About CruiseKit

An independent cruise planning toolkit. Not a travel agency.

CruiseKit is an independent cruise planning toolkit built for cruisers who want to know what a trip actually costs before they book. We are not a travel agency, we don’t sell cruises, and we don’t take bookings. Instead, we give you the data and tools to make smarter decisions on your own.

The platform is built and maintained by a solo developer who got tired of the same problem every cruiser faces: the advertised fare is never the real price. Between mandatory gratuities, drink packages, Wi-Fi, excursions, and specialty dining, the true cost of a cruise can be 40-60% higher than the sticker price. CruiseKit exists to make that gap visible.

The Five Pillars

Everything on CruiseKit is organized around five core pillars, each tackling a different part of the cruise planning journey:

  • 1Plan— The True Cost Calculator breaks down every hidden fee across 9 major cruise lines so you see the real price before you book.
  • 2Explore— Port guides with real traveler intel, walking distances, and curated recommendations for every major cruise port.
  • 3Coordinate— Group Hub lets you plan with friends and family, split costs, and keep everyone on the same page.
  • 4Track— BackToShip GPS gives you real-time distance tracking to your ship while you’re in port, so you never have to worry about cutting it close.
  • 5Optimize— The Loyalty Hub compares reward programs across cruise lines and helps you find status-match opportunities.

Why We Built This

Cruise lines are great at selling a dream but not always transparent about the total cost. A $499 Caribbean cruise can easily become $900+ per person once you factor in gratuities, beverage packages, Wi-Fi, and port excursions. Most comparison sites only show the base fare because they earn commissions on bookings — they have no incentive to highlight the extras.

CruiseKit flips that model. We show you the full picture first, then let you decide. Some of our links are affiliate links and we earn a small commission if you book through them, but our recommendations and data are never influenced by those partnerships.

ShipSafe SDK

CruiseKit is powered by ShipSafe SDK, our B2B platform that provides cruise data infrastructure to travel apps and agencies. If you’re building something in the cruise space, check it out.