SEATTLE, June 14 (Our Washington Times) — Holland America Line’s official booking and onboard records now list its automatic daily “Crew Appreciation” charge at $18 per person for non-suite staterooms and $20 per person for suites, a cost that can add hundreds of dollars to a trip before drinks, dining upgrades or spa purchases are added.
For travelers in Washington comparing cruise costs, the practical effect is straightforward: on a seven-night sailing, the listed charge totals $126 per person in most cabins and $140 per person in suites. For two people, that comes to $252 in a non-suite room and $280 in a suite.
The figures appear in Holland America’s public FAQ pages. In its booking FAQ, the company says the daily rates are $18 for non-suite staterooms and $20 for suites, and says the rates are subject to change. In a separate onboard FAQ, Holland America describes Crew Appreciation as “a daily gratuity automatically added to your onboard account.”
The company’s onboard FAQ also explains where the money goes. “Crew Appreciation appears as a daily charge on your onboard account, and it is pooled to support team members across the ship who contribute to your experience, including roles you see every day, and those working quietly in the background,” the company says. Another Holland America FAQ says the charge is meant “to recognize the many Holland America Line team members who make your cruise feel effortless.”
The company’s current FAQ pages do not, in the records reviewed for this story, spell out when the current rates began or what the earlier rates were. But Fox News, citing company policy, reported June 13 that the higher $18 and $20 rates took effect June 1. Fox News also reported that guests may adjust the daily gratuity amount while onboard.
A Holland America spokesperson told Fox News that “100% goes directly to our shipboard team” and said the charge is “in line with the cruise industry competitive standards.” Holland America’s own FAQ pages reviewed for this story confirm that the charge is automatic and pooled among shipboard workers, but they do not independently detail how the funds are distributed.
The current pricing matters because cruise gratuities are charged per person, not per cabin. That means the daily amount rises with each guest and each added day of a voyage. On a 10-night trip, Holland America’s listed Crew Appreciation charge reaches $180 per person in a non-suite cabin and $200 per person in a suite. For two guests, that is $360 or $400, respectively.
Holland America’s public materials reviewed for this story do not include a full comparison with rival cruise lines. The company, through the spokesperson quoted by Fox News, said its pricing fits industry standards, but the records reviewed here do not include an independent industrywide dataset that would verify that claim line by line.
The documentation that is public is narrow but clear on the central point: Holland America’s own FAQ pages now show an automatic daily Crew Appreciation charge of $18 per guest for non-suite staterooms and $20 per guest for suites; the fee is added to onboard accounts; and the company says it is pooled across front-facing and behind-the-scenes shipboard roles.
Those details are shown on Holland America FAQ pages updated in June, with the onboard Crew Appreciation page showing a June 9 update and the booking FAQ showing a June 14 update.
