Cruise-ship passengers are becoming increasingly hostile to a system of tipping that is more mandatory than discretionary, and is used to subsidise crew salaries, rather than reward good service.

Cruising is now Britain’s most popular holiday — the market surged by 12% last year to 1.5m — but the reluctance of passengers to pay hundreds of pounds in on-board tips has caused the cruise giant Royal Caribbean International to admit that it is “rethinking” its policy.

In theory, tipping staff is a voluntary gesture, but with many operators, including Carnival Cruise Lines, Cunard and MSC, it is hard to avoid.

“For your convenience, we automatically charge gratuities to your on-board account,” says Carnival — at a rate of about £6 per day, or £340 for a family of four for two weeks, not counting a 15% surcharge on every drink.

'Cunard wanted £600 in tips'

Chris Kerry was charged £600 in gratuities, plus a 15% service charge - he'd rather tip at his leisure

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• 'Cunard wanted £600 in tips'

Other operators, such as Celebrity, P&O and Royal Caribbean, provide passengers with envelopes into which it is suggested they tip at a recommended rate. Royal Caribbean suggests tips ranging from 45p to £3.50pp per day, adding that “these apply to guests of all ages”.

It admits that the increasing unwillingness of British passengers to tip is causing problems. The cruise line would prefer passengers to pay their tips when they buy their holiday — the gratuity bill for a week on the Freedom of the Seas is £47pp — but currently only half of clients comply.

“It is an issue,” says the company’s UK managing director, Robin Shaw, “and we are looking at our options. The gratuities are part of the crew’s remuneration package and we need to seek a solution.

This could be to include tips in the price of the trip, which would remove the voluntary component, to deal with the shortfall through a company subsidy or to keep things as they are.”

Whatever solution Royal Caribbean chooses, it seems the passenger will still be supplementing crew salaries, either through increased holiday costs or through what is in effect a local payment.

Diane Price, of the cruise specialist Colchester Travel, says that many first-time cruisers are horrified by the extra charge. “It is not made clear that the gratuity is a voluntary payment,” she says. “I advise my clients not to pay upfront. The sums are astronomical and it is, in effect, just an extra payment to the cruise line.”

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