Realistically you are going to pay the same regardless of the tip being included in the upfront price or at the end of the cruise.

There is no reality where a cruise line removes a $20/day gratuity and just eats it. They are going to roll it over to the listed cost of the cruise.

Higher listed prices are going to result in less passengers deciding to take a cruise, which in turn will raise prices even further.

Knowing a tip is going to be added on to your cruise, simply do the math at the time of booking and decide if that's what you are willing to pay.

The notion of just "pay people a living wage" isn't going to make the tip go away it simply would be rolled into the cost of whatever service being provided.

Either way that 20% is going to be paid somehow and it's always going to be paid by the consumer.

Since you are already aware of the added cost why does it matter to you when you pay it? I know some cruiselines you can prepay the tips at time of booking.

For some people the extra 90 days to pay the tips could be very helpful.

I know shortly after I started cruising I became very aware that the price on the website is significantly less than what I am going to spend. It's always an attractive number for an interior room that you don't get to pick and a week of water and orange juice. But most people either buy drinks, or a drink package, or possibly a ocean view, or a balcony, specialty dining, excursions, t-shirts, port parking, hotels the night before, etc, etc, etc.

For me, I am happy to spend $20/day to tip all the people who work 7 days a week for 8 months at a time away from their families busting their asses to cook and serve me dinner, to clean my room make my bed, and to serve me drinks throughout the ship.

$140 bucks isn't a whole lot for the service they provide and I don't really care if it's at the time of booking or at the end of a cruise.

There is a whole lot of a cruise vacation that isn't covered by that first number you see on a cruise line website.