The Real Cost of Your Cruise Is Not What You Think

Your $599 cruise will cost $1,200. Maybe more if you like to have fun.

Cruise lines advertise interior cabin prices because they look good in ads. They do not advertise what you will actually spend. The base fare covers your room and meals in the main dining room. Everything else costs extra.

Gratuities add $15 per person per day. A seven day cruise for two people means $210 in tips before you even leave home. Specialty dining runs $40 to $75 per person per meal. One fancy dinner for two costs more than some people budget for their entire food budget beyond what’s included.

Drinks are where cruise lines make their real money. A soda package costs $15 per day. The alcoholic beverage package runs $60 to $80 per person per day. Two people on a week long cruise can easily spend $800 just on drinks. Individual cocktails cost $12 to $16 each if you skip the package.

Shore excursions through the cruise line average $75 to $150 per person per port. A couple visiting four ports could spend $600 to $1,200 on tours. WiFi costs $20 to $30 per day per device. Spa services start around $150 and go up from there. Way up.

A realistic cruise budget looks like this. Take your base cruise fare and multiply by 1.5 for a conservative trip. Multiply by 2 if you want to enjoy most of what the ship offers. Multiply by 2.5 if you plan to live it up. That $599 cruise becomes $900 to $1,500 per person when you factor in the real costs.

The good news is you control most of these expenses. You can pack your own shampoo instead of buying it in the gift shop for $18. You can eat in the main dining room instead of the specialty restaurants. You can book shore excursions independently instead of through the cruise line. But you need to know what you are walking into before you book that seemingly cheap cruise fare.