Becoming the victim of these costly cruise scams can sink your entire budget.
Picture this: you’ve spent months saving for your dream cruise vacation, only to be hit with overpriced fees and expenses once you’ve boarded.
Beware of falling prey to these common cruise ripoffs:
Fitness Classes
Many cruise lines will encourage you to pay for fitness classes during your trip to combat the indulgent food and drinks. Sometimes, you’ll get lucky and find workouts for free—Princess Cruises, for instance, has complementary stretching and core sessions.
However, other companies, like Carnival Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean International, only offer paid, instructor-led workouts. According to Cruiseline.com, guided fitness classes on cruises can cost anywhere from $10 to $115.
Shore Excursions
Before reserving a helicopter ride for your upcoming Alaskan cruise or a walking tour of a Florida port city, check if you can score a better deal by booking outside the cruise company. Cruise lines usually overcharge for the same activities available through independent companies. The Ascent, for instance, notes buying a waterpark pass through a cruise to the Bahamas is about $19 more expensive than purchasing directly through the resort.
Beauty Treatments
Thinking of splurging on a massage, facial, or manicure during your cruise? Once you see the prices, you might reconsider.
You’ll pay a premium for onboard beauty treatments. For example, Thervo estimates the average Swedish massage costs $60 per hour. On a Royal Caribbean cruise, you’ll pay $139 for a 50-minute session—more than double the price on land.
Art Auctions
Some cruise lines, including Norwegian, Carnival, and Royal Caribbean, host art auctions at sea. Dressing up, sipping champagne, and enjoying the fast-paced auction atmosphere during your luxury cruise sounds appealing.
However, be wary of getting suckered into purchasing an art piece. Condé Nast Traveler reports that some cruise passengers fall victim to overinflated prices or forged pieces.
Individual Alcoholic Drinks
If you plan to enjoy several cocktails or glasses of wine daily on your cruise, purchasing a drink package may be worth it. According to The Points Guy, most alcoholic drinks served on cruises cost between $10 and $15, which quickly adds up.
Do the math before your cruise to determine what makes the most sense for your vacation. Carnival, for instance, offers a drink package for $60, which pays for itself if you order four or more drinks daily. Some packages also cover non-alcoholic beverages like coffee, soda, and juice, giving you better value for your money.
Laundry
Pack plenty of cruise outfits so you don’t have to waste money on cruise laundry services. You could pay outrageous prices to do laundry on your cruise, especially if you get your clothes washed and pressed.
Carnival Cruise Line charges $5 per shirt for this service, which is less than ideal if you need multiple items cleaned. Even if you do your laundry yourself, you’ll likely pay at least $7 or more to wash and dry one load—not to mention the inconvenience of taking time away from your vacation.
Duty-Free Shops
While you may think you’re getting a great deal at the cruise ship’s duty-free stores, you might be overpaying without realizing it. Cruise Critic warns against buying items like bottles of alcohol and kids’ toys while onboard. Not only are they a hassle to travel with, but they’re frequently overpriced compared to what you can find locally on land.
Casinos
Gambling in a cruise ship casino can be tempting, but you probably won’t get lucky. According to Forbes, you’re less likely to win big at sea than on land. There are fewer regulations for cruise ship casinos, making it easier for them to favor the house over the players.
Professional Photos
A photography package is likely a waste of money unless you plan to purchase ten or more professional photos from your cruise. Many cruise lines offer photo packages to remember your vacation, but you’re usually better off snapping pictures with your camera or phone.
These offers can be incredibly costly—Disney Cruise Line charges around $350 for a digital package (with no prints included). Meanwhile, a package of 48 digital and two printed photos costs a staggering $450 through Norwegian Cruise Line.
On-Demand Movies
Renting on-demand movies during your cruise is a big scam. While ending your night with a movie may sound fun, it will usually cost you an absurd amount.
One commenter on a Cruise Critic forum complained about the limited selection and $12 per movie rental fee on their Royal Caribbean International cruise. If you’ve purchased an onboard Internet package, you can try streaming free movies on a personal device instead.
Toiletries
Forgetting to pack your toothbrush or deodorant is annoying, but it’s no big deal when you can buy toiletries onboard, right? Think again—since cruises know your options are limited, they can get away with significantly overcharging for everyday essentials. Double-check your luggage before setting sail so you don’t have to shell out big bucks at the onboard shops.
ATM Fees
Most cruise lines impose exorbitant ATM fees at sea. Carnival’s withdrawal cost, for instance, is $6.50 per transaction on top of what your bank charges—if you only need to pull out $20, that amounts to an over 32% fee. You can avoid these charges by bringing cash or withdrawing from a trusted bank in a port city.
Bottled Water
Cruise Radio reports that Carnival has raised its bottled water prices by over 200% since 2022. Two years ago, a 12-pack of 16.9-ounce bottles cost $4.95—today, you’ll pay $14.95. To save money on your next cruise, bring a reusable water bottle and refill it in your room or at the dining buffets.
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Elise Armitage is an entrepreneur and founder of What The Fab, a travel + lifestyle blog based in California. At the beginning of 2019, Elise left her corporate job at Google to chase her dreams: being an entrepreneur and helping women find fabulous in the everyday. Since then, she’s launched her SEO course Six-Figure SEO, where she teaches bloggers how to create a passive revenue stream from their website using SEO. Featured in publications like Forbes, Elle, HerMoney, and Real Simple, Elise is a firm believer that you can be of both substance and style.
