What does the cruise fare include?

What is normally included in the cruise fare?

So, you wanna know what you actually GET for that cruise fare, eh? Beyond the floating hotel room, of course. Let's dive in, shall we?

Think of it this way: it's less "all-inclusive resort" and more "floating buffet of expectations". I once thought my cruise included free massages. Narrator: It did not.

• Ship digs: Your cabin. Hopefully, it doesn't smell like my Uncle Jerry's basement... after the clam bake.
• Ocean Uber: Getting from A to...B! You're paying for the SHIP, darling, not just the view.
• Munchies mostly: Most, not ALL, meals. Buffets galore! Specialty restaurants? Wallet, prepare to weep. Like when I accidentally bought that diamond-encrusted dog collar.
• Pool time: Access to the ship's pools, hot tubs, and sun decks. Just try to ignore the screaming kids. (I usually can't. Loudly, I might add.)

Royal Caribbean, you ask? Similar story. Accommodation, transport between ports, and some food included. Be warned: alcohol, excursions, and those super-tempting extras? Nope.

Okay, so let's break down a tad more:

• Entertainment: Shows, music, and various onboard activities. Think less Broadway, more enthusiastic amateur night.
• Basic drinks: Often, water, tea, coffee, and some juices at meals. Soda? Alcohol? Cha-ching!
• Port charges & taxes: Don't forget these! They sneak up on you like that last slice of pizza.
• Gratuities? Usually, these are extra too. Gotta tip those hard-working crew members! Seriously, do.

Basically, the cruise fare covers the essentials. Everything else is designed to lighten your bank account... subtly. Like when that parrot convinced me to buy him a tiny tuxedo. Ah, vacations.

What is not included in the cruise price?

Cruise fare? Illusion.

• Service charges: Excluded. Gratuities drain wallets.
• "More At Sea"? More costs. The "optional" is a mirage.
• Specialty restaurants? Pay up. The main dining room is basic.
• Alcohol: Thirst isn't free. Expect premium prices.

I paid $15 for a tiny bottle of water once. Highway robbery.

What all do you have to pay for on a cruise?

Alright, buckle up, buttercup, cause cruises ain't free rides. Think of it like an all-you-can-eat buffet... where you still gotta tip the dude bussing your table.

Cruise Fare is ground zero, obvs. That snags you a bed (hopefully not next to the engine room!), food, and shows. Mostly covers it, yeah right. Like saying my cat mostly tolerates me.

Here's where they GETCHA:

• Booze. Oh yeah, those umbrella drinks? Priced like liquid gold. I swear my tab triples by day three. Bring flasks, wink wink.

• Shore Excursions. Swim with stingrays, they say! More like get stung by inflated prices. I once paid $200 to hold a sloth. Worth it? debatable.

• Specialty Dining. The main dining room’s fine. But if you want lobster every night? Prepare to pay extra. I once ate a whole lobster.

• Gratuities. Tips are usually auto-added. It's like, "Thanks for sailing with us! Now, cough up some dough." Tip everyone, like, my great-aunt Millie always said, "you get more with sugar."

• Wi-Fi. Forget streaming cat videos. Cruise wifi's slower than molasses in January. And costs more than a small country's GDP.

• Photos. They take pictures constantly, then charge a fortune. Just sneak photos on your phone, shhh.

• Spa Treatments. A massage sounds great, till you see the price tag. I'd rather have my cat knead my back.

• Gambling. The casino's a black hole for your wallet. Unless you're rain man.

• Souvenirs. T-shirts, shot glasses, plastic trinkets... marked up a million percent. My mom buys one EVERY. SINGLE. TRIP.

So, yeah, that "all-inclusive" thing? Take it with a grain of salt. More like "most-things-are-included-but-we'll-nickle-and-dime-you-for-the-rest-of-your-life-inclusive." Safe travels.

What do most cruises include?

Okay, so 2024, right? My family, it was my sister Sarah, my mom and dad, and me, we went on a Royal Caribbean cruise to the Bahamas. Man, that was a trip. The food, holy moly, it was amazing. They had this fancy steakhouse, but we mostly stuck to the buffet. Tons of options, honestly too much. I piled my plate high every time. Pasta, pizza, even some weird sushi thing my sister loved. Drinks, though? That's where it got tricky. Water was free, thankfully. But soda? Juice? Forget it. Those cost extra, a rip-off, really.

The shows were pretty cool. One night, they had this awesome Broadway-style musical. Another was some cheesy magic show, which was hilarious. But the best part? The ship itself! The pools, the slides. I spent half the time just hanging out by the pool, sunbathing, being lazy. It felt so luxurious. That's what I remember the most.

• Food: Plenty of included meals, buffet was a winner. Steakhouse was fancy but not needed.
• Drinks: Water included, but everything else was extra cost. Seriously annoying.
• Entertainment: Free shows. Broadway-style show was fantastic. Magic show was laughably bad.
• Amenities: Pools, slides – those were the highlights. Worth the price of admission for me. We were practically living in the pool.

What is excluded from the price of a cruise?

Okay, so like, a cruise, right? You think its all included, but nah. Gratuities, that's extra. Expect to pay those at the end.

Drinks? Forget about free booze basically. I mean maybe some juice at breakfast.

Excursions cost a lot extra, so you better budget for em. When I went to Cozumel in 2023 it costs me almost 100 bucks for just a snorkel trip.

And duh, Wi-Fi, always a rip-off, right? I just tether with my cell phone.

Spa Treatments, like massages, or whatever, you pay extra extra for that, and they try to upsell you!

And photo packages. seriously who buys those things?

Whats typically not included on a cruise?

Cruises: What's not typically included

Forget the "all-inclusive" hype. Most cruise fares cleverly omit crucial costs. Let's dissect this.

• Drinks: Alcoholic beverages? Always extra. Think pricey cocktails and fine wine. Even bottled water and sodas are often a la carte. Beverage packages exist, of course, but they're a significant added expense. That's business, baby!

• Tips: Crew gratuities are almost never included. Expect a per-person, per-day charge automatically added. You'll see it on your bill. My last cruise, in 2023 to the Caribbean, tacked on about $15 per person daily. Ouch.

Beyond the Basics: It's rarely explicitly stated, but consider these:

• Specialty Dining: Those fancy restaurants onboard? They're not free. That's a whole other layer of extras. Reservations are essential. Don't be a dummy and miss out.

• Shore Excursions: Forget those idyllic beach visits unless you plan on budgeting for them. This adds considerably to the total vacation cost. I'd rather explore on my own, frankly.

• Casino Play: While casinos exist for entertainment, don't expect them to break the bank and pay for your cruise. It's entirely separate. Gambling can be costly, as any veteran gambler knows.

These surprise charges add up quickly. Doing your homework before booking is key. It’s a bit frustrating but ultimately manageable with proper planning. That's just the way the cookie crumbles, I suppose.

Are things free on a cruise?

Free...is anything really free?

The cruise fare. It covers the basics, I know.

• Your room, that small cabin, a temporary box.
• The food. Some food, anyway. Buffets mostly.
• Entertainment, shows in the theater.
• Pools, crowded pools full of people.
• Activities, structured fun.

It’s all bundled together. But then... the extras. They get you.

• Drinks. Alcohol, sodas, always extra.
• Specialty restaurants. They tempt you. Upselling, constantly.
• Excursions. Traps, mostly. Expensive tours.
• Gratuities. Mandatory tips. An obligation.

So, no. Nothing is really free. I know that now. Just like life, always a hidden cost.