How Much Spending Money to Bring on a Cruise
"How much money will we spend?" has a real answer once you split it into the three budgets the brochure blends together.
Budget one: already committed
Gratuities run about $18–25 per person per day and land automatically unless prepaid. A couple on a 7-night sailing should treat roughly $300 as spent the moment they board — or prepay it and forget it.
Budget two: the daily extras
The honest ranges per couple, per day:
- Light spenders (coffee included in fare, wine with dinner only): $40–75
- Middle of the ship (cocktails, one lunch ashore, some wifi): $75–150
- Package people: drink and wifi bundles convert this budget to a fixed cost — worth it only past 5–6 drinks a day each
Budget three: the ports
The forgotten line. Excursions run $60–250+ per person per port; independent lunches, taxis and souvenirs add more. Three toured ports can outcost a week of bar tabs. Decide the port budget before sailing, book the big excursions early, and walk the ports that reward walking for free.
Cash itself
Bring modest cash for ashore — US dollars travel well in cruise ports — and let the ship's cashless account handle everything aboard. Watch the account mid-cruise on the app; surprises compound quietly.
Want this priced up properly? Speak to a licensed cruise consultant — same price as booking direct, plus perks like onboard credit and prepaid gratuities the websites don't show. No fee, no obligation. You can get a quote or book online.
Get a quote or book online →Shrinking all three budgets at once
Onboard credit attached to a well-booked fare pays gratuities or funds excursions; prepaid-gratuity promotions delete budget one entirely. Those extras exist on many sailings at the same fare you'd pay without them — the difference is purely whether anyone checked before booking.
Want this priced up properly? Speak to a licensed cruise consultant — same price as booking direct, plus perks like onboard credit and prepaid gratuities the websites don't show. No fee, no obligation. You can get a quote or book online.
Get a quote or book online →Frequently asked questions
Do you need cash on a cruise ship?
Almost none — ships are cashless, charging everything to your cabin account. Carry modest cash for port vendors, small tips and taxis ashore; US dollars work in most cruise ports.
What is included in the cruise fare?
Accommodation, main dining and buffets, entertainment, pools and kids clubs come standard; gratuities, alcohol, specialty coffee, wifi, specialty restaurants, spa and excursions bill separately on most mainstream lines.
More questions you might have
- Bringing Your Own Snacks and Food Onboard a CruiseWhat's genuinely allowed in your carry-on or luggage — and the practical reasons some cruisers pack their own snacks anyway.
- Cruise Ship Medical Care: What's On Board and What It CostsWhat happens if you get sick or hurt at sea — the onboard clinic's real capabilities, typical costs.
- Cruising While Pregnant: The Rules by Cruise LineMost lines have a firm gestational cutoff — the typical rule, why it exists, and what documentation to bring regardless of how far along you are.
- How to Pick Your First Cruise Cabin Without OverpayingDeck position beats deck height, the noise map nobody shows you, and when the cheap inside cabin is genuinely the smart buy.
- Vancouver Cruise Terminal Parking: Costs and AlternativesTerminal rates, the off-site lots that halve the bill, and the hotel trick that makes parking nearly free for a week.
- What Is Cruise Price Protection and How to Ask For ItThe informal practice that lets you capture a later price drop — what to actually say, and the window in which it works.
Booking essentials: Is It Cheaper to Book a Cruise Through a Travel Agent · What Are Expedia Extras on a Cruise Booking · Onboard Credit Explained and How to Get More