Big Three Cruise Corporations Set to Spend $2 Billion Food in 2023 - Cruise Industry News | Cruise News (2024)

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Big Three Cruise Corporations Set to Spend $2 Billion Food in 2023 - Cruise Industry News | Cruise News? ›

Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings are on pace to spend roughly $2 billion on food and beverage items in 2023, according to Cruise Industry News estimates.

You have the right to refuse this automatic gratuity charge and may compensate cruise staff on your own terms. However, you will need to notify the front desk of this desire. Otherwise it will appear on your bill when your cruise ends and it will be charged to your credit card on file.

In 2023, the passenger volume reached an record 31.7 million, marking a 7% increase over 2019 levels. The report paints a promising picture for the industry hit hard by the pandemic, highlighting an 82% intent among consumers to embark on cruise vacations.

Final answer: The top three players in the cruise market are A) Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Group, and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.

3. Royal Caribbean International – Symphony of the Seas: 228,081 gross tonnes. At launch in 2018, the Symphony of the Seas surpassed the Harmony as the biggest cruise ship, weighing in at 228,081 gross tonnes.

However, most cruise lines are based in the U.S., where the crew members' pay structure is based on tips. If you refuse to tip on principle, you are impacting the salaries of the people who have served you well onboard.

Do all cruise crew members receive tips? As mentioned above, not all members of the ship staff receive a share of the gratuities paid by passengers. Bartenders, main show entertainers and third-party shop employees are some of the more obvious ones, but they're not the only ones.

Costa Cruises

Many passengers are 55 and older, veteran cruisers who generally join in the activities with gusto.

The October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel by Hamas led to a number of lines canceling port calls (see below), while the latest attacks on cargo vessels in the Red Sea in early 2024 has led to cruise lines canceling itineraries in that region.

What cruise line has the least problems? ›

It's official: Royal Caribbean is the owner of the largest cruise ship in the world. The company accepted the delivery of the Icon of the Seas on Monday during a momentous ceremony in Turku, Finland.

Thankfully, very few cruise ships have actually sunk in modern history. Even so, the Titanic's sinking impacted maritime law so much that there are more than enough lifeboats for all passengers and crew onboard any given sailing. Within the last 111 years, over 20 cruise ships and ocean liners have sunk.

Others tip their room service or waitstaff at their favorite bar, either early in the cruise in the hope of getting better service or at the end to thank them for enhancing the vacation experience. How much to tip extra on a cruise is entirely up to you because it is in no way required.

While gratuity charges are technically optional on most cruise lines, they are automatically added to your bill, and if you want to have them adjusted or removed, that will take some extra effort on your part. Usually the reception or guest services desk can take care of it for you.

If you have not prepaid gratuities and the service charges show up on your onboard bill, you can go to guest services before the sailing ends and request to have the amounts altered or removed.

What happens if you don't prepay gratuities? If you don't choose to prepay gratuities, they will likely be added to your onboard account when you sail. Of course, gratuities are not mandatory, and you can ask to have them removed from your statement, usually by visiting the guest services desk.