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How Much are
Cunard Gratuities in 2026?
Published: 21st April 2026
Updated: 18th July 2026
QUICK ANSWER: Cunard charges a Hotel and Dining Service Charge of $18 per person per night in Britannia and Britannia Club staterooms, and $19 per person per night in Queens and Princess Grill Suites, effective June 2026. An 18% service charge is also added to all bar, wine and spa purchases. The charge is the same across all four ships and applies to guests of all ages including children.
Cunard Gratuities Calculator
With our FREE Cunard Gratuities Calculator Tool in this article, know exactly what you'll pay in service charges before you set sail — no surprises on your final bill.
What are Cunard Gratuities?
According to Cunard's official service charges page Cunard officially calls gratuities the Hotel & Dining Service Charge — and since May 2025 that is the terminology you'll see on your onboard account, replacing the older word "gratuities." The rebrand is about transparency: Cunard wants to be clear that these are automatic daily charges, not optional cash tips. Check out our full run down of Cunard Gratuities our in depth article here.
The charge is automatically added to your onboard account every night of your voyage and is settled (along with everything else) on the final evening before disembarkation. You can review your running total at any time using the Cunard app or by logging in via the complimentary Wi-Fi.
Who receives the money? According to Cunard's official policy, 100% of the hotel and dining service charge goes directly to crew — there is no administrative fee deducted by the company. It is shared across a wide range of staff including cabin stewards, restaurant waiters, kitchen teams, laundry staff and other behind-the-scenes crew who contribute to the White Star service experience.
It is worth noting that casino staff are excluded from the pooled gratuity system, because not all guests use the casino. If you enjoy the tables, a personal cash tip for dealers and staff is always appreciated.
Current Rates (updated 1st June 2026)
As of voyages departing from May 2025 onwards, Cunard charges a daily service fee per person based on your cabin category. The same rates apply across the entire Cunard fleet. The rates were updated on 1st June 2026.
STANDARD ACCOMMODATION
Britannia and Britannia Club Staterooms
$18
per person, per night
PREMIUM ACCOMMODATION
Queens and Princess Grill Suites
$19
per person, per night
💡 Drinks Packages: If you purchase a Cunard drinks package, the 18% bar gratuity is already baked into the package price — you won't see any additional service charge on individual drinks. For those who plan to drink regularly, this is one of the best ways to control your onboard spend.
INTERACTIVE TOOL
Cunard Gratuities Calculator
Use the calculator below to estimate your total service charges before you sail. Enter your cabin type, voyage length, number of guests, and an optional estimate for bar spending to see a full cost breakdown.
Rates: $18 (Britannia/Britannia Club) / $19 (Grill Suites) per person per night. Bar and spa at 18%. Sourced from cunard.com July 2026. Verify with Cunard before sailing.
Full Breakdown of Cunard Service Charges
Not all Cunard service charges work the same way. The table below summarises what you can and can't adjust.
| Charge Type | Amount | Applies To | Adjustable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel & Dining Service Charge | $18 / $19 per person, per night | All guests automatically | Yes — Guest Services |
| Bar & Wine Service Charge | 18% of each order | All bar and wine venues | Compulsory |
| Spa & Salon Service Charge | 18% of treatment cost | Mareel Wellness & Beauty Spa | Yes — at checkout |
| Corkage Fee | $25 per bottle | Personal alcohol consumed outside stateroom | Compulsory |
Can You Remove or Adjust Cunard Gratuities?
The Hotel & Dining Service Charge is recommended but not compulsory — it can be reduced or removed by visiting the Guest Services desk during your voyage, any time before you settle your onboard account prior to disembarkation.
A word on removing gratuities: You can remove or reduce the daily hotel & dining charge at Guest Services, and Cunard will do so without making a fuss. However, bear in mind that this removes recognition from behind-the-scenes crew — laundry staff, kitchen porters, and others who never appear at your table but work tirelessly to make your voyage seamless. If a specific service has fallen short, it's worth raising that directly with Guest Services rather than removing gratuities entirely.
While some guests prefer to remove the automatic charge and tip crew members individually in cash, this approach is generally discouraged. Many of the staff who benefit from the shared service charge — such as galley workers, laundry staff and behind-the-scenes team members — would not otherwise receive a gratuity. We generally leave the automatic service charge in place and tip in cash those staff members who we feel have gone over and above in terms of service.
How to Reduce Your Gratuities Bill
1. Use Onboard Credit to Cover Gratuities
If your booking included onboard credit (OBC) — whether through a promotion, a travel agent incentive, or a Cunard World Club benefit — you can use it to offset your hotel and dining service charges. Simply let Guest Services know, and they'll apply your OBC to cover the daily amounts as they accrue.
2. Book a Free Gratuities Promotion
Cunard periodically runs promotions where hotel and dining service charges are included in your fare. These deals appear most often on World Voyages and longer sailings, but do also surface on shorter itineraries during sale periods. They are particularly valuable for Grill Suite bookings, where the savings over a 100-night World Voyage can exceed $3,800 per couple.
3. Opt for a Drinks Package
If you plan to enjoy wine with dinner and cocktails before the show, Cunard's drinks packages bundle the 18% bar service charge into one upfront price. This won't affect your daily hotel charge, but it does eliminate the drip-drip of bar gratuities that can add up surprisingly fast over a two-week voyage.
4. Budget in Advance
The single most effective "saving" is simply knowing what to expect. Use the calculator above before you book, factor gratuities into your total voyage budget, and you'll arrive at Southampton without any last-night surprises on your final bill statement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I prepay Cunard gratuities before my cruise?
Unlike some cruise lines, Cunard does not currently offer a pre-payment option for hotel and dining service charges. They are always added to your onboard account during the voyage and settled on your final night aboard. The only exception is if your booking fare already includes gratuities as part of a promotion.
Are children charged gratuities at the same rate as adults?
Yes. The hotel and dining service charge applies to all guests regardless of age, including infants and children. At $18 per child per night, this is worth factoring in carefully for family bookings — our calculator above accounts for children separately so you can see the full picture.
Are Cunard gratuities the same in USD on UK bookings?
Yes. Cunard operates a single currency onboard — US dollars — regardless of your country of residence or the currency you booked in. If your credit or debit card is in GBP, your bank will convert the final dollar amount at its prevailing exchange rate. Cunard also offers a currency conversion service onboard, though bank rates are usually more favourable.
Has Cunard changed the name from "gratuities" to something else?
Yes. From May 2025, Cunard formally rebranded these charges as the "Hotel and Dining Service Charge" across all communications and onboard account statements. The amounts are identical — only the terminology has changed, to be more transparent about the nature of the automatic daily charge. Bookings that had "Free Gratuities" promotions are unaffected; those covers are still applied under the new name.
Should I tip on top of the daily service charge?
The daily service charge is designed to cover all routine tipping, so there is no obligation or expectation to tip additionally. However, if a crew member — your room steward, a favourite waiter, or a butler in the Grills — has gone genuinely above and beyond, a personal cash tip is a warm way to acknowledge that. There is no set figure; anything from $5 to $20 at the end of the voyage is graciously received.
Do Cunard gratuities differ between ships?
No. The hotel and dining service charge rates are fleet-wide and identical across Queen Mary 2, Queen Anne, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth. The only variable is your cabin category — Britannia or Grill — not which ship you are sailing on.
Accuracy & Updates: The rates shown in this article and calculator reflect Cunard's published hotel and dining service charges effective from May 2025 with rates updated on 1st June 2026. Gratuity rates are set by Cunard and may be subject to change without notice. Always verify current rates on the Cunard website or with your travel agent before sailing. Bar and spa service charges (18%) are applied per transaction and the estimated figures in the calculator are illustrative only.
