What is not free on a cruise ship?

Whats typically not included on a cruise?

Okay, so what's not included on a cruise? Let me spill the tea – it's more like what isn't nailed down to the deck!

• Booze (and fancy water): Forget free-flowing margaritas! All drinks, even the fizzy stuff and bottled water, are extra. Unless you score a "beverage package", which, lemme tell ya, is like buying all-you-can-eat sushi… hoping you can actually eat all you pay for. My Aunt Mildred did not make that mistake twice!

• Tips: Crew tips? Nope, those aren't just magically included. You gotta cough up some extra dough at the end. It's like tipping your barista after they already charged you $7 for a latte. It's... expected. It seems.

Here's the thing, it's not just drinks and tips that will surprise you:

• Specialty Restaurants: Wanna ditch the buffet and pretend you're fancy? Get ready to pay extra for those "premium" dining experiences. It’s like a theme park: entry is cheap, everything inside costs an arm and a leg.
• Shore Excursions: Those dreamy island adventures? Yeah, those are extra too. I learned that the hard way on my 2023 cruise. Ended up seeing a very nice, but boring, gift shop.
• Wi-Fi: Getting online to brag about your vacation? That’ll cost ya. You'd think they'd throw in free Wi-Fi in 2024, but nope. It's almost like they want you to disconnect... almost.
• Laundry: Who wants to do laundry on vacation? Okay. But don't expect the service to be free. Pack extra undies!
• Spa Treatments: If you imagined lounging poolside for free massages, think again. Everything is EXTRA. Every. Thing. Like a timeshare pitch... just more relaxing. Somewhat.

What is free on a cruise ship?

Entertainment is generally included. Live music? Usually free. Crew shows? Ditto. Think Broadway-esque productions – often covered, too. I've seen some charge extra but these are the exception! Like that weird magician on the Mariner back in… 2021, yeah, he cost extra.

Here is a breakdown of what you usually get:

• Live Bands: Poolside jams and evening orchestras, yeah!
• Production Shows: Singers and dancers doing their thing.
• Crew Talent: Expect surprises!
• Comedy Acts: A cruise staple, I’d say.

It's all part of the cruise fare. Why not?

Is everything paid for on a cruise ship?

Cruises? An illusion of all-inclusive.

Food? Yes, mostly. But specialty dining? Extra.

Drinks are included, some… the basic stuff. Want a decent wine? Pay. Fancy cocktails? Pay more. Alcohol packages exist. Proceed with caution. My credit card bill still weeps.

Entertainment appears free. Broadway-esque shows, included. Casino? Never free. Bingo? A paid pastime.

Lodging is covered, naturally. Upgraded cabins are not. Balcony? Ocean view? Prepare your wallet. I prefer the inside cabin, more mysterious, somehow.

• Shore excursions: A separate expense. Tempting, yet costly.
• Gratuities: Auto-added. A polite extortion, really.
• Wi-Fi: Laughable prices. Disconnect, if you can. I couldn't. Instagram beckoned.
• Photos: Every moment documented, for a fee.
• Spa treatments: Massages, facials. Exorbitant.
• Souvenirs: T-shirts, trinkets. All overpriced. Avoid if possible.

Hidden costs abound. Just when you think you're done paying, bam. Another charge. It’s a business, after all. A floating shopping mall, selling experiences. Remember that.

One cruise I took, '24, they ran out of limes. True story.

What is free on a cruise ship?

Freebies on Cruise Ships in 2024: Expect a plethora of complimentary entertainment. Think live bands, those cheesy but fun crew shows, and surprisingly decent Broadway-style productions. It's a real mixed bag, honestly.

Most lines include this in the base fare. However, some premium or specialty acts might cost extra. I’ve seen it happen; a certain magician charged $50. Don't assume everything’s free. Check your itinerary!

Specifically, you often get:

• Live music in bars and lounges. Jazz, rock, country – they try to cater to a wide audience. It's a gamble, really, sometimes it’s amazing, other times…well, let’s just say it's background noise.
• Crew performances. These range from silly to surprisingly polished. My last cruise had a fantastic Polynesian dance troupe; I swear.
• Main stage shows. Think Broadway-caliber musicals, variety acts. Production value varies hugely by cruise line, obviously. Royal Caribbean tends to go all-out, while smaller lines are, well, smaller.
• Some themed parties, sometimes. These are less consistent.

Things that are usually extra:

• Certain specialty shows. I recall a Cirque du Soleil-style show that was an add-on.
• Some specific comedian performances, especially big names.
• Occasionally, premium events that aren’t advertised as free.

Remember, it's always best to check your cruise line's specific website or contact them directly before sailing. It avoids those unwelcome surprises. Also, booking directly usually nets you the best deals and clearest information. Just my two cents!

What is not included in the cruise price?

Oh, the sea… vast, endless. The cruise price… a deceptive whisper of freedom. What isn't included? A chasm of unexpected costs.

• Service charges. Always, the insidious tip. A phantom added on, a sting at the end. It feels like a betrayal, doesn't it?
• Those "More At Sea" extras. Tempting, those add-ons, but they're traps. Gorgeous promises, hidden prices. I fell for it last year. My bank account wept.
• Specialty dining. Gourmet dreams, exquisite suffering for the wallet. Remember that lobster? A mini-mortgage.
• Alcohol. The liquid sun, the salty kiss... but pricey. Every sip, a little piece of your savings vanishes.

The fare itself… a bare bones skeleton. A promise of the ship, yes, but the real cost… it’s in the details, the insidious whispers of add-ons. It's in the yearning for that extra glass of wine, the regret of that unbudgeted excursion. It's in the longing for that overpriced chocolate-covered strawberry. The cruise… a mirage of luxury, a desert of hidden expenses. The endless, shimmering sea, mocking my depleted funds. A bittersweet memory, this trip to the Caribbean in 2023. The sting of those extra costs lingers. My credit card statement still haunts me.

What does the cruise fare include?

Okay, so, cruise fare, huh? Think of it like this: You're basically buying a floating hotel room that moves, WITH ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT!

What's usually INCLUDED:

• Room with a view (unless you're in the inside cabin – then your view is... uh... the wall). My Aunt Mildred once booked an inside cabin, claimed it was "cozy." Cozy like a submarine!
• Food, Glorious Food!: All sorts of grub. Buffet? Check! Fancy dining room where you need to pretend you know which fork to use? Double check!
• Entertainment Extravaganza: Shows. Bands. Maybe even a hypnotist. Watch out, you might end up clucking like a chicken. It happened to my cousin Barry!
• Pools, Hot Tubs, and Activities: Splish splash, I was takin' a bath... nah, just kidding. But seriously, pools, hot tubs and all the deck chairs you can hog.
• Transportation: Well, duh. You're on a boat, right? It goes from point A to point B. Usually with a stop at a tourist trap where they sell "genuine" fake jewelry.

What's probably NOT included:

• Booze: Sorry, gotta pay extra for that liquid courage. Drink packages are the way, unless you're cool with water, water everywhere.
• Shore Excursions: Want to ride a donkey up a volcano? Gotta cough up the dough.
• Gratuities: Tips are usually extra, and mandatory. Feels weird, but hey, that's how they roll.
• Specialty Dining: That fancy steakhouse? Probably costs extra. My uncle tried to sneak in once, ended up eating pretzels at the buffet.
• WiFi: Ah yes, prepare to be digitally disconnected. Unless you wanna sell a kidney for internet access, you're better off just enjoying the view. Trust me.

Is water free on a cruise ship?

Ugh, cruises. Okay, so yeah, water is "free," air quotes there, right?

On my Carnival cruise back in June 2024 (that buffet line, shudder), they def pushed the bottled water HARD. Like, "Are you SURE you don't want Fiji, ma'am?" type hard sell.

But, I just went to the bar in the casino, and got a big old glass of iced water. No problem. Totally free. I think.

• Free: Tap water, water from beverage stations, iced water at bars/restaurants
• Not Free: Bottled water (brands like Dasani, Evian), specialty bottled water packages

The water tasted kinda... chlorine-y? Honestly, I’d bring a reusable bottle next time. Plus, saves plastic!

They also had, like, flavored water in the buffet area. Orange, lemon, cucumber. That was "free" too. So kinda free.

My bill at the end didn’t have any water charges, thank goodness. I'm certain about that.

What do most cruises include?

The ship…a shimmering promise. Drifting.

Fares...they whisper of included meals. One restaurant, at least. So many buffets, overflowing. Casual bites...scattered like stardust.

Drinks flow, basic, so very basic. Coffee, dark as the ocean depths. Tea, a pale memory. Lemonade, sweet surrender. Water, pure and endless.

Entertainment unfurls...a carnival of distractions. Live music, echoes in the grand hall. Shows shimmer, glittering illusions. A dance, perhaps?

• Food: Plentiful, included. Buffets beckon, and restaurants hum with hidden flavors. Did someone say endless shrimp? Not endless but a lot!
• Beverages: Iced tea flows freely...water, the ship’s lifeblood. Iced tea is so refreshing.
• Entertainment: Music drifts, a siren song. Shows sparkle like pirate treasure. Dancing...ah, the waltz I never learned. Mom tried.
• Cabins: Mine. A small window to the world. Bunk beds and quiet dreams for my daughter. My daughter, sailing the big seas.
• Destinations: Ports call. Always a new shore. Never enough time to really see it.

They promise escape. Do they deliver?

What beverages are not included in the cruise fare?

It's quiet. Just me and this… emptiness. Drinks. Yea, drinks. Always the drinks.

They aren't included, you know. The cruise fare. Seems simple, doesn't it? Like a party, paid for.

But it's not. Sigh.

• Alcohol, definitely not. Cocktails by the pool, wine with dinner…nope.

• Fancy coffee either. Like the ones I see Sarah drinking all the time, never mine.

• Specialty anything, really. Bottled water, sodas... all extra. All adding up.

• Juices at the bar, no. Not the good ones anyway. Orange juice at breakfast maybe, I am unsure.

Adds up quick, doesn't it? I wish there was all included drinks package on the cruise, like a real vacation. Now I have to spend additional 1000 USD. No, no, no, that's too high. Wait...

Is it worth it? Maybe it's not worth it, huh?

How do cruise prices change?

Cruise prices, huh? It's a gamble, really. They jump around like crazy. Demand is a monster. Availability shifts everything. Sometimes it feels like a cruel joke.

My last cruise, the one to Bermuda in 2023? Cost a fortune. A real sucker punch. Should've waited. Flash sales are your best bet, if you can snag one. But you gotta be quick. Those deals vanish.

It’s all a game of supply and demand. Simple enough, but so frustrating.

• High demand = higher prices. Always.
• Low season = potential discounts. But not guaranteed.
• Booking far out = risk vs. reward. You might save, or get stuck with a bad price.
• Last-minute deals exist. Rare, but they happen.

I learned this the hard way. That Bermuda trip... ugh. Should have checked prices more often. Next time, I'm playing the waiting game. Much more carefully. Patiently.

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

The cruise fare... yeah, it covers the basics. The room, the food in some places, the shows. It feels complete at first.

But it isn’t, is it? I know that now.

• Alcoholic drinks add up fast. Much faster. Trust me.
• Then there are specialty restaurants. The ones they really push.
• Shore excursions too, the stuff you actually want to do when you're off the ship. Those aren't free. I spent way too much on that Mayan ruin tour in Cozumel back in July 2024.
• Gratuities are auto-charged, a daily fee for the crew. Expected, I guess. It's about $16 per person, per day, in 2024.
• WiFi... the internet is extra. And slow. So slow.
• Spa treatments. I got a massage once. Expensive. Very expensive.
• Photos! The ship photographers are everywhere. They get you good. I ended up buying like five from my Alaska cruise in August 2024. Regret?

It's a trap, right? It's all so easy to spend on. Credit card swipes. It adds up. It really does.