Tipping on Yangtze Cruise Ships | Guide on Yangtze River Cruise Gratuities & Service Charge 2025

Mandatory gratuities onboard also known as cruise service charge. It’s the fee every guest has to pay during Yangtze Cruise tour. It is also the regulation of the cruise companies which passengers are supposed to follow.

Some Yangtze cruise companies has already included the service charge in the cruise fare, which means there is no additional charge after boarding the ship.

However most top cruises sailing on Yangtze River didn’t include the service fee in the cruise ticket (cruise fare) directly. Passengers need to pay the service charge when checking in at the reception counter. Service charge amount differs from different cruise lines, routes, companies and customers’ nationality. If you already book the ship, service charge (mandatory tips) fee will be specified in our confirmation letter, please kindly note this so that inconvenience can be avoided.

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☻ Cruise company include service charge in the cruise fare:

☺ Cruise company exclude service charge in the cruise fare:
(need extra pay when checking in at the reception counter)

• Reference Amount of Payment: CNY 150/person (passengers ≥ 12 years old)

Volunteer Gratuities (Volunteer Tip)

The service charge does not include a gratuity to our river guide or cruise director, which may be given at travelers' discretion based on their satisfaction with services received, as a gratuity for additional special services requested by cruisers. For porterage between the cabin and lobby, an optional gratuity of about $1.00 / CNY 10-15 per bag is recommended.

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Why Tipping on Yangtze River Cruises?

1. Tipping is an act of thankful and appreciation for the excellent service provided by the staff during cruise tour.

Service is the spirit of Yangtze River Cruise. Ships sailing on Yangtze River are normally smaller than sea-going cruise, so the experience and service are more personal and outstanding. The well-trained crew will make you feel comfortable during the whole journey.

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2. Tip is not only a bonus but a good portion of cruise staff income.

Yangtze River cruises attach great importance to their service. The average crew-to-passenger ratio on the Yangtze cruise is about 1:4 (Yangtze Explorer provided the finest and most personalized one-on-one VIP service). That means staff pay is one of the biggest expense at Yangtze cruise companies.

◎ Top 5 Best-value Yangtze River Cruises 2025/2026

3. Tipping to Service Charge on Yangtze River Cruise

Tipping cultures vary from country to country. In order to guarantee the compensation of crew members, most mainstream Yangtze River cruise companies require a mandatory cruise gratuity, also known as the service charge/fee during the cruise tour. Service charge is required to be paid when checking in at the reception counter.