You found a seven-night cruise advertised at $699 per person. Is that really what the vacation will cost? Usually not — but that doesn’t mean the fare is misleading. Cruise prices are commonly advertised per person, based on double occupancy, and often reflect the lowest cabin category before other trip expenses are added. Some cruise lines bundle drinks, Wi-Fi, dining or gratuities into the fare; others price those items separately. The practical answer is to calculate the complete trip, not just the cruise fare.
Real cruise cost: Cruise Fare + Taxes & Port Fees + Gratuities + Airfare/Transportation + Pre-Cruise Hotel + Transfers/Parking + Drinks + Wi-Fi + Specialty Dining + Shore Excursions + Travel Insurance + Onboard Spending = Total Vacation Cost. That total is the number to compare — not the headline fare.
Why Cruise Fares Look Cheaper Than the Real Cost
Cruise advertising commonly highlights the lowest available rate, which may reflect per-person pricing (two travelers share one cabin, so the advertised amount is effectively doubled), double occupancy, a base fare that excludes taxes and other trip components, promotional language like “60% off the second guest” or “Kids Sail Free” that applies only to specific sailings or guests, the lowest cabin category (usually an inside cabin), and limited inventory available at that price. None of this makes cruise advertising deceptive — it means you need to read the fare conditions and build a complete budget before deciding.
For example, a couple may see an advertised fare of $699 per person, but the base fare for two guests runs closer to $1,398 before taxes, fees and everything else is added. Review the final invoice rather than simply doubling the headline number.
What’s Usually Included, and What Costs Extra
On most mainstream cruises, the base fare typically includes your cabin, main dining room and buffet meals, selected casual food venues, most theater shows and live entertainment, pools, fitness center access, kids’ club hours, and basic onboard activities. Included dining and entertainment vary by ship — a newer ship may carry premium attractions or restaurants with additional charges even as other activities stay complimentary.
Commonly extra: alcohol, soda, bottled water and specialty coffee; Wi-Fi; specialty restaurants; shore excursions; spa and salon services; photos; casino play; shopping; premium fitness classes; certain attractions; laundry; babysitting or late-night youth services; and some room-service or food-delivery fees. You don’t need to purchase every optional item to enjoy a cruise — many travelers do fine on the included dining, entertainment, pools and port days alone.
Taxes, Port Fees and Government Charges
Taxes, port fees and government charges vary by destination, number of ports, cruise length, port infrastructure and cruise-line pricing structure — a Caribbean itinerary with several port calls can carry a different fee structure than an Alaska, Mediterranean, Hawaii or transatlantic sailing. Don’t rely on a universal estimate like “port fees are always $200.” Instead, check whether your specific booking summary and final invoice include all required taxes, fees and port expenses — these are separate from optional purchases like a drink package or excursion.
Gratuities: Budget for Them From Day One
Gratuities should be in your first budget, not a last-day surprise. Cruise lines use different terms for essentially the same thing — daily gratuities, hotel service charge, crew appreciation, daily service charge — which generally support housekeeping, dining and other onboard service teams. As of 2026, major mainstream lines have raised rates, and most now run roughly $17–$25 per person, per day depending on the line and cabin category; Royal Caribbean, for example, currently charges $18.50 per guest per day in standard staterooms and $21.00 per day in suites. That’s separate from beverage gratuities — Royal Caribbean adds an automatic 18% gratuity to beverage purchases and beverage packages — and from special-service gratuities on spa treatments, salon services and specialty dining. One charge doesn’t replace another, and exact amounts vary by line, cabin category and sailing, so confirm the current rate on your booking.
Is a Drink Package Worth It?
Cruise drink packages can cover some combination of beer, wine, cocktails, spirits, soda, specialty coffee, bottled water and non-alcoholic drinks — but the rules differ substantially by line. Before buying, check the daily pricing, whether gratuity is baked into the package price or added separately, whether all eligible adults in a cabin are required to buy it, minimum-age rules, daily drink limits, price caps above which you pay extra, and what’s excluded (bottles of wine, minibar items, premium brands and certain specialty drinks often don’t qualify).
As one current example, Carnival’s CHEERS! package runs in the roughly $80–$90 per person, per day range depending on whether you buy it in advance or onboard, with an automatic service charge included in that price — verify the exact current rate before booking, since drink-package pricing changes more often than almost any other cruise cost. Use a break-even calculation rather than assuming any package is automatically a bargain: estimate your realistic daily spending on drinks you’d actually order, then compare that total against the package’s full cost including service charges and any required cabin-mate purchases. A package can be worth it for convenience and predictable budgeting even when the math is close — it’s less likely to pay off if you drink lightly or spend much of the day ashore.
Wi-Fi, Specialty Dining and Shore Excursions
Cruise Wi-Fi is sold in tiers — messaging-only, basic browsing, premium browsing, streaming — and as single- or multi-device plans; it’s often cheaper purchased before departure, but the exact price depends on the line, ship, itinerary and current promotion. Ask what your group actually needs before buying a full premium plan for every traveler.
Main dining rooms and buffets are generally included; specialty restaurants may charge a flat cover fee, an à la carte price, a tasting-menu price, or fold into a dining package. You don’t need specialty dining to eat well on most cruises — it’s worth considering for a celebration or a particular restaurant you value.
Shore excursions can become the single largest variable in your budget, and the range depends heavily on destination: Caribbean port days can cost little if you walk the port or use the ship’s amenities, with costs rising for catamarans, private beach clubs and private guides; Alaska excursions (glacier viewing, whale watching, rail journeys, flightseeing, dog sledding) are often the largest add-on category on that itinerary; Mediterranean port-intensive itineraries can mean frequent spending on guides, tickets, trains and taxis. Compare cruise-line excursions against independent small-group tours or a private guide, and if booking independently, confirm timing, cancellation terms and the operator’s plan for getting you back to the ship on time.
Airfare, Transportation and the St. Louis Question
A cruise from a distant port can have a lower fare but a higher total cost once you add airfare, checked bags, seat selection, ground transportation, and possibly an airport hotel. A slightly higher cruise fare from a convenient departure port can be the better value if it eliminates a flight and an overnight stay entirely.
For a St. Louis traveler specifically, that means comparing the full cost of driving to a practical port against flying — St. Louis has no cruise port of its own, and ports like New Orleans, Galveston, Port Canaveral, Miami and Fort Lauderdale can produce very different transportation totals. See our Best Cruise Ports Near St. Louis guide for a full drive-to-vs-fly-to comparison. The “cheapest cruise” isn’t necessarily the one with the lowest base fare — it may be the one with the lowest door-to-door vacation cost.
If you’re flying to your port, arriving the day before embarkation is a practical risk-management decision, not an indulgence — a late flight, weather delay or missed connection can cost you the ship, and cruise lines generally don’t wait for delayed independent air travelers. Budget for one hotel night, meals, and transportation both to the hotel and on to the port.
Cabin Category: Often the Biggest Budget Decision
| Cabin Type | Potential Advantages | Budget Considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Inside | Lowest price; dark and quiet for sleeping | No natural light or outside view |
| Oceanview | Window or porthole; daylight | View may be limited or partially obstructed |
| Balcony | Private outdoor space; fresh air | Higher fare; location and weather matter |
| Suite | More space and possible priority benefits | Substantially higher fare; included perks vary |
A balcony tends to carry more value on Alaska sailings, Norwegian Fjords itineraries, and cruises with multiple scenic sea days — it matters less if you’ll spend most days ashore or on a short itinerary. See our Cruise Cabin Guide for a full breakdown of inside, oceanview, balcony and suite categories before you book.
Do Bundled Packages Actually Save Money?
Bundled fare packages — combining drinks, Wi-Fi, dining and sometimes gratuities into one price — are only valuable when you’d actually use most of what’s included. Norwegian Cruise Line’s Free at Sea is a well-known example that can combine an open bar, specialty dining, limited Wi-Fi, and a shore-excursion credit depending on the sailing and cabin category; see our dedicated NCL Free at Sea guide for the current terms. Princess Plus and Premier, Holland America’s Have It All, and Celebrity’s All Included follow a similar pattern — different tiers bundling beverages, Wi-Fi and dining, with daily gratuities sometimes included and sometimes still separate depending on the exact fare. For any package, compare the cruise-only fare against the package fare, any required service charges, which benefits you’d actually use versus skip, and cabin-mate purchase requirements — a higher upfront fare doesn’t always translate into real savings.
A $699 Cruise, Illustrated
The figures below are illustrative only — not a quote or a universal price — but they show how a headline fare can grow once the full trip is accounted for. A couple sees a seven-night cruise advertised at $699 per person and flies to a distant port with a drink package, Wi-Fi, a few excursions and travel insurance.
| Budget Item | Illustrative Amount |
|---|---|
| Base cruise fare ($699 × 2) | $1,398 |
| Taxes and port fees | $300 |
| Daily gratuities | $280 |
| Pre-cruise hotel | $225 |
| Ground transportation and parking | $180 |
| Airfare for two | $700 |
| Drinks | $300 |
| Wi-Fi | $175 |
| Specialty dining | $160 |
| Shore excursions | $500 |
| Travel insurance | $250 |
| Onboard spending | $250 |
| Illustrative total | $4,718 |
That’s not “the real cost of every $699 cruise” — it demonstrates how the trip grows when a couple flies, stays overnight, buys packages and books excursions. A drive-to cruise with no drink package and fewer excursions could cost meaningfully less; a balcony cabin, premium airfare and private tours could cost more. The point isn’t to memorize a number — it’s to build your own version of this worksheet before you commit.
Cruise vs. All-Inclusive Resort: Which Costs More?
| Cost Category | Cruise | All-Inclusive Resort |
|---|---|---|
| Room / cabin | Included in fare | Included in resort rate |
| Main meals | Usually included | Usually included |
| Drinks | Varies by line or package | Often more broadly included |
| Excursions | Usually extra | Usually extra |
| Transportation | Port logistics required | Airport/resort transfers often separate |
| Destinations | Multiple, built into itinerary | Usually one |
There’s no universal winner — compare transportation, drinks, dining, excursions, room category and the activities you’ll actually use before deciding which format fits your travelers and budget better.
Cruise-Cost Mistakes to Avoid
- Looking only at the base fare and forgetting taxes, port fees and gratuities.
- Buying a drink package without doing the break-even math first.
- Underbudgeting excursions, especially in Alaska or port-intensive Mediterranean itineraries.
- Flying to the port on embarkation morning instead of the day before.
- Forgetting a pre-cruise hotel, transfers, or port parking in the total.
- Leaving travel insurance out of the budget entirely.
- Assuming “free” promotions like Kids Sail Free eliminate all related costs.
- Comparing only the cruise price instead of the full trip cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a cruise really cost?
The total depends on the fare, cabin category, itinerary, transportation, packages, excursions, insurance and onboard spending. Calculate the complete trip rather than relying on the advertised fare alone.
Are gratuities included in a cruise?
Sometimes. Many mainstream lines charge daily gratuities separately — typically $17–$25 per person, per day as of 2026 — while some premium and luxury fares build gratuities into the price. Always check your booking terms.
Are drinks included on cruises?
Basic beverages like water, coffee, tea and select juices are often included. Alcohol, soda, specialty coffee and premium drinks usually require a package or à la carte purchase, and vary significantly by cruise line.
Is a cruise drink package worth it?
It can be, if your realistic daily drink spending approaches the package’s full cost including service charges. Cabin-mate purchase rules and daily drink caps matter — run the break-even math before buying.
Is a cruise cheaper than an all-inclusive resort?
There’s no universal answer — compare accommodations, meals, drinks, transportation, excursions, Wi-Fi and the number of destinations for your specific options rather than assuming one format always wins.
What’s the cheapest way to cruise from St. Louis?
It depends on your group size and preferences — driving to New Orleans or Galveston can avoid airfare entirely, while flying nonstop to a Florida port can open up more ship choices. See our Best Cruise Ports Near St. Louis guide for a full comparison.
Ready to see what your specific cruise would really cost? Reach out to Neal Lewis & Associates — normal vacation-planning services carry a $0 planning fee, and we’ll help you compare the total vacation cost, not just the advertised fare. New to cruising? Start with our First-Time Cruise Guide, then explore cruise line options or browse our full Cruise Guides library.
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