The convenience of a cruise vacation is hard to beat. Paying one flat rate for accommodations, dining, and entertainment is pretty appealing, right?
Before you get all excited about the cheap cruise deal you found, there are a few extra charges that you should be aware of.
The base fare of any cruise line you sail with will include lodging, select food and beverages, transportation between ports, and entertainment. There's a lot, though, that the fare doesn't cover, like alcoholic beverages, spa treatments, and specialty dining. In other words, most mainstream cruise lines do not offer an all-inclusive experience.
When budgeting for your vacation, here are 17 hidden cruise ship extra charges that you should know about.
Read more: What are the cheapest cruise add-ons?
Port fees
Port fees are fees charged directly by the ports of call to the cruise lines who then pass them on to the passengers. They are a summation of a few different fees, including the pilot fee, per-passenger fee (head tax), and docking fee.
All guests pay the exact same amount to the cruise line to help cover these fees, no matter if you are staying in a two-bedroom suite or interior stateroom. There's no way to get around paying them, either.
Depending on your sailing, you might have to shell out anywhere from an extra $100 to $250+ per person, as they vary based on departure port and ports of call. Thankfully, they're now calculated into the base fare, so you won't have any huge surprises during the booking process.
Gratuities
Gratuities are service charges that most passengers pay daily for the duration of their cruise. They're split between hard-working crew members including stateroom attendants, dining and culinary services staff, and other individuals who work behind the scenes and contribute to the overall cruise experience.
Essentially, they are just tips for services you receive onboard and are standard for all guests onboard, whether you only choose to dine solely in the buffet or never see your cabin steward.
Depending on the cruise line and cabin category, gratuities range from $14.50 per person, per day to $25 per person, per day.
Most mainstream cruise lines (i.e., Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Holland America Line, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, and Royal Caribbean) automatically add the daily fee to each guest's onboard account, if not prepaid in advance.
Plus, many onboard purchases are subject to additional service charges. Any alcoholic beverage, for instance, will include an 18% gratuity. Is up to the guest to leave an extra tip in the form of cash or their onboard account.
Read more: Worth it or not: Carnival prepaid gratuities
Non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages
Depending on the cruise line, your base fare includes a select list of beverages, such as water, coffee, lemonade, and iced tea. If you want to purchase other drinks—think mocktails, soda (unless sailing on Disney Cruise Line), or alcoholic beverages—you pay for those separately.
Since you will be on vacation, you may want to partake in more drinking than usual. If you think you will be sipping on more than 5 drinks per day, you may want to consider splurging on a drink package. Many cruise lines offer a variety of packages to suit different personal preferences and range from soda-only to premium, top-shelf liquor.
If you don't purchase a package, expect to spend at least $10-$14 per cocktail, $6-14 per glass of wine, $6-$9 per beer, and around $3 per soda, plus gratuities. Packages vary greatly in pricing. You can pay as little as $59.95 per person, per day if you're sailing with Carnival Cruise Line or as much as $85 per day with Royal Caribbean.
Each cruise line has its own package(s) and rules. Carnival's CHEERS! Package, for instance, limits guests to 15 alcoholic drinks per day, while Royal Caribbean's Deluxe Beverage Package does not. Note that Disney Cruise Line does not offer any inclusive packages; all of their beverages are à la carte.
Spa treatments
Spa treatments are one of the most costly cruise add-ons, and you can spend upwards of $200+ on a single massage. Even manicures and pedicures cost a pretty penny (or two).
Sometimes, however, there will be specials available on port days as an incentive to keep passengers onboard. They'll either discount single treatments or put together a package of mini treatments. You can check directly with the spa or on your daily cruise newsletter to see what's being offered.
Additionally, cruise lines may offer free (and short) sessions for guests to sample spa treatments.
Arcade games
Arcade games are not included in your base fare, either. Each game usually costs anywhere from $1.00-$3.00 each. Therefore, it's easy to rack up a $30+ tab in arcade games on a rainy afternoon!
Some cruise lines, like Royal Caribbean, allow guests to pre-purchase money to spend in the arcade for a discounted price. While it depends on the current promotion, you can sometimes snag $100 to spend in the arcade for only $79.99.
If you become a frequent cruiser and start climbing loyalty ladders, you may be rewarded with arcade credits whenever you cruise. Guests 17 years old and younger who are Platinum with Carnival will receive a $5 arcade credit.
Select onboard activities
Most activities onboard a cruise ship are indeed free; however, you may find yourself having to pay extra for some of the newer thrills, like the first-ever roller coaster at sea, BOLT, onboard Carnival Excel Class ships. If you want to ride a roller coaster in the middle of the ocean, be prepared to pay $15 per person, per ride.
The same goes for racing go-karts on select Norwegian Cruise Line ships. Unfortunately, the attraction isn't included in the cruise fare, and guests will have to pay $15 each. Norwegian also strayed away from included mini-golf with the debut Norwegian Prima. One round of Tee Time, the first interactive and tech-immersive mini-golf at sea, is $15.
Even Royal Caribbean has a few activities that passengers will have to pay extra for, including group ($69 per person) and private ($550+) FlowRider lessons, laser tag ($19.99 per guest), and even sushi-making classes ($34.99 per guest).
On Quantum Class ships, the North Star is included in the price of your cruise during port days, but if you want to go up while in port, there is a nominal fee of $30 per person.
If there's a certain activity that you're looking forward to onboard your cruise, you'll want to double-check to make sure that you don't have to pay an additional fee for it!
Read more: 18 free things to try on your next cruise
Specialty restaurants
You'll never go hungry on a cruise, especially when the newer ships can have upwards of twenty different dining venues onboard!
From three-course meals in the Main Dining Room to a more laid-back experience in the buffet and intimate meals at specialty restaurants, there are options to satisfy all travelers.
Each cruise ship has select venues that are complimentary and others that cost extra. These can include signature steakhouses, sushi and hibachi restaurants, and Italian eateries. Newer ships, of course, have much more to choose from.
Therefore, it's important to understand what places are included in the cruise fare and which have a surcharge. Depending on the cruise line and type of specialty restaurant, the additional fee could be as low as $20 per person or as high as $80 per person.
Select menu items in the Main Dining Room
Speaking of dining, there are a few items on the menu in the Main Dining Room that will cost you extra, namely steakhouse selections and lobster tails. On Royal Caribbean ships, for example, a prime cut of filet mignon from Chops Grille will cost an additional $20.00. Similarly, a Maine lobster tail goes for $16.99.
Carnival ships operate the same way. However, it's important to note that if you order more than three entrées, you'll be charged an extra $10. This initiative was implemented to help reduce the amount of food waste. That said, you can order higher-quality steaks, lamb chops, and lobster for $23.
It's easy to stick to the included food in the dining room, just make sure your eyes don't wander to the premium selections!
Read more: Carnival menus 2025
Internet
Today, staying connected at sea is easier than ever! Most of the time, you can even livestream to social media or via Skype, FaceTime, etc., for a premium.
Cruise ship Wi-Fi, however, is not free. If you want access to the internet for work purposes or simply to stay in contact with loved ones, you'll need to appropriately budget for it.
Internet connection on a Royal Caribbean ship ranges from $20-$25 per device, per day; however, you can often find it on sale via the Cruise Planner for cheaper, usually around $17-$19, and bundle it with more than one device for additional savings. They only have one plan, and it supports streaming and video calling!
Carnival has three Wi-Fi plans:
- The Social Plan: $12.75 per day
- The Value Plan: $17.00 per day.
- The Premium Plan: $18.70 per day
Norwegian Cruise Line has two different plans available. The first is available for $20 per device, per day, while the second costs $25 per device, per day. The only difference is that the latter includes streaming via YouTube, TikTok, Netflix, Hulu, etc. You have the option to bundle multiple devices for a lower rate.
MSC Cruises offers two Wi-Fi packages, both of which are similar to Norwegian Cruise Line in that the more expensive one is compatible with streaming services. Their website advertises that you can save up to 20% off internet packages by booking them in advance.
Disney Cruise Line offers three different internet packages. Their lowest tier package begins at $10 per day for the entire cruise or $12 for a single 24-hour period. The medium tier costs $20 per day for the entire cruise or $24 for a single 24-hour period, and the highest and most inclusive package is upwards of $34 per day for the entire cruise or $36 for a single 24-hour period.
Onboard Celebrity Cruises, you can pay $35 per device, per day for their premium plan, or $20 per device, per day for their basic plan.
Princess Cruises' has internet packages starting at $15 per day. It, however, is included if you book a Princess Plus or Princess Premier fare! Finally, Holland America Line has three different packages for guests to choose from: Social ($10 per day), Surf ($15 per day), and Premium ($20 per day).
Laundry
Whether you find yourself in a situation where you didn't pack enough clothes or had an unfortunate spill, it's nice to know that most cruise ships have laundry facilities and/or services, for an additional fee.
Laundry services can be quite pricey, with some cruise lines charging $7+ for a shirt and $10+ for a dress!
One perk of reaching higher cruise line status is that many of them provide some sort of free laundry. For instance, Carnival Platinum VIFP (Very Important Fun Person) cruisers get two free bags of laundry on sailings that are 3-6 days, three bags on sailings that are 7-13 days, and four bags on 14+ day sailings.
Ship tours
Have you ever wanted to go behind the scenes look at ship operations, explore the Engine Control Room, and receive a tour of the Bridge? For an additional fee, some cruise lines offer an all-access tour to a limited number of guests, allowing them to peek into areas of the ship for a rare insider's view.
According to Carnival Cruise Line's website, the cost of their "Behind the Fun" Ultimate Tour starts at $95 per person. In comparison, Royal Caribbean's "All Access Tour" is anywhere from $155 to $200 per person.
Celebrity Cruises also offers its own version of an exclusive insider tour that starts at $139 per adult and $129 per child.
Professional pictures
If you want to utilize the ship's photography services, you will have to pay extra for them! Unless, that is, you have reached certain loyalty levels and receive limited photos for free.
Usually, photographs are a great, cost-effective way to remember your vacation. Photos captured by the cruise line's photographers, however, are not cheap; one alone can cost between $15 and $25!
Depending on which cruise line you are sailing with, you may be able to purchase a photo package to save a little money. On Royal Caribbean, the cheapest package is for ten photos and costs about $100. Once onboard, you may even be able to purchase an unlimited package.
Room service
Room service is a luxury that many feel is a necessity on vacation. What better way to start the day than having breakfast delivered to your stateroom while sitting outside on your personal balcony?
There's tons of complimentary food available onboard your cruise, so it makes sense for one to assume room service would be, too. It's most likely just the same food coming from the buffet or Main Dining Coom anyway, right? Wrong. While the food is free (unless sailing on Carnival), there is an applicable service charge that varies by time of day and cruise line. Continental breakfast is usually included in the cost of your cruise fare.
During the day, most cruise lines charge a fee for every room service order, which ranges from $7.95 + 18% gratuity for Royal Caribbean to $9.95 + 20% gratuity for Norwegian and Celebrity Cruises. If you're sailing with Disney Cruise Line, 24-hour complimentary room service is included!
Corkage fees
Some cruise lines allow you to bring on a limited amount of alcohol on embarkation day. This is a great way to enjoy your favorite alcoholic beverages without paying ship prices.
While it doesn't cost you anything to actually bring the bottles on board, you might be subject to paying a corkage fee if you choose to enjoy your personal bottles in public areas.
Of course, you can drink your wine for free in your stateroom if you wish to avoid these pesky fees.
Fitness classes
For those who prefer to stay active while on vacation, you can use the ship's fitness center for free. Some, however, like the atmosphere of a workout class.
Cruise lines offer fitness classes for a nominal fee, usually anywhere from $12-$20 per class. Your ship may offer spin classes, pilates, or even personal training sessions, which can cost over $80 each!
Cruise line bands
On some cruise lines, such as Royal Caribbean and Disney, you can purchase a waterproof band instead of carrying around your plastic cruise card. This means that with the tap of your band, you can make onboard purchases for things like alcoholic beverages, spa treatments, and more. They can also be used to open your stateroom door!
Royal Caribbean charges $9.99 for their WOW Bands, while the price for Disney's DisneyBand+ varies based on which style you purchase. You can get a DisneyBand+ ahead of time, which will save you about $10, rather than if you were to wait and purchase them once you got onboard.
Plus, bands can be used during the embarkation process, so it makes sense to have them in your possession to ensure that you get the most use out of them! Note that if you're staying in a Star Class suite onboard a Royal Caribbean ship, you will get a WOW Band for free.
Shore excursions
What kind of once-in-a-lifetime activities are on your bucket list? Riding a helicopter up to the top of a glacier in Alaska? Snorkeling at the Mesoamerican Reef, the largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere, off Honduras' coast?
Cruises are a fantastic way to see the world and experience new cultures, even if only for a few hours before returning to the ship. Excursions in ports of call, however, cost extra and are not included with your cruise fare. This may not be as important in the Caribbean or Bahamas where there are easily accessible beaches near every port, but you'll want a nice shore excursion budget for European and Alaskan cruises.
Due to their duration and activity level, they tend to be pricier than the two-hour snorkeling excursions in the Caribbean. Some can even run $150+ per person! Of course, you can always look into third-party vendors for potential savings. You must understand the pros and cons of booking outside of the cruise line, though. If, for instance, your excursion runs late, the cruise ship won't wait for you!
Read more: Are cruise excursions worth it?
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she had the privilege of traveling frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas her freshman year of high school. She wanted to pursue a career that highlighted her passion for travel and strengths as a writer.
