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Mainstream Cruise Line

MSC Gratuities

The daily gratuity rate, the bar service charge, and how to prepay or adjust tips on aMSC 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

MSC adds $17 per guest per day in automatic gratuities, rising to $23 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

$23per guest / day

MSC calls it a daily Hotel Service Charge, added automatically per person per day. On Caribbean, Alaska, and US sailings booked from May 2026 it is $17 per night for standard staterooms and $23 for MSC Yacht Club. Guests 2 and older pay the full rate. A separate 18% Bar Service Charge is added to bar purchases on North America itineraries (15% on European and other regions).

Bar service charge

18%on drinks

MSC adds 18% 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

The rate varies by region and cabin class, and Grand Voyages from Europe are priced natively in euros (from EUR 12, about $13, per adult). You can prepay by asking to add it to the cruise price at booking. The daily rate itself cannot be lowered, but the onboard Guest Relations Manager can remove charges if service was unsatisfactory. Bookings made before May 2026 kept the prior $16 standard / $20 Yacht Club rate.

Frequently asked questions

How much are gratuities on a MSC cruise?
MSC calls it a daily Hotel Service Charge, added automatically per person per day. On Caribbean, Alaska, and US sailings booked from May 2026 it is $17 per night for standard staterooms and $23 for MSC Yacht Club. Guests 2 and older pay the full rate. A separate 18% Bar Service Charge is added to bar purchases on North America itineraries (15% on European and other regions).
Can I remove or adjust gratuities on MSC?
Yes. The rate varies by region and cabin class, and Grand Voyages from Europe are priced natively in euros (from EUR 12, about $13, per adult). You can prepay by asking to add it to the cruise price at booking. The daily rate itself cannot be lowered, but the onboard Guest Relations Manager can remove charges if service was unsatisfactory. Bookings made before May 2026 kept the prior $16 standard / $20 Yacht Club rate.
Can I prepay gratuities on MSC?
Yes, you can prepay the daily gratuity before you sail. The rate varies by region and cabin class, and Grand Voyages from Europe are priced natively in euros (from EUR 12, about $13, per adult). You can prepay by asking to add it to the cruise price at booking. The daily rate itself cannot be lowered, but the onboard Guest Relations Manager can remove charges if service was unsatisfactory. Bookings made before May 2026 kept the prior $16 standard / $20 Yacht Club rate.
Does MSC add a gratuity to drinks?
Yes. MSC automatically adds a 18% service charge to bar and beverage purchases, separate from the daily gratuity.
Are gratuities included in the MSC fare?
The rate varies by region and cabin class, and Grand Voyages from Europe are priced natively in euros (from EUR 12, about $13, per adult). You can prepay by asking to add it to the cruise price at booking. The daily rate itself cannot be lowered, but the onboard Guest Relations Manager can remove charges if service was unsatisfactory. Bookings made before May 2026 kept the prior $16 standard / $20 Yacht Club rate.

More on MSC

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 MSC Cruises service charge page. Cruise lines change gratuity rates without notice. Confirm with the line before you sail.