Cruising has never been pricier, as the soaring demand has driven up fares across the industry. In addition to higher fares, onboard add-ons, including drink packages, specialty restaurants, and shore excursions, have also been subject to price hikes.
Icon of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship, has earned a reputation for pushing the boundaries in size, amenities, and price. When she launched in January 2024, it wasn't uncommon to find windowless inside cabins advertised for $2,000 per person!
Knowing our vacation aboard Icon of the Seas would be more expensive than other Caribbean cruises, my partner and I booked our 7-night trip nearly 16 months in advance to give ourselves plenty of time to budget and prepare.
In the end, we spent roughly what we anticipated, as we allocated money for shore excursions, a drink package, unlimited specialty dining, and Wi-Fi. Still, our weeklong vacation wasn't cheap, coming in at $7,456 for two guests.
For a weeklong cruise, this meant we spent over $1,060 per night. Here's a full breakdown of what I spent during my Icon of the Seas cruise, including the base fare, add-ons, and travel-related expenses to Miami.
We splurged on our balcony cabin, which cost $3,802.46
Our motto for the entire week was, "If you're going to do it, do it right." We started by skipping reserving a cheap, windowless inside cabin. While they're economical, they're not my favorite stateroom category, and I love staying in a balcony cabin when possible.
We booked a Surfside guarantee rate through our travel agent, as she quoted us over $6,000 for an ocean-view balcony and less than $4,000 for the GTY room. Knowing we wanted to take multiple vacations in 2025, we opted against the ocean-view cabin in favor of an interior-facing balcony.
Initially, we were worried about overlooking Surfside, Icon of the Seas' brand-new family-friendly neighborhood, featuring splash pads, a carousel, an arcade, easy access to Adventure Ocean, and a kid-approved buffet. In short, it is the ultimate spot for families to spend long days at sea.
However, we are two childless adults in our mid-20s. As such, we knew we weren't the target demographic for Surfside (though I can report that the Lemon Post makes tasty cocktails for those young at heart!).
To our surprise, we were assigned a Central Park infinite veranda over one month before our sail date. While I knew there would be a major lack of privacy, the biggest appeal of interior-facing cabins is natural light and fresh air for a fraction of what an ocean-view stateroom costs.
I definitely missed sailing in an ocean-view balcony, but considering it cost over $2,000 more than we paid, I'm happy with our decision.
Before our cruise, we reserved a dining package through Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner for $665.48
Having been on 30 cruises, I've become accustomed to standard dining room food. As such, one of my favorite ways to make each voyage a little more special is by splurging on specialty dining. Typically, I'll book one or two restaurants.
However, for our cruise on Icon of the Seas, we decided to go all out with an Unlimited Dining Package. This cost us $665.48 for the weeklong voyage, or roughly $95 per night.
During our cruise, we made it a mission to try as many specialty restaurants as possible, ranging from Izumi Hibachi to Chops Grille, Giovanni's Italian Kitchen, Hooked, Pier 7, and Izumi Sushi. While we didn't make it to all the restaurants onboard, the specialty dining package made our culinary experience more memorable.
However, this is probably the one add-on I'd skip next time. By night four, we constantly felt bloated and full, so eating became less enjoyable. I think a 3-night package would have sufficiently met our needs.
We also found a great deal on Royal Caribbean's Deluxe Beverage Package for $990.92
Even though we're both Diamond members within Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society, our four daily vouchers go quickly.
Instead of being stingy with our drinks, we splurged on a drink package when we noticed the daily price decreased to $70 per person, including gratuities. In total, we spent $990.92 on Deluxe Beverage Packages for two people on a 7-night cruise and thought it was completely worth it.
Many times, we'd order a drink we weren't fond of. For example, I did not like the Joropo at Boleros. Instead of feeling compelled to finish it since it was one of our "free" drinks, we'd put it down and order something else.
Had the package been any more expensive, we would have likely been okay with paying for our extra drinks individually. However, at $70 per day, the convenience and flexibility made the Deluxe Beverage Package a no-brainer for us.
Read more: Cruise Line Alcohol Drink Packages Guide
Pre-cruise Wi-Fi was $153.93
We purchased one Wi-Fi package to share during the cruise for a little over $150. Though we wanted to primarily disconnect, we wanted to have service in case of an emergency at home. Plus, our dog sitter loves sending us photo updates throughout the day, and we can't resist seeing how our pup is doing!
We reserved three excursions for $588.34
My partner and I rarely book excursions in every port. However, this was her first time cruising to the Eastern Caribbean, and we wanted to cross a few things off our bucket list.
First, she had been trying to successfully ride ATVs since a college spring break trip to the Dominican Republic. However, she fell ill on that trip and had to stay behind.
Then, we tried to book a tour in Cozumel last year but ended up being invited on a snorkeling excursion with Celebrity Cruises. So, when I saw we could book ATVs in St. Kitts, I knew this was on our must-do list.
I love booking third-party excursions through Viator because I can rack up American Airlines miles and loyalty points. In this case, I earned over 700 miles for our $214 excursion!
We easily found the driver at the port's exit around 1:00pm and were driven 30 minutes to Spectrum ATV tours. After a short safety briefing, we took off through the lush hills and rugged backroads of St. Kitts. It took a minute to get the hang of driving the ATV, but we had a blast once we got comfortable with the controls.
The next day, we booked an excursion through Royal Caribbean in St. Thomas since we had an early all-aboard time of 1:30pm. We didn't want to risk missing the ship, so we thought booking directly through the cruise line was safer.
Read more: Is it better to book excursions through a cruise ship or separately?
We chose the "St. John by Sea: Catamaran, Champagne & Snorkel" tour, which cost $281.98, including a generous tip for the hardworking crew.
This excursion ended up being one of the highlights of our vacation! After an open-air safari bus ride to Compass Point Marina, we boarded a catamaran and set sail into the calm waters between St. Thomas and St. John.
We enjoyed about an hour and a half of free time at Honeymoon Beach, which we spent snorkeling. However, some participants decided to relax on the soft white sands.
On our way back, we enjoyed endless rum punch, champagne, and soft drinks, as well as an assortment of snacks like cheese and fruit.
Finally, we spent $92.36 on admission to the adults-only beach at Royal Caribbean's private island. We had both been before but wanted a kid-free escape, as we were traveling during spring break due to my partner's work schedule.
For us, the money was well worth the experience. We got off the ship around 9:30am, lounged in the heated pool with a drink, and munched on Hideaway-exclusive snacks, including the delicious island guava barbeque chicken pizza, before returning to Icon.
We racked up $701.39 in onboard charges
Truthfully, I didn't think we were going to spend much money on the ship because we prepaid for our drink and dining packages. However, our onboard spending essentially broke down to $100 per night.
One night, I got a little carried away in the casino. While I was up $370, my luck quickly turned, and I walked away down $200.
Other onboard charges included merchandise in the shops, the escape room, the arcade, Crown's Edge attraction, and specialty dining upcharges at Izumi Hibachi and Chops. We also bought a second Wi-Fi package on the fourth night for $65.97 because we were annoyed with switching back and forth.
Read more: I got a free cruise in the ship's casino. Here's what it really cost me
We used points to pay for our flights, but had to pay $44.26 in taxes
One way I help keep my travel-related expenses lower is by strategically using travel reward credit cards. We used points to cover our flights, but had to pay taxes and fees out of pocket. However, this still saved us money, as these fees were just $44.26.
We flew direct on American from Charlotte to Miami (and thankfully didn't have any issues!) and Delta on the way home. Because Delta has a smaller presence in Charlotte, we had to endure a 4-hour layover in Atlanta, but it wasn't the worst since we got to check out the new Sky Club that opened in April.
The 24,000-square-foot lounge has seating for over 500 people, so it was a comfortable place to relax between flights. Plus, we got to enjoy "free" food and drinks.
We also used points to cover our pre-cruise hotel in Miami. For 9,500 Hyatt points, we stayed at the Hyatt Place Miami Airport-West/Doral. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was clean and had a decent complimentary breakfast spread.
I was surprised that we spent $129.98 on rideshares
We took 5 rideshares during the trip — three in Miami and two in Charlotte — and the total was nearly $130. The priciest ride was from our pre-cruise hotel to PortMiami on embarkation day, coming in at $35.97.
Months before our cruise, I had been eyeing an Uber gift card at our local Costco and purchased one for $79.99 the week before we left. The gift card had a $100 value, so it was a savvy move that helped offset some of our rides. As such, my out-of-pocket cost for the rideshares was around $109.98.
Finally, we paid a family friend $400 to watch our dog
We're lucky we have a close friend who loves our dog, whom she calls "her handsome boy," just as much as we do. Whenever we drop him off, she's always cooking fresh chicken and vegetables for him!
She's been like part of my extended family for over a decade and has watched Dexter countless times, so we always feel at ease leaving him in her care.
We also love that she sends regular updates and photos, including good morning texts, which gives us peace of mind while in international waters.
I paid $7,456.76 in total for my cruise aboard the largest cruise ship in the world, Icon of the Seas
Our weeklong cruise aboard Icon of the Seas wasn't cheap, but it was an unforgettable experience. We loved exploring new areas and venues, including the Category 6 Waterpark, Dueling Pianos, and AquaDome Marketplace.
While we wouldn't spend over $7,000 on another cruise on Icon of the Seas, we'd consider another sailing for the right price with fewer add-ons.
However, if you're looking for the ultimate Caribbean getaway, Icon delivers. With its record-breaking amenities, countless dining options, and nonstop entertainment, it offers something for every type of traveler, ranging from young sailors to seasoned cruisers.
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 traveled frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas during her freshman year of high school. Having sailed on over 30 cruises across different lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, Margaritaville at Sea, and Princess, she loves sharing her insight and expertise on all things cruising!
