Another cruise line just raised its gratuity rates. Here's how much guests will pay.
Margaritaville at Sea is the latest cruise line to raise its gratuity rates.
Passengers in staterooms will now pay $20 per guest, per night, while those in suites will pay $24 per person each night, according to its website. Those charges increased from $18 and $22, respectively.
The changes took effect on Feb. 1.
“Margaritaville at Sea focuses on providing exceptional guest service onboard,” a spokesperson for the cruise line told USA TODAY in an emailed statement. “This change allows for [MVAS] to continue to provide an incredibly high-level of service to our guests for quick getaways and longer vacations.”
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The fees are automatically added to guests’ onboard accounts, though passengers can adjust the amount via the cruise line's call center.
The news comes after Disney Cruise Line hiked its recommended gratuity rates last month, following a similar move from Royal Caribbean International in November.
Cruise lines periodically increase those fees, often making the changes in response to “external influences” like inflation or changes in economic activity, according to Danny Genung, CEO of travel agency Harr Travel.
“You look at the cost of hotels and transportation, fuel and food and everything else, and I think it's really just a normal response,” he previously told USA TODAY. “You know, compensating employees, offsetting costs that have increased.”
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Margaritaville at Sea raised its gratuity rates: How much you'll pay
