It may cost a little extra money to sail on a Disney Cruise from now on. Recently, Disney updated its website with some new pricing information, raising the price of an important fee.
Disney Treasure Stateroom
If you’ve ever taken a Disney Cruise before, you may know that Disney recommends an additional gratuity for exceptional service. Well, Disney just raised the recommended price per night, so take a look at the new suggested gratuity before your next cruise.
In the past, the Disney Cruise Line website recommended a gratuity amount of $14.50 USD per night per stateroom guest, including infants and children. However, as of January 23rd, the website has been updated with a new price. Disney now states, “It is customary to give gratuities in recognition of exceptional service, which you’ll receive in abundance aboard the ship. We recommend a gratuity amount of $16 USD per night, per stateroom guest, including infants and children.”
1923
The tip is distributed to several crew members, including:
- Dining room server
- Dining room assistant server
- Dining room head server
- Stateroom host
If you’re staying in a Concierge Stateroom or Suite, Disney recommends a gratuity amount of $27.25 USD per night, per stateroom guest. This higher fee covers the “assistant stateroom host, who services the Concierge accommodations, and the Concierge Lounge team,” along with the dining room server, dining room assistant server, dining room head server, and stateroom host. This is up from $23.50 USD per night, per stateroom guest in 2024.
Disney Fantasy
So, let’s say that you’re a family of three, and you’re sailing on a three-night cruise. With the new suggested gratuity, you would pay about $144.
Disney Cruise Line
Keep in mind that gratuity is not required on Disney Cruises, but it is automatically applied. If you wish to remove or lower the amount, you typically need to visit guest services to do so, and you may need to wait in a long line. Gratuities can only be adjusted for a passenger’s dining room server, dining room assistant server, dining room head server, and stateroom host.
Rajah Royal Suite
Additionally, Disney Cruise Line allows you to pre-pay gratuities before setting sail. If you choose not to pre-pay, your gratuities will automatically be charged to your onboard account at the suggested rates.
Disney Treasure Cruise Ship
If you choose to prepay, note that optional gratuities do not cover the following:
- Extras added to rotational dining meals, such as alcoholic beverages
- Adult dining locations such as Remy, Palo, Palo Steakhouse, and Enchanté by Chef Arnaud Lallement, which are not part of rotational dining
- Food or drink in shops and outdoor or poolside eateries
- Room service
- Port Adventures
- Senses Spa & Salon
- Any other additional services
Palo Steakhouse
Don’t want to go through all of the stress of booking your Disney World trip alone? Reach out to our friends at Small World Vacations! Their experienced agents monitor your reservation for possible future savings, compare discounts and figure out which one works best for your travel party, dates, resort, and touring plans. And, they share expert tips and first-hand advice with you about your magical vacation.
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In the meantime, we’re always on the lookout for the latest Disney news, so stay tuned for more.
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We have been on a few Disney cruises and based on our experiences, the Castmembers fully earned their gratuities. No anger here from me or my family.
Pricing is getting out of control at Disney. Have cruised 13 times on Disney, inaugural year on the first 5 years and hand enjoyed every one, but I am beginning to feel my next cruise will be my last. 3 times the price of a week long cruise in Royal Caribbean vs. a 5 day on Disney is a bit hard to swallow.
So if already book, and paid for, for a April cruise does this affect me? I ask that, but I usually always tip more, but don’t like being made to! (Although they probably deserve an increase!)
Those people work their behinds off to give you good service. And this is the entirety of their pay. I don’t mind paying extra for the wait staff and the room stewards. This money isn’t going to Disney. These people have often left their families behind in their home countries to try and make a better income and send the money home. If you can afford a Disney cruise you can afford to help others who are not as well off as you are. Share your blessings with others!
I’ve never been on a Disney cruise but the new gratuity is in line with what we’ve been paying on Royal Caribbean.
We cruise the same ports for a lot less on RC.
You don’t get the whole Disney experience and the smaller ships we usually sail on don’t have as much for kids at Disney. The larger RC ships do and are still less expensive than Disney.
I love Disney but I’m not paying 3 times as much for the same cruise we take on RC.
Just our preference.
The serving team absolutely deserves an increase in tip, which we are happy to do, and typically do anyway. They make the experience magical and frequently go above and beyond to help. I would hope this also means Disney will layoff the psychological torture of pressuring them for Outstanding reviews and all 5s, even for things that aren’t the serving/host team’s fault. It makes the entire review process seem forced and not actual, truthful feedback, because you don’t want anything bad happening to your serving/host team. But realistically, that’s not going to happen.