A cruise fare can look like brilliant value — until the extras pile up. The good news: once you know what’s included and what isn’t, that headline price becomes much easier to judge. Here’s exactly what your fare buys, and where the add-ons hide.
What’s (almost) always included
For one price, a cruise bundles together things you’d pay for separately on a land holiday:
- Your cabin for the whole trip
- Travel between destinations — you unpack once and the hotel sails with you
- Main dining — multi-course meals in the main restaurants and the buffet
- Entertainment — shows, live music, bars, pools, the gym and most onboard activities
- Getting to multiple countries in a single trip, often without a single flight
Put that together and the value is obvious — which is exactly why comparing by Price Per Person Per Night (PPPN) makes sense.
(New to PPPN? Here’s the quick guide →)
The extras that aren’t included
This is where budgets quietly stretch. The most common add-ons:
- Gratuities / service charge — often £10–£18 per person, per day, sometimes added automatically. Are they compulsory? We’ll cover that in a later blog
- Drinks — alcohol, speciality coffees and soft drinks are usually extra unless you buy a package
- Speciality dining — the headline restaurants beyond the main ones almost always carry a cover charge
- Shore excursions — the cruise line’s organised trips in port can be pricey but you have the added security the ship won’t leave without you.
- Wi-Fi, spa, photos and the casino — all charged on top
- Flights and transfers — unless you’re sailing from a UK port (one reason UK departures can work out cheaper)
All-inclusive isn’t always cheaper
Some lines (and some fares) bundle tips, drinks and Wi-Fi into the price. That can be great value — if you’d use them all. If you’re not a big drinker, a “drinks included” fare may just be a higher price you don’t need. Always compare the total you’ll actually spend, not the label on the brochure.
How to compare fares honestly
A fare with everything bundled in will look dearer than a “cabin-only” fare that nickel-and-dimes you onboard. To compare like with like:
- Start from the PPPN to rank sailings by base value.
- Add the extras you’ll actually use (tips, a drinks package if you want one, any flights).
- Compare those real totals — not the headline prices.
Let the tracker do the heavy lifting
Our free tracker ranks live fares across Cunard, Royal Caribbean, Virgin Voyages and P&O by PPPN, so you start from a fair baseline and add extras from there — with price-drop and lowest-yet flags to catch the genuine bargains.
Compare cruises free on the homepage →
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