The average cruiser spends $100–$150 per person per day beyond their cruise fare — covering drinks, gratuities, specialty dining, excursions, and incidentals. Budget travelers can keep it under $75/day; big spenders routinely hit $250+/day.
Photo: MSC Cruises
Most people book a cruise thinking the hard part — the spending — is done. It isn't. The cruise fare is just the entry ticket. What you actually spend onboard and in port is a whole separate budget, and it catches a shocking number of travelers off guard at final disembarkation.
The Real Numbers: Average Daily Cruise Spending in 2025
Based on current cruise market data, here's what cruisers actually spend per person per day beyond the base fare:
| Category | Budget Cruiser | Mid-Range Cruiser | Splurge Cruiser |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gratuities | $16–$18 | $18–$20 | $20–$25 |
| Beverages (out-of-pocket) | $10–$20 | $30–$50 | $75–$95 (package) |
| Specialty Dining | $0 | $15–$30 | $40–$80 |
| Shore Excursions (avg/day) | $20–$40 | $50–$100 | $100–$200 |
| Spa & Fitness | $0 | $10–$25 | $50–$150 |
| Shopping & Souvenirs | $5–$15 | $20–$50 | $75–$200 |
| Casino & Entertainment | $0 | $10–$30 | $50–$150 |
| Incidentals (WiFi, photos, etc.) | $5–$15 | $15–$35 | $30–$60 |
| Daily Total (per person) | $56–$108 | $168–$340 | $440–$960 |
The industry-wide average lands right around $100–$150 per person per day. On a 7-night sailing for two, that's $1,400–$2,100 in onboard/port spending on top of your fare. Yes, every time.
Photo: Carnival Cruise Line
The Key Factors That Drive Your Daily Spend
1. The Beverage Package Decision This is the single biggest swing factor in your daily budget. Royal Caribbean's Deluxe Beverage Package runs $89–$109/person/day in 2025. Norwegian's Premium Plus Package is $109–$129/person/day. Carnival's CHEERS! program is $72–$95/person/day. If you drink moderately (4–6 drinks/day), you'll roughly break even. If you drink less, skip it — you're subsidizing other passengers.
2. Gratuities Are Non-Negotiable (Practically Speaking) Every major cruise line auto-charges daily gratuities: $16–$20/person/day on mainstream lines, up to $25/person/day on premium lines. On a 7-night cruise for two, that's $224–$350 you need to budget regardless. Some lines like Virgin Voyages and MSC include gratuities in certain fares — always check before booking.
3. Shore Excursions Are the Wildcard This is where budgets blow up. Cruise line-sold excursions average $80–$150/person per port. Book independently and you can often do the same tour for $30–$70/person. On a 7-day Caribbean itinerary with 4 port days, that difference adds up to $200–$480 per person.
4. The Ship and Cruise Line Matter Mainstream lines (Carnival, MSC) skew toward lower onboard spending averages — around $80–$120/person/day. Premium lines (Celebrity, Princess) average $130–$180/person/day because passengers tend to indulge more. Ultra-luxury lines (Seabourn, Silversea) often include nearly everything, so the out-of-pocket daily spend is lower despite the higher base fare.
5. Itinerary Length Affects Daily Rate Shorter sailings (3–4 nights) often see higher daily spending because passengers are in "vacation mode" with less time to pace themselves. Longer sailings (14+ nights) tend to normalize around $90–$120/person/day as people settle into routines.
Photo: MSC Cruises
How to Control Your Daily Spend Without Ruining the Trip
Pre-purchase packages before sailing. Beverage packages, specialty dining packages, and shore excursion bundles are almost always cheaper when bought pre-cruise online than purchased onboard. Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Carnival all offer meaningful discounts — typically 15–25% off — when you pre-purchase.
Set a daily onboard credit card limit. Most cruise apps (Royal Caribbean's app, Carnival Hub) let you monitor your onboard account in real time. Check it every morning. The psychological impact of seeing the running total is real and effective.
Skip the cruise line's shore excursions. In mainstream Caribbean ports (Cozumel, Nassau, St. Thomas), independent operators offer comparable tours at 40–60% less. Stick with cruise-line excursions only when the ship won't wait — remote Alaska ports, for example.
Drink smarter, not harder. If you're buying drinks à la carte, stick to beer and well cocktails ($8–$12 each) versus premium cocktails and wine by the glass ($14–$22 each). Or bring a bottle of wine onboard — most lines allow 1–2 bottles per stateroom at embarkation.
Eat in the main dining room. It's included. Specialty restaurants charge $25–$60/person as a cover or per-entree. They're often good — but not every night good.
Buy the Wi-Fi package for one device and share login credentials. Many lines allow you to log out and back in across devices on a single-device plan. It's not officially encouraged, but it works.
Spending Benchmarks by Cruise Line (2025)
| Cruise Line | Avg. Daily Onboard Spend (per person) | Gratuities Included? | Drinks Included? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carnival | $85–$115 | No ($16/day) | No |
| Royal Caribbean | $100–$140 | No ($18/day) | No |
| Norwegian | $110–$150 | Sometimes (Free at Sea) | Sometimes (Free at Sea) |
| Celebrity | $120–$170 | Yes (most fares) | Yes (most fares) |
| MSC | $75–$110 | No ($14–$16/day) | No |
| Princess | $115–$155 | Yes (Plus/Premier fare) | Yes (Plus/Premier fare) |
| Disney | $130–$180 | No ($15–$18/day) | No |
| Virgin Voyages | $90–$130 | Yes | No (bar tab add-on available) |
| Holland America | $110–$150 | No ($17–$19/day) | No |
Note that lines like Celebrity and Princess have moved aggressively toward bundled fares that include gratuities, Wi-Fi, and drinks — which makes their headline daily spend look higher but the actual out-of-pocket math often works out favorably for moderate-to-heavy drinkers.
Want to run the actual numbers for your specific sailing, ports, and drinking habits before you book? Use CruiseMutiny to build a complete cost estimate — fare plus all the extras — so you know exactly what you're signing up for before the ship leaves port.