Cruise Etiquette: Exactly What Is Included In a Cruise?

The cruise industry has long promoted cruise vacations as seagoing alternatives to landside all-inclusive resorts—with the added benefit of hitting multiple destinations in a single trip (and only needing to unpack once). But most cruises aren’t actually all-inclusive—on the vast majority of cruise lines, there are extras available for purchase on the ship that can really mean cruisers pay twice for the same vacation: once up front, and once on board.

Onboard spending has long been an anxiety among cruisers. Once aboard the ship and in “vacation mode” it became all too easy to rack up a hefty bill on not-included extras ranging from bar tabs to spa treatments—all conveniently charged to stateroom accounts with the swipe of a keycard or tap of a wristband.

In the past decade or so, cruise lines have addressed this anxiety by selling more of the extras up front. It began with the ability to prepay for beverage packages or daily crew gratuities. Now, many cruise lines bundle those popular extras into higher, more inclusive fare categories, leaving less onboard spending to chance. But several other cruise lines include those same extras right into their standard fares, making comparison shopping difficult.

Tom Baker, a Condé Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialist, says many clients are initially confused about what’s included in cruise fares because it varies so widely. He notes cruisers are “asking for more inclusions [in cruise fares] as they hate getting nickel-and-dimed to death onboard.” His job, he says, is to work with his clients to help them determine which product best suits their needs and budget.

To figure out exactly what is included in a cruise, we took a look at some standard inclusions for most cruise lines, plus what cruisers can generally expect to pay extra for—either as part of an all-inclusive cruise fare or as a prepaid package. We also tapped several Condé Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialists with extensive cruise experience for their expert advice.

What’s always included?

Almost without exception, cruise fares will include meals in at least one onboard restaurant and several casual eateries or a buffet, very basic non-alcoholic beverages (typically coffee, tea, lemonade, and tap water), and most onboard entertainment, which on many ships ranges from live music in various venues to theatrical productions.

Even then, the minutiae vary by cruise line. Carnival offers tap water, lemonade, iced tea, hot chocolate, and non-specialty coffee and tea, but only in the buffet and the main dining room. Royal Caribbean offers only water, lemonade, and iced tea, while the more premium Holland America also offers milk.

Generally speaking, mass-market cruise lines (think Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian) and premium cruise lines (think Princess, Celebrity, Holland America Line) tend to offer less-inclusive pricing models than the luxury cruise lines (Crystal, Regent Seven Seas, Silversea).

The most inclusive cruise lines

It’s the top-tier luxury cruise lines that include the most in their fares, says Jennifer Greene of MEI Travel. “The two truly all-inclusive lines are Silversea and Regent Seven Seas. They include accommodations, transfers, specialty dining, basic Wi-Fi, drink packages and shore excursions [in their standard cruise fares].”