The answer to this question varies a lot by person, their travel habits, spending preferences, length of the cruise and destination. Many people suggest $100 per day, and this has generally worked well for me in my cruising experiences.
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In addition to security, it's also helpful to have cash as some places — such as smaller souvenir shops or taxi cabs — don't accept credit cards. Credit card usage simply isn't as widespread as it is in the United States.
Most veteran cruisers recommend that you budget between £75-£100 per day for other costs. You can cut back on spending and reduce your budget. However, you're probably going to need at least £50 a day. So, once you've booked your cruise, you'll want to set aside around £350-£700 for other costs.
According to data provided by the cruise industry (CLIA: Cruise Line Industry Association), the average cruise duration is seven days and the average cost is around $1700. Cruise lines charge between $800 and $8,000 for a 7-night Caribbean trip in a balcony stateroom.
Onboard Spending (~$90-$130 per day)We dove into detail about spending on a cruise ship before. Cruise lines also break down how much cruise passengers spend in their financial reports. On average across cruise lines, the amount comes out to between $90-130 per person, per day.
To help you plan, we suggest you limit your luggage to a maximum of one bag per person if you're travelling on a cruise of 3-5 nights, and to no more than two bags per person, for cruises of 6 days or longer.
A few cruise lines feature a limited number of cabins designated for single occupancy sparing the solo cruiser from having to pay double. While cruise lines advertise these single cabins as having no supplement, the single rate is usually slightly higher than the per-person rate of comparable double occupancy cabins.
All onboard purchases are paid for using your cruise card, which doubles as your room key. This card is set up before boarding and serves as your ID to get on and off the ship, provides you access to your cabin and makes for easy swiping when you decide you need a pina colada.
Onboard prices are in US dollars, with the exception of some Australian-based cruises where the onboard currency is in Australian dollars. Cunard – Transactions onboard the cruise ships are in US dollars, all of which are charged to your onboard account, which will be settled at the end of your holiday.
A cruise ship is a cashless societyAnd you can put these charges out of your mind until after the cruise is over. Almost anything you can imagine that costs extra is paid for with that onboard account. Things like drinks, items in the gift shops, and even haircuts are all charged to your room. No cash needed there.
Shorter Cruises Are Usually CheaperSimply having fewer days on the ship will mean lower cruise fares (although the price per day may not be any less than a longer cruise). As well, you'll spend less money on the ship if you aren't there as long.
Paying gratuities and tipping the staff aboard a cruise ship is not compulsory but is considered the right thing to do. Cruise Tipping is a gesture of goodwill to reflect your gratitude for the service provided and to say a big “Thank You” to the crew members.
If you plan to remove tips from your onboard bill, you will need to plan in advance to bring enough cash for personal tipping, then wait in a potentially long line at the guest services desk to remove the auto-gratuities and chase down all the crew members you wish to thank on the last evening.
Cruise lines also break down how much cruise passengers spend in their financial reports. On average across cruise lines, the amount comes out to between $90-130 per person, per day. Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean Group saw an average around $90-100 per person, per day in 2022.
A few cruise lines feature a limited number of cabins designated for single occupancy sparing the solo cruiser from having to pay double. While cruise lines advertise these single cabins as having no supplement, the single rate is usually slightly higher than the per-person rate of comparable double occupancy cabins.
Tip: Unlike hotel prices, cruise fares are listed per person, not per cabin, with rates based on two people occupying a stateroom. Cruise lines offer single travelers the opportunity to book a double cabin for themselves by charging a “single supplement,” which is basically 1½ or 2 times the list price for one person.
Casual Looks: Pack at least 4 pairs of shorts, 5 – 7 t-shirts, 3 pairs of pants, 3 skirts, and a couple of day dresses. Dinner Attire: Bring enough smart-casual looks for 7 nights.
The best news about packing is that there is no (reasonable) limit on how much you can bring on a cruise. Most cruise lines “encourage” or “suggest” each passenger to limit luggage to two suitcases, each one less than 50 pounds. In addition, you can also bring carry-on luggage (more on that in a moment).
This can be tricky as there are a lot of variables, but as a general rule of thumb, we recommend the following: For a 10-day (or more) vacation: bring 4 to 5 swimsuits. For a 7-day vacation: bring 3 to 4 swimsuits. For a 5-day vacation: bring 2 to 3 swimsuits.