As a frequent cruiser, each voyage is about finding the perfect balance between splurging and saving, and I did just that on a recent 7-night cruise aboard one of the world's largest cruise ships, Wonder of the Seas.
In total, I spent around $4,200 for my weeklong cruise, including airfare and onboard expenses. As expected, the most expensive part of the voyage was the cruise fare itself, which came to $2,292.10 or $1,146.05 per person, including taxes, port fees, and prepaid gratuities.
Royal Caribbean cruises aren't all-inclusive, but I find that fares are generous with what's available for no extra charge, especially on newer, larger ships.
For example, fares on Wonder of the Seas include access to jaw-dropping diving shows at the AquaTheater, nightly live music, comedy shows, ice skating performances, original production shows, and more.
Plus, food at places like the Main Dining Room, El Loco Fresh, the Windjammer, Sorrento's, and the Solarium Bistro are all included, offering a wide variety of options to suit every taste.
Here's a look at how I spent $4,200 on a 7-night cruise on Woner of the Seas and how I balanced the splurges with the savings.
We saved money by booking an interior cabin
My partner and I spent $2,292.10 on our cruise fare on Wonder of the Seas, breaking down to around $330 per night. However, we likely could have saved more money by booking our sailing further in advance, as we didn't decide to cruise on Wonder until about two months before the departure date.
We chose the cheapest available stateroom: a GTY interior cabin. Though I prefer staterooms with a view and natural light, it was hard to justify the extra cost, especially since I did not plan on spending much time in the cabin.
Overall, the stateroom was fine. We were assigned a room at the very front of the ship near a crew-only area. I was worried about feeling a lot of motion in the room, but the biggest issue turned out to be the noise from the linen closet.
Starting as early as 7:45am, we'd hear crew members outside prepping for the morning shift. The noise would continue into the afternoon when my partner would often retire to the stateroom for a quick power nap. Thankfully, the noise subsided in the evening when the cabin stewards were off duty, so we slept soundly throughout the night.
Next time, I'd likely pay extra to choose my own stateroom, mostly out of fear that the seas might be rockier than we encountered during our cruise.
Still, for the price, I felt as though we got our money's worth. Paying just around $165 per person, per night, to sail on one of the newest cruise ships at sea isn't a bad deal considering the variety of activities, dining options, and entertainment available onboard.
Read more: Frequent cruiser shares go-to tips for saving time and money while traveling
While on Wonder, we saw two AquaTheater shows: Aqua Nation! and InTENse. Both shows were absolutely amazing and a highlight of the trip. It was my partner's first Oasis Class cruise, and she was taken aback by the high divers!
We also caught a comedy show, attended an ice skating show, and listened to live music in the pub. In addition to the evening entertainment, we rode all three Perfect Storm water slides, lounged in the Solarium pool, zip-lined over the Boardwalk, rode the Ultimate Abyss dry slide, and played mini-golf.
For the price, I felt like we got an incredible value in terms of entertainment and activities. It’s hard to beat the range of experiences Wonder of the Seas offers!
Typically, I'll eat in the Main Dining Room most nights of a cruise, as it's one of the best ways to maximize your cruise experience without breaking the bank.
Each night, you can enjoy a three-course meal featuring a rotating menu with specials like Chicken Parmesan, Slow Roasted Prime Rib, Crispy Buttermilk Calamari, Baked French Onion Soup, and more.
This time, however, I decided to switch things up in favor of a more laid-back cruise. Usually, I'm not the biggest fan of the Windjammer—or any cruise buffet—but this time, I figured I’d give it a shot, and I’m glad I did.
Each night, I'd make a little "snack" plate to try different options. A favorite of mine quickly became the Indian food, which I spiced up with extra sambal oelek.
We splurged on two specialty meals, though they weren't at the priciest restaurants onboard
Wonder of the Seas has over 8 complimentary restaurants, making it easy to enjoy the included food and keep your onboard spending to a minimum. However, as someone who cruises frequently, I love trying different specialty restaurants, as they offer unique dining experiences that really elevate the overall experience.
During our 7-night cruise, we ate at The Mason Jar and Playmaker's. Playmaker's is found on many ships in the fleet, and it never disappoints. The casual sports bar is perfect for a laid-back evening, and the menu is packed with classic bar food like burgers, wings, nachos, onion rings, and the oh-so-gooey campfire cookie skillet!
We ordered wings, a chicken sandwich, and the campfire cooking, spending $40.72, including an extra tip. While not as pricey as other restaurants onboard, including the $100-per-person Chef's Table, this wasn't the cheapest specialty meal we had on Wonder!
When we booked our cruise, we received $50 in onboard credit through our amazing travel agent. As such, we applied the credit toward brunch at The Mason Jar, as neither of us had ever tried the towering cinnamon roll that so many cruisers rave about.
After the credit, we paid just $18.40 for The Mason Jar. Compared to the sports bar vibe of Playmaker's, the Southern-inspired restaurant felt like my grandmother's house in the backwoods of Virginia.
While I can't say the food would pass for classic Southern cuisine, the portions were incredibly generous for the price.
The fried chicken and waffles weren't anything worth writing home about, but I'd be willing to eat the jalapeño cornbread, red velvet pancakes, and deviled eggs again. However, the star of the show was the massive cinnamon roll.
While not a specialty restaurant, we also bought ice cream from Sugar Beach one night while hanging out at the AquaTheater and watching Inside Out 2. Two scoops of cookies & cream ice cream cost $7.08, and though it was tasty, Wonder had plenty of complimentary soft serve at Sprinkles on Deck 15.
We saved money by booking just one shore excursion with a third-party operator in Honduras
Oasis Class ships are so large that you don't have to plan excursions in every port. With all the onboard activities, you won't be bored on a port day. In fact, staying on the ship while passengers get off is one of the best ways to fully take advantage of crowded mega-ships.
As such, we didn't plan any tours in CocoCay, Cozumel, or Costa Maya. The weather wasn't the best at Royal Caribbean's private island, so we skipped spending the day on the beach and decided to get off for a quick bite to eat at the Snack Snack for the famous mozzarella sticks before making our way back onboard.
Cozumel was the only day we stayed completely onboard. While in Costa Maya, we ventured off the ship for about an hour for a change of scenery and to take advantage of the port area's pools. However, we had to purchase two drinks—costing $38.00—to use the "free" lounge chairs.
I was disappointed to learn that, though we bought drinks within the port area, we couldn't freely use any of the chairs—they had to be near the bar where the drink was purchased.
The only excursion we purchased was a tour in Roatán through Viator which cost $140, including an extra tip. The 3.5-hour tour was through Roatán Breakaway Tours and took us to Daniel Johnson's Monkey & Sloth Hangout, the Roatán Rum Company, and the Roatán Chocolate Factory.
It was an amazing excursion and worth every penny! While ashore, we also bought a few souvenirs, which cost $52 altogether. It's hard for me to visit somewhere without buying a local hot sauce for my dad! My partner also wanted a magnet for her desk at work.
We splurged on The Key
Because I work remotely and my partner needed internet access in case the substitute teacher for her class tried to reach her, we knew we both needed a Wi-Fi package. After reading negative reviews about The Key, I decided to give it a shot, even though it was more expensive than two packages.
The Key gives guests select priority benefits, such as reserved seating in the main theater and AquaTheater, an exclusive welcome lunch in the Main Dining Room, one Wi-Fi package per person, and more.
For the two of us on a weeklong cruise, it was $517.86 or $36.99 per person, per night. Overall, I don't think it was worth the splurge. While the relaxed embarkation lunch in the Main Dining Room was nice, the quality of the food wasn't worth writing home about. I would have preferred to dine at Giovanni's!
Again, I appreciated the reserved seating at the AquaTheater. However, we could have easily budgeted to arrive a few minutes earlier to secure equally good seats for no extra charge.
We saved by not buying a drink package
Drink packages are easily one of the most costly add-ons. It's not uncommon for Royal Caribbean to charge $70 per person, per day, or more for its Deluxe Beverage Package. With my Diamond status, I get four complimentary drinks daily, so spending that money on extra drinks seemed irresponsible.
Instead, we charged each additional beverage to our onboard account. For the both of us, we spent $199.14 on extra drinks, ranging from wine to unique concoctions at the Bionic Bar, soda, and specialty coffee. Included in that price is the Cafe Select Coffee Card my partner purchased for her iced lattes each morning.
Without a drink package, we definitely felt more restricted in terms of what we could order. We didn't want to use one of our complimentary drinks on a beverage we didn't like! As such, we didn't venture far from our comfort zone, which is typically one of my favorite parts of purchasing a drink package. I love discovering new drinks that I wouldn't otherwise try!
Read more: Are cruise drink packages worth it?
We splurged by sailing on a newer cruise ship
Wonder of the Seas is one of the newest ships in Royal Caribbean's fleet, followed by just Icon and Utopia of the Seas. As such, she's more expensive than sailings on ships like Freedom or Vision of the Seas.
However, one of the perks of sailing on a newer vessel is the modern amenities and upgraded features that come with it. Wonder of the Seas, for example, boasts a variety of dining options, jaw-dropping entertainment, and public areas that make you debate whether you're on a cruise ship or not.
There was always something going on, from live music in the lush Central Park neighborhood to the mesmerizing AquaTheater shows. Wonder also featured countless amenities like a zip-line, 10-story dry slide, mini-golf course, water slides, and more, aimed at keeping guests of all ages entertained.
Read more: Things you'll notice when cruising on the newest cruise ship
We saved by using credit card points to book our pre-cruise hotel
It would be fair to say I'm obsessed with credit card points.
I'm always figuring out which card to use to maximize my rewards on purchases from groceries to restaurants and even vet visits to save money on traveling. Personally, I don't find much value in cash-back credit cards and would much rather earn points for every dollar that I can use on hotel stays and flights!
One of my favorite ways to use points is to offset the cost of my pre-cruise expenses, like hotels and airfare. For this specific voyage, I transferred points from the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal to Hyatt, using just 19,000 points for a 2-night pre-cruise stay in Orlando. The hotel itself was nothing fancy, but it was clean and safe!
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.
