If you’re planning a cruise vacation, you might think that everything is included in the price. But there are some hidden costs that can add up quickly and ruin your budget. Here are some of the most common extra cruise expenses and how to avoid them.
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Extra Cruise Expenses
1. Drinks
Many people going on their first cruise assume that since cruises are all-inclusive that all the drinks should be included right? Not always. If you are going on a luxury cruise like Viking then yes, drinks are included. But most cruises only come with water, iced tea, regular brewed coffee and maybe lemonade. Any additional drinks, such as soft drinks and specialty coffee like cappuccinos, are extra. And of course, any alcoholic beverages are extra.
If you want unlimited soft drinks, coffee and alcohol, it can be expensive to purchase the cruise beverage package. For example, Carnival’s drink package starts at $59 per person per day, and the unlimited soda package starts at $9.50 per person per day.
However, there are ways to save money on drinks during your cruise. One way is to bring your own soda or bottled water. Some cruise lines allow passengers to bring up to 12 cans of soda/bottled water. Also, some cruise lines allow passengers to bring one bottle of wine or champagne per adult on embarkation day. Some are more generous – Disney cruises permit passengers to bring two bottles per person.
It’s worth noting that if you bring your own bottle of wine to the main dining room, you will be charged a corkage fee. Instead, I suggest asking the bartender for wine glasses and enjoy your wine in your cabin. Before you bring wine and soda, make sure to check with your cruise line to see if it’s allowed.
2. Room Service
Before you order room service on your all inclusive cruise vacation, make sure you know the rules. Some cruise lines don’t include room service in the package, and they might charge you a fee for each order or each item. You don’t want to end up paying more than you expected for room service, right? So check the details before ordering room service!
3. Shore Excursions
When I started cruising, I was surprised by how much money I had to spend on shore excursions. They were more expensive than I expected. For example, whale watching in Alaska could cost $200 per person! I didn’t expect to have to pay extra on top of the cruise fare.
One way to save money on shore excursions is to book directly with independent tour operators like Viator. The shore excursion offered by the cruise line is usually more expensive because it comes with the added benefit of a guarantee that the ship won’t leave you behind. But in my experience, independent operators often offer the same tour at a lower price, and I’ve never been left behind by the cruise ship.
To save money on shore excursions, I always compare the prices of the cruise shore excursions with those available on Viator. This has helped me save a lot of money over the years.
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4. Internet
A cruise expense that is often overlooked is the internet. I learned it that hard way, I forgot to switch my cellphone to airplane mode, and people were able to call me while I was at sea. When I got back home, I was hit with a hefty cellphone bill, which I could have avoided.
Now, whenever I start sailing, the first thing I do is switch my phone to airplane mode. If I’m on a cruise with a lot of sea days, I subscribe to an internet plan that costs around $20 a day, depending on the cruise line. But if I’m on a cruise with back-to-back port days, I don’t buy the internet package at all. My cellphone plan includes free international text and data, so I wait until I get off the ship and at port to check my email and text messages.
Another strategy I use to save on internet expenses is to download my e-books and movies at home before going on a cruise. That way, I can read my books and watch movies without having to be connected to the internet since they are already downloaded on my phone, Kindle, or iPad.
5. Cruise Gift Shop
One cruise expense that many new cruisers overlook is the temptation to buy things from the cruise gift shop. These shops are experts at enticing you with raffles, promotions, and flyers that appear in your stateroom. Additionally, the fact that it’s duty-free can make it feel like a good deal. To make matters worse, the gift shops are often located in central areas, so it’s easy to walk by them every day. I always end up buying souvenirs, chocolates, liquor, and other things that I really don’t need.
However, if you’ve been on many cruises like me, you know there are sale days. Wait for the sale days so you don’t pay full price on that T-shirt or hat! You will see that the gift shops will set up tables with $10 souvenir items. These sales usually happen on the last few sea days. I always check with the gift shop staff to find out when their sale days are.
6. Port Gift Shops
When you go on a cruise, you’ll quickly discover that some chain stores, such as Diamonds International, Effy, and Del Sol, are particularly aggressive in their marketing tactics. These stores are typically found in every port, especially on Caribbean cruises.
On the ship itself, the jewelry store is usually run by one of these chains or the staff and shore excursion desk receives a commission or kickback for directing you to their stores in port. You’ll be bombarded with coupons for free charm bracelets, pendants, and other trinkets, all designed to encourage you to shop at their stores.
Once you’re in the store, they’ll try to sell you things. I’ve been on cruises not expecting to buy jewelry but I came home with Tanzanite earrings and bracelets!
One way to avoid spending money at these gift shops, is to not set foot at these stores. Otherwise, if you have a strong will, go to the store, collect your free charm, and then leave without making a purchase!
7. Cruise Photos
A common trap that many cruisers fall into is spending more than they want on cruise photos. But if you’ve cruised before, you know how tempting it is to buy these photos. And these photos are not cheap, one photo can cost $15-$25 each.
They also make it hard to say no, because they display your photos in their shop for everyone to see. My kids always enjoy finding our pictures there and begging me to buy them.
It’s hard to avoid getting your photos taken because the photographers are everywhere, taking pictures of you at dinner, at the port, and in the lobby. Sometimes, I end up buying more than one photo because they give a discount if I buy multiple photos.
If you want to avoid overspending on cruise photos, the best strategy is to stay away from the photo studio altogether. If you don’t go to look at your photos, you won’t even be tempted to buy anything.
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8. Automatic Tipping
When I first started cruising, I wasn’t aware that gratuity wasn’t included in the cruise fare. In the past, passengers were provided with envelopes to tip their server and cabin steward, with the suggested amount being at their discretion.
Nowadays, cruise lines automatically charge gratuity. For example, Princess Cruise charges $16-$18 per person per day for gratuity. They now have a Princess Plus package where gratuity (and drinks) are included in the cruise fare.
There is not much you can do to avoid this added expense. Many cruise staff rely on gratuity to supplement their income as they work hard and usually deserve it.
In fact, I often give extra cash to my cabin steward and servers that I hand to them directly to show my appreciation for their excellent service.
9. Rides
Cruise ships these days are like theme parks, there are rides that you have to pay extra for. For example, Norwegian cruise ships have go-karts that cost $15 per ride or $199 for an unlimited package. And, some Carnival cruise ships have roller coasters that also cost $15 per ride.
If you have kids, you’ll probably end up paying for these extra rides, after all you’re on vacation right? These added expenses can come as a surprise, since they’re not typically expected on a cruise.
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10. Specialty Restaurants
If you want to save some money on your cruise, you might want to skip the specialty restaurants. Every cruise ship has them, offering a tempting variety of cuisines such as steak houses, Italian, Hibachi, and celebrity chef-inspired menus. It’s tempting to try.
For example, at Princess Cruise, it costs $25-$40 per person per meal depending on the restaurant. If you want to avoid that added cruise expense, I suggest skipping specialty restaurants and sticking with what’s already included in your cruise fare. There is plenty of food included in the Main Dining room and buffet, you really don’t have to pay extra at specialty restaurants.
And some cruise ships even have free specialty restaurants, like the Pizzeria on Princess Cruise or the pub on Norwegian Cruise line. Just ask the crew for more information about the free options available.
Check out these cruise packing lists with free printables
Alaska cruise packing list
Caribbean cruise packing list
Mediterranean cruise packing list
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