What's Included in a Cruise Fare (and What Costs Extra)

A cruise fare can cover your room, meals and plenty to do without covering every part of your vacation. The useful question is: does this particular fare include the way you want to travel?

This guide uses Royal Caribbean® and Carnival® examples to separate the basics from common extras. It focuses on standard fares; a bundled offer or different cruise line may work differently. Still choosing between a ship and a resort? Start with Cruise vs All-Inclusive: Which Vacation Style Fits You Better?

What is usually included in a cruise fare?

Your cabin and selected onboard activities

Royal Caribbean's inclusion guide lists accommodation, designated dining, basic drinks and a selection of entertainment and activities. The exact facilities vary by ship. A photo of an attraction on one ship does not establish that it exists—or is included—on another.

Choose the cabin category and ship first, then ask for the inclusions attached to that choice. Do not count a suite benefit, promotional credit or paid attraction as part of a standard fare unless your booking confirms it.

Designated dining, with exceptions

Included dining does not mean every restaurant or every menu item is free of an extra charge. Royal Caribbean names its Main Dining Room, Windjammer and selected casual venues among included options. Carnival's dining FAQ says most main dining room items are included; premium selections and some additional orders cost extra. Specialty venues may also carry a supplement.

Before paying for a dining package, look at the included venues and menus. Would you enjoy those meals? If you only want one specialty dinner, compare that dinner's complete cost with the package and its reservation restrictions.

Basic drinks, rather than every drink

Royal Caribbean lists water, tea, selected juices and classic coffee among its included drinks. Bottled water, specialty coffee, soda and alcohol are different categories. Ask where and when an included drink is served; a beverage at a bar may have different terms from one at a dining station.

What commonly costs extra?

Gratuities and service charges

Royal Caribbean's gratuity policy allows prepayment; otherwise a daily amount is added to the onboard account. Guests may adjust or remove that amount at Guest Relations before the morning of disembarkation. Separate gratuities apply to specified purchases, including beverages and specialty dining.

Carnival's Gratuity for Team Members guidance also offers prepayment or automatic onboard posting, for guests aged two and older. It separately lists service charges on beverages and paid dining. Check the current policy for your sailing.

For a usable budget, keep the daily gratuity and purchase-related service charges separate. Check whether each quote already includes its applicable charge so you neither omit it nor count it twice.

Beverage packages

A drink package is optional. Once you choose one, cabin-wide purchase rules can change the value:

• Royal Caribbean: its Deluxe Beverage Package rule requires purchase for all guests of legal drinking age in the stateroom. Packages are for one guest and cannot be shared; room service and minibar drinks are excluded. Eligible onboard purchases cover the remaining cruise, with at least four days remaining under the current FAQ.
• Carnival: the CHEERS! alcoholic program is for guests 21 and older; if purchased, each adult assigned to the same stateroom must buy it. Nonalcoholic packages have different terms. Check availability, eligible drinks and activation timing for the departure port before buying.

Hypothetical example: two adults share a cabin, but only one expects to order alcohol. Compare the cost for both required packages with what both people would actually buy separately, including nonalcoholic drinks. A long excursion day also leaves fewer hours onboard. A package is useful when it fits your habits, not because you could order more to justify it.

Internet, specialty experiences and spa visits

Royal Caribbean lists internet, specialty dining, excursions and spa treatments as optional add-ons. Carnival sells internet plans separately from its free onboard HUB app; app chat has a charge. A booking promotion could include something a standard fare does not.

For internet, name the job you need it to do: occasional messages, email or a scheduled video call. Confirm the plan's supported services, device limits and coverage limitations. Buying a plan is not a guarantee that a time-sensitive work call will succeed at sea.

Port days and reaching the ship

Royal Caribbean lists shore excursions as add-ons. Decide what kind of day you want at each port before comparing excursion costs: a guided activity, an independent outing or time aboard. Verify any separate transport, equipment and meal costs in the option you choose.

Flights, parking, airport transfers and a hotel night also belong in your trip comparison unless your booking specifically includes them. Put a name beside each arrangement—who books it and who handles a change—so an apparent inclusion does not become an unassigned task.

A practical way to compare the real trip total

Compare the same travelers, cabin category, trip length and must-haves. Use three columns: confirmed included, chosen extra and not needed. Leave anything unverified as a question, not as zero.

1. Start with the written booking quote. Record what the fare and any promotion actually cover.
2. Add gratuities and your chosen purchases. Check service charges and whether prices apply per person, per cabin, per day or for the whole trip.
3. Account for package rules. Multiply by everyone required to purchase, not just the person who first wanted it.
4. Add port-day plans and travel to the ship. Include the hotel or transfers your itinerary needs.
5. Remove extras you would not use. An offer's advertised bundle value is not your personal saving.

For example, a traveler content with included dining, basic drinks and reading on deck needs a different comparison from someone who wants specialty dinners, daily internet and guided excursions. Neither plan is wrong. The mistake is comparing the first person's bare fare with the second person's complete vacation.

Frequently asked questions

Are drinks included on a cruise?

Some basic drinks are included, but that does not mean every drink is. Check the included selection and serving locations for your sailing; bottled water, soda, specialty coffee and alcohol may require separate purchases or a package.

Do I have to pay cruise gratuities?

Budget for gratuities separately unless your booking expressly includes them. Royal Caribbean and Carnival let you prepay; otherwise the daily amount is automatically added onboard. Royal Caribbean permits adjustments before the morning of disembarkation. Check your line's current policy rather than assuming that rule applies elsewhere.

Is Wi-Fi included in a cruise fare?

Do not assume internet is included in a standard Royal Caribbean or Carnival fare. Both sell internet separately, although a specific offer may bundle it. Using the ship's app is a separate question: Carnival's HUB app can work onboard without an internet purchase; its chat feature costs extra.

Does everyone in my cabin need the drink package?

Only if you choose to buy a package with that requirement. Royal Caribbean's Deluxe package requires all guests of legal drinking age in the stateroom to buy it. For Carnival's CHEERS! alcoholic package, each adult aged 21 or older assigned to the same stateroom must purchase. Other packages have different rules.

Are private island days included?

Royal Caribbean lists access to its private destinations on select sailings as included. Access is different from paid experiences or purchases ashore. Check the specific destination and package: Carnival's CHEERS! does not cover drinks at Celebration Key, Half Moon Cay or Princess Cays.

Sources for these answers: Royal Caribbean inclusions, gratuities and Deluxe package rules; Carnival gratuities, internet and destination restrictions and drink packages.

How a travel advisor helps with cruise extras

Bring your must-haves to the planning conversation so the comparison starts with the experience you want. Ask the advisor to clarify the specific sailing's inclusion gaps, who handles each arrangement, any advisor fees and your remaining responsibilities. How to Plan a Personalized Trip with a Travel Advisor explains how to prepare.

AI can organize ideas, but a generated answer is not confirmation of a current package rule or inclusion. Use the supplier's current terms and your written booking details. This guide is not a live quote or inventory feed.

Bring Casie Keller your travelers, rough dates, cabin preferences and the extras you already know you want.

Independent Affiliate of Atlas Coast Travel Group

Supplier references checked October 27, 2026. Inclusions and policies vary by line, ship, sailing and offer; confirm them before reserving.

Carnival® and the Carnival trademarks are trademarks of Carnival Corporation. Used under license. Ships' Registry: The Bahamas and Panama. This article is not sponsored or endorsed by either cruise line.