Carnival passenger says he prepaid his tips, then crew carried a handheld to ask for more gratuity at the casino: ‘Gratuity alive and well’
Carnival says its new ‘Crew Love’ stickers simply let crew know a guest has prepaid, though his ship does not appear to be part of the pilot.
A passenger on the Carnival Venezia states he covered the gratuities ahead of sailing but was still prompted to add tips for drinks and at the casino. According to BroBible, he shared the complaint in a TikTok video and later added details by email.
He claims every drink he ordered brought another tip prompt. At the casino, crew carry a handheld that lets guests pick a gratuity before they sign, he notes. “In the casino last night, they’re carrying around a handheld where you can actually choose a gratuity before you sign your name,” he recalls. His Sail & Sign card carries no sticker.
In his email, he adds that the Venezia seems to sit outside the sticker test and that extra tip prompts after prepaying are nothing new. He explains, “If you buy a drink or service and automatic gratuity is added and there is a line for additional gratuity.” Tip prompts have raised questions elsewhere, including one creator’s concern about Dutch Bros. baristas adding tips to orders.
The sticker pilot is a separate program
Cruise Critic reports that Carnival has started placing “Crew Love” stickers on the Sail & Sign cards of guests who prepaid gratuities. Carnival describes the stickers as “one component of a broader pilot” and notes it is listening to feedback as it evaluates the program. One guest reported getting a sticker on a recent sailing. The guest added that it also had the number of days sailed printed on it.
Carnival’s statement describes the stickers and thank-you notes as “simply a way to let our crew know that a guest has prepaid their gratuities, while giving those guests a little recognition for their generosity.” It also calls the gratuity program “an important way guests recognize our hardworking team members.”
Carnival’s gratuity page lists recommended amounts of $17.00 USD per day for standard staterooms and $19.00 for suites, for each guest ages 2 and older. Guests can prepay before the cruise or have the recommended amount automatically added to their Sail & Sign account during the voyage. The program includes stateroom attendants, dining team members and behind-the-scenes crew.
The page adds that “Gratuities are paid in addition to team members’ guaranteed compensation.” A 20% service charge is also added to beverages, specialty dining and other for-pay food offerings. Onboard charges have been questioned before, as seen with a Carnival soda machine charging 27 cents an ounce.
Service charges are shared among the crew members who provide and support these experiences, and those team members do not take part in the gratuity program. An additional tip is optional, intended for guests who want to recognize exceptional service beyond the 20% service charge.
The passenger’s claims come from his video and could not be verified independently. The outlet emailed Carnival for comment.
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