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Norwegian Gratuities

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

Norwegian adds $20 per guest per day in automatic gratuities, rising to $25 in suites. You can prepay them before you sail, and adjust or remove them at guest services on board.

Daily gratuity rate

Standard stateroom

$20per guest / day

Suite

$25per guest / day

NCL calls it a daily onboard service charge rather than a gratuity: $20.00 per person per day for Club Balcony Suite and below (standard staterooms) and $25.00 for The Haven and Suites, charged to all guests age 3 and older. Guests sailing to Hawaii pay a small additional prepaid GET tax. Separately, a 20% beverage service charge applies to individual drink purchases, though it does not apply to More At Sea drink and dining packages.

Bar service charge

20%on drinks

Norwegian 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

You can prepay the service charge up to 24 hours before sailing, and it is fully refundable if you cancel. It can be adjusted on board: raise any service issue at Guest Services, and if it is not resolved you can adjust the charge. The 20% beverage service charge also applies to spa and specialty dining. NCL says general-service tipping is not required.

Frequently asked questions

How much are gratuities on a Norwegian cruise?
NCL calls it a daily onboard service charge rather than a gratuity: $20.00 per person per day for Club Balcony Suite and below (standard staterooms) and $25.00 for The Haven and Suites, charged to all guests age 3 and older. Guests sailing to Hawaii pay a small additional prepaid GET tax. Separately, a 20% beverage service charge applies to individual drink purchases, though it does not apply to More At Sea drink and dining packages.
Can I remove or adjust gratuities on Norwegian?
Yes. You can prepay the service charge up to 24 hours before sailing, and it is fully refundable if you cancel. It can be adjusted on board: raise any service issue at Guest Services, and if it is not resolved you can adjust the charge. The 20% beverage service charge also applies to spa and specialty dining. NCL says general-service tipping is not required.
Can I prepay gratuities on Norwegian?
Yes, you can prepay the daily gratuity before you sail. You can prepay the service charge up to 24 hours before sailing, and it is fully refundable if you cancel. It can be adjusted on board: raise any service issue at Guest Services, and if it is not resolved you can adjust the charge. The 20% beverage service charge also applies to spa and specialty dining. NCL says general-service tipping is not required.
Does Norwegian add a gratuity to drinks?
Yes. Norwegian automatically adds a 20% service charge to bar and beverage purchases, separate from the daily gratuity.
Are gratuities included in the Norwegian fare?
You can prepay the service charge up to 24 hours before sailing, and it is fully refundable if you cancel. It can be adjusted on board: raise any service issue at Guest Services, and if it is not resolved you can adjust the charge. The 20% beverage service charge also applies to spa and specialty dining. NCL says general-service tipping is not required.

More on Norwegian

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