Budget $100–$150/person/day in onboard spending on Royal Caribbean beyond your cruise fare — covering gratuities ($18.50/day), drinks, WiFi, and the occasional specialty dinner. Pre-purchase packages before you sail to cut that number significantly.
Photo: Royal Caribbean International
Most first-time Royal Caribbean cruisers get blindsided by the gap between what they paid for the cruise and what they actually spend onboard. The ship is not all-inclusive — and if you walk on without a plan, the SeaPass card will quietly rack up a bill that rivals your original fare.
How Much Should You Actually Budget Per Person Per Day?
Here's the honest breakdown by spending style. These figures are per person, per day and cover the most common onboard expenses beyond your cruise fare.
| Expense | Budget Traveler | Mid-Range Traveler | Splurger |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gratuities | $18.50 | $18.50 | $21.00 (suite) |
| Drinks | $15 (pay-as-you-go, light drinker) | $80 (Deluxe Beverage Package, pre-cruise) | $100–$120 (package, onboard price) |
| WiFi | $0 (disconnect!) | $20 (VOOM Surf) | $30 (VOOM Surf + Stream) |
| Specialty Dining | $0 (MDR only) | $10–$15 (1–2 meals spread across trip) | $25–$35 (every other night) |
| Shore Excursions | $30–$50 | $75–$120 | $150–$300+ |
| Miscellaneous (spa, casino, shopping, tips) | $10 | $25 | $75+ |
| Daily Total (est.) | ~$74–$94 | ~$228–$268 | $400+ |
For a 7-night sailing, that's roughly $520–$660 for budget, $1,600–$1,875 for mid-range, and $2,800+ for full splurge mode — per person.
Photo: Royal Caribbean International
The Key Costs That Eat Your Budget
Gratuities are non-negotiable (practically speaking). Royal Caribbean charges $18.50/person/day for standard cabins and $21.00/person/day for suites. That's automatically added to your SeaPass account daily. You can adjust them at Guest Services before you disembark, but the crew depends on this — don't skip it. On a 7-night trip for two, that's $259 before you've ordered a single drink.
The Deluxe Beverage Package is the biggest variable. At a typical pre-cruise price of ~$80/person/day via the Cruise Planner (it ranges $56–$120 depending on sailing and demand), it's a major commitment. The math only works in your favor if you're drinking 5–6 beverages per day — cocktails, specialty coffees, bottled water, and wine by the glass all count. Royal Caribbean has a $14 drink cap — anything above that costs you the difference plus 18% gratuity even with the package. Note: the 18% gratuity is already included in the package price, so no surprise service charge at each bar. Flash sales happen frequently — watch your Cruise Planner in the weeks before sailing.
Individual drink prices (before 18% gratuity) run:
- Beer: $7.50–$9.00
- Well cocktail: $11.50
- Signature cocktail: $13.50
- Premium/top-shelf cocktail: $13–$20 (exceeds the $14 package cap)
- Specialty coffee: ~$6
- Bottled water: ~$4
WiFi isn't free. Royal Caribbean runs Starlink fleet-wide, which is actually decent now. VOOM Surf (browsing/social) runs ~$20/day pre-cruise. VOOM Surf + Stream (Netflix, video calls) is ~$30/day. If two people share a cabin and both want connectivity, budget accordingly — each person needs their own login.
Specialty dining adds up fast. Cover charges run $30–$55/person at most venues. Chops Grille is ~$45, Izumi Hibachi/Teppanyaki is ~$55, Chef's Table hits ~$95. Dining packages lock in savings of 25–47% versus paying à la carte. A no-show fee of $25–$50 applies if you book and bail — put it in your calendar.
Photo: Royal Caribbean International
Practical Tips to Spend Less Without Suffering
1. Buy drink packages before you board. The Cruise Planner often has the Deluxe Beverage Package at $56–$80/day — buying onboard typically pushes you to the $100–$120 range. Set a price alert and check back weekly; sales drop unpredictably.
2. Be honest about your drinking habits before committing. If you drink 2–3 cocktails a day, the package doesn't pay off. Run the numbers: (number of daily drinks × average drink price × 1.18 gratuity) vs. package cost. If pay-as-you-go wins, skip it.
3. Use the Royal Caribbean app for everything free. MDR reservations, activity bookings, daily schedule, and ship navigation are all in-app and don't require a WiFi package — they run on the ship's local network.
4. The Windjammer (buffet) is free and legitimately good. You do not need to pay for specialty dining. The Main Dining Room (MDR) is also included and offers a proper sit-down dinner nightly. Specialty dining is a treat, not a necessity.
5. Buy shore excursions independently for port-heavy itineraries. Royal Caribbean's excursion prices are inflated. Local operators at most Caribbean ports charge 30–50% less. The only exception: if your ship is tender-only or the excursion requires back-on-ship guarantees, the cruise line excursion is worth the premium.
6. Set a daily spending limit in the app. You can monitor your SeaPass balance in real time. It won't stop you from spending, but it removes the shock at disembarkation.
7. Pre-pay gratuities when booking. Many travel agents and booking platforms let you prepay gratuities at checkout. It removes a big line item from your onboard bill and helps you mentally budget the rest.
Quick Reference: 7-Night Royal Caribbean Trip for Two
| Scenario | Gratuities | Drinks | WiFi | Specialty Dining | Total Add-On Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget (no frills) | $259 | $200 (light, pay-as-you-go) | $0 | $0 | ~$459 |
| Mid-Range (packages pre-purchased) | $259 | $1,120 (DBP @ $80/day) | $280 (Surf, both) | $180 (2 dinners each) | ~$1,839 |
| Full Send (onboard prices, suite) | $294 | $1,680 (DBP @ $120/day) | $420 (Stream, both) | $500+ | ~$2,894+ |
These numbers are before shore excursions, casino, spa, or shopping — all of which are notorious budget-killers on sea days.
The bottom line: know your number before you board. The travelers who feel ripped off by Royal Caribbean are almost always the ones who didn't plan their onboard spending ahead of time. The ones who feel like they got value are the ones who bought packages on sale, skipped the casino, and ate at the MDR most nights.
Use CruiseMutiny to model your exact trip cost — plug in your sailing length, drinking habits, and WiFi needs and get a real number before your SeaPass card knows what hit it.