain part of cruise travel as operators face rising expenses.

One passenger asked for a matching sticker announcing that he tips cash on top of his prepaid gratuities. The pilot, so far, marks only the money Carnival collects itself.