The biggest cruise RIP-OFFS that you should AVOID to save money

Cruising is one of the most affordable vacation options available. When booking a cruise, your cruise fare covers dining, entertainment, accommodations, onboard activities, and transportation between ports of call.

While it’s true that your fare is quite inclusive, cruise lines have plenty of ways to get you to spend even more money once onboard. Take one look at your daily itinerary and you can find countless ways to spend money each day of your cruise.

In fact, it’s easy to feel as though you’re being nickel-and-dimed by the cruise lines, even after you’ve made your final cruise payment. Things like Wi-Fi, spa treatments, art auctions, and even bottled water can all rack up a huge bill. This is especially true if you’re sailing with a family, as the expenses can quickly multiply.

As a budget-conscious traveler, there are some obvious tactics cruise lines use to encourage onboard spending. Here are the biggest cruise rip-offs that you should avoid to ensure you aren’t wasting your money.

[bmaurer]

There is a great trick to avoid the ATM fees. As a very seasoned cruiser, you go to the casino, tap your card/band, add money into the machine "to play" as a room charge, and then print the voucher and take it to the cage. Boom! You're welcome in advance...I do this ALL the time on multiple cruise lines and it works.

[myk]

I'll never do the spa again. Paid about 150$ for a 'massage' and all I got was a 10 minute massage and 20 minutes of hot stones. Total waste of money.

[terrigodmother]

Some of these rip offs can be avoided by your choice of cruise line. The all-inclusive choices may appear more expensive, but aren't in the long run and Viking, for instance, provides included bottled water, free wi-fi, at least one free shore excursion in each port, has no art auctions, no annoying professional photographers, allows you to bring your own alcohol on board, and probably a few other things as well.

[shannonchastain]

When I go on a cruise, I take laundry pods with me. That way when I have any small items I need to rinse out then I can do so in the bathroom sink and then hang to dry on the line in the shower that way I don’t have a bunch of additional costs as for laundry. .

[lilb]

On Royal last year my wife won a raffle for a "free massage". It turned out to be a 100 dollar voucher that wouldn't cover a 45 minute massage.

[stevengolden]

Also be careful of any "Shopping Seminars" the cruise line may give to steer you to shops at ports that are very expensive. Also BINGO has become a big rip off too.

[sf]

Specialty dining. Don't get me wrong, the food is great, but we're just as happy with the included food options.

[robertk]

Excursions are rip-offs to me as well as the impression that you have to take them to enjoy your trip. First time to a port just walking off the ship and exploring is a great excursion. Enjoying the ship while others get off also makes the ship a more enjoyable excursion on its own.

[deborahsheldon]

I use a computer not a cell phone for my needs, I upgrade to a package that covers WIFI, drinks, and tips sometimes other goodies like gyms and desert packages. This works well for me, I'm on vacation, I budget at home. If you don't want your children to spend on the ship activities, go on ships that don't offer all the frills, kids will find other included activities, also these cruises are usually less money. Booking extremely early, a year or two, allows cruisers to save hundreds of dollars and it gives time for families to save for wanted extras. Always buy cruise insurance, shop around for what your family needs. Personally, My group has used the insurance twice in two years, once to avoid a hurricane. That was a good list you gave.

[Cornelius_Pop]

I like how it’s “for example NCL” they always charge the most for everything it seems. Not that the other cruise lines don’t nickel and dime.

[xsfpicy]

I can’t understand people buying specialty dining., surely if you have paid thousands of dollars you should be getting special meals anyway.

[bgregg]

Your list is pretty complete & I agree entirely. But I'm very glad there are many people that seem happy to pay for all the extras because it helps keep our total price down as people that forego most of them & just enjoy the basics.

[brileygabriel]

We got married on a Carnival Cruise in September 2023. We had a photographer on the ship filmed and took pictures of our ceremony. They tried to charge us over $3, 000.00 for an wedding album and a digital copy . My wife was able to haggle her down to about $1, 000 for both, so sometimes you can negotiate with them if you don't mind that sort of thing.. (I can't stand it, so I let my wife handle that part) Also, we just came back from a Celebrity Cruise a couple of weeks ago. It was our first time on Celebrity. I was shocked, we did not encounter ONE photographer on the ship! Now, there were photographers at the ports, but they were not nearly as aggressive as the ones you will find on Carnival. On Carnival and to a lesser extent, Royal, you have to wave them away like flies, both on and off the ship! lol

[vickianderson]

We play hide from the photographs great fun 😅

[floridaorbust]

Absolutely avoid spa treatments doing it prior to cruise you’ll save a ton of money.

[shannonchastain]

While getting your alcohol drink, request a bottled water(free) so you can take that to your room for later, especially if you’re fixing to head back to your room, That way you can stock up for free. Sometimes you can do the same with sodas ask for soda when you get a drink.

[musicent]

I'll never forget being on the MSC Seashore and needing some gas x to stop bloating and it was 35 dollars in the shop for like 6 pills. I still can't believe the professional photo thing is still a thing on ships given the fact everyone walks around with a darn good camera on their phone.

[davee]

Carnival now does let you bring bottle water anymore, you must pre purchase or buy on board only

[donhooper]

I travel solo a lot. I understand the fact of having to pay double fare. However, my beef is that, I feel, that I should get double points since I am paying double fare. Is that too much to ask for? I think it would be fair.

[TheNoeticSkeptic]

I had a Solo Cruise in a Double Room with 0% surcharge from Hawai'i to Tahiti in December 2023.
The Duty Free shops are often more expensive than what you would pay if you had to pay the taxes.
And now they won't let you bring on your own water.
Go to the Casino and have them charge your room for several hundred dollars for chips, then go back a few hours later and cash them in.