The cruise line’s website shows £699 per person. Fantastic deal, right? Wrong. That advertised price doesn’t include mandatory gratuities, drinks, shore excursions, WiFi, specialty dining, or basically anything that makes a cruise enjoyable. The industry has perfected the art of the hidden fee, and most first-time cruisers underestimate their total spend by 50-100%. This calculator shows you what your cruise will actually cost – not the fantasy number in the brochure.

What This Calculator Does

This tool calculates your realistic total cruise spend across every category that will hit your credit card. We’re talking about:

  • Base cruise fare – What you actually paid (not the “from” price in the advert)
  • Mandatory gratuities – Non-negotiable service charges the cruise line adds automatically
  • Drinks – Whether you’re buying a package or paying per drink
  • Specialty dining – Those restaurants that aren’t included in your fare
  • Shore excursions – Tours and activities in ports
  • WiFi packages – Because ship internet is neither free nor fast
  • Spa and fitness – Treatments, classes, or gym access fees
  • Photos – Professional pictures they take constantly
  • Onboard extras – Casino, shopping, arcade, speciality experiences
  • Getting to the ship – Flights, transfers, parking, or petrol
  • Pre or post-cruise hotels – Especially relevant for fly-cruises
  • Travel insurance – Not optional, regardless of what you think

The total it spits out is what your cruise will actually cost. Not the fantasy number in the brochure.

How to Use This Calculator

Start with your actual cruise fare. This is what you paid for the cabin, not the “starting from” price you saw in advertising. If you booked during a promotion, use your actual booking price. Include port taxes and fees if they were charged separately – some cruise lines bundle these, others don’t.

Add mandatory gratuities. These are automatic daily charges per person that go to service staff. Most cruise lines charge £12-15 per person per day, though luxury lines either include this or charge significantly more. You can prepay these or let them accumulate on your onboard account, but you’re paying them either way. Yes, technically you can adjust them at guest services, but unless service was genuinely terrible, don’t be that passenger.

Estimate your drink spending realistically. If you think you’ll “just drink water and juice,” you’re either lying to yourself or you’ve never been on a cruise. The average cruiser spends £25-40 per day on alcohol without a package. A beer costs £6-8, cocktails run £10-14, and wine by the glass is £8-12. If you drink 2-3 drinks per day, you’re at £20-35 daily. The unlimited drink packages typically cost £45-65 per person per day and include soft drinks, specialty coffees, and cocktails up to a certain value. Do the maths: if you’ll have 4+ drinks daily, the package pays for itself. If you genuinely only want one glass of wine with dinner, skip it. But be honest about your consumption patterns – the package offers value for most cruisers who actually drink alcohol. More details in our drink packages analysis.

Budget for specialty dining. Mainstream cruise lines include main dining rooms and buffets, but charge extra for steakhouses, Italian restaurants, sushi bars, and chef’s tables. These range from £15-50 per person depending on venue and cruise line. If you’re sailing for 7 nights and want variety, budget for 2-3 specialty meals. Luxury cruise lines include all restaurants, so this section won’t apply.

Shore excursions are where costs spiral. A Caribbean snorkel trip costs £60-90. An Alaska helicopter glacier landing runs £300-500. Mediterranean walking tours are £50-80. If you’re visiting 5 ports and booking cruise line excursions, you’re easily spending £300-800 per person. Independent tours booked directly with local operators typically cost 30-50% less, but you sacrifice the ship’s guarantee to wait if your tour runs late. Budget based on your port intensity – some people skip organised tours entirely and explore independently, others book excursions in every port. Check our port-specific budget guides for Nassau, Amber Cove, or Punta Cana for realistic port day costs.

WiFi isn’t free and isn’t fast. Cruise ship internet costs £15-30 per day for packages or £0.50-0.75 per minute for pay-as-you-go. It’s satellite-based, so expect speeds slower than your phone’s 4G and regular dropouts. If you genuinely need to stay connected for work, budget for the premium unlimited package. If you can survive on sporadic email checks when you’re in port with local WiFi, skip the onboard internet entirely. More on this in our internet cost saving guide.

Don’t forget getting to the ship. Flights for fly-cruises, airport parking if you’re driving, petrol, cruise port parking (£10-20 per day at UK ports, similar elsewhere), or transfers from airport to port (£20-100 depending on distance). Southampton parking costs are covered in our detailed parking guide.

Pre or post-cruise hotels matter for fly-cruises. Miss your ship because your flight was delayed and you’ll learn this lesson expensively. Budget £80-200 per night depending on location and standard. This also applies if you’re sailing from a port that’s 4+ hours from home – driving down the morning of embarkation is asking for stress.

Travel insurance is mandatory, not optional. Cruise-specific insurance costs £40-120 per person depending on trip length and coverage level. This covers medical emergencies, trip cancellation, missed departures, and evacuation. The cruise line’s insurance is typically more expensive than third-party policies with better coverage, so shop around. But don’t skip it – medical care in foreign countries or emergency evacuation from a ship costs thousands.

Interpreting Your Results

If your calculator total is 1.5-2x your base cruise fare, that’s normal for a mainstream cruise with moderate spending. The all-inclusive nature of cruising is a myth perpetuated by marketing departments – you get a cabin, basic meals, and entertainment included. Everything else costs extra.

A 7-night Caribbean cruise advertised at £1,400 for two people typically costs £2,500-3,500 once you add gratuities, a drink package, a few specialty meals, shore excursions in 3-4 ports, and travel to the port. That’s not a scam – it’s just reality. The cruise line’s pricing model relies on getting you onboard at an attractive headline price, then generating revenue from everything else you buy.

Luxury cruise lines flip this model: higher base fares but genuinely inclusive pricing. A £6,000 luxury cruise often includes drinks, gratuities, WiFi, and shore excursions, making the actual cost difference smaller than it appears. Budget cruise lines do the opposite – rock-bottom base fares but aggressive onboard revenue strategies.

Understanding your total spend before booking helps you choose the right cruise line and ship for your budget. If the calculator shows you’re stretching financially, consider a shorter cruise, an inside cabin instead of a balcony, or sailing during shoulder season when fares drop. There’s no prize for returning home stressed about money.

Insider Money Tips

The drink package makes sense for most people who drink alcohol, but not everyone. If you genuinely only want one glass of wine with dinner, you’ll spend less paying per drink. But if you enjoy a beer by the pool, cocktails before dinner, and wine with your meal, the unlimited package pays for itself by day three. The break-even point is typically 4-6 drinks per day depending on cruise line pricing. Don’t forget packages usually include sodas, specialty coffees, and bottled water too – factor those in.

Book shore excursions independently to save 30-50%. The cruise line’s tours are convenient and come with timing guarantees, but they’re marked up significantly. Research local tour operators in each port, read reviews, and book directly. You’ll get smaller groups, better guides, and lower prices. The risk is missing the ship if your tour runs late – legitimate operators understand cruise schedules, but plan buffer time. This strategy works brilliantly in established cruise ports like Cozumel, Barcelona, or Juneau where competition keeps independent operators sharp.

Specialty dining isn’t worth it on short cruises. If you’re sailing 3-4 nights, the included dining venues offer plenty of variety. Save specialty restaurants for 7+ night cruises when you’ve exhausted the main dining room options. And don’t book all your specialty meals in advance – you’ll end up overcommitted and regretting it by day five.

Monitor your onboard account daily. Sign up for automatic account statements delivered to your cabin each evening, or check the app if your ship has one. This prevents bill shock on disembarkation day and lets you adjust spending if you’re tracking higher than expected. The “I’ll just put everything on the room card” mentality leads to overspending because you’re not watching the total accumulate.

Front-load your currency strategy. If you’re cruising outside the UK, understand whether your onboard account charges in pounds, dollars, or euros. Some cruise lines let you choose your currency, others don’t. Check if your credit card charges foreign transaction fees – if it does, use a card that doesn’t. Small percentage fees add up over a week of charging everything to your cabin.

Pack smart to avoid onboard purchases. Forgotten phone chargers, adapters, toiletries, or seasickness tablets cost 3x pharmacy prices in the ship’s shop. Quality luggage like Level8 cases helps you stay organised and avoid last-minute packing chaos that leads to forgotten essentials.

Skip the casino unless you’re genuinely there for entertainment. The house edge on cruise ship slots and tables is worse than Vegas. If you enjoy gambling and budget £100 for entertainment, fine. If you’re chasing losses hoping to fund your bar bill, you’ll return home poorer and frustrated.

For comprehensive money-saving strategies, read our full guide on how to save money on your cruise.

Common Questions

How accurate is this cruise budget calculator?

It’s as accurate as your inputs. If you’re honest about your drinking habits, realistic about shore excursion spending, and account for getting to the ship, it’ll predict your actual costs within 10-15%. Where people go wrong is underestimating drinks and shore excursions because they haven’t cruised before and don’t know what things cost onboard. Use actual pricing from your specific cruise line if possible – a mainstream line like Royal Caribbean has very different cost structures than luxury lines like Silversea.

What cruise costs are actually mandatory?

Only three things: your cruise fare, port taxes and fees (usually included in your quoted fare), and gratuities. Everything else is optional, though realistically you’ll spend on some extras. You can cruise spending nothing beyond the base fare and gratuities if you drink tap water, never leave the ship, skip specialty dining, and bring your own wine (most lines allow one bottle per person). But that’s missing the point of cruising.

Should I book shore excursions through the cruise line or independently?

Depends on your risk tolerance and the specific port. Cruise line excursions cost more but guarantee the ship waits if your tour runs late. Independent tours booked with reputable local operators cost 30-50% less but you’re responsible for getting back on time. In established cruise ports with reliable operators – Cozumel, St Thomas, Barcelona, Juneau – independent tours are safe and save significant money. In less-developed ports or when doing adventurous excursions like helicopter tours or long-distance trips, cruise line booking reduces risk. Read our port-specific guides to understand which ports work well for independent exploration.

How much should I budget for drinks on a cruise?

Without a package, expect £25-40 per person per day if you drink moderately (2-4 alcoholic drinks). Soft drinks, specialty coffees, and bottled water add another £8-15 daily if you’re not buying a package. So a couple could easily spend £350-450 on drinks during a 7-night cruise without a package. Unlimited drink packages typically cost £45-65 per person per day and include cocktails, wine, beer, sodas, and specialty coffees. Break-even is usually 4-6 drinks daily. If you genuinely don’t drink alcohol, skip the package – but be honest with yourself about whether that’s realistic on holiday.

Do I need travel insurance for a cruise?

Yes. Medical emergencies at sea, trip cancellations, missed departures, and medical evacuations cost thousands without insurance. Standard travel insurance doesn’t always cover cruise-specific issues like missed port departures or itinerary changes, so get cruise-specific coverage. The cruise line sells insurance but third-party policies typically offer better coverage for less money. Budget £40-120 per person depending on trip length and your age. This isn’t optional – it’s essential. Medical care in Caribbean or Mediterranean ports is expensive for tourists, and emergency evacuation by helicopter from a ship costs £20,000+.