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Home › Guides › What's included in a cruise fare, and what costs extra
GuideWhat's included in a cruise fare, and what costs extra
A cruise fare can feel all-inclusive right up until the final statement. Here's exactly what your fare covers, what gets billed separately, and how to keep the extras in check, so you know the real cost of a sailing before you ever pick up the phone.
☎Call now · +1-833-684-4250The short version
- Your fare almost always covers your cabin, main dining, most casual and buffet food, daytime activities, kids' clubs and most entertainment.
- The usual extras are gratuities, alcoholic and specialty drinks, Wi-Fi, specialty restaurants, shore excursions, the spa and photos.
- Daily gratuities (a service charge) are added to your account automatically, per guest per day, the one 'extra' almost everyone ends up paying.
- Drink and Wi-Fi packages can be worth it, but most lines require every adult in the cabin to buy the same package, the rule that catches people out.
- What counts as 'included' shifts a lot by line: a premium fare may fold in more, a casual fare less. Read the inclusions, not the headline.
What your cruise fare includes
On nearly every major line, one fare covers the core of your trip. Think of it as your room, your ride and your everyday food-and-fun, bundled together:
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Main dining & buffet
Main dining rooms, the buffet and most casual spots, plus tea, coffee, water and juice at meals.
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Entertainment & activities
Pools, hot tubs, the gym, deck games, trivia and most production shows.
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Kids' & teen clubs
Supervised, age-grouped youth programming during normal hours.
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Port-to-port travel
The sailing itself, and usually the government taxes and port fees.
That's a real all-in base: you could board, never spend another cent, and still eat well, be entertained and see every port. The extras below are optional, but a few of them are almost universal, so it pays to know them going in. For the exact, per-line detail, we keep a verified rundown on the cruise facts that cost you money page.
What costs extra on a cruise
Here's where the final statement grows. None of these are hidden exactly, but they're easy to underestimate when you add them across a week:
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Gratuities
A daily service charge, added automatically per guest (see below).
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Alcohol & specialty drinks
Cocktails, wine, beer, sodas, bottled water, energy drinks and barista coffee.
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Wi-Fi
Sold as tiered internet packages on most lines.
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Specialty restaurants
Steakhouses, sushi and à la carte venues carry a cover charge.
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Shore excursions
Line-run tours in port, or explore independently.
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Spa, photos, casino & more
The spa and salon, photos, casino, laundry and premium activities.
A useful mental model: your fare buys the ship experience; the extras buy indulgences and convenience. Decide before you sail which indulgences matter to you, and the rest is easy to skip.
Gratuities: the automatic daily charge
This is the single most common surprise for first-time cruisers. Almost every line adds a daily gratuity, sometimes called a service charge or crew appreciation, to your onboard account, per guest, per day, for the whole sailing. It's shared among the dining and housekeeping teams who look after you.
- It's added automatically, you don't opt in, and it applies to every guest in the cabin, including children on most lines.
- Suites and higher cabin categories often carry a higher daily amount than standard staterooms.
- You can usually prepay it when you book, which locks it in and keeps your onboard account smaller.
Closed-loop sailing: a round-trip cruise that starts and ends at the same US port. It matters for documents, not gratuities, but you'll see the term a lot.
The exact daily amount is a published figure that changes from time to time, so we track the current, source-checked number for each line on the cruise facts page rather than quote it here. When you call, an advisor confirms it for your specific ship and cabin.
Drink & Wi-Fi packages, and the whole-cabin rule
If you'll drink more than a couple of coffees and cocktails a day, a package can make the extras predictable instead of a running tab. But there's a catch that surprises a lot of people:
On most major lines, if one adult in a stateroom buys the alcohol package, every adult of drinking age in that same cabin has to buy it too. It's designed to stop one person sharing a package for the whole room.
The same logic often applies to Wi-Fi (per-device or per-cabin tiers). Before you commit:
- Add up what you'd actually drink or stream in a day. Packages reward heavy use, not light use.
- Check whether children or non-drinkers can take a cheaper zero-proof or soda package instead.
- Ask whether the package covers specialty coffee, bottled water and mini-bar items, or just the basics.
The precise package rules differ by line, we keep the current, verified version for each on the cruise facts page, and an advisor can tell you whether a package is worth it for how you actually travel.
How 'included' changes by cruise line
Two fares that look similar can include very different things. Broadly:
- Contemporary / casual lines keep the base fare approachable and sell more of the extras à la carte, great value if you're disciplined about add-ons.
- Premium lines often fold a bit more into the fare and lean to a calmer, more adult feel.
- Ocean-liner and higher-end fares may include more still, but the right answer is always to compare the inclusions, not the label.
That's exactly what our tools are for. Line up any two brands on the money-and-fine-print facts with the tool on each cruise line page, or tell us how you travel and we'll match you to the ships that fit. One call then gets you the real number for your dates.
How to keep the extras in check
You don't need to skip the fun, just plan the handful of things that add up:
- Prepay your gratuities when you book, so the daily charge isn't a surprise on the statement.
- Decide on packages before you sail, not at the bar on day one. Match the package to your real habits, and remember the whole-cabin rule.
- Plan port days early. Line tours are convenient; independent options can cover the same sights for less effort on the wallet. Book the ones that book out fast.
- Set an onboard budget and check your account mid-cruise at guest services or on the app, no end-of-week shock.
- Lean on what's already included, the main dining room, the buffet, the shows and the pools are a full holiday on their own.
A specialist does a lot of this for you, flagging which extras are worth prepaying, which to skip, and what your total is likely to look like, before you commit. That's the whole point of the call.
The bottom line
A cruise is one of the few holidays where the big-ticket items, your room, your food, your entertainment and your transport between countries, are bundled into one fare. Know the handful of near-universal extras (gratuities, drinks, Wi-Fi, specialty dining and excursions), decide which ones matter to you, and there are almost no surprises left.
When you're ready to turn that into a real, all-in figure for specific dates and a specific ship, that's what we're here for, one call, no obligation, and we never take payment for travel.
Frequently asked questions
Are drinks included on a cruise?
Water, most non-specialty coffee and tea, and juice at breakfast are typically included. Sodas, alcohol, bottled water, energy drinks and barista coffee are usually extra unless you buy a drink package.
Is Wi-Fi free on a cruise?
Rarely. Most lines sell tiered internet packages, and a few premium or higher-end fares include a basic tier. Check the line's current policy before you sail.
Are gratuities included in a cruise fare?
Usually not. A daily service charge (gratuity) is added to your onboard account per guest, per day, unless your fare specifically includes it. You can often prepay it when you book.
Is food included on a cruise?
Yes for the main dining rooms, the buffet and most casual venues. Specialty and à la carte restaurants carry an extra cover charge.
Do kids' clubs cost extra?
Daytime, age-grouped youth programming is generally included. Late-night care and infant nurseries can carry an hourly charge on some lines.
What's the biggest extra cost on a cruise?
For most guests it's the combination of daily gratuities, drinks and shore excursions, plan for those three and there are few surprises left.
Keep reading
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The cruise facts that cost you money
Gratuities, packages, cancellation and documents, the fine print, verified per line.
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Find a cruise that fits
Tell us where and when; we line up the ships and one call books it.
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Choosing a cabin
Interior to suite, what you get, what to watch for, and the cabins to avoid.
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Compare cruise lines
See how the major lines differ on what's included and who they suit.
Ready to price a real sailing?
Call a specialist, they'll give you the all-in number for your dates.