Passengers of Celebrity Cruises are pushing back after the cruise line raised its automatic gratuity charges with little notice, with some guests threatening to remove their payment of the fees altogether and tip crew members in cash instead.As of July 29, guests who do not prepay the gratuities will automatically pay between $19.50 and $24.50 per person, per day, depending on their stateroom category, according to the Celebrity Cruises gratuity policy on the company's website.The increase raises the daily gratuity by $1.50 per person across every stateroom category, according to reports.AMERICA’S TIPPING CULTURE HAS GONE FROM REWARDING SERVICE TO FEE INSANITYUnder the new rates, guests staying in Inside, Ocean View and Veranda staterooms will pay $19.50 per person, per day.Concierge Class and AquaClass guests will pay $20.50, while those staying in The Retreat will pay $24.50, the policy states.Celebrity Cruises passengers are pushing back after the cruise line raised its automatic gratuity charges with little notice.(Guvendemir/Getty Images)The gratuity program is part of crew compensation and reflects industry standards, while guests frequently credit crew members with making their vacations memorable, a spokesperson from Miami-based Royal Caribbean Group — of which Celebrity Cruises is part — told Fox News Digital.The cruise line also automatically adds a 20% gratuity to purchases including beverages, beverage packages, specialty dining, room service, minibar items and spa and salon services, according to the policy.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTERWhile many passengers said they support the idea of tipping crew members, they criticized the timing of the announcement, saying they were notified on the same day the higher rates took effect."Today is July 29.
Nice bit of lead time," one Reddit user wrote about what happened."I might have paid in advance for the savings ...
but this sucks."The increase raises the daily gratuity by $1.50 per ...