Trip Bacon β€” The secret ingredient to the perfect getaway logo

IS A CRUISE WORTH IT? 10 Hidden Costs of Going on a Cruise (extras & add-ons)

Life Well Cruised
Life Well Cruised
πŸ…Authority
πŸ‘οΈ 39K viewsπŸ“… 4 years ago⏱️ 10:14

Key Moments

Editorial Summary

The creator provides a detailed breakdown of ten potential hidden costs that travelers may encounter while cruising. She explains that initial online prices often exclude taxes and specific cabin upgrades. Beyond the base fare, she highlights several recurring expenses such as daily gratuities, which are expected by crew members, and automatic tips applied to bar bills. The video also covers corkage fees for bringing wine to dining rooms and the necessity of paying for excursions or transportation at various ports of call. Additional costs mentioned include specialty beverages, late-night childcare services for children in the kids club, and upcharges for specialty dining or specific premium items on the main dining room menu. The creator notes that even free perk promotions can incur gratuity charges based on the package value. Finally, she points out that access to private adult areas, thermal spa passes, and certain high-tech theme park style activities on ships may require extra fees. She concludes by noting that while many activities remain included, travelers should check for specific bells and whistles to avoid budget surprises.

Written by TripBacon from this video's transcript.

How This Review Compares

This review's score for Royal Caribbean Group
A Nibble
All-time creator consensus for Royal Caribbean Group
A Nibble

This review is in line with the all-time creator consensus.

What This Creator Said
Creator RecommendsTips & AdviceπŸ…Authority Creator
Veteran Cruiser

Source: Our analysis of the creator's lived experience, based on what they said in this video.

Creator's Key Takeaways

i love cruising i think it is a very good value however there are some things that are not included

the price that you see online on the cruise line website is the price looks very enticing and of course this is before you choose a cabin

daily gratuities are technically not obligatory on most cruise lines they are something that really is quite expected

free perks promotions with certain cruise lines you are going to be charged i believe it's at 20 gratuity on the value of the package

Creator's Tips & Advice

βœ“Budget for daily gratuities of about $15 per person per day
βœ“Be aware of automatic bar tips of 18-20% on your bill
βœ“Expect corkage fees of $15-20 per bottle if bringing wine to the dining room

πŸ†•New to Cruising? This Creator Addresses:

Unexpected extra fees and add-ons β€” Be aware of hidden costs like gratuities, corkage fees, and specialty dining upcharges to avoid budget surprises
Not knowing what's included vs. extra β€” Research what activities, drinks, and amenities are included on your specific cruise line before booking

Questions This Creator Answers

QWhat are the hidden costs of going on a cruise?
QWhat extras and add-ons can blow your cruise budget?
QWhat is not included on a cruise vacation?

Topics Covered

Value Pricing1Β½ Happy BaconKids Family2Β½ Happy Bacon

Port Highlights

Barbados1 Sad Bacon
Falmouth
How to read the Trip Bacon Score
Happy Bacon β€” creators loved this aspect
Sad Bacon β€” creators took issue with this
Meh β€” no strong opinion either way

Scale: 0–5 strips in half-step increments. 0 = β€œmeh”, 5 = β€œbacon bliss”. Aggregated from creator-review sentiment, weighted by channel expertise.

About our Bacon Score methodology

Video content sourced from the creator's original upload. Watch on YouTube