Taking a Cruise in 2024? Here's What You Get for Free, and What Costs Extra

Cruises can be an excellent value. Unlike with most vacations, the price you pay for the trip includes a lot more than a place to sleep. But there are things that have an extra charge, and it's important to know what to expect before you set sail.

What is typically included with your cruise fare?

To be clear, cruises typically aren't all-inclusive. But one of the biggest reasons to take a cruise (as opposed to a land-based vacation) is that there is quite a bit that is included in your cruise fare.

• Your room: This is obvious, but your cruise fare includes your room, as well as the costs of transporting you to each port on your itinerary.
• Food (meals and snacks): It's entirely possible to never pay extra for food on a cruise. There are buffets, sit-down meals, ice cream stations, and other free dining options.
• Some beverages: Cruise lines offer water and several other beverages (often lemonade, iced tea, and some juices) for free.
• Room service (some): Most cruise lines offer some sort of free room service, especially at breakfast. Many charge a service fee or small amount if you order lunch or dinner to your room.
• Daily housekeeping: You can expect to have your room serviced once a day, unless you opt out.
• Fitness center access: It won't cost you anything to go to the gym and keep up your workout routine on a cruise. Many also have outdoor jogging tracks to use.
• Pool and hot tub access (and chairs): Deck chairs are free to use. But one insider tip is that they fill up quickly, so get out there early.
• Entertainment: There are typically shows and activities throughout the ship that are included in your cruise fare.
• Kids clubs: If you're a parent of young children like I am, this alone could be a massive perk. Cruise lines (especially the family-friendly ones) have excellent programs for kids. There may be a charge after a certain hour, but for the most part, kids camps and clubs are free.
• Special areas for adults only: Most cruise lines have an adults-only area, which can have smaller crowds and peaceful places to relax.

What costs extra?

You can do a lot on a cruise ship without paying an extra dime. But in full disclosure, I've been on many cruises in my life and have always spent at least a few hundred dollars on extras.

Of course, there are some cruise lines that include some of these things with your fare. But these are things that most cruise lines have an additional charge for:

• Gratuities: Most cruise lines encourage you to prepay for gratuities that go to people like your room attendant, dining room servers, and more. There's usually a flat daily rate, and you can choose to add it to your onboard account if you'd prefer.
• Alcoholic beverages: Unless a cruise is truly all-inclusive or you have some sort of elite status, alcoholic drinks are typically not included. However, cruise lines usually have some sort of drink package, where you can pay a flat daily rate to cover this cost.
• Specialty coffee and teas: There are often high-end coffee shops on cruise ships (some Royal Caribbean ships even have an actual Starbucks). But these are an additional charge.
• Soda: Sodas are not included, but just like with alcoholic beverages, there's usually a package you can buy if you don't want to pay for each one.
• Shore excursions: If you want to do a tour, go to a private beach, or do another activity at a port, it will likely cost money.
• Fitness classes: Access to the fitness center onboard is usually free, but if you want to take a fitness class, it will cost extra in most cases.
• Specialty dining: Many cruise ships have specialty dining restaurants, such as a high-end steakhouse, that have an additional charge (but can sometimes be well worth the cost).
• Spa treatments and access: Cruise ships have spas that offer massages, facials, manicures, and more. And some have fantastic thermal suites and other amenities you can access, for a fee.
• Casino: This goes without saying, but gambling in the ship's casino isn't free. However, some cruise lines offer perks to gamblers (such as free drinks while playing).
• Photos: If you've never been on a cruise, you might not know that photography is a big deal -- especially on formal-dress nights.
• Shopping: Cruise ships usually have multiple shops where you can buy clothing, jewelry, duty-free items, souvenirs, and more.

This isn't a universal list

I mentioned this earlier, but it is worth expanding on. Different cruise lines offer different things as part of the cruise fare. Luxury cruise lines typically have more perks included with the fare, and some newer cruise lines decided to remove some consumer pain points when it comes to included items. For example, Virgin Voyages includes all specialty dining, gratuities, and a few other items as part of the cruise fare.

Having said that, this list covers some of the amenities that are commonly included when you book a cruise, and what you'll normally have to pay extra for. Hopefully it's a helpful guide to manage your personal finances on board, especially if you're planning your first cruise adventure at sea.