Stop Comparing Cruise Prices Until You Read This

By Joey, Seabound Journeys8 min read← All articles

You've done your research. You've found two cruises — same ship class, similar itinerary, roughly the same dates. One is $400 cheaper per person. Easy decision, right?

Not even close. I book these every week, and the cheaper fare is very often the more expensive vacation. And the guests who figure that out usually do so somewhere around day three, when the bar tab and Wi-Fi charges start adding up and the "deal" they locked in starts to look different.

This is what cruise value actually means — and how to shop for it the right way.

The baseline: what every cruise includes

Before comparing anything, it helps to know what you always get regardless of cruise line or fare level. Every standard cruise fare includes your cabin, main dining room meals, most buffet and casual dining, live entertainment, and access to the ship's public spaces and pools. That's the foundation.

Everything else — and there's a lot of everything else — is where the comparison gets interesting.

The add-ons that change the math

Here are the categories that vary significantly by cruise line, fare type, and cabin category, roughly in order of how much they move the needle:

Gratuities / crew appreciation

Most mainstream cruise lines add automatic gratuities of $18–$22 per person per day. On a 7-night cruise for two people, that's $252–$308 before you've ordered a single drink. Some lines — notably Celebrity Retreats, Virgin Voyages, and certain MSC Yacht Club bookings — include gratuities in the fare. Others offer "sail-and-sustain" or "always included" packages that fold them in. A cruise that looks $300 more expensive but includes gratuities is often dead even before anything else is considered.

Beverages

This is the big one. A premium drink package on a mainstream cruise line runs $70–$110 per person per day. For two adults on a 7-night sailing, that's $980–$1,540 added to your cost if you purchase it separately — and most guests who enjoy a few drinks a day find it worthwhile. MSC Yacht Club and Celebrity's Retreat include premium beverages in the suite fare. Virgin Voyages includes all beverages for every guest. Norwegian's Free at Sea promotion includes a beverage package as a perk. Royal Caribbean and Carnival typically do not include beverages — they're a separate purchase every time.

When you see a fare that's $500 less than a competitor but doesn't include drinks, run the math. It's usually not cheaper.

Wi-Fi

Streaming-quality Wi-Fi typically runs $25–$35 per device per day if purchased separately — around $175–$245 per person for a week. Several lines now include it at higher cabin tiers or fare levels: Celebrity includes it in all Retreat bookings, Norwegian includes it in certain Free at Sea tiers, and Princess includes it in their Premier package. If you plan to stay connected (or work remotely from sea), this is a real line item in your comparison.

Specialty dining

Every major cruise line has specialty restaurants beyond the included main dining room — steakhouses, sushi bars, teppanyaki, Italian concepts. These typically run $30–$60 per person per visit, and on a 7-night cruise, it's easy to visit three or four times if you enjoy the options. Some fare packages include specialty dining nights: Princess Premier includes unlimited specialty dining, Norwegian's Free at Sea includes two specialty dining credits, and Celebrity's Retreat includes access to Luminae (their exclusive suite restaurant) at no extra charge. If specialty dining is part of how you enjoy a cruise, factor the cost — or the inclusion — into your comparison.

Shore excursions

This one varies entirely by how you travel in port. If you explore independently, it's a non-factor. If you book ship-sponsored excursions, budget $80–$200 per person per port. A handful of ultra-luxury lines include excursions — Regent, Oceania at higher fare tiers — but no mainstream line includes them as standard. What matters here isn't the fare comparison so much as budgeting realistically for how you actually behave in port.

Cabin location and category

Two "balcony cabin" fares on the same ship can differ by $400–$800 if one is on a high deck midship and one is aft on a lower deck with an obstructed view. The fare comparison tells you nothing about this. Cabin location matters for noise (avoid cabins above entertainment venues or below the pool deck), stability (midship is smoothest), and the actual view you paid for.

The "all-inclusive" spectrum — it's not binary

You'll hear "all-inclusive" used loosely in cruise marketing, and it almost never means what an all-inclusive resort means. Here's how to read it:

True all-inclusive (rare on mainstream ships)

Virgin Voyages includes all dining, all beverages (including alcohol), Wi-Fi, and gratuities in every fare. Regent Seven Seas and Silversea include excursions too. These are genuinely all-in prices — when you see the fare, you've seen almost the whole cost.

Enclave all-inclusive (suite products)

MSC Yacht Club, Celebrity's Retreat, and Norwegian's Haven include most of the big add-ons for suite guests — drinks, butler, private dining, Wi-Fi — as part of the suite fare. The headline price looks much higher than a standard cabin but is far closer to the true cost when you account for what's bundled.

Package all-inclusive (opt-in bundles)

Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Princess offer "drink and dine" packages or promotion bundles that fold several add-ons into one price. These can be genuinely good value — especially when booked early during promotions — but they require you to opt in, and the value depends entirely on your actual usage habits.

Fare-only (add everything separately)

The lowest advertised fares on most mainstream lines include nothing beyond the cabin and included meals. This isn't necessarily bad — if you don't drink alcohol, don't need Wi-Fi, and are happy with the included dining, the base fare is the honest price for you. The mistake is assuming it's comparable to a fare that includes those things.

What "value" actually means for different travelers

This is where the advisor conversation gets useful, because value is personal:

If you drink alcohol and want unlimited beverages

A cruise that includes a premium drink package at a slightly higher fare is almost certainly better value than one that doesn't. Do the math: if the drink package costs $85/person/day and you'd each have 4–5 drinks, you're well past the break-even point every day.

If you have young children

Lines that include kids' dining, flexible meal times, and strong included programming (Disney, Royal Caribbean) deliver more value for families than lines where kids' amenities cost extra. "Family value" isn't just price per person — it's how much you'll spend chasing entertainment and whether mealtimes work with your kids' schedules.

If you're a light drinker or non-drinker

A base fare without an included drink package may genuinely be the right answer. Don't pay for bundled inclusions you won't use — the math only works if you use them. A lower fare with à la carte spending often pencils out better for this traveler profile.

If you want specialty dining most nights

A fare that includes unlimited specialty dining (like Princess Premier) or access to an exclusive restaurant (Celebrity's Luminae) changes the value calculation significantly. Two specialty dining visits per person on a 7-night cruise at $50/visit is another $700 for a couple — bundled, it disappears into the fare.

The comparison framework I use with clients

When a client brings us two cruise quotes to compare, here's how we actually look at them:

1. Start with the adjusted fare. Add gratuities, one drink package, and Wi-Fi to any fare that doesn't include them. Now you're comparing real numbers.
2. Account for specialty dining. How many specialty dinners do you realistically want? Price those out and add them if not included.
3. Factor cabin quality. Where on the ship is the cabin? What's the actual view? Is there noise risk from nearby venues?
4. Consider the itinerary value. Same ports? Same sea-day ratio? A cruise with one more sea day is a different trip — some people prefer them, some don't.
5. Look at the line's promotions. Is one fare in a wave-season promotion with onboard credit? That credit reduces your net cost on board.

After that process, the "cheaper" cruise wins sometimes — and sometimes it loses by $800. It depends on the specific comparison, not the headline number.

This is exactly the kind of comparison we do for every client before making a recommendation. If you have two quotes you're trying to choose between — or just want to know what a cruise that actually fits your travel style should cost — we're happy to run the numbers with you.