What’s the legal situation if you’ve booked a cruise but don’t want to pay the tips?

If you’ve booked a cruise that has the tips or gratuities included in the fare, these must be paid. If your cruise instead suggests that you tip during your cruise, either automatically or at your own discretion, you are under no legal obligation to pay these tips and, when they are automatically added to your account, you can request that they are removed. However tips are a huge part of the salary that cruise staff receive for their diligent work, with people often relying on tips to get by, and as such standard cruise practice is to make sure you tip.