🛳️ Why your affordable cruise may cost 200% more than you think! 😱
That's why you have to budget
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New cruisers are often surprised by the total cruise bill. They get excited by cheap fares that include meals and are less expensive than fancy resorts. Unfortunately those bargain rates don’t tell the full story.
3 TIPS
Why your total cruise bill is far more than your cabin
Your cruise is not all-inclusive. Many all-inclusive resort expenses like beverages, drinks, and tips aren’t included.
The cruise lines automatically charge you for gratuities that are significantly more than just dining and housekeeper tips. They include ship crew expenses and compensation that other travel companies and restaurants consider regular corporate costs and pay themselves.
It’s how the industry operates for the mass market. They market a high-quality vacation at an affordable price. There is a powerful incentive to keep the advertised price as low as possible to be competitive in the travel market. It doesn’t pay for a cruise line to be different. Virgin Voyages initially offered an all-inclusive price. But they later unbundled them to be more competitive with mainstream cruise lines.
An example
It makes a huge difference in your final cruise costs. I was on a 13 day Carnival cruise in early 2026. I paid $1,468 for 2 people (includes Vacation Steal’s discount, which was 9%) for an oceanview cabin. Here are key expenses that typically would be covered at an all-inclusive resort.
The drink package alone ($70 pp/day + 18% gratuity) is $2,148, almost one and a half times as much as the cabin.
Internet for 2 ($32 pp/day) comes to $832.
The automatic gratuity ($16 pp/day) is 416.
The additional costs for gratuities and if you and your partner drink and need Internet are $3,396, over TWO TIMES your cabin.
What started as a $1,468 cruise actually costs $4,864.
Make sure you have a lot of room on the credit card you used for your onboard bill! This total doesn’t include excursions or any casino fun.