Average Total Cost Of A Cruise In 2021
So with all these different things to spend money on, how much does it cost to take a cruise?
As we mentioned above, the cost of your specific cruise will vary. Those who want an interior cabin will spend less than those sailing a suite. And people who can sail during the spring or fall will save hundreds versus sailing in the summer.
But we have some estimates below to give you an idea of the cost of taking a cruise.
Cruise Fare Obviously its impossible to give you a specific cost of your cruise fare. There are so many different factors that go into what youll pay, including:
- Cruise line
- Cabin type
- Trip length;
Sailings can be less than $100 per person, per day, into several hundreds of dollars each day. That said, we can get a good idea of what youll spend. All the major cruise lines are public companies that publish annual figures for their revenue and passenger statistics.
From these public reports, we know that the average cost of cruise fare runs from about $150-220 per person, per day .;
For example, in 2019 , Carnival Corporation which owns several different lines took in $14.1 billion in ticket revenue, and sailed 93.4 million passenger days. That comes out to $151 per person, per day.
Royal Caribbean Group was slightly higher , and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. came in at the top of our list .
Still, these figures should give you a good idea of the average cost of a cruise based on what others pay.
Port Fees and Taxes
So how much will you pay?
Alaska Lures Tourists With Its Stunning Landscapes And Free Covid
The epic round-trip cruise will depart from Miami in January 2024. The company also has round-the-world cruises slated for 2022 and 2023, but it says the tickets for its 2024 trip sold out faster than for any other year.
High-end accommodations brought some of the most intense interest, the company says. That trend aligns with the new economic reality imposed by the pandemic, in which well-off customers have snapped up big-ticket products and services, and even homes, even as millions of other Americans struggle to pay for housing and essentials.
The Seven Seas Mariner will circumnavigate the Earth, taking passengers on a cruise that lasts more than four months and spans 34,500 nautical miles. Regent Seven Seas Cruises hide caption
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The Seven Seas Mariner will circumnavigate the Earth, taking passengers on a cruise that lasts more than four months and spans 34,500 nautical miles.
“Remarkably, we’ve found that interest hasn’t just come from our past guests, and we have seen a strong increase in first-time travelers,” said Jason Montague, Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ president and CEO.
Many of those new customers, he adds, “were keen to book the higher end of our suites.”
Living quarters aboard the Seven Seas Marinerrange from the deluxe veranda suite, whose bed and adjacent sitting area resembles what you might find in a nice boutique hotel, to the master suite, which add a full dining table and living rooms with polished floors and armchairs.
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The Carnival Cruise Cost For Shore Excursions
Imagine you have arrived at Grand Cayman Island. You would like to go swimming with stingrays or snorkeling, wouldnt you? Or you could hold baby sea turtles at the turtle farm! Unless you plan on exploring independently, signing up for the ships group tours can set you back anywhere from $50 to $400 per person per day. The average Carnival cruise cost for some of the sightseeing options is about $100 per person per excursion. If your ship is stopping at 3 or 4 ports of call, these excursion prices can add up very quickly. The cheapest options are walking tours, and the most expensive ones I saw are helicopter excursions. These may be once-in-a-lifetime adventures, dont skip them just be sure to factor them in your budget from the beginning. And if its too much, look for cheaper alternatives, walk around on your own or stay aboard the ship and enjoy all of the on-board activities. Often there are great deals for things like spa treatments on port days when most people are off the ship.Estimated Cost for shore excursions: $150 $1000 per person for a 7-day cruise.
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Cruise Price Comparison Table
One of the biggest factors affecting the price of your cruise is your choice of the cruise line.
The table below shows the average price for a 7-night Caribbean cruise in a balcony cabin .
| Cruise line | |
|---|---|
| not available | $2645 |
The aim of this data is to give you a rough idea of the average cruise prices for each cruise line. I sourced the prices from the cruise lines websites.
The Length Of A Yacht Charter Will Affect The Price
Yacht charters are priced per day or per week, and as the cruise gets longer the per-day price comes down. Shorter trips of less than one week are less expensive overall but will cost more per day. For instance a 4-day private Galapagos cruise aboard the Coral I & Coral II costs about $510 per person per day, whereas an 11-day charter aboard the same ships is about $460 per person per day. When you factor in flights, park fees and other expenses this difference is even larger . You also might not be able to truly customize the trip length depending on your destination and time of year; many small ships stick to fairly strict sailing schedules during their prime sailing seasons, so thus may require you to commit to a weeklong yacht charter.
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I Thought They Did A Great Job With The Safety Protocols But There Was Definitely A Bit Of Security Theater
I think they’re still figuring out which procedures really work.
For example, you could sit at the swim-up bar in the pool, but you couldn’t sit at a bar on the ship.
They held a dance party one night, and instead of hosting it in one of the lounges, they had it at the ice-skating arena where there was more space. And they had these lights shining on the floor so you could see where your area was.
Some activities were missing Royal Caribbean does a fun adults-only scavenger hunt that it wasn’t able to host with social distancing. For karaoke, they were cleaning the microphone between people. For the classes, they had spaced-out seating. Things were just done differently.
Also, unless your reservation was linked to another guest’s, you couldn’t dine together. So I saw one of my friends at the restaurant, and our reservations were about 40 minutes apart, but he couldn’t come to my table and eat with me. But he could order a drink and sit at the opposite side of my table, which was funny.
I went with a friend and had about 25 friends on board, but if I was sailing by myself and didn’t know a soul, it would have been a little more difficult to socialize because of the protocols.
Eligibility For Voyage Status For Ships Following The Cso
Voyage status is determined by the cruise ship operators current CDC approved voyage request or application:
- Request for Approval to Conduct a Simulated Voyage Prior to Issuance of COVID-19 Conditional Sailing Certificate
- Application for a CDC COVID-19 Conditional Sailing Certificate
See table below for current voyage type.
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Timing & Seasonality Influence The Cost Of A Private Cruise
The timing of when you charter a yacht will affect the price. Holidays and high season will cost the most, while off-season and shoulder season will offer the most affordable prices. Of course, this will depend on the destination. For instance, a private Alaska yacht charter cruise in Glacier Bay National Park aboard the historic Catalyst & Westward costs about $525 per person per day in the shoulder season vs. $655 per person per day in the high season. ;
How Much Our 7 Day Carnival Cruise Cost Us
For our honeymoon cruise, we took a 7 day Carnival Western Caribbean cruise out of Port Canaveral on the Carnival Dream.
We knew this cruise would be more expensive than our last cruise, a 5 day Bahamas cruise on the Carnival Ecstasy. You can read our 5 day cruise trip cost reportfor even more insight about cruise costs.
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At Our Stops You Could See The Effects Of The Pandemic
It’s still a struggle for the people in the Bahamas and Cozumel, which are two of the biggest cruise ports. A lot of the businesses aren’t open, and my favorite car-rental place in Cozumel had to end its lease right at the port because it couldn’t support it anymore and moved down the street.
One day, I got back on the ship, sat on my balcony, and just started crying. I was so beside myself and texting my husband and my friend saying “I just feel so bad” because there are people just begging you to come shop.
I wish I could have spent even more money than I did, and thankfully, everyone in my group felt the same way. Tourism can’t come back fast enough.
Where Youll Spend Money On A Cruise
Think that the cost of a cruise is simply the fare that you pay to get on the ship? While that makes up the lions share of your spending, theres a lot more that goes into the cost of your vacation.
Cruise FareOf course, when most people think of the cost of a cruise, they are thinking mainly of the price of the cruise fare. This fare is what the cruise line charges for you to sail on the ship. Cruise fare includes your cabin, meals, entertainment on the ship, and access to pools, lounges and more.
What it doesnt include are the extras like drinks, specialty restaurants, shore excursions, gambling and other things bought on board.
What you pay for your fare can vary widely. Factors that go into the price include the type of cabin you choose, length of cruise, when you sail, and even the ship and cruise line you sail.
Short cruises on budget cruise lines can run as little as a few hundred dollars, while long luxury trips can run well into the thousands of dollars per person.
Onboard SpendingThink youre done spending money after you buy your cruise fare? Think again. Once on the ship there are lots of extras that you will likely want to purchase that add to the cost of your cruise.
Onboard spending is a wide umbrella. It includes everything from money spent gambling in the casino to alcohol, specialty restaurants, cruise line shore excursions, and even the souvenirs you buy in the gift shop.
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How Much Cash To Budget For A Cruise
Since the amount of money you need for each day varies depending on whether you are at sea or in port, weve broken down each below.
Keep in mind these are our suggestions for the typical Caribbean cruise. Your specifics may vary.;
Cash for Day at Sea:
- Tipping : $5-10 per day
- Gambling: Dependent on your gambling budget
- Miscellaneous: $0-20 per day
- Total: $5-30 per day + gambling budget
Cash for Day in Port:
- Taxis: $40 per day
- Meals: $10-20 per person, per meal
- Souvenirs: $10-20 per person, per day
- Miscellaneous: $20 per day
- Total: $90-130 per day
Of course, these are just guidelines. Weve been on cruises and spent literally no cash in a day. We also know that some people love to let loose on a vacation and spend a bit more.
Our rule of thumb is that you should simply budget as much cash as you would for any other vacation, when in port. On the ship, however, youll need far less.
The good news is that if you bring too much cash, you can always put it back into your account when you return home.
And what if you run out of cash? Dont worry. There are ATMs available on the ship. Although they charge hefty fees to withdraw cash, they can help in a pinch. There will also be ATMs in the port areas.
How much cash do you bring on your cruise? Let us know in the comments below
Factor In The Cost Of Flights And Fees
Be sure to arrive well before your cruise sets sail. –
Add in the cost of flights. Sometimes port taxes are included in the advertised fares, and sometimes theyre not; if theyre not, expect to pay about $100 to $200 per person, depending on the destination and length of the cruise. Government fees and taxes are rarely included in the list rate and can be an additional several hundred dollars per person.
Estimated Cost: $150 – $500 per person
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Night Caribbean Cruises Cruise Only
The table below shows example prices for a selection of Caribbean cruises. These cruises are during the months of April, August and November.
Only one example from each cruise line was used for the comparison, prices do vary even within the cruise line based on the cruise ship but the prices below do provide a good example of what to expect.
| ; |
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Drawbacks of Cruising The Caribbean in Peak Season:
- Cruise ships are usually full
- Ports can be busy
- Children arent off school
- Have to make bookings ahead of time
What Can Cruise Travelers Do To Protect Themselves And Others
CDC recommends that travelers are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to traveling on a cruise ship.
People are considered fully vaccinated 2 weeks after a single dose in a one-dose series or 2 weeks after the second dose in a two-dose series.±
Travelers who are at an increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 should avoid travel on cruise ships, including river cruises, worldwide, regardless of vaccination status.
If you are at increased risk for severe illness and considering cruise travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, discuss this type of travel with your healthcare professional. Older adults and people of any age with certain underlying medical conditions are;more likely to get severely ill;if they get COVID-19. People with weakened immune systems, including people who take medicines that suppress their immune systems, may not be protected even if fully vaccinated.
Do not board a cruise ship if you have symptoms of COVID-19, if you know you have COVID-19, if you were exposed to a person with COVID-19 in the past 14 days , or you are waiting for results of a COVID-19 viral test.
If you go on a cruise during the COVID-19 pandemic:
Before you board:
- Get fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
- People are considered fully vaccinated 2 weeks after a single dose in a one-dose series or 2 weeks after the second;dose in a two-dose series.
While you’re on board:
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Price Variety By Cruise Line
There are a number of cruise lines that cruise the Caribbean year round. The main cruise lines are Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Carnival Cruises and MSC Cruises. There are a number of other cruise lines which offer cruises to the Caribbean but these are the most popular.
Costs In Port Canaveral
We finally arrived in Port Canaveral after hours of traveling in our car.
While it would have been fun to get straight on the ship and begin our honeymoon cruise, we arrived the night before our cruise just in case we ran into unanticipated difficulties.
Arriving early also allowed us to get plenty of sleep and not have to get up at an obscenely early hour to make it to the ship without worry of it leaving us behind if we hit traffic.
Due to the fact we arrived the night before, we booked a hotel room near the port that offered a pretty amazing deal.
Instead of paying for both a hotel and outrageous port parking fees for the length of our cruisewe found a hotel that would allow us to leave our car for the week and shuttle us to and from the ship for free.
Well, nothing is free, but it was included in the cost of a one night stay at the hotel. This hotel and parking package cost us $145.89.
Could we have found a cheaper hotel and cheaper parking separately? It is possible, but we wouldnt have saved much.
Parking at the port was $120 for a 7 day cruise. There were remote lots that charged less, but it wasnt worth the hassle to us.
The next morning we boarded the complimentary shuttle and arrived at the Carnival Dream.
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The Cost Of Flights And Fees
Factor in the cost of flights you can expect to pay about $100 to $400 per person, depending on the destination and length of the flight.Estimated Cost Per Person For Flights: $100 $400 per personIf you add everything together, you will have quite a big range.7 Night Carnival Cruise ship prices per person in the Caribbean can range between $1000 $3,700.Most people will spend between $1,000 and $2,000 per person for a full vacation. Now, its true that if you were to drink only water, explore ports on your own, and stick to the main dining room and buffets, you could be paying on the lower end. The $50 per person/per day price includes an interior cabin, all of your meals and snacks, regular coffee, tea, ice tea, lemonade, taxes, and port charges. It also includes many shipboard activities, nightly entertainment and daytime child care for ages 2 thru teens. For many destinations in the United States, just the hotel can cost just as much. Remember, that many folks dont realize how affordable family cruises can be.