Cruise Fare Explained: What Is Included and What Costs Extra

Included in your cruise fare

Your cabin, meals in the main dining rooms and buffet, most casual eateries, water, basic coffee and tea, juices at breakfast, the pools and hot tubs, the fitness center, live entertainment, deck parties, the kids' and teen clubs, and transportation between every port on your itinerary.

Usually extra

Alcohol and specialty coffees, soda, specialty restaurants, spa treatments, casino play, shore excursions, Wi-Fi, laundry and gratuities. Most lines offer packages that bundle drinks, Wi-Fi or dining so you can pay once and stop thinking about it.

Packages: when they make sense

A drink package pays off if you enjoy a few cocktails a day, a Wi-Fi package is worth it if you need to stay reachable, and a dining package is a great fit for foodies on longer sailings. On a three- or four-night getaway, many travelers skip the packages and simply enjoy what's included.

Gratuities and service charges

Most cruise lines add a daily service charge per guest that covers your cabin steward, the dining staff and the behind-the-scenes crew. Some promotions let you prepay these, which makes the final bill on board a lot simpler.

How our promotions fit in

Many of the sailings we feature come with extra perks, such as onboard credit, drink or Wi-Fi packages or bonus resort nights. When you talk to us, tell us what you'll actually use and we'll point you to the offer that includes the most of it.