When you board a cruise ship you are tempted at every corner to open up your wallet. Whether it’s drinks… or excursions… or souvenirs… or specialty restaurants… there is no shortage of places for you to spend.

You can get by without spending a dime onboard, however. The basics of what you need for your vacation are included in your cruise fare. When you pay for your fare, you get your room, as well as food at the ship’s free restaurants and basic beverages like tea and water. Meanwhile, most entertainment on the ship is also free.

It’s when you want to experience the extras that you’ll start to spend more. For instance, if you want a soda with your meal or a cocktail by the pool, those are extra. Cruise lines are also trending toward more specialty restaurants — eateries that cost extra, but serve different types of food than what’s found in the dining room. As well, those excursions on short are additional costs. And if you want to do shopping on board, then you’ll of course spend more money. Here’s a list of the things that are normally extra money on the ship…

Extras on a Cruise Ship

• Alcohol
• Non-alcoholic drinks (soda, etc.)
• Casino gambling
• Shore excursions
• Shopping
• Photo sales
• Internet/wi-fi
• Spa treatments
• Specialty restaurants
• Art sales
• Laundry services

Bottom line: If you’re a frugal cruiser then yes, you can sail without any additional spending. Most people, however, spend more once on the cruise ship.