What's Included When You Book a Cruise?

When you book a cruise, the fare covers your cabin, your main meals, basic non-alcoholic drinks, onboard entertainment, and most of the activities on the ship. The big extras you pay for on top are alcohol, specialty dining, Wi-Fi, gratuities, the spa, and shore excursions. Knowing the line between the two is the key to budgeting accurately.

What the fare includes

Your base cruise fare is genuinely inclusive of a lot:

• Your cabin for the length of the sailing, plus daily housekeeping.
• Main dining and the buffet, typically with multiple sittings and casual venues at no charge.
• Basic drinks like tap water, standard coffee and tea, iced tea, and often juice and lemonade at meals.
• Entertainment: theater shows, live music, comedy, pools, and most deck activities.
• Kids’ clubs and supervised programs on family-focused lines.

In short, you can board, sleep, eat well, and stay entertained for days without spending a dollar beyond the fare.

What costs extra

The extras are where a cruise budget really takes shape:

• Alcohol and specialty coffee, sold by the glass or via a drinks package.
• Specialty restaurants with a cover charge or per-item pricing.
• Wi-Fi, almost always a paid add-on by the day or voyage.
• Gratuities, charged daily per person unless prepaid.
• Shore excursions in each port.
• The spa, casino, photos, and onboard shops.

These can easily rival the fare itself if you say yes to everything, so it’s smart to decide ahead of time which ones matter to you.

How included items vary by line

The line between included and extra shifts depending on the cruise line. Budget-focused lines keep base fares low and charge for more onboard, while luxury and premium lines bundle in drinks, gratuities, Wi-Fi, and even excursions. A low headline fare doesn’t always mean a cheaper trip once the extras are added, so it pays to compare what’s actually rolled into the price.

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Part of our Cruise Costs & Money hub.