Celebrity Cruises cruise policies
Celebrity Cruises Policies: Deposits, Final Payment, Cancellation, Gratuities, Dress Code and Age Rules
Every booking rule that affects your wallet or your packing list, on one page: what you pay when you book, when the balance is due, what it costs to cancel, the daily gratuity, what Evening Chic means and who can sail. Figures are Celebrity's own, for bookings made in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.
Deposit
The deposit is per person and depends on the length of the cruise. Suites in The Retreat pay a percentage of the fare instead. Select promotional fares carry a nonrefundable deposit; the standard fare's deposit is refundable until the cancellation schedule starts.
| Cruise length | Deposit |
|---|---|
| 1 to 5 nights | $100 per person |
| 6 to 8 nights | $250 per person |
| 9 nights or longer | $450 per person |
| Galapagos (Celebrity Flora) | $900 per person |
Good to know
- Suites, including suite guarantees: 10% of the cruise fare after discounts and promotions, or the standard deposit above, whichever is higher. The rule has applied to suite bookings made since June 1, 2023 and replaced the old double deposit.
- Upgrade a stateroom booking to a suite and the extra deposit is due when the change is made.
- On a nonrefundable-deposit fare the deposit is never refunded and a change fee applies to ship or sail-date changes. Cancel before final payment and Celebrity keeps the deposit but refunds anything else you have paid.
- Your booking confirmation shows the exact deposit and the date the balance is due.
Final payment
The balance must reach Celebrity by the deadline below or the booking cancels automatically. The deadline is the day Celebrity's cancellation schedule starts for your cruise length; Celebrity prints the exact date on the booking confirmation, and if you book inside the window the full fare is due at booking.
Standard schedule
| Cruise length | Balance due |
|---|---|
| 1 to 5 nights, including holiday sailings | 75 days before sailing |
| 6 nights or longer, including holiday sailings and CruiseTours | 120 days before sailing |
| Galapagos (Celebrity Flora) | 120 days before sailing |
Bookings made before October 11, 2026
Reservations created before October 11, 2026 keep the deadlines they were booked under.
| Cruise length | Balance due |
|---|---|
| 1 to 4 nights | 75 days before sailing |
| 5 to 14 nights | 90 days before sailing |
| 15 nights or longer | 120 days before sailing |
| Galapagos | 150 days before sailing |
Good to know
- The table above follows the cancellation schedule Celebrity introduced for bookings made on or after October 11, 2026, which starts at 75 days for 1 to 5 night cruises and 120 days for 6 nights or longer. Celebrity's travel-advisor reference still lists the earlier 75, 90 and 120 day deadlines, so check the date on your confirmation.
- You can schedule instalment payments toward the balance in your Celebrity guest account any time before the due date, or ask SmartCruiser to set them up.
- Cruise documents are normally available about 30 days before sailing once the booking is paid in full.
Cancellation charges
Charges are a percentage of the total price and depend on when Celebrity receives the cancellation. Taxes, fees and any fuel supplement are refunded in full.
Bookings made on or after October 11, 2026
Holiday sailings (Christmas through New Year's Day) and CruiseTours follow the same schedule.
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 5 nights | 75 days or more | No charge (nonrefundable deposits excepted) |
| 1 to 5 nights | 61 to 74 days | 50% |
| 1 to 5 nights | 31 to 60 days | 75% |
| 1 to 5 nights | 30 days or fewer | 100%, no refund except taxes and fees |
| 6 nights or longer | 120 days or more | No charge (nonrefundable deposits excepted) |
| 6 nights or longer | 90 to 119 days | 25% |
| 6 nights or longer | 61 to 89 days | 50% |
| 6 nights or longer | 31 to 60 days | 75% |
| 6 nights or longer | 30 days or fewer | 100%, no refund except taxes and fees |
| Galapagos (Celebrity Flora) | 120 days or more | $100 administrative fee per guest |
| Galapagos (Celebrity Flora) | 91 to 119 days | 25% |
| Galapagos (Celebrity Flora) | 61 to 90 days | 50% |
| Galapagos (Celebrity Flora) | 31 to 60 days | 75% |
| Galapagos (Celebrity Flora) | 30 days or fewer | 100%, no refund except taxes and fees |
Bookings made before October 11, 2026
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 4 nights | 75 days or more | No charge (nonrefundable deposits excepted) |
| 1 to 4 nights | 61 to 74 days | 50% |
| 1 to 4 nights | 31 to 60 days | 75% |
| 1 to 4 nights | 30 days or fewer | 100%, no refund |
| 5 to 14 nights | 90 days or more | No charge (nonrefundable deposits excepted) |
| 5 to 14 nights | 75 to 89 days | 25% |
| 5 to 14 nights | 61 to 74 days | 50% |
| 5 to 14 nights | 31 to 60 days | 75% |
| 5 to 14 nights | 30 days or fewer | 100%, no refund |
| 15 nights or longer | 120 days or more | No charge (nonrefundable deposits excepted) |
| 15 nights or longer | 75 to 119 days | 25% |
| 15 nights or longer | 61 to 74 days | 50% |
| 15 nights or longer | 31 to 60 days | 75% |
| 15 nights or longer | 30 days or fewer | 100%, no refund |
| Galapagos | 150 days or more | Full refund |
| Galapagos | 121 to 140 days | 10% |
| Galapagos | 91 to 120 days | 25% |
| Galapagos | 61 to 90 days | 50% |
| Galapagos | 31 to 60 days | 75% |
| Galapagos | 30 days or fewer | 100%, no refund |
Good to know
- A cancellation counts from the day Celebrity receives it.
- Refunds go back to the original credit card, or to SmartCruiser when we made the payment for you, and we pass them straight on.
- No refund once the cruise has started, for an early disembarkation or for a no-show.
- From October 11, 2026 the charge for a cancelled third or fourth guest is calculated on that guest's own fare automatically.
- Switching a CruiseTour to cruise-only within 42 days of the tour start carries a charge.
- Flights, hotels, shore excursions and other add-ons follow their own cancellation terms.
- If Celebrity cancels a sailing or delays embarkation by three days or more you can take a refund or a future cruise credit.
Gratuities
Celebrity adds a daily gratuity to each guest's SeaPass account, shared among dining, bar, housekeeping and other service staff. You can prepay it when you book, which locks the rate and keeps it off your onboard bill.
| Stateroom | Daily gratuity |
|---|---|
| Inside, Ocean View and Veranda staterooms | $19.50 per guest, per day |
| Concierge Class and AquaClass staterooms | $20.50 per guest, per day |
| The Retreat (suites) | $24.50 per guest, per day |
Good to know
- A 20% gratuity is added automatically to spa and salon services, beverages and beverage packages, specialty dining and dining packages, room service and minibar purchases, whether bought before the cruise or on board.
- Daily gratuities are optional: you can change or remove them at Guest Relations any time before the morning you disembark, not once the sailing has ended.
- Ask SmartCruiser to prepay them when you book and the amount appears on your invoice, not on your SeaPass account. Group bookings sometimes have gratuities included; we tell you when they are.
Dress code
Days are resort casual. Evenings in the main and specialty restaurants and the theatre are Smart Casual, and one or two nights per cruise are Evening Chic, Celebrity's take on formal night.
Daytime
Resort casual: sundresses, shorts, polos and T-shirts. Swimwear with a cover-up is fine poolside, not in the restaurants.
Smart Casual (most evenings)
A dress, skirt, long pants or jeans with a stylish top or button-down shirt. Required for the main dining room, specialty restaurants and the Celebrity Theatre. Shorts and flip-flops do not qualify.
Evening Chic (formal)
A cocktail dress, skirt, slacks or designer jeans with an elegant top or blazer. Tuxedos and gowns are welcome, never required; jackets are optional. Prefer not to dress up? Smart Casual is still accepted everywhere.
Dress Your Best nights
| Cruise length | Formal nights |
|---|---|
| 6 nights or shorter | 1 |
| 7 nights or longer | 2 |
House rules
- No swimsuits, see-through cover-ups, robes or bare feet in the main or specialty restaurants.
- No tank tops, T-shirts or baseball caps in the main or specialty restaurants at dinner.
- The Daily program delivered to your stateroom names each evening's dress code.
- Evening Chic is optional: Smart Casual attire is accepted in every restaurant and the theatre on those nights.
Age rules
Celebrity's age rules depend on where the ship sails from. Age is counted on the first day of the cruise.
Minimum age to sail without a parent or guardian
| Departure | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Sailings from North America | 21 |
| Sailings from South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand | 18 |
Stateroom assignment
On North American sailings a guest under 21 must share a stateroom with an adult of 21 or older. The rule is waived for children sailing with parents or guardians in connecting staterooms, for underage married couples with proof of marriage, and for active-duty U.S. or Canadian military with proof of service. A minor of 17 or younger not travelling with a parent needs an authorised adult escort of 21 or older (18 outside North America) and a notarised parental consent letter.
Infants
| Sailing | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Most cruises and CruiseTours | 6 months on the first day of the cruise |
| Transatlantic, transpacific, Hawaii, select South America and other selected cruises | 12 months |
| Any cruise with 3 or more consecutive sea days | 12 months |
Drinking age
| Departure or destination | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Sailings from North America or the Caribbean | 21 |
| Sailings from South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand | 18 |
| Private destinations (Perfect Day at CocoCay, Labadee) and U.S. or Canadian ports | 21 |
Good to know
- Nobody under 18 may possess or drink alcohol on board on any sailing, and Celebrity can raise the drinking age on a sailing where local law requires it.
- Casino: 18 and older, except Alaska sailings where it is 21.
- Spa 18 and older (13 to 17 only for a booked treatment); fitness centre 16 and older; Camp at Sea takes ages 3 to 17.
- An infant who does not meet the age rule is denied boarding with no refund, so check the first sailing day against the birthday before you book.
How SmartCruiser handles the fine print for you
- We put your final payment date on our calendar and remind you before it, so a booking never cancels by accident.
- Before final payment we watch your sailing for Celebrity price drops and promotions and reprice the booking when the line allows it.
- We handle cancellations, date changes and stateroom moves with Celebrity directly and tell you the exact charge before you decide.
- Prepaid gratuities, dining and beverage packages go on your invoice if you want them, and your Captain's Club number goes on the reservation.
- SmartCruiser adds bonus onboard credit on top of Celebrity's own offers on every sailing. Ask for it when you call 1-800-444-1560.
Last verified October 12, 2026 against Celebrity Cruises's own pages: Cancellation policy, Managing your booking, Suite deposit FAQ, Gratuity program, Onboard dress code, Before you board (age rules), Guest conduct and alcohol policy. These deposit, payment and cancellation terms are the ones Celebrity Cruises publishes for North American residents (United States, Canada and Puerto Rico). The United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand have their own booking conditions. Policies change; the cruise line's ticket contract and the terms on your booking confirmation govern.
Questions
Celebrity Cruises policy FAQ
How much is the deposit on a Celebrity cruise?
When is final payment due?
What does it cost to cancel?
Can I get my deposit back?
How much are gratuities?
How many formal nights does Celebrity have?
Can my 20-year-old sail alone?
What is the drinking age on a Celebrity ship?
Ask a Celebrity Cruises specialist
Deposits, deadlines, cancellations and what to pack: one call and it is handled, with SmartCruiser's bonus onboard credit on your booking.