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This cruise line is doubling room service fees for orders around the clock

Ashley Kosciolek
Ashley Kosciolek
Senior cruise writer
In addition to cruising, Ashley is obsessed with reading, lawn gnomes, pizza, cats, CrossFit, SEO and proper grammar.
Jan. 05, 2023
•
4 min read
A full room service breakfast on a balcony of a cruise ship cabin at sea including juice, coffee and full meals on a sunny luxury vacation on the sea.
This cruise line is doubling room service fees for orders around the clock
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As part of a recent spate of nickel-and-dime charges and fee increases among cruise lines, Celebrity Cruises quietly added a room service fee for all orders, and it's one of the highest in the industry.

Effective Dec. 30, 2022, the line instituted a charge of $9.95 per order (plus an 18% automatic gratuity) for all room service orders at any time of day on select ships. A representative from the line told The Points Guy that the new fee will be rolled out across the entire fleet by mid-January.

Previously, the line charged only for late-night orders between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., and the cost was $4.95 — about half of the new round-the-clock price.

"In our commitment to deliver best-in-class service, and due to the high demand of our room service offering, a $9.95 fee per ... order was instituted ... to reduce wait times, provide a high-quality product and support our sustainability goals, which include reducing food waste," a representative from Celebrity told TPG in an email.

A room service fee of $9.95 quietly showed up on the daily schedules on some Celebrity Cruises ships on Dec. 30, 2022. DAVID HANKES

The charge is per order, rather than per item, so it's the same price whether you order one snack or several. It will also have an 18% gratuity added, bringing the total to $11.74 per order. Continental breakfast will remain free each morning between 6 and 11, and room service will still be free all day for Zenith-level members of the line's Captain's Club loyalty program and anyone booked in a suite.

The new amount is one of the highest flat-fee charges found on any cruise line, putting Celebrity higher than both Norwegian Cruise Line, which also charges $9.95 per order, and Royal Caribbean, which charges about $9.70 after an 18% gratuity is added. In comparison, Virgin Voyages charges just $5 for each order, while lines like Carnival and Princess price some items a la carte. MSC Cruises employs a combination of the two systems, levying per-item pricing and delivery charges, depending on the fare type booked.

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Charging for room service on cruise ships is nothing new, and most non-luxury lines began doing it years ago, eliminating one of the last complimentary luxuries at sea.

The change to Celebrity's room service fee is one of several cost-cutting and revenue-generating actions taken by lines in recent weeks after finding themselves billions of dollars in debt following the pandemic-related industry shutdown. Norwegian Cruise Line raised its daily service fee charges by a whopping 25% to $20 per person ($25 in suites) and said it would cut back on twice-a-day room cleaning and, as a result, decrease pay for some room stewards.

Carnival, which recently raised pricing for some of its alternative restaurants, made similar tweaks, increasing its daily automatic gratuities to $16 per passenger ($18 in suites) and also raising its Wi-Fi prices as much as 25% for a single device. Princess also jacked up its gratuities to a daily fee of $16 per person ($18 in suites) and increased Wi-Fi rates by 50% for a single device. Holland America Line also has plans to raise daily gratuities for passengers.

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Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits.

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  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.