How much do cruises really cost?
Look at the price of a cruise on any website – whether that’s a cruise line or a travel agent – and you’re not really getting the full picture.
It does vary, but most of the time there are plenty of extras you need to take into account – and it’s always best to be prepared with your budget…
How Much It Costs To Go on a Cruise
A cruise can cost anywhere from $50 (£40) per person, per day, with a budget cruise line like Costa Cruises to well over $1,000 (£800) per person, per day, with an ultra-luxury cruise line like Regent Seven Seas Cruises. The average cost of a cruise is $193 (£141) per person, per day. This equates to $1,351pp (£989pp) for a 7-night cruise.
Of course, cruise ticket prices vary for all kinds of reasons – the ship, the destination, the demand etc. Asking how much are cruises doesn’t give a clear answer because some ships are so much more expensive than others.
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What’s Included in a Cruise
Cruise tickets generally include accommodation, meals, some drinks and entertainment. You’ll pay extra for speciality dining, alcoholic drinks, gratuities, spa services, casino, WiFi, flights, transfers and excursions.
What’s included in your cruise varies for each cruise line. Some cruise lines include gratuities in the ticket price. You may also get a drink package included at no extra cost. Sometimes, cruises come with free onboard credit, which you can spend on the ship.
If you plan your cruise carefully, it’s perfectly possible not to spend anything extra on top of the price of your cruise ticket.
The Average Cruise Cost
The average cruise ticket costs $1,457 (£1,068) per person. On top of that, guests spend an average of $697 (£510) on extras such as drinks, casino, spa services and shore excursions. This does not include the cost of any flights or transportation to the port.
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Cruise Line Price Comparison Table
One of the biggest factors affecting the price of your cruise is your choice of the cruise line.
The table below shows the average price for a 7-night Caribbean cruise (excluding flights) in a balcony cabin (per person, based on two people sharing).
| Cruise line | Cruise fare | Gratuities | Drinks package | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Cruises | $1032 (£759) | $88 (£65) | $285 (£210) | $1405 (£1034) |
| MSC Cruises | $1114 (£819) | included | $333 (£245) | $1447 (£1064) |
| P&O Cruises | $1236 (£909) | included | $380 (£280) | $1616 (£1189) |
| Princess Cruises | $1181 (£869) | included with Princess Plus (drinks & more) | $475 (£350) | $1656 (£1219) |
| Royal Caribbean | $1049 (£771) | $129.50 (£95) | $490 (£360) | $1669 (£1407) |
| Celebrity Cruises | $1069 (£786) | $126 (£92) | $623 (£458) | $1818 (£1336) |
| Carnival | $1234 (£907) | $112 (£82) | $578 (£424) | $1924 (£1413) |
| Marella | $1966 (£1445) | included | included | $1966 (£1445) |
| Norwegian Cruise Line | $1620 (£1191) | $140 (£103) | $248 (£209) | $2008 (£1503) |
| Disney Cruise Line | $2755 (£2024) | $112 (£82) | not available | $2867 (£2106) |
The aim of this data is to give you a rough idea of the average cruise prices for each cruise line. I sourced the prices from the cruise lines’ websites.
Marella and P&O Cruises are priced with flights included on the cruise line websites. I took off the flights to standardise the pricing.
Some cruises come with special offers, such as free onboard spend, which aren’t included in this table.
You can only use this as a rough guideline, though. Some of the cruise lines that are more expensive for the Caribbean might be cheaper for the Mediterranean or Canary Islands.
And then ship plays a huge part too. The smallest Royal Caribbean ships are typically a lot less expensive than something like Icon of the Seas.
Suggested read: How Much Was A Ticket On The Titanic?
Cruise Costs for Families of Four
The price of a cruise for a family of four depends very much on what discounts are available for children. The price for a family could be double the price for a couple, or it could be very little extra.
Many cruise lines don’t offer any discounts for children. This is usually the case on ships which have a lot of activities made for children like kids’ clubs, water slides and splash parks.
However, it is possible to get cheap kids’ prices, by either choosing a cruise line that doesn’t charge full price for children or by looking out for special offers and booking at the right time.
Kids Fares By Cruise Line
This is how much each cruise line charges for kids:
- Carnival – Full adult price
- Celebrity Cruises – Full adult price
- Costa Cruises – Children under 18 pay only port fees and service fees (approx £150 per week)
- Cunard – Full adult price
- Disney Cruise Line – Child rate for ages 3 to 12
- MSC Cruises – Children under 18 cruise FREE when booking in the USA and from £99 when booking in the UK
- Norwegian Cruise Line – Full adult price but there are promotions on occasion
- P&O Cruises – Full adult price in the school holidays and from £49 in term-time
- Princess Cruises – Full adult price, though £99 kids’ places promotions are sometimes offered
- Royal Caribbean – Full adult price but there are promotions, including a Kids Sail Free deal
The price for children under two years old also varies and can be anywhere from free to the full adult fare.
Read more: Do you have to pay for babies on cruises?
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Drink Costs
The price of drinks on a cruise varies quite a lot, depending on the cruise line. Drinks on British- and European-owned cruise lines (e.g. P&O Cruises, MSC Cruises, Costa Cruises) are generally cheaper than on American-owned cruise lines (e.g. Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, Carnival).
Also, the general rule is that the more luxurious the cruise, the more the drinks will cost.
Here’s the price range for drinks on cruise ships:
- Beer: $3.50 (£3) to $10 (£8)
- Glass of wine: $3.50 (£3) to $16 (£13)
- Cocktail: $6 (£5) to $20 (£16)
You can find the full list of drinks prices broken down by cruise line here: The Ultimate Guide to Cruise Drink Packages
Cruise Costs by Destination
Around the World Cruise Costs
The cheapest world cruise fares start at around $15,000 per person for a 99-night cruise in an inside cabin on board a P&O Cruises ship, to around $1.7 million in the most luxurious Regent Seven Seas suites for cruises lasting 140 nights. The average cost of a world cruise is $32,000 (£25,000) per person.
Alaska Cruise Costs
An Alaska cruise can cost anywhere from $500 (£383) per person for a 4-night cruise in an inside cabin with Princess Cruises to $75,000 per person for a 15-night cruise in an expedition suite with Crystal Cruises. The average cost of an Alaska cruise is $1500 (£1148) per person.
Bahamas Cruise Costs
A Bahamas cruise costs from as little as $99 (£75) per person for a 3-night cruise in an inside cabin on the oldest MSC Cruises ships, up to $52,000 (£40,000) for a 7-night cruise in a Royal Loft Suite on the biggest Royal Caribbean ships. The average cost of a Bahamas cruise is $1300 (£995) per person.
Cheap Cruise Lines
Cruise lines such as Costa Cruises and MSC Cruises are cheaper than others because they have a lower space-to-guest ratio and a lower crew-to-guest ratio. Plus, they’ll charge extra for things that other cruise lines include for free.
Before you consider booking a cheap MSC cruise, I recommend that you read my full guide to why MSC Cruises are so cheap.
Related Posts:
- How Much Are River Cruises?
- How Much It Costs To Live On A Cruise Ship
- How To Get Cheap Cruises
- How Much Does A Cruise Ship Cost To Build & Operate?
- Why Is American Cruise Lines So Expensive?
Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
Hi Jenni,
I have been trying to open the website of Cruisecritic.com on numerous occasions but I keep getting a blank page,has their webpage been closed down or under repair?
Thanks
Craig
Hi Craig. It’s working for me at the moment but I’d like to see if I can help diagnose any issues. Where about in the world are you? And do you see the same problem on a different device or browser? Jenni
What about single fares?
Hi Ronald. Single fares vary depending on the cruise line and sailing. The single supplement can be up to 100%, meaning that you’ll pay double. Look out for cruise ships that have solo cabins, as that can make things a little cheaper. Jenni
How much is from Southampton to California
Hi Kevin. I’d be happy to get a price on that if you have a cruise in mind? You’d just need to pop your details in here: https://www.cruisemummy.co.uk/cruise-quote/ Thanks! Jenni