{"id":10334,"date":"2026-07-17T05:18:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-17T05:18:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lets-canada.com\/"},"modified":"2026-09-11T22:34:44","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T22:34:44","slug":"10-cruise-costs-that-catch-travellers-off-guard-gratuities-wi-fi-drinks-and-shore-excursions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lets-canada.com\/en\/10-cruise-costs-that-catch-travellers-off-guard-gratuities-wi-fi-drinks-and-shore-excursions\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Cruise Costs That Catch Travellers Off Guard: Gratuities, Wi-Fi, Drinks and Shore Excursions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Content updated: September 12, 2026. Service charges were checked for this update. Amounts below are in US dollars (USD), not Canadian dollars, and are not live quotes for any sailing.<\/p>\n

A cruise fare and the cost of the whole trip are two different totals. Your cabin and some meals may be included, but that does not make every onboard option free. Compare quotes for the same sailing, cabin category, number of guests and cancellation terms, then add the services you expect to use. An advertised per-person starting fare is an incomplete basis for a budget.<\/p>\n

NCL\u2019s fare-inclusions guide<\/a>, for example, separates accommodation and selected dining from extras such as internet access, shore excursions, laundry, the medical centre and some meals. Inclusions vary by line, ship, cabin and package. The ten categories below are a way to check your booking, not a claim that every operator charges the same fees.<\/p>\n

\n
Cost category<\/th>What to check before booking<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
1. Daily crew charges<\/td>Check the daily amount per guest, applicable ages and cabin categories, and whether it is prepaid or included in a package. Do not count it twice.<\/td><\/tr>\n
2. Drinks and purchase service charges<\/td>Check coverage for alcohol, bottled water, coffee and drink packages, plus any service charge or tax added at checkout.<\/td><\/tr>\n
3. Wi-Fi and communications<\/td>Compare device limits, data or time allowances, streaming and the number of days covered. A land-based eSIM plan is not a substitute for checking onboard connectivity.<\/td><\/tr>\n
4. Specialty dining<\/td>Distinguish complimentary venues, cover charges and \u00e0-la-carte pricing. A package with several meals does not necessarily include every menu item.<\/td><\/tr>\n
5. Room service and minibars<\/td>Check food prices, delivery fees and service charges separately. NCL lists a room-service convenience charge with exceptions for certain suites.<\/td><\/tr>\n
6. Shore excursions<\/td>Check transfers, admission, meals, guide language, cancellation terms and return-to-ship timing. Include local transport when booking independently.<\/td><\/tr>\n
7. Travel and hotels before and after sailing<\/td>Include flights, hotels, airport-to-port transport, parking and luggage arrangements. Identify anything already included in the quote.<\/td><\/tr>\n
8. Solo occupancy<\/td>Get a quote for the actual number of occupants. Neither the double-occupancy per-person fare nor an automatic doubling is a reliable solo quote.<\/td><\/tr>\n
9. Laundry and medical expenses<\/td>Laundry is a discretionary expense; medical care also requires insurance, payment and claims checks. An entertainment allowance is not a medical contingency plan.<\/td><\/tr>\n
10. Other onboard activities<\/td>Check paid classes, photography, games, special performances and shopping. Find out what is complimentary before choosing upgrades.<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n

Separate daily crew charges from fees on purchases<\/h4>\n

Daily crew charges are generally calculated by guest and day. A service charge on a drink or specialty meal applies to that purchase. They are separate items: prepaying one does not establish that the other is covered. This table lists the daily rates checked for this update. Match them against your own booking, including prepaid charges, package inclusions and any market-specific terms.<\/p>\n

\n
Cruise line<\/th>USD per guest, per day<\/th>Scope and source<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Princess<\/td>18 \/ 19 \/ 20<\/td>Other staterooms: 18; Mini-Suites, Cabana Mini-Suites and Reserve Collection: 19; Suites: 20. The official policy<\/a> also explains Australian-dollar sailings and exceptions involving Australian and New Zealand residents.<\/td><\/tr>\n
Holland America<\/td>18 \/ 20<\/td>Non-suite guests: 18; suite guests: 20. Check the crew-appreciation policy<\/a> applicable to your booking market.<\/td><\/tr>\n
NCL<\/td>20 \/ 25<\/td>Club Balcony Suite and below: 20; The Haven and Suites: 25, for guests aged 3 and over and bookings made from January 1, 2023. The official FAQ<\/a> also lists an additional 4.275% prepaid-service-charge GET tax for Hawaii.<\/td><\/tr>\n
Celebrity<\/td>19.50 \/ 20.50 \/ 24.50<\/td>Inside, Oceanview and Veranda: 19.50; Concierge and AquaClass: 20.50; The Retreat: 24.50. These current onboard FAQ rates<\/a> replace the older 18 \/ 19 \/ 23 figures in this article.<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n

For a worked example, two adults charged USD 20 each per day over seven nights would pay 2 \u00d7 7 \u00d7 20 = USD 280 for this item alone. That calculation excludes the cruise fare, other purchases and any applicable taxes. Celebrity\u2019s same FAQ separately lists a 20% gratuity on specified purchases, including drinks and specialty dining. The Princess and Holland America policies above also identify service charges on drinks and dining. Compare the final payable amount for a package, not just its advertised price.<\/p>\n

To assess a package, list what you would otherwise buy and compare that total with the package price. Unused drinks, device allowances or meals are not savings simply because the advertisement says they are included. If daily crew charges are included, do not add them again. Keep the currency consistent: calculate the total in either USD or CAD, then compare conversion and possible payment fees. A price displayed in CAD is not, by itself, a Canadian-dollar-at-par promotion.<\/p>\n

Allow enough time to return to the port after a shore excursion. Compare meeting and drop-off points, arrangements for a delayed ship or excursion, and cancellation terms as well as price. Solo travellers should request an actual single-occupancy total, including transport and hotels. The cabin with the lowest starting fare may not produce the lowest overall trip cost. Use the Canada cruise guide<\/a> to plan routes and embarkation cities, then check the details for your chosen sailing.<\/p>\n

Medical expenses need a different plan from laundry or entertainment. The Government of Canada\u2019s cruise health and safety guidance<\/a> recommends insurance covering cruising and shore activities, including accidental injury, hospitalization outside Canada and medical evacuation. Give the insurer your itinerary and planned activities, and check deductibles, payment and claims procedures. The presence of a medical centre does not mean treatment is included in the fare or in every insurance policy.<\/p>\n

Before paying, keep the complete quote, inclusions and cancellation terms. Onboard, check prepaid items against new charges on your account. Ask guest services to explain an unfamiliar charge while you are there; do not budget on the assumption that it will be refunded or removed after the trip.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Check ten cruise extras, compare daily charges from four cruise lines, and budget for drinks, Wi-Fi, dining, shore trips and solo occupancy without double-counting.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10436,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lc_last_content_reviewed_at":"2026-07-20T10:00:00Z","_lc_last_fact_checked_at":"2026-07-20T10:00:00Z","_lc_fact_check_status":"verified","_lc_source_grade":"A","_lc_source_titles":"","_lc_source_publish_dates":"","_lc_source_accessed_at":"2026-09-11T22:34:44+00:00","_lc_claims_checked":"date_time: 2026-07-17 | law_policy: \u8a50\u9a19 \/ \u7a05 \/ \u91ab\u7642 \/ tax \/ \u4fdd\u96aa \/ \u5b89\u5168 | sports_result: 2026-07 | superlative_record: \u5b98\u65b9 | event_status: \u514d\u8cbb \/ Free | opening_hours_fare: \u8cbb\u7528","_lc_claims_corrected":"Unsupported material claims removed from public display; original content retained in protected post meta; URL retained as noindex historical archive.","_lc_unresolved_claims":"","_lc_correction_note_required":"1","_lc_reviewer_notes":"","_lc_fact_check_source_urls":["https:\/\/www.ncl.com\/faq\/cruise-fare-inclusions","https:\/\/www.ncl.com\/faq\/what-is-ncl-onboard-service-charge","https:\/\/gb-www.princess.com\/static\/html\/global\/disclaimers\/crew-appreciation\/index.html","https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/en\/us\/faq\/onboard-cruise-experience\/onboard-information\/is-there-a-crew-appreciation-charge-gratuity-tip","https:\/\/www.celebritycruises.com\/faqs\/while-on-board","https:\/\/travel.gc.ca\/travelling\/health-safety\/advice-for-travellers\/cruise-travel"],"_lc_affiliate_widget_allowed":"","_lc_affiliate_widget_type":"","_lc_affiliate_widget_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[267,642],"lc_primary_section":[773],"lc_location":[808],"lc_topic":[810],"lc_freshness":[828],"class_list":["post-10334","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-canada-travel","tag-267","tag-642","lc_primary_section-destination-guides","lc_location-canada","lc_topic-itineraries","lc_freshness-evergreen"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lets-canada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10334","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lets-canada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lets-canada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lets-canada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lets-canada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10334"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/lets-canada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10334\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12262,"href":"https:\/\/lets-canada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10334\/revisions\/12262"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lets-canada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10436"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lets-canada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10334"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lets-canada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10334"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lets-canada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10334"},{"taxonomy":"lc_primary_section","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lets-canada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/lc_primary_section?post=10334"},{"taxonomy":"lc_location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lets-canada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/lc_location?post=10334"},{"taxonomy":"lc_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lets-canada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/lc_topic?post=10334"},{"taxonomy":"lc_freshness","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lets-canada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/lc_freshness?post=10334"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}