Your Cruise Vacation Budget
List every category first, so the total holds no surprises.
Start Planning With an AdvisorYour Cruise Vacation Budget, Category by Category
A cruise budget works best when you list every category before you add up a single figure. Prices change too fast to print here, but the categories never change.
The Categories
| Category | What it includes | When it is paid |
|---|---|---|
| Cruise fare | Cabin, most meals, entertainment | Deposit, then final payment |
| Taxes, fees and port expenses | Government and port charges | With the fare |
| Gratuities | Daily service charges on most lines | On board, or prepaid |
| Flights | To and from the port | When booked |
| Hotels | Night before, sometimes after | When booked or at check-out |
| Transfers and parking | Airport to hotel to port, or port parking | Varies |
| Travel insurance | Cancellation, medical, baggage | Soon after the deposit |
| Shore excursions | Tours in port | Before or during the cruise |
| Drinks, Wi-Fi, specialty dining | Extras on many lines | Packages before, or on board |
| Personal spending | Spa, shopping, photos, casino | On board and in port |
Building the Budget
- Start with a quote that shows the fare plus taxes and fees.
- Check which extras your line includes; some fares bundle drinks, Wi-Fi or tips.
- Price flights and the hotel before you commit.
- Set a daily amount for onboard spending and keep to it.
- Keep a contingency for delays and surprises.
Ways to Make the Budget Go Further
Sail outside peak weeks, choose a homeport you can drive to, and compare an inside or ocean-view cabin on a newer ship with a balcony on an older one. Book excursions you really want, and enjoy the free activities on board. For an overview of what different lines include, compare a few quotes side by side; our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise will show the totals for you.
Interested in planning trips for others? Be a Travel Agent explains how people become travel advisors.
Tracking Spending on Board
Ships run on a cashless account: you register a card at check-in and every purchase is charged to your cabin. That is convenient, and it is also how budgets slip. Check your onboard account in the line’s app or on the cabin television every day or two, so a surprise does not wait for the final night. Decide in advance which extras matter to your group — perhaps one specialty dinner and one excursion per port — and enjoy the many included activities in between.
Paying Over Time
Because a cruise is paid in stages, you can spread the cost: the deposit at booking, any optional payments in between, and the balance at final payment. Flights, hotels and insurance are usually paid when you book them, so plan those payments into the calendar as well. Our 2027 timeline shows when each one typically falls.
Budget Questions
What do people forget to budget for?
Gratuities, the hotel night before, transfers, travel insurance and onboard Wi-Fi are the most common.
Can I pay for a cruise in instalments?
Most cruises are paid with a deposit and a final payment. Some lines and advisors allow extra payments in between. Ask when you book.
Get a Quote That Shows the Whole Picture
Our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise will quote the cruise with taxes and fees and point out the extras to plan for. Free.
Get My Quote