On our ocean cruise calculators, the extras add 47% to 108% to the fare and flights. A 7-night Caribbean cruise for two that looks like $2,500 really costs about $5,202. The biggest culprits are excursions, drinks, port fees and the gratuities added to your bill every night.
Cruises have the best marketing in travel. One price, everything included, unpack once. And to be fair, a lot really is included: your cabin, the main dining room, the pool, the stage shows, the soft-serve machine you'll visit with an honesty you would never show at home.
But "everything included" is doing heavy lifting. The fare gets you on the ship. Nearly everything that makes the trip feel like a vacation costs extra, and it arrives on one bill at the end, usually slid under your door the last night while you're packing. Here's what's on it.
Port taxes and feesabout $400 for two
The advertised fare often leaves these out, and they're not small: commonly $100 to $250 per person on a Caribbean sailing, and more in Alaska. They're mandatory, so think of them as part of the fare that's hiding.
Shrink it: You can't avoid them, but compare cruises on the total after taxes, not the headline fare.
Daily gratuities$252 for two on 7 nights
Most lines add about $16 to $20 per person, per night, to your onboard account automatically. Carnival charges $17, Royal Caribbean $18.50 and Disney $16. Nobody mentions it at the buffet, and everybody pays it at the end.
Shrink it: Some lines let you prepay gratuities at booking, which doesn't save money but does keep it off the final-night surprise bill.
Shore excursions$500 to $800 for two
The ports are the point of the trip, and the ship sells tours at each one. Snorkel trips in the Caribbean, glaciers and whales in Alaska, and in the Mediterranean, ports like Rome and Florence sit an hour or more from the dock.
Shrink it: Many Caribbean ports are walkable or a short taxi from a beach. Independent tours cost less, but the ship won't wait for you if your tour runs late, so leave a big buffer.
Drinksabout $420 for two
Water, basic coffee and some juices are free. Soda, specialty coffee and alcohol are not, and drink packages often cost $65 or more per person, per day, plus a service charge. On a 7-night sailing that's real money, and many lines require every adult in the cabin to buy one.
Shrink it: Do the math before you buy a package. If you won't drink about five or six drinks a day, paying as you go usually wins.
Onboard Wi-Fiabout $210 for two
Internet packages often run $20 to $40 a day, per device. That's a steep price for checking whether your work email is on fire.
Shrink it: Buy one package and share it in shifts, or go offline and catch up in port on free Wi-Fi.
The hotel the night beforeabout $170
The ship leaves at the time on your ticket, with or without you, and a delayed flight is not its problem. Almost everyone who's been on a few cruises flies in the day before.
Shrink it: Look for park-and-cruise hotels near the port that include parking for the week. Two costs, one bill.
Getting to the portabout $170
Port parking runs about $20 to $35 a day, so a week adds up fast. Flying in means a transfer or a rideshare from the airport instead.
Shrink it: Split a rideshare with your group, or use a hotel shuttle if you're staying the night before.
Flying with bags$180 for two
Most major US airlines now charge about $45 for the first checked bag, each way. Cruisers pack formal nights and four swimsuits each, so most check a bag.
Shrink it: A carry-on and a few outfits you repeat will do. Nobody on deck is keeping track.
Specialty restaurantsabout $110 for two
The main dining room is included. The steakhouse and sushi bar usually cost $45 to $65 per person. On Disney ships, the adults-only restaurants are $55 to $145 per person.
Shrink it: Pick one special dinner and enjoy it, rather than drifting into three.
Passportsabout $165 per new adult passport
A closed-loop cruise from a US port may not strictly require one, but a passport makes things far easier if you ever miss the ship in a foreign port. Mediterranean cruises require one, and Alaska cruises that stop in Canada may too. A new one takes weeks.
Shrink it: Check your passport's expiry date now. Many countries want six months left after you travel.
The bottom line, cruise by cruise
Here's what the extras add on every cruise calculator on our site, using each calculator's sample trip:
| Cruise | Sample trip | Looks like | Really costs | Extra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caribbean Cruise | 2 travelers, 7 nights | $2,500 | $5,202 | +108% |
| Short Bahamas Cruise | 2 travelers, 3 nights | $1,300 | $2,686 | +107% |
| Alaska Cruise | 2 travelers, 7 nights | $3,100 | $6,278 | +103% |
| Mediterranean Cruise | 2 travelers, 7 nights | $5,000 | $8,302 | +66% |
| Hawaii Cruise | 2 travelers, 7 nights | $4,400 | $7,184 | +63% |
| Disney Cruise | 4 travelers, 4 nights | $6,000 | $8,826 | +47% |
| European River Cruise | 2 travelers, 7 nights | $9,400 | $11,744 | +25% |
River cruises are the exception that proves the rule. They cost far more up front, but more is included, so the extras add less. Ocean cruises flip that around: a low fare, and the rest arrives later.
How we got these numbers
Each figure comes from the matching cruise calculator, using its sample trip, current published prices from the cruise lines and airlines, and our standard forgotten costs. Prices are checked monthly. Your ship, cabin and habits will change the numbers, so plug yours into the calculator.
Run your own numbers
Every figure here comes from a free calculator. Change any number to match your trip.