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Mainstream Cruise Line

Carnival Gratuities

The daily gratuity rate, the bar service charge, and how to prepay or adjust tips on aCarnival cruise in 2026, verified against the official policy.

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On this page
  1. Daily rate
  2. Bar service charge
  3. Prepaid & adjusting
  4. FAQ

Quick answer

Carnival adds $17 per guest per day in automatic gratuities, rising to $19 in suites. You can prepay them before you sail, and adjust or remove them at guest services on board.

Daily gratuity rate

Standard stateroom

$17per guest / day

Suite

$19per guest / day

Carnival's recommended gratuities are $17.00 per person per day for standard staterooms and $19.00 for suites, charged to every guest except children under 2 and regardless of dining choice. A separate 20% service charge is added to bar and beverage purchases, specialty dining fees, and some main dining upsells.

Bar service charge

20%on drinks

Carnival adds 20% automatically to bar and beverage purchases, on top of the daily gratuity.

Prepaying and adjusting

Can prepay before sailing
Yes
Can adjust or remove on board
Yes

Prepay when booking, on carnival.com up to two days before sailing, or through a travel agent. If not prepaid, the daily amount posts to your Sail & Sign account during the cruise. You may adjust gratuities at Guest Services while on board; once you disembark, the posted amount is final.

Frequently asked questions

How much are gratuities on a Carnival cruise?
Carnival's recommended gratuities are $17.00 per person per day for standard staterooms and $19.00 for suites, charged to every guest except children under 2 and regardless of dining choice. A separate 20% service charge is added to bar and beverage purchases, specialty dining fees, and some main dining upsells.
Can I remove or adjust gratuities on Carnival?
Yes. Prepay when booking, on carnival.com up to two days before sailing, or through a travel agent. If not prepaid, the daily amount posts to your Sail & Sign account during the cruise. You may adjust gratuities at Guest Services while on board; once you disembark, the posted amount is final.
Can I prepay gratuities on Carnival?
Yes, you can prepay the daily gratuity before you sail. Prepay when booking, on carnival.com up to two days before sailing, or through a travel agent. If not prepaid, the daily amount posts to your Sail & Sign account during the cruise. You may adjust gratuities at Guest Services while on board; once you disembark, the posted amount is final.
Does Carnival add a gratuity to drinks?
Yes. Carnival automatically adds a 20% service charge to bar and beverage purchases, separate from the daily gratuity.
Are gratuities included in the Carnival fare?
Prepay when booking, on carnival.com up to two days before sailing, or through a travel agent. If not prepaid, the daily amount posts to your Sail & Sign account during the cruise. You may adjust gratuities at Guest Services while on board; once you disembark, the posted amount is final.

More on Carnival

Gratuities on other cruise lines

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Caden Sorenson

Travel research publisher and senior staff engineer

Caden Sorenson runs Travel Vient, an independent travel research and tools site covering airline carry-on policies, packing lists, and head-to-head airline, cruise, and destination comparisons, with everything cited to primary sources. He's a senior staff engineer with 15+ years of experience building iOS apps, web platforms, and developer tools, and a Computer Science graduate from Utah State University. Based in Logan, Utah.

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Verified Jul 2026 against the official Carnival Cruise Line service charge page. Cruise lines change gratuity rates without notice. Confirm with the line before you sail.