From the less than stellar environmental impact of many ships to some seriously shady business practises and from miss-selling holidays to brawls on booze cruisers, there are several issues that the cruise industry needs to address but one that is totally of their own making and seemingly one that is going to continue, are hidden costs.

Now these are quite different from extra costs, such as speciality dining and internet costs, as these are things that whilst nice to have, they are not a requirement to be able to cruise as you would expect to.

In this list, we take a look at those costs that you really would expect to be included but simply aren’t and of course, it changes from one cruise line to the next as to what is included and what isn’t, so make sure you check before you travel.

These are all things we believe you should take into consideration, but they are in no particular order of rank.

Our Top 10 Hidden Costs Of Cruising To Watch Out For

Gratuities

For the majority of cruise lines, this is certainly a cost but it’s not particularly hidden as you often have to agree to pay it and actually make the payment separately from your booking.

Sometimes, they are included in ‘packages’ where tips, drinks and other add-ons are wrapped up into one cost- so again, its not hidden but what we are taking into account for this list and why it ranked so high is for the growing number of lines that imply that you don’t need to pay gratuities.

Some outright say that no gratuities are needed whilst some imply tips included as a bonus or special offer but of course, whilst they make it seem like you are saving the often-extra cost of tips, you are just paying them as part of your cruise fare.

For me, that’s actually a better way to do it, but with lines not been open about it, it is the number 1 hidden cost you need to watch out for.

Transportation

When I first started cruising, I visited smaller ports where you dock, get off of the ship and walk into your destination to explore for the day and those are the types of ports that I still prefer to visit to this day.

It took a few cruises before I needed to jump on a shuttle bus to a port gate and that fine, in fact it can be beneficial sometimes and then I visited Haugesund in Norway, where you get a free shuttle bus from the cruise port to the city centre- again really useful.

It was then that I took my first cruise to Mediterranean with NCL and whilst I knew from talking to other cruisers that shuttle buses would be needed in most ports, a couple of things really shocked me.

Firstly, if free buses to the port gate were put on, you would still most likely be dropped off a couple of miles or so from the city centre and if you wanted a shuttle bus to take you on the 5-10 journey to the centre, it would cost $25 per person in most ports!

That wasn’t mentioned until onboard, so if you sailing as a family, the cost of your holiday could easily go up over a hundred dollars per port and sadly if you have mobility issues, you are getting ripped-off, just to have the holiday as advertised.

Photographs

There is something about cruising and having a portrait style photo that just goes together and there will be few new to the industry who will expect that to be included in the cost of your getaway- so why is it a hidden cost?

Well, what many cruises lines will need you to do is buy a photo package, so whilst most will simply want a single photo, probably on a formal night to act as a reminder of the great times enjoyed onboard, the chances are you will have the hidden and extra costs of a package and getting more photos you don’t want and that just end up in a draw when you get home.

Cabin Minibar

For the majority of cruise lines, it is made clear that if you want an alcoholic beverage or a soda you need to pay for it- so that’s fine but where it does become a little more sneaky and hidden, is when you spend a lot of money for a drinks package.

If you are new to cruising, you will likely think that by buying the package, you have paid for your drinks so just because they are in a small fridge in your room, what different does it make.

Well, it makes a big difference and could cost you a small fortune before you realise it.

Medical Services

This is hopefully a hidden cost you never need to face but it does happen, and it can get expensive quick.

It will be no surprise that major things that happen to you come at a cost, so at the extreme end you need a medevac from the ship, expect a bill in the thousands but that wouldn’t be a shock and that’s why anybody with common sense buy travel insurance.

What maybe a bit more surprising is a bill for something as small as a plaster or a paracetamol, which will likely cost more than a few packs in the supermarket.

I learnt a lot the hard way when I got injured on a cruise holiday and needed some help from the onboard nurse and to ‘hire’ some crutches.

Currency Exchange

If you need to change money onboard, well it’s probably advisable to say don’t, but if you do, be prepared to pay for it.

To the credit of most lines, they will be upfront about the amount of ‘commission’ you will pay on the transactions and that fair enough, but what I have noticed on a couple of lines, is that the ATM’s onboard where you can get currency from says commission free but then you see the exchange rate and you see the vast cost that is hidden behind that statement.

Either wait until you get to into your next port, sort out your currency before traveling or best of all get a travel money card- they really do make it all so simple.

Visa Fees

For this one, there are two sperate issues for me and from my experience, lines will try to cause confusion and market the solution to the problem they have create but at a cost- of course.

If you are travelling long haul, the chances are that you will need a visa and its to be expected nowadays, with even shorter journeys now needing them for many cruisers.

As I know from personal experience, it can be a bit of a minefield as to what type of travel visa you need as some are only for land crossings, some for arriving by air and some for arriving by sea.

Then you have some that are single entry, some that are multiple entry and some that are given on entry and some that need to be sorted before boarding your ship.

So with all that to think about, a simple email from the cruise line telling you what you will need, they will likely have visited the port/country multiple times a year after all and they often have to collect the visa from you during boarding, so they know what they need from you.

Instead of making it simple and telling you what you need or even showing you where the details can be found officially, most lines I have sailed with give you incredibly vague information that makes what is already a complicated task even more complicated but then they give you the solution of using a company to sort the visa for you- at a huge cost of course.

For something so important, it’s almost using fear inducing tactics to profit and just doesn’t fit right with me and from seeing the anger at the terminal this can cause, it a huge slight on the industry as a whole.

In-Cabin Movies

I’ll be honest and say that this isn’t a big problem for me as I use my cabin pretty much solely for washing, changing clothes and sleeping but I know that plenty do like to stay in their cabins, especially on sea days.

If the sea is a bit rough or the weathers not great for sitting out on your balcony, what could be better that snuggling up in bed and watching a movie?

Well, the great news is that most lines will offer movies on demand on your staterooms tv but sadly a few will have a charge to watch them.

Where it becomes somewhat hidden is that the sneakier lines will have a range of free to watch movies and pay to watch movies, with the difference not always that easy to tell until its to late and the charge is made to your onboard account.

Arcade

If you are sailing with kids the chances are that they will want to head to the noise and flashy lights of the arcade and go on some of the machines and even if you didn’t know before hand, it will soon become clear that each machine comes at a cost.

That’s not particularly hidden, but where it often is hidden is when things such as pool tables, foosball tables etc are found around the ship outside of the arcade, normally in a sports bar or similar.

There it often isn’t as clear and what may seem like the perfect set up for a great night become expensive really quick.

Gym Classes

It’s well known that the majority of cruise ships have a gym on them and aside form a few rare occasions they are included in the cost of your cruise.

What often is hidden in the salle print however is that some of the things in the gym are pay extra including gym classes and group sessions.