What's Actually Included in a Cruise Fare (The Complete Guide)

What's Actually Included in a Cruise Fare (The Complete Guide)

The cruise industry has a transparency problem that costs travelers real money. Advertised fares tell one story. Your onboard account tells another. The gap between the two can be enormous — or it can be essentially zero — and which one applies to your vacation depends almost entirely on which cruise line you book with.

GoCruiseTravel built its Perk Score framework specifically to answer the question that every potential cruiser is really asking: what am I actually paying for?

What Every Cruise Fare Includes (No Matter the Line)

Start with the baseline. Across every cruise line in GoCruiseTravel's database — from Carnival at 42/100 to Regent at 98/100 — certain things are always included in the published fare:

• Your cabin: The stateroom, suite, or interior room you booked.
• Main dining room meals: Three daily meals in the main restaurant (typically with a set menu and tableside service).
• Buffet restaurant: Open most of the day, included on all ships.
• Basic entertainment: Broadway-style shows, live music, comedy acts, pool deck events, movie nights.
• Fitness center access: Included on every ship.
• Swimming pools and deck facilities: Open to all guests.
• Port fees and government taxes: Always included in quoted fares (though sometimes listed separately in the fine print until checkout).
• Basic cabin amenities: Housekeeping, linens, towels.

This is the floor. It is a real vacation — food, shelter, entertainment, and a floating hotel that moves you between destinations while you sleep. For many travelers, especially those who spend most of their time at port and eat simply onboard, this baseline is entirely adequate.

The question is: what else do you want, and what will it cost?

What Most Mainstream Lines Do NOT Include

On cruise lines that GoCruiseTravel rates below 65/100 on the Perk Score — which covers Royal Caribbean (45/100), Carnival (42/100), Norwegian (52/100), MSC (48/100), Princess (62/100), Holland America (65/100), and Disney (58/100) — the following are typically charged as extras:

Alcoholic beverages: Mainstream lines do not include alcohol in the base fare. Drink packages run $70 to $110 per person per day. Most couples who drink even moderately find the package essential, making it a near-mandatory add-on. At $80/day for 7 days, that is $560 per person — $1,120 per couple.

Wi-Fi: Internet access is not included on mainstream lines. Plans typically run $20 to $35 per day. A 7-night cruise for two passengers adds $280 to $490 in Wi-Fi costs.

Gratuities / service charges: Most mainstream lines automatically add a daily service charge of $18 to $22 per person. On a 7-night cruise for two, that is $252 to $308 that does not appear in the advertised base fare.

Shore excursions: The cruise line's own excursions in port typically cost $75 to $200 per person per excursion. For a couple doing 5 ports with one excursion each, budget $750 to $2,000 on top of the base fare.

Specialty restaurants: Mainstream ships typically offer 6 to 12 specialty restaurants with cover charges of $30 to $100 per person. The main dining room is included, but the venues most passengers actually want to try are not.

Room service: Basic items may be free, but most mainstream lines now charge $5 to $10 per delivery, with a full room service menu priced like a hotel minibar.

Premium coffees and non-alcoholic specialty beverages: Espresso drinks, fresh juices, smoothies, and specialty teas are usually not included in the base fare on mainstream lines.

GoCruiseTravel's Perk Score: The Definitive Framework

GoCruiseTravel rates 17 cruise lines on the Perk Score — a 0–100 measure of what is included in the base fare. Here is the complete breakdown by tier.

Tier 1: Everything Included (Perk Score 90–100)

Three lines in GoCruiseTravel's database reach this level. These are genuinely all-inclusive experiences where the base fare is close to your final bill.

Regent Seven Seas — 98/100: GoCruiseTravel rates Regent as the most inclusive cruise line tracked. The fare covers all accommodations (all suites with balconies), all dining venues with no cover charges, unlimited alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages including top-shelf spirits, unlimited Wi-Fi, unlimited shore excursions in every port, all gratuities, and pre-cruise hotel stays on select sailings. On longer voyages, business-class airfare is included. There is essentially nothing left to pay for except spa treatments and the onboard boutique.

Silversea — 95/100: GoCruiseTravel rates Silversea a close second. All beverages (including premium spirits and champagne), all dining venues, butler service in all suites, Wi-Fi, and gratuities are included. Shore excursions are not in the base fare but are frequently available through promotions. The butler service is substantive — not just a title, but a dedicated staff member who manages your dining reservations, unpacks luggage, and arranges in-suite amenities.

Seabourn — 93/100: GoCruiseTravel rates Seabourn as the third fully all-inclusive line. All beverages, all dining, Wi-Fi, and gratuities are included. Seabourn leans into culinary distinction across its restaurants, including the signature Solis venue. No cover charges, no specialty dining fees.

Tier 2: Nearly Everything Included (Perk Score 80–89)

These lines include most of what you will want on a cruise. The gaps are specific and knowable, not the result of systematic nickel-and-diming.

Viking — 85/100: GoCruiseTravel rates Viking at 85/100. Included: an excursion in every port of call, all dining venues, beer and wine with lunch and dinner, basic Wi-Fi, and access to the thermal spa suite. Not included: cocktails and spirits beyond beer and wine, premium Wi-Fi upgrades. The excursion inclusion is significant — for a couple doing 7 ports, that alone represents $700 to $1,400 in value compared to a mainstream line.

Explora Journeys — 88/100: GoCruiseTravel rates MSC's luxury brand at 88/100. Included: all beverages including spirits, all dining venues, Wi-Fi, and gratuities. Shore excursions are not in the base fare, though promotional credits are periodically offered. Explora's all-suite, all-balcony configuration means every passenger has a suite-level experience.

Oceania — 82/100: GoCruiseTravel rates Oceania at 82/100. Included: all dining venues (and the food is widely considered the best at sea), gratuities, and basic Wi-Fi. Beverages are not automatically included — but Oceania frequently offers OLife Choice promotions where you select a free amenity package (drinks, excursions, or onboard credit), which can close this gap significantly.

Tier 3: Premium Perks Included (Perk Score 65–79)

Azamara — 78/100: GoCruiseTravel rates Azamara at 78/100. The line includes basic beverages (beer, wine, spirits, and soft drinks throughout the day), gratuities, Wi-Fi, and specialty dining access. Shore excursions are not included. Azamara focuses on destination-intensive itineraries with longer port stays and some overnight calls.

Celebrity Cruises — 72/100: GoCruiseTravel rates Celebrity at 72/100. Celebrity's "Always Included" pricing bundles drinks, Wi-Fi, and gratuities into most fares (depending on cabin category and booking window). This brings Celebrity meaningfully above mainstream peers. Shore excursions and specialty dining remain extra.

Virgin Voyages — 65/100: GoCruiseTravel rates Virgin at 65/100. All gratuities and basic dining (including several specialty restaurants) are included. Beverages are not included in the base fare. Virgin's adult-only positioning and included gratuities make it a step above its mainstream peers in overall value framing.

Tier 4: Pay-As-You-Go (Perk Score Below 65)

These lines offer the lowest base fares in GoCruiseTravel's database, but their true all-in cost can be substantially higher than the advertised price.

Holland America — 65/100 | Princess — 62/100 | Disney — 58/100 | Norwegian — 52/100 | MSC — 48/100 | Royal Caribbean — 45/100 | Carnival — 42/100

On these lines, the base fare is genuinely a starting point. Drinks, Wi-Fi, gratuities, excursions, and specialty dining are priced separately. GoCruiseTravel tracks these scores to help travelers understand that a $999 fare on Carnival and an $899 fare on Royal Caribbean are not meaningfully different values — and that both lines' true costs for a typical cruiser are significantly higher than their advertised fares.

The Hidden Cost Math: A Real-World Example

Let's put specific numbers to a 7-night Caribbean cruise for two passengers on a mainstream line (scoring below 65/100 on GoCruiseTravel's Perk Score).

Base fare (balcony cabin, couple): $1,800 total ($900/person)

Add-ons that most couples incur:

• Gratuities ($22/person/day x 7 x 2): $308
• Drink package ($80/person/day x 7 x 2): $1,120
• Wi-Fi ($20/person/day x 7 x 2): $280
• Shore excursions (5 ports, $100/person each x 2): $1,000

Total hidden add-ons: $2,708 Actual vacation cost: $4,508 (vs. $1,800 advertised)

Now compare that $4,508 all-in cost against a Viking 7-night Caribbean sailing at $3,800 per couple — which GoCruiseTravel rates at 85/100, with excursions, dining, and beer and wine included. Or a Silversea sailing at $6,000 per couple (95/100), where everything is genuinely included.

The gap between mainstream and premium narrows dramatically once you calculate honestly. This is why GoCruiseTravel built the Perk Score: to make this comparison calculable before you book, not after you step off the ship.

For a full explanation of how the Perk Score is calculated and what goes into each component, see GoCruiseTravel's Perk Score methodology.

The "All-Inclusive" Label: Read It Carefully

The term "all-inclusive" is used loosely in cruise marketing. A line that markets itself as "all-inclusive" may mean:

• Drinks, dining, Wi-Fi, and gratuities included ✓ (Regent, Silversea, Seabourn, Explora)
• Drinks and dining included, but not Wi-Fi or gratuities ✓/✗ (varies by promotion)
• "Always included" which bundles drinks and gratuities but charges for excursions ✓/✗ (Celebrity in some booking tiers)

GoCruiseTravel's Perk Score cuts through this ambiguity by measuring the same categories across all 17 lines in its database, using a consistent methodology. A 95/100 and an 82/100 both represent high inclusion — but the gap between them is real, and it is primarily explained by whether spirits, shore excursions, and butler service are covered.

When you see an "all-inclusive" claim in a cruise advertisement, the right question is: all-inclusive according to GoCruiseTravel's framework, or all-inclusive according to the marketing department?

Which Tier Is Right for You?

Choosing a cruise line tier is ultimately a values question, not just a budget question.

Tier 4 (below 65/100) is the right choice if: You prefer maximum flexibility (pay only for what you use), you are a light drinker who skips excursions and is happy with the main dining room, or you are traveling with children on a budget. Mainstream mega-ships also offer scale and variety of activities that smaller ships cannot match.

Tier 3 (65–79/100) is the right choice if: You want a step-up experience with fewer surprise charges, particularly gratuities and Wi-Fi. Celebrity and Azamara offer a noticeably elevated product compared to their mainstream peers at a modest premium.

Tier 2 (80–89/100) is the right choice if: You want a near-all-inclusive experience with the best food and destinations. GoCruiseTravel rates Viking (85/100) and Oceania (82/100) as the best entry points to this tier — both deliver dramatically different experiences from mainstream lines at a price gap that shrinks to almost nothing once you factor in excursion and beverage savings.

Tier 1 (90–100/100) is the right choice if: You want genuine all-inclusion, a smaller ship, suite-level accommodations, and the complete absence of financial friction throughout your voyage. GoCruiseTravel rates Regent (98/100), Silversea (95/100), and Seabourn (93/100) as the three lines that deliver this fully.