🛳️ All-Inclusive or Not, Cruise Edition
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10 TIPS
AI in the travel industry stands for All-Inclusive. But sometimes it’s just as mysterious as the Artificial Intelligence on the Internet.
Don’t assume your cruise is all-inclusive. Don’t make the expensive mistake of thinking your sailing includes all costs. It’s very different from an AI resort vacation that bundles almost all hotel-related expenses.
Most cruises are not all-inclusive. Standard lines like Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, and Margaritaville At Sea sell the sun, fun, and/or peace. But you gotta pay up. Virgin Voyages was all-inclusive until October 2025.
Luxury cruise lines are an exception. High-end and specialty cruises often are all (or mostly)-inclusive, including excursions. These include Regent Seven Seas, Silversea Cruises, Seabourn, and Viking Cruises. Many River Cruises include wine/beer at meals and daily excursions.
Consider the luxury lines if you enjoy your drinks. They can be suprisingly price competitive with the mass market lines if you’re buying lots of add-ons like drinks, Internet, etc.
When to cruise. Cruises are financially attractive compared to AI resorts if you don’t need the typical cruise add-ons. You can cruise essentially all-inclusive for just $150-$250/day. Compare that to the typical $350-$600/day of all-inclusive resorts. This applies if you and your party:
Are not drinkers.
Don’t need Internet.
Enjoy visiting lots of ports.
Don’t pay the high automatic gratuity.
When not to cruise. Cruise costs are similar to all-inclusive resorts if you buy the drink, Internet, and automatic gratuity packages. In this case, it comes down to your vacation and location preferences.
Standard cruise lines cover room, board, activities, entertainment, and basic facilities. The base fare typically provides for the cabin, transportation between ports, private island access, most meals (buffet, main dining rooms, some specialty restaurants), basic drinks (unbottled water, coffee, tea, juices), fitness center, activities (games, kids club, casino), and entertainment (live music and comedy, Broadway-style shows, movies, deck parties, fireworks at sea). Disney Cruise Line includes fountain soft drinks.
Standard cruise lines don’t cover a lot of expenses like specialty dining, soda, specialty drinks (smoothies, espressos, capuccinos, bottled water), alcoholic drinks, Internet, gratuities, premium entertainment, premium rides, excursions, and private island beach premium access, food, and drinks.
Standard cruise add-ons can cost as much - or more - as the base cruise itself. Drinks, tips, wifi, and excursions can be costly. See Why your affordable cruise may cost 200% more than you think!
Plan for what’s not included on the cruise. Watch cruise line offers (like on the Royal Price Tracker), buy add-on packages before sailing, decline automatic gratuities, and book third-party excursions to save on costs.