I am looking into an Alaskan cruise. The cost of the cruise for a mid range cabin is about $2800 per person. But I know we will be expected to tip the room steward, the dining room waiter, and the cruise/tour director. [Yes, there is one, I am told, who will speak as we cruise.]
Assuming average performance by each of the persons rendering the service, what is a reasonable and customary tip amount for each?
I fear I am a greenhorn at this cruise business -- never took one other than a trans Atlantic crossing in 4-to-a-cabin tourist class back in 1955.

First of all, Bob, the best place to ask your cruise related question is on the section dedicated to CRUISES.
You probably didn't notice it because you have to "scroll down" (the vertical gray bar on the right-hand side of your screen) when you are on the page with the destination listings; i.e., USA, Canada, etc. before you see CRUISES.

However, to answer your question the answer varies a bit among the various cruise lines, but any brochure will tell you the "average" tips per day per person. No one is obligated to tip; almost all do.
Tips are given to the Room Steward (usually $3/day/per person), same for your Waiter; Assistant Waiter/Bus-boy gets $1.50/day/per person. Often, it is suggested a tip for the Maitre d' is in order -- however, I have never tipped him unless I have asked for his special help. You will be given special envelopes (they will be placed in your room) to place your cash tips in -- usually the day before the last day on the ship.
Please ask your travel agent to give you a brochure for your cruise line and its itinerary -- there's lots of information contained in them.
My own personal tip is that I calculate the amount of currency I will be putting in each envelope ahead of time and keep it separate from all my other cash. That way, the money is there when I need it, in the right amount, and there's no need for me to wait in line at the Cashier's desk.
Be sure to access, read, and ask any other questions about your cruise at the CRUISE section of this travel forum.
Also, your travel agent should be able to answer other questions; after all, that is what they are there for and how their earn their commissions.

Good luck and have a great time. The Alaskan cruise is really wonderful.

Anyone on board the ship at the time of debarking, who has his or her hand out, no matter if you EVER saw them or not, THAT's who you should TIP!

Another good reason why we have stopped cruising (other than being packed into closed quarters like sardines, herded to destinations and left to stand until the ship is permitted to dock, just to name a few!) You have just forked out $3,000 per person (not to mention what you're paying for the umbrella drinks, ice cream cones, fruit juices throughout the day) -- but now you have to hunt down ship personnel and hand them "extra monies" in an envelope for what is normally "their job" I'm sorry, this might open a can of worms, but I feel tipping is a personal matter and that the ship's cruise director (or someone else) should not set the guidelines for tipping THEIR hired help. Yes, yes, yes, I know that their wages are low -- but it's nice, as at an all-inclusive resort, I tip when and who I desire -- not those with their hands out! And I have the same benefits of a cruise, more polite employees, and I bring my own packet of dollar bills!

Bottom line, it should be a matter of personal preference who and why you tip! Not because some cruise brochure "instructs" you!

Oh, well, I owe, I owe, it's off to WORK I go!

I, too, grow weary of all of this tipping on cruises. On the cruise I took, they wanted you to tip a huge amount, and it is all set up to make it convenient. The envelopes. The designated time to tip. The personnel openly accepting tips in the dining room. I was gross. I think these cruise ships ought to just start paying their people instead of forcing them to beg.

First, if you went to a fine restaurant and you were asked to tip FOR THE DAY..$3.75....for the waiter you would think it was a bargain... If you can't afford to add another $100.00 give or take onto your cruise..take a ferry.....These people work for low pay, long hours, etc to wait on you and answer your every whim... On NCL you can now charge the tips to your credit card...we did give our excellent waiter extra $$...we have known him for a while and extra $$ to our room steward...in envelopes.. the rest we charged...We have never heard of tipping the cruise/tour director. The big objection I have is to the Maitre d.....I refuse to tip unless they have helped us..

In addition to tipping your waiter, busboy (or asst. waiter) and maitre d' in the dining room you also have the option of tipping the table captain. Some cruise lines still have separated the wine steward from the waiter, in which case you also have the option of tipping him/her. In my experience it is pretty much emphasized that tipping the maitre is totally at one's discretion and tipping the table captain is somewhat normal, although he would usually get much less than the waiter. Conversely we have tipped the busboy almost as much as the waiter because find they work just as hard, they just don't have the rank.

I have never tipped the cruise director or can think of an instance when I would. Tourguides and the tourbus driver are often tipped, we just give $1 or $2 each depending on how the tour was.

However, I have never experienced awful service on a cruise and if I did I would probably tip accordingly.

I agree the arrangements for tipping are so contrived - the envelopes, the cruise director's tipping discourse towards the end of the cruise, but we have always considered the tips a built in charge for cruising. For example, think of port charges that you just "have to pay" and are unavoidable. There is no surprise about "having to" tip. I don't think of tipping on cruises as extra pay for someone who was just doing their job.

Now if someone avoids tipping and hides from the dining room on the last night because they admittedly just don't want to fork over the money and know that they will not be billed or sought after for "unpaid tips" that's another story....

In addition to tipping your waiter, busboy (or asst. waiter) and maitre d' in the dining room you also have the option of tipping the table captain. Some cruise lines still have separated the wine steward from the waiter, in which case you also have the option of tipping him/her. In my experience it is pretty much emphasized that tipping the maitre is totally at one's discretion and tipping the table captain is somewhat normal, although he would usually get much less than the waiter. Conversely we have tipped the busboy almost as much as the waiter because find they work just as hard, they just don't have the rank.

I have never tipped the cruise director or can think of an instance when I would. Tourguides and the tourbus driver are often tipped, we just give $1 or $2 each depending on how the tour was.

However, I have never experienced awful service on a cruise and if I did I would probably tip accordingly.

I agree the arrangements for tipping are so contrived - the envelopes, the cruise director's tipping discourse towards the end of the cruise, but we have always considered the tips a built in charge for cruising. For example, think of port charges that you just "have to pay" and are unavoidable. There is no surprise about "having to" tip. I don't think of tipping on cruises as extra pay for someone who was just doing their job.

Now if someone avoids tipping and hides from the dining room on the last night because they admittedly just don't want to fork over the money and know that they will not be billed or sought after for "unpaid tips" that's another story....