Costs
Alaska Cruise Hidden Fees
Nothing on this list is genuinely hidden, but every item is routinely missed when travellers build a budget. Together they typically add 40 to 80 percent to the advertised cruise fare, and a handful of them, particularly the gratuity charged on promotional drinks packages, catch out even experienced cruisers.
The short answer
The charges most often missed are taxes and port fees at $150 to $350 per person, daily gratuities at $16 to $25 per person per day, the 18 to 20 percent gratuity on drinks packages including promotional ones, onboard cellular roaming charges, and medical centre fees. Together these commonly add 40 to 80 percent to the advertised fare.
Key points
- Taxes and port fees add $150 to $350 per person and are quoted separately.
- Daily gratuities add $16 to $25 per person per day, effectively mandatory.
- The gratuity on promotional drink packages is charged even when the package is free.
- Onboard cellular roaming can generate hundreds of dollars if data is left on at sea.
- Medical centre charges are private rates, billed immediately, and not covered by most domestic health plans.
None of these charges are concealed. They are all disclosed somewhere, usually in terms and conditions that nobody reads at the point of booking. The result is the same as if they were hidden: a final bill considerably larger than expected.
This is the complete list, ordered by how often it surprises people.
Every charge not included in the fare
| Charge | Typical amount | Avoidable? |
|---|---|---|
| Taxes, fees and port expenses | $150 to $350 per person | No |
| Daily gratuities | $16 to $25 per person per day | In theory, not in practice |
| Gratuity on drink packages | 18 to 20% of package value | Only by not buying a package |
| Gratuity on individual drinks | 18 to 20% | No |
| Specialty dining | $25 to $75 per person per meal | Yes |
| WiFi | $15 to $40 per device per day | Yes |
| Shore excursions | $45 to $950 per person | Partly |
| Onboard cellular roaming | Can reach hundreds | Yes, use airplane mode |
| Medical centre visit | $150 to $500 plus treatment | No |
| Laundry and pressing | $3 to $8 per item | Yes |
| Spa treatments | $120 to $300 plus 18 to 20% gratuity | Yes |
| Photographs | $20 to $30 per print, packages $150 plus | Yes |
| Room service delivery fee | $0 to $10 | Yes |
| Bottled water in cabin | $3 to $5 per bottle | Yes |
| Casino and bingo | Variable | Yes |
| Port parking | $20 to $45 per day | Partly |
| Airport transfers | $35 to $55 per person | Yes |
| Currency conversion on the account | 1 to 3% | Sometimes |
The five that catch people out most
- The gratuity on a free drinks package. When a line includes a beverage package as a promotion, the 18 to 20 percent gratuity on its value is usually still charged. For two people over seven nights that is $300 to $500 appearing for something advertised as free.
- Onboard cellular roaming. A phone left on data roaming connects to the ship's maritime cellular service at extremely high rates. Travellers routinely return to bills of several hundred dollars. Airplane mode with WiFi is the fix.
- Taxes and port expenses. Quoted separately from the fare and easy to overlook when comparing prices. At $150 to $350 per person they are a real number.
- Medical centre charges. Ship medical centres bill at private rates, payable immediately, and most domestic health plans do not reimburse. A routine consultation and seasickness injection can run $200 to $400.
- Automatic gratuities on everything discretionary. Not just drinks: spa, specialty dining and salon services all carry an automatic 18 to 20 percent, so a $200 massage costs $236 to $240.
What it adds up to
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Advertised balcony fare, two people | $3,400 |
| Taxes, fees and port expenses | $500 |
| Daily gratuities | $300 |
| Drinks package including gratuity | $1,100 |
| WiFi, two devices | $340 |
| Two specialty dinners for two | $220 |
| Excursions | $1,300 |
| Photographs and shop purchases | $220 |
| Spa treatment for one | $240 |
| Port transfers | $150 |
| Final total | $7,770 |
How to keep the final bill under control
- Set a daily onboard budget and check your account in the app every evening. Most overspending happens because nobody looks until the last night.
- Put the phone in airplane mode as you leave port and leave it there until you are alongside again.
- Decline the photographs at the point they are taken. It is easier than resisting the package on day six.
- Buy packages pre cruise if you will use them, since onboard pricing is higher.
- Read the promotion terms before assuming an included package costs nothing.
- Bring your own bottled water where the line permits it, and use the free water stations.
- Decide on the spa before you board. Embarkation day spa promotions are designed to catch people who have not.
Frequently asked questions
What are the hidden fees on an Alaska cruise?
The main ones are taxes and port expenses at $150 to $350 per person, daily gratuities at $16 to $25 per person per day, the 18 to 20 percent gratuity added to drinks and spa purchases, WiFi at $15 to $40 per device per day, specialty dining, shore excursions, and onboard cellular roaming charges. Together they commonly add 40 to 80 percent to the advertised fare.
Are port fees included in the cruise fare?
Usually not. Taxes, fees and port expenses are quoted separately and typically add $150 to $350 per person on an Alaska sailing. They are non negotiable and are charged even to passengers who never leave the ship. Always check whether a quoted fare includes them before comparing prices between lines.
Why am I charged gratuity on a free drinks package?
Because most lines apply the 18 to 20 percent service gratuity to the value of the package, even when the package itself is included as a promotion. For two people over seven nights this commonly comes to $300 to $500. It is disclosed in the promotion terms, and it is the single most common billing surprise in cruising.
How do I avoid huge phone bills on a cruise?
Put the phone in airplane mode as soon as you leave port and switch WiFi on separately. Once out of range of shore towers, phones connect to the ship's onboard cellular service, which bills at maritime roaming rates that can generate hundreds of dollars without you actively using the phone. In Alaska ports your normal United States plan works at no extra cost.
How much does the ship medical centre cost?
A consultation typically runs $150 to $500 before treatment, medication or tests, billed at private rates directly to your onboard account. Most domestic health plans do not reimburse shipboard care, and Medicare generally does not. This is one of the clearer arguments for a travel insurance policy with proper medical cover.
What percentage above the fare should I budget for extras?
Between 40 and 80 percent for most travellers, and more if you buy drink and WiFi packages and book excursions in every port. In a typical worked example, an advertised $3,400 fare for two becomes roughly $7,800 by the end of the trip. Budgeting the fare alone is the most common Alaska planning mistake.
Keep researching
A method for building the real number.
How the daily charge and package gratuities work.
Baseline fares before extras.
The complete cost pillar.