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Is a Cruise Cheaper Than an All-Inclusive?

2 min read
Quick answer

Quick answer

A cruise base fare often starts lower than an all-inclusive resort, but cruises charge separately for drinks, Wi-Fi, gratuities, and excursions. Once those extras are added, the two can land close together, so which is cheaper depends on how much you spend onboard.

A cruise is often cheaper to book than an all-inclusive resort, but it isn’t always cheaper to take. The headline cruise fare usually starts lower, yet cruises charge extra for drinks, Wi-Fi, gratuities, and shore excursions, while an all-inclusive resort rolls most of that into one price. Once you add the onboard spending, the two can end up roughly even.

Why the cruise fare looks cheaper

Cruise lines advertise low per-person base fares to win the initial comparison, and that base fare genuinely covers a lot: your cabin, main dining, the buffet, entertainment, and most activities. An all-inclusive resort, by contrast, quotes a single price that already bundles food, drinks, and tips.

So at first glance the cruise wins on sticker price. The difference is what each price leaves out.

Where cruise extras add up

On a cruise, the extras can stack quickly:

  • Drinks, either by the glass or through a package that often runs 60 to 100 dollars per person, per day.
  • Gratuities, charged daily per person.
  • Wi-Fi, sold separately.
  • Shore excursions in each port.
  • Specialty dining beyond the included restaurants.

A traveler who buys a drinks package, books excursions, and stays connected can spend as much on extras as on the fare itself, which is exactly what closes the gap with an all-inclusive resort.

Where the resort can cost more

All-inclusive resorts bundle food, drinks, and tips, but they have their own add-ons: airfare to a single destination, premium restaurants, spa treatments, and off-site tours. And you only ever see one location, whereas a cruise visits several.

How to decide for your trip

To compare fairly, price the cruise with a drinks package, gratuities, and a couple of excursions, then put it next to the resort total. If you cruise modestly, skipping the drinks package and doing free port days, the cruise usually comes out cheaper. If you plan to indulge onboard, an all-inclusive resort can be the better-value choice.

Part of our Cruise Costs & Money hub.

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