Cruise Budget Calculator
The fare is only part of it. Add the rest of your own figures and see what the whole trip costs, per person and per night.
Have an Advisor Fill It InWork Out Your Trip Total
This cruise budget calculator adds up the twelve categories that make up most cruise holidays. It does not guess at prices, because they vary too much by line, ship, date and taste; you enter your own numbers from quotes, the cruise line’s website and your own plans. Leave any category at zero if it is included in your fare or you will not use it.
Trip total: 0 · Per person: 0 · Per night: 0 · Fare share of total:
Enter totals for the whole party in your own currency. Nothing is stored or sent anywhere; the sums happen in your browser.
Reading the Results
- Trip total is the number to set your budget against.
- Per person helps when friends or relatives split costs.
- Per night is the fairest way to compare cruises of different lengths.
- Fare share shows how much of the spend is the cruise itself. A low share means the extras are driving the cost, which is where savings usually hide.
Where to Find Each Figure
| Category | Best source |
|---|---|
| Fare, taxes and port fees | Your written quote |
| Gratuities, drinks, Wi-Fi, dining | The cruise line’s own pages for your ship |
| Shore excursions | The tours you would really book; see Shore Activities |
| Flights and hotels | Searches for your dates; tips at Cruise Airfare |
| Parking and transfers | Port and hotel options at Free Cruise Parking |
| Insurance | Quotes for your trip and ages |
For a detailed list of spending categories and when each comes due, see Cruise Vacation Planners. To compare several sailings at once, copy these figures into the cruise planning spreadsheet.
Common Budget Blind Spots
When people say a cruise cost more than they expected, the surprise usually comes from the same few places. Run through these before you trust your total.
- Gratuities added to the onboard account each day, unless your fare includes them.
- Service charges added to drinks and some dining.
- Getting to the port: fuel, tolls, parking or a rideshare each way.
- Meals and a hotel the night before, if you fly in.
- Tours booked independently that need local cash for entry fees or tips.
- Photos, spa treatments and souvenirs bought on impulse.
None of this is a reason not to cruise; it is a reason to put a line for it in the calculator.
Run the calculator again after final payment with real figures. Comparing it with your first estimate shows where your planning was accurate and where the next trip’s budget needs more room.
Setting a Daily Spending Allowance
Once the fixed costs are in, decide a daily allowance for onboard spending and stick to it by checking the onboard account in the line’s app or at guest services every couple of days. It is easier to adjust midway than to be surprised at the end.
Check Your Budget With an Advisor
Send your totals and a Mister Cruise advisor will check what your fare includes and where you might save.
Check My Budget