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10 Hidden Costs of Cruising and How to Fight Back

Cruise ship in Croatia (Photo: biletskiyevgeniy.com/Shutterstock.com)

Erica Silverstein

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By Erica Silverstein

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A voyage at sea is one of the best values around because all major expenses (lodging, meals, snacks, activities and entertainment) are included. However, there are some items -- mostly of a personal or optional nature -- that are out-of-pocket expenses. Those extra purchases can quickly run up your bill.

Cruise lines tempt travelers to come onboard with sometimes low upfront prices and then charge extra for everything from massages and fruity cocktails to onboard activities and meals outside the main dining room. "All-inclusive" is a term that really only applies to a handful of high-priced luxury cruises.

If you want the full cruise experience, you'll need to set aside some cash to cover these extra expenditures, or make a vacation budget and stick to it. To make sure the incidentals don't break the bank for you, here are 10 things that will cost you extra onboard -- and how to find discounts and savings.

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On This Page

Shore Excursions
Alternative Dining
Alcohol and Other Beverages
Spa and Salon Treatments
Onboard Activities
Laundry
Tipping
Souvenir Shopping Onboard and in Port
Photos and Camera Equipment
Internet

Shore Excursions

What You'll Pay: Cruise lines sell shore excursions -- guided tours and experiences in the various ports of call -- but they do inflate prices above what the actual tour operators charge. Prices for these excursions range from about $35 for a quick city and shopping tour to more than $300 for some all-day tours, overland programs including meals and snacks, and such over-the-top offerings as helicopter flightseeing and hot-air ballooning. Most tours are priced somewhere between $50 and $175, depending on length and activities involved.

Savings Tip: While you might wish to sign up for some of the ship's tours (particularly if you're not familiar with the port and do not speak the language), you also have the option to tour independently at a fraction of the cost -- or even for free, if you go on a self-guided walking tour. Before setting sail, visit the websites of your ports' tourist boards or Cruise Critic's Destinations section to get ideas on things to see and how to get around on your own in port. Online travel guides and apps can also help you plan your time ashore.

Local festivals and craft displays can be sources of good, free entertainment. Parks, beaches and art galleries are other free or nominal-charge attractions to check out. Or perhaps you prefer to simply wander through town, browsing in shops and stopping for a coffee or snack.

If you decide to hire a car and driver to give you a private tour (generally less expensive than the shipboard excursions, especially if you have a group) or just to take you to the center of town, always agree on the price (and, in the case of a tour, which specific points of interest will be covered) before you get into the car. If you do want an organized tour, you can book directly with a tour operator or through third-party shore excursion sellers; you might save a few dollars that way.

Not sure if a cruise line shore tour is worth the splurge? Find out in our feature, Ship-Sponsored or Independent Shore Excursions: Which Is Right for You?

Alternative Dining

La Mer on Sky Princess (Photo: Dori Saltzman/Cruise Critic)

What You'll Pay: All ships offer free dining in the ship's main dining room and buffet venue, but nearly every ship today sports one or many extra-fee venues. You'll pay extra for everything from casual Italian to exclusive chef's tables and restaurants designed by celebrity chefs.

Even room service, once free 24/7, now comes with a surcharge on many lines, with fees applied for certain items, during certain hours or all the time. Lines like Norwegian and Royal Caribbean tack a fee to all room service orders.

Most alternative restaurants charge in the range of $15 to $50 per person, but a chef's table experience or wine-paired meal could be upward of $100 per passenger. Some lines, like Norwegian, are starting to move toward a la carte prices in their alternative venues.

Specialty desserts (ice cream, gelato, cupcakes and other fancy pastries), special dishes in the main dining room (such as high-quality cuts of steak and whole lobsters), dinner theater, pizza delivery and even pub grub will cost extra.

Savings Tip: Don't go! You can typically find 24/7 dining for free onboard, and main dining room meals are often quite good, with multiple courses and decadent desserts. The newest, largest ships often have additional casual, fee-free eateries. Carnival is a good cruise line to choose if you want variety in free dining options.

If you're tempted by the specialty options -- and many are worth a splurge -- just be sure to budget the price of dinner into your onboard spending (or skip those afternoon cocktails or wine with dinner to mitigate the cost). Alternatively, look for cruise deals that offer onboard credit or free meals in specialty venues as part of the incentive package to book.

Some lines, including Celebrity and Royal Caribbean, offer dining packages that bundle several for-fee restaurants for a discounted rate; others, like Holland America, offer lunch in the specialty venues for a lower price than dinner, allowing you to enjoy the alternative dining experience at a lesser cost.

Read about the best cruise ship alternative restaurants that are definitely worth paying for.

Alcohol and Other Beverages

What You'll Pay: At meals, water, iced tea, milk, coffee, tea and juices are complimentary, but alcoholic beverages are not included in the cruise fare on most lines (with the exception of some luxury lines and river cruises). Plus, many will also charge for soda, bottled water, certain juices and specialty coffees (cappuccinos, lattes and espressos).

Your drink tab can quickly add up as you'll be paying restaurant -- not grocery store -- prices for your beverages, as well as an automatic gratuity on your bill in the range of 18 percent.

Savings Tip: Many vessels advertise discounted "daily drink specials" or offer happy hour specials. If you're ever offered a drink in a souvenir glass, ask for the drink in a regular glass instead; you will likely save a few bucks.

Look for events with free booze, such as Champagne art auctions or captain's cocktail parties. At meals, you can order a bottle of wine and save whatever you don't finish for the next night, which can be cheaper than ordering wine by the glass.

Most lines offer beverage packages (everything from just soda to multiple bottles of wine and unlimited alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks), but you need to make sure you drink enough to actually save. If you chug soda or bottled water, some lines will let you bring your own. You can typically bring a bottle or two of wine onboard, but you might have to pay a corkage fee if you drink it in a restaurant.

Cruise line alcohol policies are highly restrictive, so be sure to read your line's rules.

Spa and Salon Treatments

Treatment room in a Carnival cruise ship spa (Photo: Cruise Critic)

What You'll Pay: Cruise line spas charge rates equal to high-end salons, and you might be shocked by the prices. A 50-minute massage is typically about $120 to $180, with more exotic treatments running into the $200 to $400 range (not to mention medi-spa treatments, which can start in the four-figure range). Plus, rates don't include an automatic gratuity that typically runs 18 percent.

Passes to thermal suites and thalassotherapy pools average $25 to $40 per day, with cruise-long packages also available.

Savings Tip: Take advantage of spa discounts, typically offered on embarkation and port days. Check your ship's daily program for spa-treatment specials that might be available one day only or during certain hours. Some lines offer progressive discounts if you book multiple treatments all at once.

Resist the product sales pitch that often comes at the end of your appointment, or better yet, ask up front not to be bothered with sales pitches at all.

Does the spa menu have you overwhelmed? We'll help you understand cruise ship spa services.

Onboard Activities

What You'll Pay: While many onboard activities are free, other special activities incur extra fees. Among them are fitness classes like Pilates, yoga and spinning (typically $12 to $30 per class); wine-tasting events; after-hours group babysitting for the youngest children (about $5 to $8 per child, per hour); behind-the-scenes tours; and bingo and casino play (as much as you're willing to lose). New attractions like laser tag, escape rooms and IMAX movies often come with an extra fee.

Savings Tip: You can certainly keep entertained with free activities. Attend the production shows, live-music performances, cooking demos, pool or trivia games and free lectures -- or simply spend your time chilling by the pool, reading a book or chatting with your travel companions. Many of the top entertainment offerings -- Broadway productions, onboard surfing and watersliding, live music and comedy acts -- incur no extra charges (though reservations might be required).

If you're intrigued by the for-fee activities, set a budget and choose the ones you find most interesting.

For the lowdown on which activities are free and which incur a fee, read up on what's included in your cruise fare.

Laundry

What You'll Pay: As at land-based resorts, laundry and dry-cleaning charges on a cruise can be steep (approximately $3 to $7 to wash and press a shirt, for instance). Check to see if there is a self-service launderette, and use it. (Typically, washing and drying one load of clothes comes to about $6, though some lines offer complimentary self-service laundry.)

Savings Tip: You have two options here: Pack enough changes of clothes for the cruise and do the wash back home, or bring your own travel-sized detergent, wash necessities in your cabin sink and hang-dry them in the shower. If you're really motivated, you can also find a laundromat in port -- it could be a cultural experience!

Or stay true to your favorite cruise line. Some upper-tier loyalty program members receive free laundry service as a status perk.

Find out how much cruise line laundry services will cost you.

Tipping

What You'll Pay: Tipping policies vary by line; most mainstream cruise lines recommend about $13 to $15 per person, per day, to be distributed among those who provide key services: dining room waiters, assistant waiters and cabin stewards. If you have a suite, be prepared to tip extra.

Additionally, bar tabs are automatically charged a 15 to 18 percent gratuity; some lines also add on a 15 to 18 percent gratuity to spa services. When the maitre d' performs a special service, such as arranging for a birthday cake to be brought to the table, he should be tipped as well.

Travelers on ships catering to Brits and Australians will find that tips are typically built into the cruise fares, though of course you can give tips for exceptional service.

Savings Tip: Generally, tipping is not an area where you can save money. You can adjust the auto-gratuities at the ship's purser's desk or choose to tip below the recommended amount if you feel you've received subpar service. However, Cruise Critic discourages this in most cases. The ship's crew members -- particularly the waiters, assistant waiters and cabin stewards -- work hard and depend on tips to round out their salaries.

Tip the recommended amount and even add a little more, if you can, for outstanding attention. (If you are disappointed with service, fill out a comment card to alert the senior staff onboard, or go in person to guest services while you're still on the ship -- it's more effective.)

If tipping drives you crazy, let us lead you to sanity with the ultimate guide to cruise ship tipping.

Souvenir Shopping Onboard and in Port

Victoria's Secret on Carnival Horizon (Photo: Cruise Critic)

What You'll Pay: Most people purchase something to remember their cruise, and it can be tough to pass on the beautiful -- and expensive -- figurines, perfumes, designer fashions and leather goods if your budget doesn't allow for them. Even tacky trinkets and T-shirts can add up if you're buying for your extended family-and-friend network. Prices can range from a $5 tee to a piece of jewelry valued in the hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Savings Tip: Avoid temptation by not browsing in the boutiques onboard and ashore if you cannot afford to buy. Typically, bargain tables appear on ships toward the end of a cruise, so wait for the latter portion to buy onboard if you're so inclined.

If you do plan to purchase jewelry, clothing or duty-free liquor onboard, check the prices of merchandise at stores back home, and bring a list so you can compare prices. (The prices on ships are not always deals.)

Don't invest in a piece of art at an onboard auction unless you've done your research in advance and know the value of what you're purchasing.

In port, good, inexpensive souvenirs include handicrafts from outdoor markets and street vendors, and local products such as coffee, jellies and candy purchased at grocery stores in port, where souvenirs are generally less expensive. Many souvenir stores carry the same products, so compare prices before buying.

Don't be fooled into buying these 8 tacky travel souvenirs.

Photos and Camera Equipment

What You'll Pay: Cruise travelers are often lured into dropping big bucks at the onboard photo gallery, where an 8x10 photo can easily cost $20 or more. Buying additional batteries, memory cards and other camera supplies onboard will likely cost you more money than it would back home.

Savings Tip: If you're worried about blowing your budget on photos, just say "no thanks" when the ship's photographer asks to take your picture. Or resist the urge to "just check out" the photo in the gallery -- once you see the printed version, you're more likely to want it. Take your own pictures, and rely sparingly, if at all, on the ship's photographers. If you do plan on buying a lot of professional photos, look for packages or ask about any specials on offer.

On the equipment side, buy plenty of batteries and other camera supplies at home where they're cheaper -- and bring more than you think you will need, just in case.

You won't need to rely on the ship's photographers if you heed our top tips for taking better pictures on your next cruise.

Internet

What You'll Pay: Whether you bring your own laptop and take advantage of shipboard Wi-Fi or park yourself at the computer center onboard, you will pay high rates for often slow internet connections. On the up side, connection speeds are improving, and select cruise lines can offer land-like speeds.

Cruise lines are no longer consistent in how they package or price Wi-Fi. Some lines offer packages for buying internet time in bulk; for example, Cunard charges 50 cents a minute for the 30-minute package, and 17 cents per minute for the 1,920-minute package.

Other lines charge daily rates based on how much bandwidth you use and which types of sites you can access. For example, a social media plan on Carnival might be $7 a day, while a premium plan with no streaming is $15 per day. An unlimited plan, including streaming, on Disney is $89 for 1,000 megabytes.

Savings Tip: Many cruise lines offer Wi-Fi packages as an added perk when booking certain promotions. Also look for free Wi-Fi access in port; you might need to buy a cup of coffee or a snack at a cafe to access it. You can also find cheaper internet centers in port.

Some cellphone plans offer free or package data plans in foreign ports that might be cheaper than the cruise ship options. Plus, new cruise line apps offer certain planning and communication services, often for free or discounted rates, when you're onboard.

Discover your options for staying connected at sea with our piece on internet and phone use onboard

Updated September 02, 2020

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