Cruise Costs: What's Included in Your Cruise Fare

Table Of Content

• How Much Does a 7-Night Royal Caribbean Cruise Cost?
• Prices for different types of cruises
• How much does a Disney cruise really cost?
• Travel costs
• What’s Included in a Cruise?
• Costs to consider when planning a Caribbean cruise

On the upper decks, quick-service food stations, soft-serve ice cream and a buffet are available. Every Disney cruise also includes unlimited coffee, tea and soda. I've experienced all five ships in the Disney fleet and have sailed seven times to destinations around the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. If you’re interested in a themed vacation or want to explore a new destination, there are specialty cruises available for just about every interest.

How Much Does a 7-Night Royal Caribbean Cruise Cost?

Here, the cruise fare for a six-day trip in an interior cabin runs $759 per person. Still, in general, if you’re wanting to sail on the newest ships that also have the most to do, then expect to pay a bit more. Newer ships have a number of special cabin types like Cloud 9 cabins (near the spa) and Havana staterooms.

Prices for different types of cruises

Kids who want more time with the Disney characters might be interested in the Royal Court Royal Tea — a tea party with characters for kids ages 3 to 12. According to planDisney (Disney's online resource for vacation-planning tips), the cost is $220 per child and $69 for anyone 13 and up. Each tea party includes a selection of tea and a two-course meal; every child gets an assortment of gifts. Most of the entertainment on board is included in the overall cost of your sailing. Some examples of starting prices for each ship and its major itineraries for an inside cabin or a balcony cabin are listed below so you can get a sense of pricing across the fleet.

How much does a Disney cruise really cost?

If you’re looking to save money, you can also take public transportation or rent a car. I sold cruises at different times and one of the training scenarios was to pair the person with the type of car they drove. As funny as this may sound at first, it kind of still holds true in some respects. A modern-day cruise aboard a mega ship is like a floating resort at sea.

Onboard Prices for Princess Cruises' Regal Princess

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Travel agents often have access to exclusive discounts and group cruise rates. If you’re willing to take a last-minute cruise, you can often get a great deal. Being flexible with your travel plans can save you a lot of money. This means you can get a certain category type, such as an Interior cabin, Oceanview, or Balcony cabin, and the cruise line guarantees it. These cabins offer passengers a private balcony where they can relax and enjoy the view. When it comes to coffee, regular brewed or drip coffees are more likely to be included.

Travel costs

Those with travel credit cards may want to consider redeeming their rewards to cover the cost of a hotel or plane ticket. While booking through the cruise operator is convenient, it may cost more than exploring the port on your own. Plan to pay for any tours or activities you book, many of which start at $100 or more for a half-day adventure. If you want to book a cabin with an ocean view, a balcony or any other upgrades, expect to pay an upcharge. However, you can obtain a more affordable rate by booking a standard room.

Are there any cruise fares that are sold specifically at less expensive prices?

All ships offer free dining in the ship's main dining room and buffet, but nearly every ship today has one or many extra-fee dining venues (specialty restaurants). First-time cruisers may want to take it slow by dipping their toes into excursions before signing up for all-day tours. Some cruise ship's packages may even come with discounts on excursions. MSC Cruises are cheaper than others because they have a lower space-to-guest ratio and a lower crew-to-guest ratio. Plus, MSC Cruises charges extra for things that other cruise lines include for free.

What’s Included in a Cruise?

I ran the numbers on several other cruises by shopping online and found that to be true in most cases. Also watch out for destinations where the ship docks some distance from the city you are expecting to see. This happens frequently in Europe — Rome, Athens and Venice, for example. Taxes, fees and port charges on my Celebrity cruise totaled $186.45 per person. The ship called at Catalina Island, Cabo San Lucas and San Diego.

Costs to consider when planning a Caribbean cruise

In general, however, we think you’re best off estimating around $200-$300 per person, per day for a cruise on Carnival when all expenses are factored in. This blog helps over a million people to plan their cruises each month. Before you consider booking a cheap MSC cruise, I recommend that you read my full guide to why MSC Cruises are so cheap. You might also like our articles about the cost of a Great Loop experience, Bahamas vacation, or Jamaica vacation.

Rates vary across cruise lines, but are usually around $15 per person, per day. So a couple traveling on a seven-day cruise will pay about $200 in gratuities. Just like with the cruise fare, different people will spend different amounts. We’ve personally been on cruises and spent nothing extra on the ship.

For a family of four, expect to budget $5,600-$12,000+ for a one week cruise, excluding flights and pre/post hotels. Solo cruisers pay slightly more, while kids often sail free or discounted on mainstream lines. If you're on a budget, it can be tricky to figure out just what your total vacation cost will be and what kind of extra charges to anticipate. While a $7 pina colada likely won't break the bank, you might be surprised to discover how quickly an exercise class here and a round of bingo there can add up. The extra amenities that Disney offers — such as Broadway-quality shows, character experiences and larger standard cabins — all bring the overall cruise cost up.

Here, I'm sharing how much a Disney cruise costs per ship and itinerary, any extras that are worth the additional fees and how to save money on a Disney cruise. For example, That budget cruise might not be such a good deal when you add up all the extra costs or add-ons. You may find a better value with a different brand with a higher upfront cost, but you save more overall when the extras are included in the price. The average cost of a 7-day cruise is $1,500 per person based on double occupancy. However, this price can range from $700 to $4,000 per person, depending on the cruise line and specific itinerary. Before you cry foul, this cruise practice isn’t the nickel-and-diming it’s cracked up to be.

Cruise.com allows you to easily compare cruise rates on your favorite cruises on all destinations and all cruise lines including Carnival Cruises. Other family-friendly cruise brands include Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line and MSC Cruises. While all of the family-friendly brands have pros and cons, picking the right one for your family can come down to a matter of cost. Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy both have a virtual sports simulator that requires a reservation and a fee. You can play various sports, from football to golf, for either 30- or 60-minute time blocks. Cost varies based on time, sport and number of people playing.

Answered: How Much Does a Carnival Cruise Cost?

Table Of Content

• Gratuities and service charges on the cruise
• Highlights – How Much to Budget for Your Cruise
• How to save money on the cost of a Caribbean cruise
• Luxury cruises

If your cruise still has rooms available, you can ask at check-in about a room upgrade for a discount. The cost will be relative to the room type you originally booked and the room type you want to upgrade to. Sometimes, you can even upgrade to a concierge room or a suite, but you will need to get an early port arrival time to potentially score one of those upgrades.

Gratuities and service charges on the cruise

Some upper-tier loyalty program members receive free laundry service as a status perk. Lines like Norwegian and Royal Caribbean tack on a fee to all room service orders, which certainly increases cruise costs. When booking any independent tour, always plan to arrive back at the ship well before the all-aboard time for passengers. Unlike those on ship-sponsored tours, ships will generally not wait for passengers who arrive late to the vessel after independent touring.

Highlights – How Much to Budget for Your Cruise

Also, expect to pay extra for video games, bingo, casino gambling, fitness classes and spa and salon treatments and services. Obviously, you'll need to pay extra to travel to your port of embarkation, whether that's airfare, a ride-hailing service or parking and gas. Don't forget to budget for transfers between the airport, hotel and ship if you're not driving to the port and parking there. Some regions (like Alaska) tend to have higher port fees than others.

How to save money on the cost of a Caribbean cruise

We looked at a sample of four-night cruises to the Caribbean across multiple cruise lines departing in March 2024. A luxury, all-inclusive cruise will cost significantly more, while a no-frills Caribbean cruise can be cheaper. Before booking, find out what considerations you should make to determine the cost of a Caribbean cruise. You don’t need to spend a cent more if you don’t want to or you or you can pick and choose the extras that are important to you.

What’s the Best Length of Time for a Cruise?

It's recommended that those in concierge cabins and suites pay $15.50, with the extra going to your cabin assistant host. This can often include interior design, cabin amenities, specialty restaurants, food options, entertainment, and more. Most new ships also have the best of the crew and officers onboard to deliver a prized experience.

How much does a Royal Caribbean cruise cost?

You may also see packages only meant for email and social media usage. In any case, the fees will add up (especially if you want streaming and high-download access), so be sure to choose wisely. Buying additional batteries, memory cards and other camera supplies onboard will likely cost you more money than it would back home.

In any case, it’s important to know what to expect before you set sail. If spending every meal in the buffet or main dining room sounds like a little too much, or if you simply want to experience some world-class cuisine, specialty restaurants are a great option. They’re also one of the many places on the ship where it’s easy to overspend. Some cruise lines, like Norwegian Cruise Line, are also beginning to offer Internet packages specifically for social media. Their “Freestyle Choice Plans” distinguish between certain apps and websites to cater to cruise passengers’ needs. Daily service charges go to your stateroom attendant and server, and will either be billed to your shipboard account or prepaid at the time of booking.

So, now that we have established a baseline for the fare cost, we can look at the rest of the factors to get an idea of the total cost of a cruise. The numbers above give us a good baseline for the average cost to book a cruise, but there’s more to the equation. And yes, even if you’re going on a cruise by yourself you will have to pay for the second person, usually. If you're strategic, you can book a memorable — and affordable — cruise vacation.

How much does a Disney cruise really cost?

For example, a steakhouse on a luxury cruise ship might cost more than a casual restaurant on a budget-friendly cruise line. One of the best parts of a cruise is the opportunity to explore different ports of call. Most cruise lines offer a variety of shore excursions, from sightseeing tours to outdoor adventures. These excursions can be expensive, however, so it’s important to budget for them accordingly.

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In total, I would have paid $1,055 for excursions (including the Catalina tour that I did not have to pay for), which is a modest budget for two people on a seven-night cruise. For example, on previous cruises in the Caribbean, I have spent over $400 per port for two people for activities like scuba diving, snorkeling or zip lining. Daypasses start at $30 per person (Carnival) to more than $40.

At the start of your cruise, you can bring up to six cans of beer or two bottles of wine per person over 21 years old. Then, at each port, you can restock and bring the same alcohol allotment per person over 21 onto the ship to store in your room and enjoy. You might find that beer and wine are cheaper in port than on board — a smart way to save on your drinking expenses. If you're looking for a room upgrade, but that's not a make-it-or-break-it deal for your family, consider waiting to upgrade your room until you get to the port.

These days gratuities are automatically charged to your account; everyone pays them. You can choose to prepay them when you buy your cruise, or have them charged to your onboard spending account and pay the balance at the end of your trip. It includes everything from money spent gambling in the casino to alcohol, specialty restaurants, cruise line shore excursions, and even the souvenirs you buy in the gift shop. Keep in mind that these packages are priced per person, not per cabin, and that all members of a stateroom have to purchase them. You'll pay extra for everything from casual Italian to exclusive private degustation experiences and restaurants designed by celebrity chefs.

This does not include the cost of any flights or transportation to the port. If you're looking for a cheap Caribbean or Bahamian sailing, consider a three-night Bahamas cruise on Disney Magic starting at $1,500 for an inside cabin for two people. Add in drinks, specialty dining, souvenirs and other expenses, and you can expect to spend around $2,500 in total. Most cruises come with breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals, coffee, and even snacks included in the basic cost of the cruise.

If you're intrigued by the for-fee activities, set a budget and choose the ones you find most interesting. Most alternative restaurants charge in the range of $15 to $60 per person (or more), but a chef's table experience or wine-paired meal could be upward of a hundred per passenger. Even so, sailing with a third or fourth passengers is among the best deals in travel. That said, yes, occasionally there are special offers or prices — especially if you’re a VIFP member (Carnival’s loyalty program) with high status. But in general, we suggest not letting sale offers dictate when you decide to buy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises.