MSC Raising Gratuities for North American Sailings
Yet another day, yet another daily gratuity increase announcement. So far this year, Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, and Margaritaville at Sea have all increased these daily fees. This time, it’s MSC Cruises that will be increasing the daily gratuities for sailings departing from North America.
MSC’s Daily Gratuities Increase 6% – 15%
The daily gratuity (or as MSC calls it, the “Hotel Service Charge”) will increase from $16 to $17 per person per day, a 6% increase for standard cabins. For those booked in the Yacht Club, the cost will increase from $20 to $23 per day, a 15% increase.
| Cabin Type | Previous Rate | New Rate | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Cabin | $16 | $17 | 6% |
| MSC Yacht Club | $20 | $23 | 15% |
According to a letter sent to booked guests, MSC says, “The Hotel Service Charge helps us maintain the highest quality standards of service by supporting the dedicated crew members who work to enhance your onboard experience.”
According to MSC’s website, the fee is “distributed among crew members who contribute to the enjoyment and experience while on board. These crew members include stateroom attendants, bar, dining, and culinary staff, as well as many valued hotel operations crew members who work hard behind the scenes.”
These fees can add up. A family of four sailing on a week-long cruise on World America out of Miami will now pay $476 on top of the cruise fare.
Pre-pay Gratuities Now to Avoid Higher Costs
The new daily gratuities will go into effect on May 11, 2026. Guests who prepay the gratuities before that day will “lock in” the older rate. To prepay gratuities, you can call your travel agent, or if you booked directly through MSC, call them at 877-655-4655.
Increase is Limited to Caribbean and Alaska Sailings Only
In an unusual move, the increased service charge is only applicable to sailings to the Caribbean and Alaska. The letter sent to guests does not detail why this is the case. While it’s routine for cruise lines to automatically include daily gratuities in sailings from Australia, we haven’t seen lines differentiate the dollar amounts by region like this before. In theory, it should be the same amount of work no matter where the ship is sailing from.
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