Cruise Ship Cost: Prices, Fees & Ways to Save

People who search for the cost of a cruise ship usually mean one of two things. Some want to know what a ticket costs per person. Others want to know what a cruise line pays to build a ship. The two numbers sit several orders of magnitude apart, so this page keeps them in separate sections: passenger fares first, then ship construction.

A cruise fare covers your cabin, most meals, and basic entertainment. It leaves out taxes and port fees in many advertised prices, daily gratuities, drinks, specialty dining, and shore excursions. Those extras decide whether a cheap-looking fare stays cheap.

The fares below are published estimates for Caribbean sailings, quoted per person. They assume two people sharing a cabin, which is how cruise lines price most fares.

For a four-night sailing, NerdWallet puts the average at $383 per person, per room. A 7-night sailing on a budget line costs $500 – $800 in an inside cabin and $800 – $1,300 in a balcony cabin. On premium lines, the same cabin types cost $1,200 – $2,000 and $1,800 – $3,000.

Cost by cruise line

Prices differ a lot by brand. On shorter sailings of three to five nights, Royal Caribbean inside cabins run $550 – $710, and Norwegian typically runs $600 – $800. MSC Cruises advertises low base fares, with 7-night sailings starting around $439. Disney Cruise Line sits well above the others at $1,400 – $1,900 for an inside cabin on a short sailing.

Carnival is often cited as the lowest-priced major line, but its drink packages and other extras can cost more than competitors charge. The base fare is only the starting point.

Several variables move the per-person fare more than the cruise line's name:

• Cabin type: an inside cabin costs less than an ocean-view or balcony cabin, and suites cost more again.
• Length of the sailing: longer trips cost more in total, though the price per night can fall.
• Season and school calendars: holidays and summer sailings cost more than off-peak weeks.
• Itinerary: Alaska, Europe, and other regions price differently from the Caribbean.
• Ship age and size: older ships on short itineraries often carry the lowest fares.
• Booking date: fares change as a sailing fills up, and last-minute deals sometimes appear.

Ask what is included before you compare prices. Common add-ons include:

• Taxes, fees, and port charges, which some quotes show separately
• Daily gratuities for the crew, billed per person
• Drink packages and specialty restaurants
• Shore excursions booked through the ship
• Wi-Fi, spa visits, and casino play
• Flights and hotel nights to reach the departure port

Two sailings with the same fare can end up with very different totals once these are counted. Add them up before you decide which one is cheaper.

Living on a ship full time means paying the fare for every night, plus the extras above, for as long as you stay aboard. A person living at sea typically strings voyages together or books a very long itinerary. Some residential ships sell cabins outright, with pricing set by the operator.

Because fares change with the cabin, itinerary, and season, there is no single published monthly figure. To estimate it, take the per-person fare for a cabin you would actually book, scale it to the number of nights, and then add the gratuities, drinks, and port costs. A residential-ship operator will give you its own price list.

The second meaning of the question is the price of the vessel itself. Construction costs depend on the ship's size, features, and cruise line. Cruise Hive reports that many Carnival and Princess ships cost about three-quarters of a billion dollars, while Royal Caribbean's newest ships cost far more.

Royal Caribbean's Star of the Seas cost $2,000,000,000 to build, according to Cruise Hive. Wonder of the Seas, which launched in 2022, cost $1,350,000,000. Larger ships with more attractions, such as roller coasters and water parks, generally cost more to build than conventional ones.

Build cost per passenger

Dividing the build price by passenger capacity gives a rough per-berth cost. Most ships cost $100,000 – $350,000 per passenger to build. Star of the Seas comes to about $263,000 per passenger.

Small luxury and expedition ships can cost far more per passenger because they carry fewer guests. These estimates rest on original construction prices, not on the ship's current value.

Running a ship

Fuel is one of the biggest daily operating costs. The same source puts daily fuel at $148,000 – $264,000 for a ship, before crew, food, and other operating expenses. That helps explain why cruise lines add fees and why fares move with fuel prices.

Passenger fares come from sampled sailings, not a census, so published numbers vary by date, ship, and cabin. A fare that looks high may include a better cabin, a longer trip, or a premium line. A fare that looks low may leave out taxes or gratuities.

Ship build costs vary because the price of a vessel depends on its design, shipyard, and delivery date. Reported figures may also be rounded and come from company statements, not audited filings.

• Compare the total cost with taxes, gratuities, and drinks included, not the headline fare alone.
• Sail in the off-peak weeks when demand is lower.
• Consider an older ship or a shorter itinerary.
• Book an inside cabin if you plan to spend most of the day out of the room.
• Look at drink and Wi-Fi packages before you sail, since they are often cheaper booked ahead.