A cruise can offer a fantastic value holiday, especially when you compare it to a luxury resort on land which is often thought of as the closest type of getaway, but as anybody who has cruised before will know, there are lots of extras that can soon add up.

It really depends on the cruise line that you book with as to what is included in the base cost of your cruise as whilst some lines will offer an all-inclusive offering where you really don’t need to spend anything extra, some offer a budget style of cruising where you will find yourself constantly adding extras.

Depending on your preferences, that can often leave the budget cruise costing the same or more than the all-inclusive cruise despite the initial cost been far apart.

Some of the options listed below are required by cruise lines, some can actually save you money in the long run and some are a waste of money for most of us- but all of them will have a big say on total cost of your holiday and will need to be budgeted for.

This list covers the main extras that are offered by a wide variety of cruise lines but some cruise lines will include these in the cost of your holiday, so make sure you check before booking.

Our Top 10 Budget Busting Cruise Extras

Car Parking
This one depends on if you are setting sail from a port within driving distance and if you are able/willing to drive to the port, so whilst it is not necessarily an extra that you must pay, many cruisers will have to do and it is often the biggest extra cost.

If you do intend to park at your chosen port of departure, the costs will soon add three figures to your holiday cost but don’t forget, that even if you are flying to your departure port, you will also often need to pay to park at the airport.

Flights
If you are not starting your cruise at a nearby port and need to get to a cruise port abroad, don’t forget that you will have to add in the cost of your flights into your overall cruise cost.

For some ports in big cities with low cost flights, you may not have to pay too much for your actual flight but then by the time you have added in the cost of your luggage and a transfer from the airport to the port and any overnight stays and it quickly adds up.

Shore Excursions
There are many ports where you dock in the heart of your destination and you can simply stroll into town and see what you want to see and do what you want to do but even in these types of ports, sometimes you want to add an excursion to make your holiday that bit extra special.

On the other hand there are some ports that are industrial in nature or where you don’t actually dock near to the city the port is billed as, and for you to see the main attraction of the destination, you simply have to book onto an excursion.

That makes an excursion almost a must to enjoy your time onshore but these can get very expensive, very quickly and although you can save some money doing them on your own or by booking through a local company rather than via your cruise line, you will still need to budget for them.

Speciality Dining
One thing you can never say about a cruise ship is that you will go hungry on it. From the buffet to the main dining room and from fast food quick grabs by the pool to café’s, there is lots of choice when it comes to eating and most of those above are included in the cost of your holiday.

So why have we included this as an extra cost?

That is because most cruise ships will also have a number of speciality restaurants, from steak houses to teppanyaki and from burger bars to tex-mex, you can enjoy a more intimate restaurant dining experience on a cruise but at an extra cost which again can soon add up.

Alcohol and Speciality Drinks
It is possible to enjoy a cruise and never pay for a drink as you can get free drinks in the majority of buffets and main dining rooms and most ships will have help yourself tea, coffee, and juices but if you want anything else or a drink in bar/restaurant, you will have to pay.

Even in places like the buffet, if you want a speciality tea or coffee, a soda, or an alcoholic drink, it will come at a cost.

Sadly, the cost of drinks are often inflated and even if you only have 2-3 drinks a day whilst on your cruise, it can quickly add up into the hundreds by the end of your getaway but there is the option to pre-pay for drinks package before your holiday which means you know the exact cost before cruising and you can easily budget for drinks.

Tipping (Gratuities)
If you are new to cruising, you may think that the mention of tips (or gratuities as most cruise lines call it) is simply about paying a staff member for good service or for going out of their way to help.

In reality, gratuities are a requirement that must be paid (or made incredibly difficult not to pay) at a daily rate.

These can also be paid in advance for an upfront cost on most cruise lines so you know exactly how much to budget but you are looking at another 3 figure cost for most holidays.

Internet
It’s a part of modern day life that many of us simply cannot go a few hours without connecting to the interest and that is even the case when on holiday.

If you are on a port intensive cruise calling into larger ports where there are lots of options for free wi-fi places, you may be able to go without paying for the internet onboard your ship but for most cruises, you will have days at sea and won’t want to spend your time onshore hunting down the nearest coffee shop.

That means you will need to pay for an internet package on your ship and whilst the cost is coming down, it is still much higher than you would pay at home.

Onboard Activities
If you have seen an advert for a cruise line over the past few years, you will have noticed that the focus is on everything from go-karts to surfing wave pools and from rollercoasters to dodgems and there is a good reason for that.

All of those things are great fun and somehow seem extra special to do them whilst at sea but of course they all come at an extra cost.

Room Upgrades
If you have booked your cruise, paid for a drinks package and included your tips whilst still remaining within your budget, you may think that you are now home free and can look forward to saving some money for spending onshore on the odd gift or attraction but no- many cruise lines will give you the chance to big for a room upgrade in a type of blind auction.

Photos
From a quick snap standing next to the captain to a photo in front of a cut out backdrop, many people still like to have a ‘professional’ photograph taken to have a memento but with most of us never looking at the photo again after receiving it and with most of us having a high quality camera in our pockets, why not save some money and avoid the expensive of the bygone tradition?