Extra Charges on Cruise Ships You Need to Know About
What Extra Charges Are There on a Cruise?
Embarking on a cruise getaway can be a wonderfully affordable way to see the world and create memories that will last a lifetime with friends and family; however, if you’re not careful, it can end up being quite an expensive affair – a getaway that will set you back a lot more than you initially budgeted for.
Whilst the majority of cruise lines offer getaways including travel, accommodation, entertainment, and food (in the main restaurants) in the standard cruise fare, there are usually some extra charges you need to be aware of. Regardless of whether your cruise whisks you away to the Caribbean, Mediterranean, or another exciting destination, it’s essential to know what will cost extra; that way, you’ll be able to budget correctly and avoid any unexpected spending.
From unexpected port charges, to laundry fees, and additional crew appreciation costs, there are a range of extra charges to be aware of. And, while a variety of luxury cruise lines (such as Explora Journeys and Regent Seven Seas) will have some of these extra charges included in the standard cruise fares available, it’s still important that you research what comes as standard with your fare and what will incur an additional cost.
If you’re wondering what you need to keep in mind when it comes to the cost of cruising beyond your cruise fare, and you’re not sure where to start, keep reading for a run-down of some of the most common extra charges on cruise ships you need to know about.
Contents:
- Food and Drinks
- Service Charges, Gratuities, and Crew Appreciation
- Port Charges, Docking Fees, and Visa Costs
- Extra Onboard Services
- Onboard Activities and Attractions
- Shore Excursions
- Cruise Ship Extra Charges FAQs
- Best Way to Budget on a Cruise
Food and Drinks
Whilst a standard cruise fare will almost always include a selection of complimentary dining and beverages, the extent of this and the options available will vary widely from cruise line to cruise line; this is also something that can depend on the class of stateroom you’re staying in, with the cost of cruising in a more expensive suite often including a drinks package and – in some cases – complimentary specialty dining experiences.
Specialty Dining
On most cruise ships, you’ll find fine dining restaurants onboard that are considered to be specialty dining options – which means, in most cases, they will incur an additional cost. With these restaurants, such as Remy on some Disney Cruise Line ships or The Glass House on several P&O Cruises ships offering an elevated dining experience, the price tag will be on the higher end.
It’s usually quite clear which restaurants are included in your cruise fare and which will incur extra charges when you eat there, but there’s no harm in checking with the cruise staff when you’re onboard if you’re unsure; they’ll be happy to help and highlight any specialty dining options available.
Drinks Packages
If you’re planning on spending all your time onboard lounging poolside with a colourful cocktail in hand, then drinks packages can be a fantastic way of keeping your costs low and making enjoying your holiday as effortless as possible. However, with these charged on a per person, per day basis for the full duration of your cruise, buying a drinks package really is only cost effective if you’re drinking several premium beverages each and every day you’re sailing; in some cases, you’ll need to drink up to eight drinks a day to break even.
If you’re not sure how much you’ll be drinking, or you’re sailing on a port-intensive itinerary where you’ll be spending more time ashore than onboard, it can actually be more economic to just buy premium beverages as and when you want them.
Before you decide whether a drinks package is right for you, though, it’s worth checking which drinks are actually included in your cruise fare – this is something that varies from cruise line to cruise line. With some, you’ll find things like juices and soft drinks are complimentary and included in your cruise fare (with or without an additional drinks package); on others, you may find that the only complimentary drinks are water outside the main buffet restaurant (on ships that have a buffet restaurant), where juices, water, tea, and filter coffee are often available and included with your complimentary dining.
If you would prefer to bring your own alcohol onboard for your cruise, several cruise lines will allow you to take up to two bottles of wine, or one bottle of spirit, aboard for your stateroom. Some cruise lines will also allow you to bring a bottle of wine to an onboard restaurant to consume. This, however, will come with an additional corkage fee; for example, Celebrity Cruises charge a $25 corkage fee per bottle.*
Service Charges, Gratuities, and Crew Appreciation
Another set of extra charges you may not be aware of, especially if you’re new to cruising, are the additional service charges and crew appreciation fees that are both automatically added to onboard purchases or added to your final bill at the end of your cruise.
In some cases, you’ll find that all of these extra charges are included in your cruise fare – for example, if you’re sailing with Virgin Voyages. However, that’s not always the case and, if they’re not included, you’ll find that an additional charge (which is sometimes a flat fee, sometimes a percentage) is added to everything you buy onboard. While this is disclosed, it’s not always clear and can mean you’re met with bills that are much higher than initially anticipated.
Similarly, if crew appreciation fees and gratuities aren’t included in your cruise fare, you’ll be met with an extra charge at the end of your getaway; often worked out on a per person, per day basis, this can range from anything between $10 per person, per day to $25 per person, per day – and maybe more.
It’s also worth noting that, even if room service seems complimentary, you may find an additional ‘convenience’ service charge is added to each order you make. For example, when looking at extra charges on Royal Caribbean cruises, you’ll find that a $7.95 service charge is applied to each room service order alongside an 18% gratuity charge – which can certainly make a late-night light bite a lot more expensive than it needs to be.*
Whereas, Princess Cruises’ extra charges when it comes to room service – which also includes the OceanNow service – mean you’ll need to pay a one-time fee of $14.99 when you’re onboard. Although, if you use your stateroom phone to place a room service order (and not Princess Cruises’ app), you’ll be charged a $5 fee every time you order.*
Port Charges, Docking Fees, and Visa Costs
With things like food and drink bundled together with accommodation and travel at one price, it’s easy to think that a standard cruise fare is a pretty inclusive holiday package – those are all the main things you need to think about when it comes to going away, right?
While these are all important things to think about, there’s also a variety of additional – and sadly unavoidable costs – to consider when it comes to cruising; docking fees and port charges, for example..
Quite a lot of the time, thankfully, these additional charges are included in your standard cruise fare and not something you need to worry too much about once you’ve booked yourself onto a cruise getaway. However, like with any one of these extra charges you need to keep in mind when it comes to cruising, this isn’t always the case. That means you could be paying upwards of an additional 20% of the total cost of your cruise fare on additional port fees – which, if you’re not expecting them, can come as quite a surprise.
How much all of these fees will actually cost you, though, depends wholly on your itinerary; and, not just the amount of ports you’ll be visiting, but the destinations themselves too. Of course, the longer the cruise, the more likely it is that the port fees will end up costing you more. However, that might not always be the case. For example, with Alaskan ports on the most expensive end of the scale, you may find that a shorter Alaska cruise will actually cost you more in port fees than a longer European cruise.
On top of all this, you’re also going to need to think about travel visas.
Being whisked away on a cruise is exciting, and it’s easy to forget about organising travel visas without a trip to the airport on the forefront of your mind (depending on where you’re cruising from, of course), but these are vitally important if you want to make the most of your holiday.
And, it’s something that’s entirely on you to sort out; this isn’t usually something your cruise fare will include. In some destinations, you can actually purchase a travel visa upon arrival, but most will require successfully completing a visa application in advance. If you need help with this, your cruise consultant should be able to give you more information on which destinations require which visas.
Extra Onboard Services
In quite a lot of cases, small luxuries like laundry services and Wi-Fi internet access are going to incur an additional charge while onboard.
Sometimes, you’ll find that these are included among the benefits of staying in a premium stateroom or suite, but this – as you might imagine – is something that varies from cruise line to cruise line and shouldn’t be an assumed inclusion in your cruise fare; that is, if you want to avoid any financial surprises after you’ve booked yourself onto a cruise.
Thankfully, though, these additional charges are situational and not something you’ll necessarily need to worry about. For example, on a shorter cruise getaway, you may not even need to take advantage of any onboard laundry services
Laundry Services
On some cruise lines, like Costa Cruises, you’ll be able to launder bags of items for a set price – something that can be booked in advance at the best rate. Meanwhile, on others, like Cunard, self-service laundering is complimentary and included in your cruise fare. You’ll also find most cruise lines offer a dry cleaning service at an additional charge, and there’s usually a surcharge up to 50% for same day service. So, if this is something you’d rather avoid, it’s worth planning ahead.
Wi-Fi Internet Access
In a somewhat similar fashion, Wi-Fi internet access packages are often available in advance, or you can pay for Wi-Fi internet access as-and-when you need to use it. Though, with some cruise lines charging upwards of $0.70 a minute, this can add up pretty quickly if you’re not careful.
While the initial cost can seem a little expensive, a package that includes Wi-Fi internet access for the duration of your cruise in a bulk price is almost always the more cost effective option – even when you account for the periods of time where you won’t be using your mobile device and needing Wi-Fi internet access, like during theatre shows or when you’re asleep.
Onboard Activties and Attractions
Sumptuous spa treatments, refreshing salon sessions, and energetic fitness classes. These are all examples of onboard activities that will often incur an additional charge when you’re on a cruise holiday – that is, should you want to indulge yourself with a massage in the onboard spa or work on your core strength in group Pilates.
Much like everything else beyond your travel and accommodation, there are some cases where access to these activities and attractions are included in your cruise fare; this is something that can depend on whether you’re enjoying a fully all-inclusive cruise, or if you’re sailing in a premium stateroom or suite. However, a lot of the time, you’re going to need to pay for these things separately if you want to experience them – and prices vary from cruise line to cruise line, so it’s worth doing your research ahead of time if you’re working on a budget for your break.
That doesn’t mean you actually need to spend extra, though. You’ll usually find that access to the onboard gym is included in your cruise fare, and these often include a variety of state-of-the-art fitness equipment for you to take advantage of. It’s just these fitness classes that will set you back; this can be anything from $10 to $20 per class, to upwards of $80 for personal training sessions. It all depends on what you want to do, and which cruise line you’re sailing with.
Similarly, there are some cases where you’ll find that access to the thermal suite within your cruise ship’s spa is complimentary and included in your fare; so, you’ll only need to pay extra if you’re looking to indulge yourself in any specialist treatments.
And, beyond all of this, you’ll find that – in most cases – a lot of the onboard entertainment available on your cruise ship is included in your cruise fare. This includes, but is not limited to, theatrical stage shows, live music performances, and swimming pools.
Shore Excursions
Often considered among the highlights of a cruise getaway, shore excursions can be one of the most egregious examples of an extra charge on a cruise that you need to know about, primarily because they can be the most expensive instance of additional spending if you’re not careful.
From wonderful wine tastings and whimsical walking tours to sensational safari game drives and spectacular subaquatic snorkeling, shore excursions encompass anything and everything you can do when you dock at one of the exciting destinations on your itinerary.
With cruise lines often organising their own packages for passengers heading ashore, which can cover everything from port transfers to photo ops, these prove to be a popular option with people who don’t want to worry about organising their own entertainment and activities in each destination; and, with exclusive activities available in some cases, they really are worth considering if you want to enrich your experience ashore.
However, they almost always come with a cost – one that’s oftentimes inflated above what the excursion would cost if you organised it yourself individually. So, while convenient, if you’re on a budget, you may want to spend some time looking into your options at each port ahead of arrival and plan your own shore excursions.
Cruise Ship Extra Charges FAQs
Do you have to pay extra for food on a cruise?
If you don’t want to, no; you don’t have to pay extra for food on a cruise.
Included in your cruise fare, you’ll have complimentary access to the ‘main dining room’ onboard – which, a lot of the time, will be a buffet-style restaurant. However, the extent of the included dining options beyond this will wholly depend on your specific cruise fare and the cruise line you’re sailing with. Where fares on some luxury cruises will include complimentary dining in all the restaurants onboard, many will have specialty restaurants where dining will cost you extra.
Ultimately, though, there will be a selection of complimentary foods and beverages available with your cruise fare. So, if you want to cut costs and avoid any extra spending, you won’t need to pay extra for food aboard a cruise ship.
Can you avoid paying gratuities on a cruise?
Yes, you can avoid paying the automatic gratuity charges on a cruise.
If you would prefer to compensate the cruise staff on your own terms at your own discretion, you’re well within your rights to refuse the gratuities and crew appreciation charges that are automatically applied to your cruise fare.
In order to do this, all you need to do is speak to the cruise staff at the ‘front desk’ of your cruise ship – a reception desk or Guest Services – and inform them of your decision. They will then remove this charge from your onboard account; if you don’t do this, you’ll find this additional fee on your bill at the end of your cruise getaway and it will be charged automatically to the payment option on file.
Best Way to Budget on a Cruise
If you’re looking to take advantage of a cheap cruise on a last-minute sailing and you want to keep your spending as low as possible, there are a few things you can do to minimise the total cost of your cruise; though, you may have a hard time not spending any money at all on your cruise holiday.
As simple as it sounds, the easiest way to avoid spending extra money on a cruise is to steer clear of anything that incurs an additional cost. With most cruise lines, and most cruise fares on said cruise lines, you’ll find gourmet dining in specialty restaurants will cost extra. So, sticking to the complimentary dining venues and only ordering the included foods and drinks will help you avoid spending extra money on your cruise getaway.
Similarly, joining exercise classes and checking out premium onboard attractions can sometimes incur an additional cost; and, organised shore excursions often cost quite a bit more than it does to organise your own when you head ashore. So, if you want to keep the cost of your cruise low, it’s worth checking what is and isn’t included in your cruise fare and – when you head ashore – set about organising your own excursion. This is going to require a little more effort and it’s going to be hard to not spend anything at all, but – in most cases – this will help you keep your spending down.
It’s also worth considering the cost of things like drinks packages and Wi-Fi internet access packages. Whilst drinks packages are often good value for money, if you don’t think you’ll make use of it, maybe avoid purchasing it – instead buying your drinks as and when you have them. The same can be applied to the Wi-Fi; if it’s not essential to enjoying your getaway, save yourself some money and use your mobile data. Although, in this case, be sure to only use it while ashore and not when you’re sailing – you’ll find yourself with a hefty bill from maritime charges, otherwise.
If you're cruising with children, there are a few things you should consider when it comes to the best way to book a cruise for families – things like the time of year you're travelling, specific family cruise deals, and the cabin configurations available. These sorts of details might seem second to the destination, but they really can make a huge difference.
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*All prices mentioned are correct as of August 2024 and subject to change.