The short version
Cruise lines advertise a base fare and then bill the rest of the trip in eight or nine separate line items. The calculator takes the fare you’re quoted, adds each of those line items using cruise-line published rates where they exist and industry averages where they don’t, and hands you a total you can actually budget around. We never mark numbers up, we never pad totals to make partner bookings look better, and we show you the source of every line.
Looking for the broader CruiseKit reference trail? Start with the public information hub, then use this page for calculator-specific methodology.
The dates below are when the underlying data files were last hand-verified against their sources. They do not roll forward automatically — if a date here looks stale, that’s honest signal that a refresh is due.
- Cruise-line published rates
- September 4, 2026
- Sailing prices last checked
- April 28, 2026
- Estimate methodology last reviewed
- March 28, 2026
Material price fact register
These are the dated records currently used for the calculator's highest-impact prices. “Official” means the linked cruise-line source supports the value; “corroborated” is visibly lower confidence. Effective, retrieval, and recheck dates are never generated from today's date.
Standard stateroom daily gratuity
$18.50/person day
Standard stateroom; automatically applied daily.
Retrieved 2026-09-10 · Recheck by 2026-12-09
Royal Caribbean gratuity FAQSuite daily gratuity
$21/person day
Grand Suite and above; automatically applied daily.
Retrieved 2026-09-10 · Recheck by 2026-12-09
Royal Caribbean gratuity FAQStandard stateroom daily gratuity
$17/person day
Standard accommodations; guests age 2 and older.
Retrieved 2026-09-04 · Effective 2026-04-02 · Recheck by 2026-12-03
Carnival service gratuitiesSuite daily gratuity
$19/person day
Suite accommodations; guests age 2 and older.
Retrieved 2026-09-04 · Effective 2026-04-02 · Recheck by 2026-12-03
Carnival service gratuitiesCHEERS advance-purchase price including service charge
$83.94/adult day
Purchase by 11:59 PM ET two days before embarkation; all eligible adults in the stateroom must participate.
Derived: $69.95 base price x 1.20 service charge = $83.94.
Retrieved 2026-09-10 · Recheck by 2026-10-04
Carnival CHEERS beverage programCHEERS onboard price including service charge
$89.94/adult day
Purchased after boarding; all eligible adults in the stateroom must participate.
Retrieved 2026-09-10 · Recheck by 2026-10-04
Carnival CHEERS beverage program Q&ASocial Wi-Fi pre-cruise price
$20.40/person day
Cruise-long plan, one connected device at a time; purchase by 11:59 PM ET the day before embarkation.
Retrieved 2026-09-04 · Recheck by 2026-10-04
Carnival internet plansSocial Wi-Fi onboard price
$22/person day
Cruise-long plan, one connected device at a time.
Retrieved 2026-09-04 · Recheck by 2026-10-04
Carnival internet plansValue Wi-Fi pre-cruise price
$23.80/person day
Cruise-long plan, one connected device at a time; purchase by 11:59 PM ET the day before embarkation.
Retrieved 2026-09-04 · Recheck by 2026-10-04
Carnival internet plansValue Wi-Fi onboard price
$26/person day
Cruise-long plan, one connected device at a time.
Retrieved 2026-09-04 · Recheck by 2026-10-04
Carnival internet plansPremium Wi-Fi pre-cruise price
$25.50/person day
Cruise-long plan, one connected device at a time; purchase by 11:59 PM ET the day before embarkation.
Retrieved 2026-09-04 · Recheck by 2026-10-04
Carnival internet plansPremium Wi-Fi onboard price
$28/person day
Cruise-long plan, one connected device at a time.
Retrieved 2026-09-04 · Recheck by 2026-10-04
Carnival internet plansFree at Sea beverage-package gratuity (age 21+)
$28.50/adult day
Current Free at Sea cohort; pre-cruise beverage-package gratuity for guests age 21 and older. Onboard pricing varies.
Retrieved 2026-09-10 · Recheck by 2026-10-04
Norwegian Free at Sea program guideLegacy More at Sea beverage-package gratuity
$21.80/adult day
Only for applicable bookings made from October 1, 2024 through November 4, 2025; verify the booking confirmation.
Retrieved 2026-09-04 · Recheck by 2026-10-04
Norwegian More at Sea termsClub Balcony Suite and below daily service charge
$20/person day
Guests age 3 and older; Club Balcony Suite and below.
Retrieved 2026-09-10 · Effective 2023-01-01 · Recheck by 2026-12-09
Norwegian onboard service charge FAQThe Haven and Suites daily service charge
$25/person day
Guests age 3 and older; The Haven and Suites.
Retrieved 2026-09-10 · Effective 2023-01-01 · Recheck by 2026-12-09
Norwegian onboard service charge FAQInside, ocean-view, and veranda daily gratuity
$19.50/person day
Inside, ocean-view, and veranda staterooms.
Retrieved 2026-09-10 · Recheck by 2026-12-09
Celebrity gratuity program FAQRetreat daily gratuity
$24.50/person day
The Retreat accommodations; Concierge and AquaClass are $20.50.
Retrieved 2026-09-10 · Recheck by 2026-12-09
Celebrity gratuity program FAQPrincess Plus advance-purchase bundle
$65/package day
Most ships; purchase at least 96 hours before sailing. Includes crew appreciation and one-device Wi-Fi.
Retrieved 2026-09-10 · Recheck by 2026-10-04
Princess package comparisonPrincess Premier advance-purchase bundle
$100/package day
Most ships; purchase at least 96 hours before sailing. Includes crew appreciation and four-device Wi-Fi. Sun and Star Princess are $105/day.
Retrieved 2026-09-10 · Recheck by 2026-10-04
Princess package comparisonInterior, oceanview, and balcony crew appreciation
$18/person day
Interior, oceanview, and balcony staterooms; regional exceptions apply.
Retrieved 2026-09-10 · Recheck by 2026-12-09
Princess onboard experience FAQMini-suite, cabana, and Reserve Collection crew appreciation
$19/person day
Mini-suite, cabana, and Reserve Collection staterooms; regional exceptions apply.
Retrieved 2026-09-10 · Recheck by 2026-12-09
Princess onboard experience FAQSuite crew appreciation
$20/person day
Suites; regional exceptions apply.
Retrieved 2026-09-10 · Recheck by 2026-12-09
Princess onboard experience FAQStandard stateroom crew appreciation
$18/person day
Non-suite accommodations.
Retrieved 2026-09-10 · Recheck by 2026-12-09
Holland America crew appreciation FAQSuite crew appreciation
$20/person day
Suite accommodations.
Retrieved 2026-09-10 · Recheck by 2026-12-09
Holland America crew appreciation FAQCaribbean and Alaska standard daily hotel service charge
$17/person day
Caribbean/Alaska planning assumption only. MSC official pages blocked automated retrieval; verify the booking terms because other regions use different currencies and rates.
Retrieved 2026-09-04 · Recheck by 2026-10-04
MSC service-charge schedule (third-party corroboration)Caribbean and Alaska Yacht Club daily hotel service charge
$23/person day
Caribbean/Alaska Yacht Club planning assumption only; verify regional booking terms.
Retrieved 2026-09-04 · Recheck by 2026-10-04
MSC service-charge schedule (third-party corroboration)Standard stateroom recommended gratuity
$16/person day
Per night for every stateroom guest, including infants and children.
Retrieved 2026-09-10 · Recheck by 2026-12-09
Disney Cruise Line gratuities FAQConcierge stateroom and suite recommended gratuity
$27.25/person day
Per night for every guest in Concierge staterooms and suites.
Retrieved 2026-09-10 · Recheck by 2026-12-09
Disney Cruise Line gratuities FAQBottomless Bubbles soda package (adult)
$9.50/person day
Adult rate; children $6.95; a 20% service charge is added.
Retrieved 2026-09-10 · Recheck by 2026-12-09
Carnival CHEERS! and Bottomless Bubbles pageFree at Sea soda and juice package for guests aged 3-20
$12.50/person day
Charged per guest aged 3-20 in a Free at Sea stateroom instead of the adult open-bar gratuity; guests under 3 are free.
Retrieved 2026-09-10 · Recheck by 2026-12-09
NCL Free at Sea vs Free at Sea Plus comparison flyer (12/25)Concierge and AquaClass daily gratuity
$20.50/person day
Concierge Class and AquaClass staterooms; automatically applied daily.
Retrieved 2026-09-10 · Recheck by 2026-12-09
Celebrity Cruises gratuity program FAQPlus Beverage Package (beverage only)
$64.99/person day
Per person per day; 20% service charge applied on all itineraries except Australia.
Retrieved 2026-09-10 · Recheck by 2026-12-09
Princess Cruises beverage packagesPremier Beverage Package (beverage only)
$84.99/person day
Per person per day; 20% service charge applied on all itineraries except Australia.
Retrieved 2026-09-10 · Recheck by 2026-12-09
Princess Cruises beverage packagesZero-Alcohol Package
$29.99/person day
Per person per day; 20% service charge applied on all itineraries except Australia.
Retrieved 2026-09-10 · Recheck by 2026-12-09
Princess Cruises beverage packagesClassic Soda Package
$14.99/person day
Per person per day; 20% service charge applied on all itineraries except Australia.
Retrieved 2026-09-10 · Recheck by 2026-12-09
Princess Cruises beverage packagesQuench non-alcoholic beverage package
$17.95/person day
Starts-at price per person per day; 20% service charge is applied to beverage purchases.
Retrieved 2026-09-10 · Recheck by 2026-12-09
Holland America Line beverage packagesSignature Beverage Package
$55.95/person day
Drinks up to $11; per person per day; 20% service charge applied.
Retrieved 2026-09-10 · Recheck by 2026-12-09
Holland America Line beverage packagesElite Beverage Package
$60.95/person day
Drinks up to $15; per person per day; 20% service charge applied.
Retrieved 2026-09-10 · Recheck by 2026-12-09
Holland America Line beverage packagesHave It All package
$65/person day
Per person per day; includes Signature Beverage Package, Surf Wi-Fi, specialty dining, and shore excursion credit.
Retrieved 2026-09-10 · Recheck by 2026-12-09
Holland America Line beverage packagesBeverage service charge
$20/percent
Applied to beverage purchases, bar retail, specialty cover charges, and a la carte items; spa and salon carry 18%.
Retrieved 2026-09-10 · Recheck by 2026-12-09
Holland America Line crew appreciation FAQCurrent VoyageFair prepaid gratuity
$20/person day
Bookings made on or after October 7, 2025 when prepaid before sailing; rate is flat across cabin types.
Retrieved 2026-09-10 · Effective 2025-10-07 · Recheck by 2026-12-09
Virgin Voyages VoyageFair Choices FAQCurrent VoyageFair onboard gratuity
$22/person day
Bookings made on or after October 7, 2025 when charged onboard; rate is flat across cabin types.
Retrieved 2026-09-10 · Effective 2025-10-07 · Recheck by 2026-12-09
Virgin Voyages VoyageFair Choices FAQLegacy booking gratuity included in fare
$0/person day
Bookings made before October 7, 2025 under the prior fare structure; confirm the original booking confirmation.
Retrieved 2026-09-04 · Recheck by 2027-01-01
Virgin Voyages VoyageFair Choices announcementWhere the numbers come from
The calculator has nine categories. For each one, here’s the source, the update cadence, and where you can independently verify it.
Base fare
- What we pulled
- You enter one traveler's advertised fare. We multiply it by the guest count before adding party-level costs. If you leave it blank, the clearly labeled per-person market estimate is used.
- Update cadence
- Real-time — reflects whatever you paste in.
- How to verify
- Cross-check the fare on the cruise line's booking flow or a marketplace like CruiseDirect before trusting any total.
Gratuities
- What we pulled
- Cruise-line published daily rates with cabin, booking-date, payment-timing, age, and regional conditions kept separate. Suite rates apply when Suite is selected. Virgin's legacy/current cohorts are selected explicitly. MSC is labeled corroborated until its official page can be retrieved.
- Update cadence
- Reviewed quarterly and any time a cruise line announces a rate change.
- How to verify
- Search "[cruise line] daily gratuity" — every major line has a customer-service page listing the current rate.
Drink package
- What we pulled
- Official package or bundle prices where a stable public rate exists. Dynamic prices require the traveler to enter the current quote. Princess Plus/Premier are modeled as full bundles and their included gratuity and Wi-Fi are not counted twice.
- Update cadence
- High-volatility package facts are rechecked monthly; stable gratuity facts quarterly.
- How to verify
- The cruise line's "beverage package" page shows the current list price. Sale pricing is common; the calculator intentionally does not chase it.
WiFi
- What we pulled
- Cruise-line published pre-cruise and onboard rates when both are public. The calculator asks how many plans to budget and uses a traveler-entered quote when pricing varies by sailing. Unverified fixed amounts remain labeled as planning inputs.
- Update cadence
- Official paired prices are reviewed monthly; other planning inputs quarterly.
- How to verify
- Check the internet-plan page or cruise planner for your sailing, including the number of devices allowed at one time and the pre-purchase cutoff.
Specialty dining
- What we pulled
- Industry-average cover charge for a single adult specialty dinner, weighted across the major lines' mid-tier venues (steakhouse, Italian, hibachi). Used as a per-meal estimate, not a package.
- Update cadence
- Reviewed twice a year.
- How to verify
- Specialty venue cover charges are listed on each cruise line's dining page.
Shore excursions
- What we pulled
- Industry average for a single half-day shore excursion per port, per guest. This is a planning placeholder — your actual excursion price depends entirely on what you book.
- Update cadence
- Reviewed annually.
- How to verify
- For a real number, search your specific port on Viator or GetYourGuide and use the median listed price.
Travel insurance
- What we pulled
- Industry average for a standard cruise-travel policy for a 7-night Caribbean itinerary, adult traveler, mid-range trip cost. Typically 5–7% of the non-refundable trip cost.
- Update cadence
- Reviewed annually.
- How to verify
- Squaremouth and InsureMyTrip both publish aggregate cruise-insurance pricing; the cruise line's own policy is usually the most expensive option.
Port fees & taxes
- What we pulled
- Industry average for a 7-night Caribbean itinerary, per guest. Actual port fees are set by the cruise line at booking and vary meaningfully by region and itinerary.
- Update cadence
- Reviewed twice a year.
- How to verify
- Your booking confirmation lists exact port fees and taxes as a separate line item. Use that number once you have it.
Port parking
- What we pulled
- Industry average for on-port parking at major U.S. departure ports (Miami, Port Canaveral, Galveston, Seattle). Off-port lots are almost always cheaper.
- Update cadence
- Reviewed annually.
- How to verify
- Your departure port's authority website publishes current daily parking rates.
What the calculator assumes
The default numbers describe a typical mainstream cruise. If your trip differs meaningfully from these assumptions (solo traveler, suite, 14-night Europe, kids under 3), your real total will differ too.
- Two adult guests sharing a standard interior cabin.
- A typical 7-night Caribbean itinerary for any category tied to itinerary (port fees, excursions, insurance).
- The cabin gratuity tier follows the cabin selection; line-specific booking cohorts are kept separate.
- Mid-tier unlimited alcohol package, one per adult. Non-alcoholic packages cost less; premium tiers cost more.
- One WiFi plan by default. Increase the plan count only when multiple travelers need separate simultaneous access; some lines allow device switching on one plan.
- One specialty dinner per adult, per cruise.
- One half-day excursion per port, per guest.
- Standard cruise travel insurance — not "cancel for any reason."
- Driving to the port and parking on-site (not flying, not using off-port lots).
What’s not included
The calculator is deliberately scoped to the costs the cruise line controls. These come out of your pocket too, but they don’t belong in an apples-to-apples comparison between cruise lines.
- Air travel to and from your departure port
- Pre-cruise or post-cruise hotel nights
- Souvenirs, photos, and onboard shopping
- Casino, spa, and salon
- Tips to specific staff beyond the daily gratuity pool
- Rental cars and private transfers
- Passport or visa fees
- Childcare surcharges, specialty kids' programs
Two of these — pre-cruise hotels and medical evacuation — show up as “often forgotten” callouts on the results page because they’re the two most commonly underbudgeted. They aren’t rolled into the total.
Spot an error? Email us.
If a cruise line has changed a rate and we haven’t caught up, or an average looks wrong for your region, tell us. We fix it, update the “last verified” date, and credit the catch.
Get in touch