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How Much Does a Cruise Ship Cost? All Ships Ranked in Order

How Much Does a Cruise Ship Cost? [SOLVED] Ranked by Ship & Line

How much does a cruise ship cost? We love this question! Below, you'll find a deep dive into cruise ships by cost . From the most expensive cruise ship in the world, to the cheapest.

We've analyzed cruise lines to find how much a cruise ship costs based on multiple criteria.

Included, you'll find ship cost by brand and per cabin to account for difference in ship size. We also explore the difference in the cost to build a cruise ship over time.

There's a clear trend in increasing ship cost by decade ! Additionally, we look at the total asset value by fleet and by holding company . It's truly amazing how the industry is so very consolidated!

To skip to any of the above mentioned analysis, feel free to use our quick links below.

1) Cruise Ship Cost to Build by Cruise Line
2) Average Cruise Ship Cost by Cabin
3) Cruise Ship Cost Increase Over Time
4) Cruise Ship Total Value by Cruise Company
5) All Cruise Ships Cost to Build

Don't get us wrong. A ship's price tag is just one consideration.

There are plenty of factors that come into play when searching for the perfect cruise. How new is the vessel? How big is it? What class does it belong to? What features does it have? And, of course, how much does a cruise ship cost ? We cover all of these in other blog posts. For now, we'll explore ship cost in depth.

How Much Does a Cruise Ship Cost to Build... by Line

Above, you'll find a graph showing the average cruise ship cost by cruise line . The chart shown represents the actual cost to build a cruise ship for the specific brands shown.

Which company spends the most per vessel? That would be Royal Caribbean! On average, RCCL writes a check for $669 million for each new ship!

This graph above gives us an idea of not just "cost," but also grandiosity. Royal's ships are the biggest and most costly.

To get a better idea of "value" as opposed to "price tag," you'll want to consider ship size . We're one step ahead! Check out the infographic below for average cost to build a cruise ship based on size. Specifically, we analyze cost verse number of staterooms.

How Much Does a Cruise Ship Cost to Build... by Cabin

This chart shows average cost by cruise cabin. That allows us to account for ship size and "normalize" the cost data. When buying an apartment building, you'd mostly like value it based on total number of units. Each apartment will command $X in rent. Similarly, each cruise cabin generates $Y in revenue.

It's no surprise that the smaller ships rise to the top. These brands are considered "premium lines." The drastic differences in price are obvious. Seabourn ships have cruise staterooms valued at more than 5x the cost of cabins on Pullmantur!

Why did we use cabins as a proxy for size ?

To get the most of this analysis, you'll want to compare ships with a similar quantity of cabins. Compare SAGA and Fred Olsen ships. The average roughly the same number of cabins per ship. SAGA spends over 2x the amount on a per cabin basis!

The data won't completely represent the full picture. Celebrity has massive ships carrying over 3k passengers and also the Xploration with a capacity of 16 cruisers! To avoid this issue you'll want to check out our complete list of ships by cost below.

Cruise Ship Cost Increase Over Time

We also looked at how much does a cruise ship cost to build today vs. in the past ? We expected an increase and were not disappointed! The chart below shows the average price tag of ships throughout the decades.

The blue bars show actual dollars spent. The green line depicts "cost in today's dollars." These figures were derived using an average inflation rate of 3.22%.

It's clear that prices have grown significantly ! Both in terms of actual dollars and inflation-adjusted costs.

Even with the current speed bump in the industry, we expect this to continue. Vessels are continuously adding capacity and extravagant (read "expensive") features. The average cost per cruise ship is quickly approaching one billion dollars !

Cruise Ship Total Value by Cruise Company

You may have counted almost 30 cruise brands included above. Don't be fooled . There aren't that many big cruise companies out there. The chart below is likely to surprise you. The list of cruise companies is much smaller. Two companies (Carnival & Royal Caribbean) own nearly 75% of the entire industry !

Many passengers have sailed Oceania or Cunard and had no clue they were owned by NCL or Carnival. It's always entertaining to hear a passenger make fun of "Carnival" as they proudly book their next Seabourn vacation. Carnival Corp. owns both brands!

These major cruise lines know what they're doing. They want to own every cruise passenger , whether they're cruise budget is $1,000 or $10,000!

Most Expensive Cruise Ships

Of course we had to include a list of the most expensive cruise ships ever built . Here are the Top 25 biggest price tags ever commanded by cruise ships. The "billion+ dollar club" is a significant portion of the list.

We also include the owning cruise line. You'll find one cruise line in particular is writing the biggest checks!

#1 - Allure of the Seas Cost to Build

How much did the Allure of the Seas cost to build? Royal Caribbean spent $1.5 Billion for the ship in 2010.

The ship measures 225k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the Allure of the Seas cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $6,658 per GT .

It's also interesting to look at the Allure of the Seas cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,742 staterooms . Some quick math shows that Royal Caribbean paid roughly $547k per cabin for this ship.

The Allure of the Seas has a current status of: active

Cruise Line : Royal Caribbean
Cruise Ship : Allure of the Seas
Cost to Build : $1,500,000,000
Year Built : 2010
Gross Tonnage : 225,282
Total Staterooms : 2,742 cabins
Cost in Today Dollars : $2.06 Billion
Ship Cost by GT : $6,658 per GT
Ship Cost by Cabin : $547k per cabin
Current Status : active

#2 - Wonder of the Seas Cost to Build

How much did the Wonder of the Seas cost to build? Royal Caribbean spent $1.35 Billion for the ship in 2021.

The ship measures 228k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the Wonder of the Seas cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,919 per GT .

It's also interesting to look at the Wonder of the Seas cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,745 staterooms . Some quick math shows that Royal Caribbean paid roughly $492k per cabin for this ship.

The Wonder of the Seas has a current status of: future ship

Cruise Ship : Wonder of the Seas
Cost to Build : $1,350,000,000
Year Built : 2021
Gross Tonnage : 228,081
Total Staterooms : 2,745 cabins
Cost in Today Dollars : $1.31 Billion
Ship Cost by GT : $5,919 per GT
Ship Cost by Cabin : $492k per cabin
Current Status : future ship

#3 - Harmony of the Seas Cost to Build

How much did the Harmony of the Seas cost to build? Royal Caribbean spent $1.35 Billion for the ship in 2016.

The ship measures 228k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the Harmony of the Seas cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,929 per GT .

It's also interesting to look at the Harmony of the Seas cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,745 staterooms . Some quick math shows that Royal Caribbean paid roughly $492k per cabin for this ship.

The Harmony of the Seas has a current status of: active

Cruise Ship : Harmony of the Seas
Year Built : 2016
Gross Tonnage : 227,700
Cost in Today Dollars : $1.53 Billion
Ship Cost by GT : $5,929 per GT

#4 - Symphony of the Seas Cost to Build

How much did the Symphony of the Seas cost to build? Royal Caribbean spent $1.35 Billion for the ship in 2018.

The ship measures 228k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the Symphony of the Seas cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,919 per GT .

It's also interesting to look at the Symphony of the Seas cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,745 staterooms . Some quick math shows that Royal Caribbean paid roughly $492k per cabin for this ship.

The Symphony of the Seas has a current status of: active

Cruise Ship : Symphony of the Seas
Year Built : 2018
Cost in Today Dollars : $1.44 Billion

#5 - Oasis of the Seas Cost to Build

How much did the Oasis of the Seas cost to build? Royal Caribbean spent $1.3 Billion for the ship in 2009.

The ship measures 225k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the Oasis of the Seas cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,771 per GT .

It's also interesting to look at the Oasis of the Seas cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,137 staterooms . Some quick math shows that Royal Caribbean paid roughly $608k per cabin for this ship.

The Oasis of the Seas has a current status of: active

Cruise Ship : Oasis of the Seas
Cost to Build : $1,300,000,000
Year Built : 2009
Total Staterooms : 2,137 cabins
Cost in Today Dollars : $1.84 Billion
Ship Cost by GT : $5,771 per GT
Ship Cost by Cabin : $608k per cabin

#6 - Norwegian Epic Cost to Build

How much did the Norwegian Epic cost to build? Norwegian spent $1.2 Billion for the ship in 2010.

The ship measures 156k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the Norwegian Epic cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $7,699 per GT .

It's also interesting to look at the Norwegian Epic cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,122 staterooms . Some quick math shows that Norwegian paid roughly $566k per cabin for this ship.

The Norwegian Epic has a current status of: active

Cruise Line : Norwegian
Cruise Ship : Norwegian Epic
Cost to Build : $1,200,000,000
Gross Tonnage : 155,873
Total Staterooms : 2,122 cabins
Cost in Today Dollars : $1.65 Billion
Ship Cost by GT : $7,699 per GT
Ship Cost by Cabin : $566k per cabin

#7 - MSC World Europa Cost to Build

How much did the MSC World Europa cost to build? MSC spent $1.15 Billion for the ship in 2023.

The ship measures 206k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the MSC World Europa cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,591 per GT .

It's also interesting to look at the MSC World Europa cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,700 staterooms . Some quick math shows that MSC paid roughly $426k per cabin for this ship.

The MSC World Europa has a current status of: future ship

Cruise Line : MSC
Cruise Ship : MSC World Europa
Cost to Build : $1,150,000,000
Year Built : 2023
Gross Tonnage : 205,700
Total Staterooms : 2,700 cabins
Cost in Today Dollars : $1.05 Billion
Ship Cost by GT : $5,591 per GT
Ship Cost by Cabin : $426k per cabin

#8 - MSC Seashore Cost to Build

How much did the MSC Seashore cost to build? MSC spent $1.15 Billion for the ship in 2022.

The ship measures 154k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the MSC Seashore cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $7,468 per GT .

It's also interesting to look at the MSC Seashore cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,066 staterooms . Some quick math shows that MSC paid roughly $557k per cabin for this ship.

The MSC Seashore has a current status of: future ship

Cruise Ship : MSC Seashore
Year Built : 2022
Gross Tonnage : 154,000
Total Staterooms : 2,066 cabins
Cost in Today Dollars : $1.08 Billion
Ship Cost by GT : $7,468 per GT
Ship Cost by Cabin : $557k per cabin

#9 - Ovation of the Seas Cost to Build

How much did the Ovation of the Seas cost to build? Royal Caribbean spent $1.1 Billion for the ship in 2016.

The ship measures 169k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $6,522 per GT .

It's also interesting to look at the Ovation of the Seas cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 1,918 staterooms . Some quick math shows that Royal Caribbean paid roughly $574k per cabin for this ship.

The Ovation of the Seas has a current status of: active

Cruise Ship : Ovation of the Seas
Cost to Build : $1,100,000,000
Gross Tonnage : 168,666
Total Staterooms : 1,918 cabins
Cost in Today Dollars : $1.25 Billion
Ship Cost by GT : $6,522 per GT
Ship Cost by Cabin : $574k per cabin

#10 - Celebration Cost to Build

How much did the Celebration cost to build? Carnival spent $1 Billion for the ship in 2022.

The ship measures 184k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the Celebration cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,438 per GT .

It's also interesting to look at the Celebration cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,641 staterooms . Some quick math shows that Carnival paid roughly $379k per cabin for this ship.

The Celebration has a current status of: future ship

Cruise Line : Carnival
Cruise Ship : Celebration
Cost to Build : $1,000,000,000
Gross Tonnage : 183,900
Total Staterooms : 2,641 cabins
Cost in Today Dollars : $938 Million
Ship Cost by GT : $5,438 per GT
Ship Cost by Cabin : $379k per cabin

#11 - Celebrity Edge Cost to Build

How much did the Celebrity Edge cost to build? Celebrity spent $1 Billion for the ship in 2018.

The ship measures 131k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the Celebrity Edge cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $7,644 per GT .

It's also interesting to look at the Celebrity Edge cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 1,467 staterooms . Some quick math shows that Celebrity paid roughly $682k per cabin for this ship.

The Celebrity Edge has a current status of: active

Cruise Line : Celebrity
Cruise Ship : Celebrity Edge
Gross Tonnage : 130,818
Total Staterooms : 1,467 cabins
Cost in Today Dollars : $1.07 Billion
Ship Cost by GT : $7,644 per GT
Ship Cost by Cabin : $682k per cabin

#12 - Mardi Gras Cost to Build

How much did the Mardi Gras cost to build? Carnival spent $950 Million for the ship in 2020.

The ship measures 184k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the Mardi Gras cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,166 per GT .

It's also interesting to look at the Mardi Gras cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,641 staterooms . Some quick math shows that Carnival paid roughly $360k per cabin for this ship.

The Mardi Gras has a current status of: active

Cruise Ship : Mardi Gras
Cost to Build : $950,000,000
Year Built : 2020
Cost in Today Dollars : $950 Million
Ship Cost by GT : $5,166 per GT
Ship Cost by Cabin : $360k per cabin

#13 - Costa Firenze Cost to Build

How much did the Costa Firenze cost to build? Costa spent $950 Million for the ship in 2020.

The ship measures 136k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the Costa Firenze cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $7,011 per GT .

It's also interesting to look at the Costa Firenze cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,116 staterooms . Some quick math shows that Costa paid roughly $449k per cabin for this ship.

The Costa Firenze has a current status of: active

Cruise Line : Costa
Cruise Ship : Costa Firenze
Gross Tonnage : 135,500
Total Staterooms : 2,116 cabins
Ship Cost by GT : $7,011 per GT
Ship Cost by Cabin : $449k per cabin

#14 - MV Iona Cost to Build

How much did the MV Iona cost to build? P&O UK spent $950 Million for the ship in 2020.

The ship measures 184k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the MV Iona cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,163 per GT .

It's also interesting to look at the MV Iona cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,610 staterooms . Some quick math shows that P&O UK paid roughly $364k per cabin for this ship.

The MV Iona has a current status of: future ship

Cruise Line : P&O UK
Cruise Ship : MV Iona
Gross Tonnage : 184,000
Total Staterooms : 2,610 cabins
Ship Cost by GT : $5,163 per GT
Ship Cost by Cabin : $364k per cabin

#15 - Quantum of the Seas Cost to Build

How much did the Quantum of the Seas cost to build? Royal Caribbean spent $950 Million for the ship in 2014.

The ship measures 169k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the Quantum of the Seas cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,632 per GT .

It's also interesting to look at the Quantum of the Seas cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 1,839 staterooms . Some quick math shows that Royal Caribbean paid roughly $517k per cabin for this ship.

The Quantum of the Seas has a current status of: active

Cruise Ship : Quantum of the Seas
Year Built : 2014
Total Staterooms : 1,839 cabins
Cost in Today Dollars : $1.15 Billion
Ship Cost by GT : $5,632 per GT
Ship Cost by Cabin : $517k per cabin

#16 - Costa Smeralda Cost to Build

How much did the Costa Smeralda cost to build? Costa spent $950 Million for the ship in 2019.

The ship measures 185k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the Costa Smeralda cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,135 per GT .

It's also interesting to look at the Costa Smeralda cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,612 staterooms . Some quick math shows that Costa paid roughly $364k per cabin for this ship.

The Costa Smeralda has a current status of: active

Cruise Ship : Costa Smeralda
Year Built : 2019
Gross Tonnage : 185,010
Total Staterooms : 2,612 cabins
Cost in Today Dollars : $980 Million
Ship Cost by GT : $5,135 per GT

#17 - Disney Fantasy Cost to Build

How much did the Disney Fantasy cost to build? Disney spent $950 Million for the ship in 2012.

The ship measures 130k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the Disney Fantasy cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $7,325 per GT .

It's also interesting to look at the Disney Fantasy cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 1,250 staterooms . Some quick math shows that Disney paid roughly $760k per cabin for this ship.

The Disney Fantasy has a current status of: active

Cruise Line : Disney
Cruise Ship : Disney Fantasy
Year Built : 2012
Gross Tonnage : 129,690
Total Staterooms : 1,250 cabins
Cost in Today Dollars : $1.22 Billion
Ship Cost by GT : $7,325 per GT
Ship Cost by Cabin : $760k per cabin

#18 - Anthem of the Seas Cost to Build

How much did the Anthem of the Seas cost to build? Royal Caribbean spent $950 Million for the ship in 2015.

The ship measures 169k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the Anthem of the Seas cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,632 per GT .

It's also interesting to look at the Anthem of the Seas cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,095 staterooms . Some quick math shows that Royal Caribbean paid roughly $453k per cabin for this ship.

The Anthem of the Seas has a current status of: active

Cruise Ship : Anthem of the Seas
Year Built : 2015
Total Staterooms : 2,095 cabins
Cost in Today Dollars : $1.11 Billion
Ship Cost by Cabin : $453k per cabin

#19 - AIDAnova Cost to Build

How much did the AIDAnova cost to build? AIDA spent $950 Million for the ship in 2018.

The ship measures 184k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the AIDAnova cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,166 per GT .

It's also interesting to look at the AIDAnova cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,626 staterooms . Some quick math shows that AIDA paid roughly $362k per cabin for this ship.

The AIDAnova has a current status of: active

Cruise Line : AIDA
Cruise Ship : AIDAnova
Total Staterooms : 2,626 cabins
Cost in Today Dollars : $1.01 Billion
Ship Cost by Cabin : $362k per cabin

#20 - MSC Grandiosa Cost to Build

How much did the MSC Grandiosa cost to build? MSC spent $950 Million for the ship in 2019.

The ship measures 182k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the MSC Grandiosa cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,233 per GT .

It's also interesting to look at the MSC Grandiosa cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,421 staterooms . Some quick math shows that MSC paid roughly $392k per cabin for this ship.

The MSC Grandiosa has a current status of: active

Cruise Ship : MSC Grandiosa
Gross Tonnage : 181,541
Total Staterooms : 2,421 cabins
Ship Cost by GT : $5,233 per GT
Ship Cost by Cabin : $392k per cabin

#21 - MSC Meraviglia Cost to Build

How much did the MSC Meraviglia cost to build? MSC spent $950 Million for the ship in 2017.

The ship measures 172k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the MSC Meraviglia cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,536 per GT .

It's also interesting to look at the MSC Meraviglia cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,244 staterooms . Some quick math shows that MSC paid roughly $423k per cabin for this ship.

The MSC Meraviglia has a current status of: active

Cruise Ship : MSC Meraviglia
Year Built : 2017
Gross Tonnage : 171,598
Total Staterooms : 2,244 cabins
Cost in Today Dollars : $1.04 Billion
Ship Cost by GT : $5,536 per GT
Ship Cost by Cabin : $423k per cabin

#22 - MSC Bellissima Cost to Build

How much did the MSC Bellissima cost to build? MSC spent $950 Million for the ship in 2019.

The ship measures 172k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the MSC Bellissima cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,536 per GT .

It's also interesting to look at the MSC Bellissima cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,217 staterooms . Some quick math shows that MSC paid roughly $429k per cabin for this ship.

The MSC Bellissima has a current status of: active

Cruise Ship : MSC Bellissima
Total Staterooms : 2,217 cabins
Ship Cost by Cabin : $429k per cabin

#23 - Spectrum of the Seas Cost to Build

How much did the Spectrum of the Seas cost to build? Royal Caribbean spent $940 Million for the ship in 2019.

The ship measures 169k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the Spectrum of the Seas cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,569 per GT .

It's also interesting to look at the Spectrum of the Seas cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,098 staterooms . Some quick math shows that Royal Caribbean paid roughly $448k per cabin for this ship.

The Spectrum of the Seas has a current status of: active

Cruise Ship : Spectrum of the Seas
Cost to Build : $940,000,000
Gross Tonnage : 168,800
Total Staterooms : 2,098 cabins
Cost in Today Dollars : $970 Million
Ship Cost by GT : $5,569 per GT
Ship Cost by Cabin : $448k per cabin

#24 - Odyssey of the Seas Cost to Build

How much did the Odyssey of the Seas cost to build? Royal Caribbean spent $940 Million for the ship in 2021.

The ship measures 169k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the Odyssey of the Seas cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,550 per GT .

It's also interesting to look at the Odyssey of the Seas cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,098 staterooms . Some quick math shows that Royal Caribbean paid roughly $448k per cabin for this ship.

The Odyssey of the Seas has a current status of: future ship

Cruise Ship : Odyssey of the Seas
Gross Tonnage : 169,379
Cost in Today Dollars : $910 Million
Ship Cost by GT : $5,550 per GT

#25 - MSC Virtuosa Cost to Build

How much did the MSC Virtuosa cost to build? MSC spent $937 Million for the ship in 2021.

The ship measures 181k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the MSC Virtuosa cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,177 per GT .

It's also interesting to look at the MSC Virtuosa cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,421 staterooms . Some quick math shows that MSC paid roughly $387k per cabin for this ship.

The MSC Virtuosa has a current status of: future ship

Cruise Ship : MSC Virtuosa
Cost to Build : $937,000,000
Gross Tonnage : 181,000
Cost in Today Dollars : $907 Million
Ship Cost by GT : $5,177 per GT
Ship Cost by Cabin : $387k per cabin

All Cruise Ships Cost to Build

Finally, here's the hard data. The spreadsheet below shows hundreds of ships ranked by total cost to build. Also included are cost today, cost per ton, and cost by cabin.

How much does a cruise ship cost to build - FAQs

How much does a cruise ship cost to build? On average, a cruise ship costs $506 million. To get this approximated cost to build a cruise ship, we analyzed 231 active and ordered vessels. In the charts above, we show all ships by cost, cruise line, and size.

What is the most expensive cruise ship ever built? The Allure of the Seas is the most expensive ship ever built at a price tag of $1.5 billion dollars. The ship was constructed in constructed by Royal Caribbean in 2010. It has a gross tonnage of 225k GT and a total cabin count of 2,742 staterooms.

What cruise line has the most expensive cruise ships? Royal Caribbean leads the cruise industry with the most expensive ships. On average, RCCL spends $669 million per new vessel. Next in line is Disney followed by Costa than NCL. The entire ranking chart can be seen above.

What cruise line has the cheapest ships? Seadream Yachts has the least expensive cruise ships. Yet, the cruise line has a much smaller capacity and relatively high cost per stateroom. When accounting for size, the cheapest cruise ships are owned by Pullmantur.

How much have cruise ship costs increased over time? In actual dollars, ships have increased based on the following costs per decade: 1970 - $43M; 1980 - $37M; 1990: $119M; 2000: $276M; 2010: $433M; 2020: $697M; 2020+ - $870M. Our graph also shows this increase in normalized dollars spent.

How much are Carnival Cruise Ships worth? Carnival Corporation owns nine cruise brands and a combined 94 ships. The total asset value of these based on actual dollars spent is $74.2 billion. The chart above shows the owned brands and this line compared to others.

How much are Royal Caribbean Cruise Ships worth? Royal Caribbean Corporation owns or partially owns seven cruise brands and a combined 62 ships. The total asset value of these based on actual dollars spent is $47.9 billion. The chart above shows the owned brands and this line compared to others.

How much are Norwegian Cruise Ships worth? Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings owns three cruise brands and a combined 28 ships. The total asset value of these based on actual dollars spent is $19.1 billion. The chart above shows the owned brands and this line compared to others.

What is the biggest cruise line company? Carnival Corporation is by far the largest with 45% of the cruise industry in terms of ships owned. The company owns nine cruise brands and a combined 94 ships. The total asset value of these based on actual dollars spent is $74.2 billion. The chart above shows the owned brands and this line compared to others.

We hope that the above is extremely helpful in answering, how much does a cruise ship cost to build?

If you enjoyed learning about the most expensive cruise ships in the world, you'll love to explore the largest cruise vessels ever built. Please check out our post, Largest Cruise Ships in the World .

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Ships and Lines

Cruise Ship Cost to Build

How much does a cruise ship cost to build and how much is the per berth price. See here the largest cruise shipbuilding cost, and of the most expensive cruise ship in the world. You'll see what is the cruise ship cost per day by following the link to the vessel's "itinerary-schedule-position" page at our cruise tracker . This page is integrated with our surveys on the newest ships , ship construction , and drydock refurbishments .

Our unique survey here features, besides covering all the world's major cruise lines ships, also the building cost of cruise ships like MS The World (privately owned floating neighborhood) and of the ominous RMS Titanic . These are not just money questions, but also much fun cruise vessels stuff. And this is why we'll try to give you the best and most accurate answers here - all in one place, on a single page.

After some concise explanations, we give you the list of the world's best passenger cruise ships cost to build by line (operator). This is a huge help since you don't have to search the Internet anymore for a particular ship and its building cost.

How much does the most expensive cruise ship cost?

The cost of building a cruise ship generally depends on the vessel's size, the building shipyard (labor prices, taxes, quality of service), the onboard features (facilities and amenities) and finally - on the economy itself. Lines price the cruise ships building cost by the number of beds (the marine term is "berths").

Cruise Ship Building Cost - CruiseMapper

The most fun fact of all in this category is the berth price of one of the world's most expensive big cruise ships - the most famous Cunard liner RMS Queen Mary 2 (2004-built), with a berth cost of over USD 300,000 - the industry's highest-ever considering its volume/GT tonnage. The main culprits:

the QM2 shipbuilder is STX Europe (Saint-Nazaire shipyards in France)
high-quality materials
unique ship design (this classic ocean liner required around 40% more steel than a standard passenger ship)
and finally, the QM2 ship size itself - length 1,132 ft (345 m), width 135 ft (41 m), height 236 ft (72 m) and weight of 151,400 tons. QM2 is also the fastest cruise ship in the world - max speed 35 mph (56 kph) and service/operational speed of 30 mph (48 kph). In comparison, one of the world's largest cruise ships Oasis of the Seas cost per berth is "merely" US$240,000 for its immense weight of 225,300 tons.

Some info on one of the world's most famous passenger ships ever - The World cruise ship.

Operated by ResidenSea, this top luxury residential ship (construction cost USD 266 million) offers a one-bedroom apartment at a modest price of around US$2000 per night. Purchasing an apartment on board this ship is a quite different matter.
The World cruise ship apartment cost (if some of the current owners decide to sell) is a pretty big suitcase deal - the lucky buyer will say a big "goodbye" to USD 2 million to over 15 million (depending on size and deck location) and a hearty "hello" to a ship cabin property of respectively around 620 ft2 to over 4300 ft2.
Additionally to this "initial spending", the lucky owner will be charged an annual maintenance fee ranging from USD 60,000 to USD 0,5+ million, again depending on the property.

How much does the world's most expensive cruise ship cost? The Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas ship cost to build is USD 1,4 billion, closely followed by its sister the Allure ship - USD 1,2 billion. And while speaking of 1,2 billion dollars, and just in case someone asks "what is the cost of the most expensive yacht in the world". The world's most expensive cruise yacht costs the exact amount of money, and it's a private property of Roman Abramovich. For its 558 ft in length (170 m) the owner of the Chelsea Football Club paid the same USD 1,2 billion, while the yacht's actual construction cost is "only" USD 485 million. But the fun doesn't stop there. A week-long charter of the Eclipse Yacht costs the USD 2 million, but a 5000 ft2 (465 m2) master suite is included in the price, along with all the 70+ crew, 2 helicopter pads, 11 guest staterooms, 2 swimming pools, 3-speed boats, and naturally - a small submarine. About the security? How does a defense system capable of launching missiles sounds to you?

What was the cost of the RMS Titanic ? Back in 1912, the Titanic ship cost to build was USD 7,5 million (current dollar value ~USD 400 million/2021). Sadly, this huge investment in the world's first mega cruise ship (tonnage 46,300 GT) turned out to be a real disaster - the Titanic ship sailed only once and never finished its "bigger than God" voyage.

How much do cruise ships cost?

All the world's big to biggest cruise ships cost in millions of US dollars, ordered alphabetically by the name of the cruise company operating the vessel. And only in this article - the building cost of cruise ships per berth (bed).

Next time you'll know exactly for how much (as a percentage) you rent a costly cruise ship accommodation on your budget-priced or luxury ship vacation. Not to forget, there are also food, service, entertainment and numerous amenities and activities that are usually included in your fares/ticket prices.

In our world's current economic situation of uncertainty and stagnation, most cruise companies prefer to renovate ships rather than building new ones. The cost of cruise lines refurbishments and ship renovation programs may reach close to half a billion dollars.

Among the most mind-boggling examples of huge fleet-upgrade spending are Holland America's SOE ("Signature of Excellence") program (budgeted USD 450 million) and Carnival's Fun Ship 2.0 upgrades and ship enhancements (total budget USD 800 million). Generally, such renovations include either major refits and improvements ("upgrades" of older vessels with the company's signature facilities, amenities, and programs) or regularly scheduled drydock refurbishments.

Another famous example is the "Fun Ship 1.0" upgrades of all old Carnival Fantasy-class fleet - 8 ships, USD 250 million. RCCL's Celebrity Cruises started its over USD 200 million one-ship-per-year renovation program in 2010 (including 4 Millennium-class liners).

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If you ever have the need to purchase a cruise ship, you’d have to have some pretty deep pockets, as these seafaring transportation modes do not come cheap. So how much can you expect to pay for a cruise ship? Cruise ships come in various shapes, sizes, and designs, and therefore its pricing differs. You can, however, expect to pay from $2-350 million. Here’s a breakdown of what a cruise ship might cost you.

Popular Reasoning behind Buying a Cruise Ship

There may be several reasons why someone would want to buy a cruise ship . For instance, many people don’t want to spend their savings on buying a home or traveling. If you buy a cruise ship, you get to travel in a condo-like residence . So you’ll be fulfilling your dream of cruising without leaving the comforts of home, as your ship will now be your home.

If you buy a cruise ship , you’ll also have a permanent home at sea, which provides all the comforts of a multi-bedroom apartment on land. You’ll also get to enjoy spectacular sea views. Owning a cruise ship satisfies any wanderlust you may have, without you having to go through customs and packing.

You also won’t need to contend with lost luggage if you live on a ship. If you’re planning to live on a ship when you retire, you’ll pay less than when opting for assisted living on land. The reason being is that with a cruise, you could pay up to $150 per day, as opposed to $2,000 per month in an independent living facility or $3,000 per month in an assisted living facility.

The Cost of Building a Luxury Liner

You’ll need more than a billion dollars to design and build a luxury liner. One of the biggest luxury liners in the world, Harmony of the Seas, set Royal Caribbean back a whopping $1.35b billion. Royal Caribbean really pulled out all the stops with Harmony of the Seas , as this liner was designed with 2,747 cabins, a Starbucks café, and robot bartenders.

The second biggest cruise liner, Allure of the Seas, cost $1.5 billion, a cost higher than Harmony of the Seas. Royal Caribbean also built Oasis of the Seas at a cost of $1.billion.

What a Typical Cruise Ship May Cost

Luxury liners are lavish and humungous, so pricing is exorbitant. However, your average smaller cruise ship costs considerably lower. Data gathering company the Muster Station, gathered data on the cost of more than 200 cruise ships in a bid to ascertain the average price of a regular cruise ship.

The Muster Station found that ships accommodating an average of 500 passengers, cost roughly $260 million. Cruise ships catering to up to 1000 passengers cost an average of $394 million. Ships catering between 1000-2000 passengers cost $442 million and those catering to 2000-3000 passengers cost approximately $555 million. Therefore a big lottery winner could afford to buy a cruise ship .

The Muster Station also discovered that cruise ships looking to accommodate 3000-4000 passengers would cost $734 million, while cruise ships catering to 4000-5000 passengers had an average cost of $937 million. Cruise ships catering to an excess of 5000 passengers averaged at $1, 31 billion.

Factors Determining the Cost of a Cruise Ship, besides Size

Besides size, there are other factors that determine the cost of a cruise ship . You’ll also need to take into account the economy when the ship is being built, the shipyard where the ship is being designed and assembled, as well as amenities and features.

The price of materials per ship varies too. Steel is pretty expensive and an ocean liner would need more of it, compared to the amount of steel necessary for a smaller boxer cruise ship . You may also opt to buy a renovated ship, as it can be less expensive than a newly built ship, although some renovations could spike the price of a renovated cruise ship to half a billion.

Determining the Type of Cruise Ship You’ll Need

Pricing is an important factor when deciding on the type of cruise ship you want. However, there are other deciding factors too. One of these is the type of cruise ship that’s ideal for your needs.

Ask yourself if a casino ship, plush catamaran, river cruise boat, ocean liner, floating hotel ship , three or five-star cruise ship, or a 1500 or 100-passenger ship suits you best. Ask yourself whether you need a classic cruise liner, a catamaran, or a 140-meter cruise liner to best cater to your business or personal purposes.

Where to Find Cruise Ships

You’ll rarely ever find a cruise ship advertised in your local classified section of the newspaper, even though some companies do advertise cruise ships online. These companies include ShipTraders.com, Appolo Duck Commercial Listings, WorkBoatsInternational.com, Homestead.com, and MegaYachtsOnline.com.

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How much does a cruise ship cost | ultimate breakdown guide.

February 11, 2020

Would you like to know how much does a cruise ship cost? Well, that’s the topic of this blog, where we’ll answer:

How much does it cost to build a cruise ship?
How much does a cruise ship cost to operate?
How much does it cost to make a cruise ship?
How much does it cost to fuel a cruise ship?

Purchase price, construction cost, operating cost, and fuel cost all inform the cost to own and operate a cruise ship. We discuss the financing component of how much does a cruise ship cost. Next we provide examples of how much does a cruise ship cost.

Then we answer frequently asked questions about how much does a cruise ship cost. Finally, we’ll conclude by summarizing cruise ship loans and lending. Please read on to find out how much does a cruise ship cost.

10 Best New Cruise Ships in 2020

How Assets America ® Can Help

Assets America ® can arrange cruise ship financing starting at a minimum of $20 million. Even if you want to acquire a cruise ship for more than $1 billion, we can handle the financing. Call us today at (206) 622-3000 for a private consultation, or simply fill out the form below for a prompt response!

Apply For Financing

How much does a cruise ship cost.

How much does a cruise ship cost? To answer, let’s look at purchase price, upfront costs, operation cost, and the annual cost of ownership.

Purchase Price and Upfront Costs

In this section, we’ll answer how much does it cost to build a cruise ship, including upfront costs. Indeed, the average cost of a cruise ship with a capacity of up to 500 passengers is around $260 million . However, if you’re interested in larger cruise ships, check out these average costs:

To be clear, these are the prices of new cruise ships. However, you can buy a used ship for about 50-75% of the new purchase price , although pricing varies depending on age and amenities. Older ships cost less unless they have been extensively refit.

Cost Factors

The factors that help determine how much does it cost to build a cruise ship include:

Tonnage : This is a ship’s volume, a standard way to compare ships. Naturally, prices rise directly with tonnage.
Berths : Berths, or beds, determine the maximum number of passengers a cruise ship can accommodate. Cost depends on the number of births, but also the number of cabins in each class.
Features : Smaller ships can compete by including extravagant features usually found only on larger ships. These features include palatial design, expensive art, oversized suites, health services, complimentary goodies, entertainment, and non-stop food and drink.

There are additional upfront costs besides building costs. For example, these include various permits, licenses, and registrations. If you commission a cruise ship, you’ll need to place a down-payment before construction can begin. Typically, down payments are in the 5% range.

How Much Does a Cruise Ship Cost to Operate?

The costs of operating a cruise ship depend on the size and features of the ship. Specifically, the operating costs for an average cruise ship with 1,000 passengers and 700 crew are as follows:

Fuel : Expect to consume about 30 tons of fuel per day while cruising. At an average cost of $500 per ton of fuel, the daily fuel cost is $15,000. Naturally, larger ships will spend significantly more on fuel.
Crew : The daily cost of labor is approximately $150 per crew member. Therefore, a 700-crew ship has labor costs of about $105,000 per day.
Finance : If you finance $300 million at 5%, expect a daily asset finance charge of $41,096.
Overhead : It costs about $214/day for marketing, selling, and administrative expenses.
Food : Expect food to cost about $86 per day per person.
Depreciation and amortization : About $170 per day.
Commissions, transportation, and other: $236 daily.

Naturally, these costs are just estimates and vary greatly ship to ship. In this example, the daily cost to operate a cruise ship is $161,802.

Annual Cost of Owning a Cruise Ship

The annual costs include finance and operating expenses. Following the example above, the annual cost to operate a cruise ship is over $59 million per year. Obviously, this cost will be considerably higher for larger cruise ships. To make a return on investment of 10%, the ship would require an annual income of $65.6 million.

Financing for a Cruise Ship

The overall cost of a cruise ship can exceed $1 billion. A 5% loan on $950 million (after a 5% down payment) will run about $47.5 million a year. Of course, you must double that for a 10% loan. Happily, this kind of financing is one of the strengths of Assets America ® .

We are a commercial finance brokerage with a syndicate of private lenders, banks and other commercial funding sources. We offer loans of any size, starting at $10 million.

Whether you need $400 million, $600 million, or $5 billion+, Assets America ® has the necessary financial contacts and resources. When the time comes to finance your next cruise ship, think Assets America ® !

How Much Does a Cruise Ship Cost? — Specific Examples

We have some examples of how much does it cost to make a cruise ship:

Allure of the Seas

The Allure of the Seas cost $1.43 billion to build, or $240,000 per berth. Its maiden voyage from Port Everglades, Florida began on December 1, 2010. The ship weighs in at 225,282 gross tons, with a length of 1,187 feet. Royal Caribbean is the owner and operator. The ship is undergoing an Amplified Overhaul costing $165 million.

Allure of the Seas features 18 decks, of which 16 are for passengers. It has a maximum capacity of 6,780 passengers and 2,200 crew members. The ship boasts a 1,380-seat theater, a two-deck dance hall, 7 neighborhoods and 25 places to eat. The shopping district runs on an 80kW solar array costing $600,000.

The cruise ship AIDAnova launched in 2018 by Carnival Cruises at a cost of $950 million. Indeed, the cost per berth was $144,000. Specifically, the ship measures 1,106 feet long and weighs 183,858 gross tons. Astonishingly, the maximum passenger capacity is 6,654, plus a crew complement of 1,646. Importantly, it is the world’s first cruise ship that operates completely on liquified natural gas.

The ship has 20 passenger decks, a jungle-themed water park, and two private islands. Also, it boasts three waterslides, 40 bars and restaurants, a live TV studio, and a high-ropes course. Moreover, there are 21 types of staterooms, from single rooms to penthouse suites.

MSC Grandiosa

MSC Cruises launched the $950 million Grandiosa in 2019. The cost per berth was $150,000. Quite impressively, the ship holds 6,334 passengers and 1,704 crew members. Grandiosa weighs in at 181,541 gross tons and measures 1,087 feet long. Its port of registry is in Malta.

The ship has 18 decks, of which 14 are open to passengers. In addition, it has 20 lounges, 12 restaurants, 14 Jacuzzis, 4 swimming pools, and 39 elevators. Technically, the ship has a selective catalytic system that reduce NOx emissions by 90%,

Norwegian Epic

The Norwegian Epic cost $1.2 billion to build, with a per-berth cost of $230,000. Historically, Norwegian Cruise Line had the maiden voyage of the Bahamas-based Epic in 2010. Remarkably, the ship is 1,081 feet long and weighs 155,873 gross tons. Furthermore, it has 4,100 passenger berths. To be sure, STX Europe built the Epic in France with 15 decks that host passengers.

The ship offers 20 dining options, include two main dining rooms, all-you-can-eat buffet, pubs, grilles, and cafes. Also, it boasts award-winning shows, an aqua park with multiple slides, a fitness center, and a spa.

Celebrity Edge

Celebrity Cruises launched the $1 billion Celebrity Edge in 2018. The cost per berth was $296,800. Indeed, the ship weighs 130,818 gross tons and has a length of 1,004 feet. Note that STX France built the ship, registered in Malta. The ship holds 2,918 passengers and 1,377 crew members.

The ship has 14 passenger decks and features a “Magic Carpet” platform that hangs along the ship’s starboard. Stunningly, this feature facilitates entry and egress while at port and offers dining and lounge space at sea. You’ll find features like balcony staterooms, a parabolic bow, private Jacuzzis in each suite, and private plunge pools.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a carnival cruise ship cost.

There is a wide range of construction costs for Carnival Cruise ships. For example, at the low end is the Carnival Celebration at a mere $130 million. Conversely, the most expensive Carnival ship is Carnival Mardi Gras, clocking in at $950 million. Nine Carnival ships cost $500,000 or more.

What are the costs of renting a cruise ship (high-end yacht)?

The cost depends on the ship and the length of the rental. Generally, a good benchmark is about $500,000 per week. However, high-end luxury cruise ships may cost up to $1 million per week.

How much does it cost to charter a cruise ship?

A cruise charter occurs when a group or company books some or all of a ship for the duration of the cruise. Obviously, prices vary greatly. Indeed, a 7-night charter on an Oasis-class cruise ship will run from $6.5 million to $11 million or more.

What are the costs of retiring on a cruise ship?

If you’d like to retire on a cruise ship, we salute you! The cost is approximately $46,000 per year. For an 18-year retirement period, that works out $828,000. Naturally, the price can be much higher if you retire on a high-end luxury cruise ship.

Cruise Ship Loans and Lending

We have explored “How much does it cost to build a cruise ship?”. Cruise ships require hundreds of millions of dollars to build or acquire. They can be a lucrative investment, but you’ll need to line up sufficient funding. Expect to put down at least 5% to 20% and finance the rest.

Assets America ® can arrange a cruise ship loan of any size. Even if you want to acquire a cruise ship for more than $1 billion, we can handle the financing. Call us today for a private consultation!

Online Resources

If you’d like to buy a cruise ship, you can use these listing sites: Yacht World , Offshore Solutions Unlimited , or NautiSNP.
If you’d like to find out more about retiring aboard, you can read this Investopedia article on the cost of retiring on a cruise ship .
Finally, here’s a great article on How Much Money Cruise Ships Make Off Each Passenger .

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How Much Is a Cruise: 10 Hidden Costs of Cruising and How to Save Money

Cruises can be budget-friendly vacations if you're savvy. Think about it: the cost of a cruise includes lodging, meals, snacks, activities and entertainment are all free to some extent. But, really, how much is a cruise?

There are some things you may want to do or experience on your cruise -- but they may cost you extra. And those fees can quickly increase overall cruise prices and your final bill.

While it's A-okay to stick to what's included with your cruise fare, the truth is that most cruisers add on a few extras. That can include shore excursions, dinners at specialty restaurants that aren't built into your fare, spa treatments, cocktails and soda, Wi-Fi and more.

In truth, "all-inclusive" is a term that really only applies to a handful of high-priced luxury cruises .

If you want the full cruise experience, you'll need to set aside some cash to cover these extra expenses. To make sure the incidentals don't break the bank for you, here are 10 things that will cost you extra onboard (and how to score them at a discount).

How to Lower Cruise Prices: Saving Money on Shore Excursions
How to Lower Cruise Prices: Save Money on For-Fee Specialty Dining
Cruise Ship Drinks: How to Save Money on Alcohol and Other Beverages
How to Lower Cruise Prices: Saving Money on Cruise Spa and Salon Treatments
How to Lower Sneaky Cruise Prices: Keeping More of Your Money on Cruise Ship Activities
The Cost of Laundry on Your Cruise: Saving Money on Laundry and Dry-Cleaning
Tipping on Your Cruise: How Much to Tip Cruise Staff
Real Cruise Cost Secrets: How to Save Money on Cruise Souvenir Shopping
How to Lower Cruise Prices: How to Save Money on Photos and Camera Equipment
Staying Connected Drives Up Your Cruise Costs: How to Save Money on Cruise Ship Wi-Fi

1. How to Lower Cruise Prices: Saving Money on Shore Excursions

Cruise lines sell shore excursions -- guided tours and experiences in the various ports of call -- but they do inflate prices above what the actual tour operators charge.

Prices for these cruise ship shore excursions range from about $35 per person for a quick city and shopping tour to more than $300 for some all-day tours, overland programs including meals and snacks, and such over-the-top offerings as helicopter flightseeing and hot-air ballooning

Most tours are priced somewhere between $50 and $175 per person, depending on the length and activities involved, and it is worth noting that prices for many excursions can be higher in some areas of the world. Alaska, for example, consistently has some of the industry's highest per-person excursion costs, while many Caribbean itineraries offer tours for less.

Featured Article: Best Alaska Shore Excursions .

First-time cruisers may want to take it slow by dipping their toes into excursions before signing up for all-day tours. Some cruise ship's packages may even come with discounts on excursions.

Self-Guided Tours Can Save You Cash While you might wish to sign up for some of the ship's tours (particularly if you're not familiar with the port and do not speak the language), you also have the option to tour independently at a fraction of the cost -- or even for free, if you go on a self-guided walking tour.

Before setting sail, visit your ports' tourist boards online or Cruise Critic's Destinations section to get ideas on things to see and how to get around on your own in port. Online travel guides and apps can also help you plan your time ashore.

Looking to lower the average cruise cost per person? Become your own tour guide and orchestrate your itinerary.

Look for Free Local Festivals for Entertainment Onshore Local festivals and craft displays can be sources of good, free entertainment. Parks, beaches and art galleries are other free or nominally-charged attractions to check out. Or perhaps you prefer to simply wander through town, browsing in shops and stopping for a coffee or snack.

Book an Independent Tour Through Tripadvisor, Viator or Other Trusted Tour Resource If you decide to hire a car and driver to give you a private tour (generally less expensive than the ship excursions, especially if you have a group) or just to take you to the center of town, always agree on the price (and, in the case of a tour, which specific points of interest will be covered) before you get into the car.

If you do want an organized tour, you can book directly with a tour operator or through third-party shore excursion sellers; you might save a few dollars that way.

When booking any independent tour, always plan to arrive back at the ship well before the all-aboard time for passengers. Unlike those on ship-sponsored tours, ships will generally not wait for passengers who arrive late to the vessel after independent touring.

Not sure if a cruise line shore tour is worth the splurge? Find out in our feature Ship-Sponsored or Independent Shore Excursions: Which Is Right for You .

2. How to Lower Cruise Prices: Save Money on For-Fee Specialty Dining

Wide-angle shot of La Mer tables on Sky Princess, without passengers

All ships offer free dining in the ship's main dining room and buffet, but nearly every ship today has one or many extra-fee dining venues (specialty restaurants).

You'll pay extra for everything from casual Italian to exclusive private degustation experiences and restaurants designed by celebrity chefs. Meals at specialty restaurants are unfortunately not included with cruise tickets.

Even room service , once free 24/7, now comes with a surcharge on many lines, with fees applied for certain items during certain late-evening hours or all the time.

Lines like Norwegian and Royal Caribbean tack on a fee to all room service orders, which certainly increases cruise costs.

Most alternative restaurants charge in the range of $15 to $60 per person (or more), but a chef's table experience or wine-paired meal could be upward of a hundred per passenger.

Some lines, like Norwegian, are starting to move toward a la carte prices in their alternative venues. Specialty dessert venues, dinner theater, pizza delivery and even pub grub could cost extra. Keep these extras in mind while cruising so you’ll end up with an average cruise cost.

**Stick to the Free Dining Options on Your Cruise ** You can typically find 24/7 dining for free onboard, and main dining room meals are often quite good, with multiple courses and decadent desserts. The newest, largest ships often have additional casual, fee-free eateries.

Carnival is a good cruise line to choose if you want variety in free dining options.

Leverage Any Onboard Credit Toward a Specialty Dining Charge If you're tempted by the specialty options -- and many are worth a splurge -- just be sure to budget the price of dinner into your onboard spending (or skip those afternoon cocktails or wine with dinner to mitigate the cost).

Alternatively, look for cruise deals that offer onboard credit or free meals in specialty venues as part of the incentive package to book. Some cruise ship packages offer perks to get tickets booked quickly.

Look for Package Bundles of Curated Specialty Restaurants Some lines, including Celebrity and Royal Caribbean, offer dining packages that bundle several for-fee restaurants for a discounted rate; others, like Holland America, offer lunch in the specialty venues for a lower price than dinner, allowing you to enjoy the alternative dining experience at a lesser cost.

You can enjoy specialty restaurants and food while keeping the cost of a cruise manageable.

Avoid Room Service to Save on Fees That Add Up Finally, consider skipping room service if there is a surcharge for it, especially if your cruise cost is high. With the exception of the small hours of the morning, food is usually available almost around-the-clock in other dining venues, and can generally be brought back to your cabin from casual eateries like the buffet or onboard burger joint.

Read about the best cruise ship alternative restaurants that are definitely worth paying for.

3. Cruise Ship Drinks: How to Save Money on Alcohol and Other Beverages

Water, iced tea, milk, coffee, tea and juices are free during meals, but alcoholic beverages are not included in the cruise fare on most lines (with the exception of some luxury lines and river cruises).

Many cruises also charge for soda, bottled water, certain juices and espresso-based drinks. Your drink tab can quickly add up as you'll be paying restaurant -- not grocery store -- prices for your beverages, as well as an automatic gratuity on your bill in the range of 18 to 20 percent.

If you’re conscious about your drink spending, adding up our money saving tips will help you lower cruise costs quite a substantial amount.

Look for Daily Drink Specials and Happy Hours to Lower Your Drink Bill Many cruise ships advertise discounted daily drink specials or offer happy hour specials that are advertised in the daily cruise planner. These can be a great way to get your drink on without spending a fortune. Holland America Line still offers daily happy hours in the Ocean Bar, for example.

**Skip the Souvenir Glass to Save More Money ** If you're ever offered a drink in a souvenir glass (usually at sailaway on the pool deck on the first day), ask for the drink in a regular glass instead; you will likely save a few bucks.

Ship-Hosted Events Might Include Free Drinks Look for events with free booze, such as Champagne art auctions or captain's cocktail parties. At meals, you can order a bottle of wine and save whatever you don't finish for the next night, which can be cheaper than ordering wine by the glass. The bottle is simply marked with your room number and brought to your table the following evening.

Check Out Drink Packages and Consider Your Beverage Consumption Needs Most lines offer beverage packages , which have options from just soda to multiple bottles of wine and unlimited alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks. However, you need to make sure you drink enough to actually see savings.

Keep in mind that these packages are priced per person, not per cabin, and that all members of a stateroom have to purchase them. This can make drink packages very expensive, sometimes pushing nearly $800 total on top of the price of the cruise -- and most lines will want an 18 percent auto gratuity when you purchase the package.

Do the math: If you have to drink six or seven cocktails per day to break even, but only typically have a beer or a few glasses of wine, the cost/value benefit may not be there.

Many lines will allow you to bring a bottle or two of wine onboard, but you might have to pay a corkage fee if you drink it in a restaurant.

Cruise line alcohol policies are highly restrictive, so be sure to read your line's rules.

4. How to Lower Cruise Prices: Saving Money on Cruise Spa and Salon Treatments

Cruise line spas charge rates equal to high-end salons, and you might be shocked by the prices. A 50-minute massage is typically about $120 to $180, with more exotic treatments running higher into the $200 to $400 (not to mention medispa treatments, which can start in the four-figure range). Plus, rates don't include an automatic gratuity that typically runs 18 percent.

Passes to thermal suites and thalassotherapy pools offer a per day rate averaging $25 to $40, with cruise-long packages also available that run between $100 to $200 per voyage, with couple's packages offering a slight discount.

When considering the cruise cost in its entirety, don’t forget to add on extras, like relaxing visits to the spa. Hitting the spa doesn’t mean you have to blow your budget and increase the average cost of a cruise. By taking advantage of discounts, you can lower your bill.

Time Your Spa Visits for Discounted Days Take advantage of spa discounts, typically offered on embarkation and port days when the spa is less busy. Check your ship's daily program for spa treatment specials that might be available one day only or during certain hours.

Some lines offer progressive discounts if you book multiple treatments all at once. This is a great way to lower your overall average cruise price.

Avoid the After-Treatment Sales Pitch to Keep Cruise Costs Low Resist the product sales pitch that often (bordering on always) comes at the end of your appointment. Better yet, ask up front not to be bothered with sales pitches at all.

Does the spa menu have you overwhelmed? Check out our breakdown of cruise ship spa services .

5. How to Lower Sneaky Cruise Prices: Keeping More of Your Money on Cruise Ship Activities

While many onboard activities are free, other special activities incur extra fees. Among them are fitness classes like Pilates, yoga and spinning; wine-tasting events; after-hours group babysitting for young children; behind-the-scenes tours; and bingo and casino play.

New attractions like laser tag, escape rooms and IMAX movies often come with an extra fee that can vary by line and ship.

When considering how much a cruise costs overall, keep in mind that many fun extras and activities will increase your total bill.

Free Entertainment Abounds on Cruise Ships -- Use It You can certainly stay entertained with free activities. Attend shows, live music performances, cooking demos , pool or trivia games and free lectures -- or simply spend your time chilling by the pool, reading a book or chatting with your travel companions.

Many of the top entertainment offerings -- Broadway productions, onboard surfing and watersliding, live music and comedy acts -- are free (though reservations might be required).

If you're intrigued by the for-fee activities, set a budget and choose the ones you find most interesting.

For the lowdown on which activities are free and which incur a fee, read up on what's included in your cruise fare .

6. The Cost of Laundry on Your Cruise: Saving Money on Laundry and Dry-Cleaning

Laundry and dry-cleaning charges on a cruise can be steep (approximately $3 to $7 to wash and press a shirt, for instance). Check to see if there is a self-service launderette, and use it. Typically, washing and drying one load of clothes comes to a reasonable price, though some lines offer complimentary self-service laundry.

If you’ve signed up for an adventurous month-long cruise, ask about their laundry services, availability and pricing before setting sail. While the cruise ticket price may be a good one, extras like laundry, activities and drinks can certainly add up.

Opt for Extra Clothing in Your Luggage or Consider Light Washing in Your Bathroom Sink You have two options here: Pack enough clothes for the cruise and do the wash back home, or bring your own travel-sized detergent, wash necessities in your cabin sink and hang-dry them in the shower.

Washing a few clothing items yourself is a savvy way to save money and lower the overall cruise price. Or stay true to your favorite cruise line. Some upper-tier loyalty program members receive free laundry service as a status perk.

If you're really motivated, you can also find a laundromat in port -- it could be a cultural experience!

Find out how much cruise line laundry services will cost you .

7. Tipping on Your Cruise: How Much to Tip Cruise Staff

Cruise Line Tipping Policies (Photo: elwynn/Shutterstock.com)

Tipping policies vary by line; most mainstream cruise lines recommend about $14 to $20 per person, per day, to be distributed among those who provide key services: dining room waiters, assistant waiters and cabin stewards. Check with your cruise line for best tipping practices.

If you have a suite, be prepared to tip extra. These are generally automatically added to your cruise account.

Additionally, bar tabs are automatically charged a 15 to 20 percent gratuity; some lines also add on a 15 to 20 percent gratuity to spa services. When the maitre d' performs a special service, such as arranging for a birthday cake to be brought to the table, he should be tipped as well.

Travelers on ships catering to Brits and Australians will find that tips are sometimes built into the cruise fares.

When asking the rather loaded question, “How much is it to go on a cruise?” consider the cost of cruise tickets, then add up all the add-ons and extras to get a more realistic total.

Cruise Staff Work Hard -- Allow the Autogratuities to Stand Generally, tipping on a cruise is not and should not be an area where you can save money. You can adjust the auto-gratuities at the ship's purser's desk or choose to tip below the recommended amount if you feel you've received subpar service.

However, Cruise Critic discourages this in most cases. The ship's crew members -- particularly the waiters, assistant waiters and cabin stewards -- work hard and depend on tips to round out their salaries.

If you are disappointed with service, speak in person to guest services while you're still on the ship -- it's more effective and can generally resolve most issues. Don't wait until you are home to complain about an issue.

If tipping drives you crazy, let us lead you to sanity with the ultimate guide to cruise ship tipping .

8. Real Cruise Cost Secrets: How to Save Money on Cruise Souvenir Shopping

Victoria's Secret on Carnival Horizon (Photo: Cruise Critic)

Most people purchase something to remember their cruise, and it can be tough to pass on the beautiful -- and expensive -- figurines, perfumes, designer fashions and leather goods if your budget doesn't allow for them.

Even tacky trinkets and T-shirts can add up if you're buying for your extended family-and-friend network. Prices can range from low-budget tee’s to a piece of jewelry valued in the hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Wait Until the End of Your Cruise for Big Souvenir Sales Avoid temptation by not browsing in the boutiques onboard and ashore if you cannot afford to buy. Typically, bargain tables appear on ships toward the end of a cruise, so wait for the latter portion to buy onboard if you're so inclined.

Unfortunately, most cruise ship packages don’t include souvenirs. Using shopping sales to your advantage is a great way to reduce the average cost of a cruise.

Compare Prices on Items You Can Easily Buy at Home Instead If you do plan to purchase jewelry, clothing or duty-free liquor onboard , check the prices of merchandise at stores back home, and bring a list so you can compare prices. Remember that the prices on ships are not always deals.

Consider Skipping the Art Auction Don't invest in a piece of art at an onboard auction unless you've done your research in advance and know the value of what you're purchasing.

If you don’t have time to research an art piece, it’s best to leave the art for others to purchase. It’s a very expensive addition to your total cruise price.

Stick to Handicrafts and Food Items in Port to Keep Your Souvenir Bill Low In port, good and inexpensive souvenirs include handicrafts from outdoor markets and street vendors, and local products such as coffee, jellies and candy purchased at grocery stores in port, where souvenirs are generally less expensive. Many souvenir stores carry the same products, so compare prices before buying.

9. How to Lower Cruise Prices: How to Save Money on Photos and Camera Equipment

Cruise travelers are often lured into dropping big bucks at the onboard photo gallery , where an 8x10 photo can easily cost more than $20.

Buying additional batteries, memory cards and other camera supplies onboard will likely cost you more money than it would back home. By bringing the right tools with you, you won’t have to worry about how much your cruise bill is at the end of the trip.

Use Your Own Camera or Consider Photo Packages If you're worried about blowing your budget on photos, just say "no thanks" when the ship's photographer asks to take your picture. Or resist the urge to check out the photo in the gallery -- once you see the printed version, you're more likely to want it. Take your own pictures , and rely sparingly, if at all, on the ship's photographers.

If you do plan on buying a lot of professional photos, look for cruise ship packages or ask about any specials on offer.

Pack Extra Camera Batteries and Your Charger On the equipment side, buy plenty of batteries and other camera supplies at home where they're cheaper -- and bring more than you think you will need, just in case.

You won't need to rely on the ship's photographers if you heed our top tips for taking better pictures on your next cruise .

10. Staying Connected Drives Up Your Cruise Costs: How to Save Money on Cruise Ship Wi-Fi

Whether you bring your own laptop and use Wi-Fi on your cruise , or park yourself at the computer center onboard, you will pay high rates for often slow to mediocre connections. On the up side, connection speeds are improving, and select cruise lines can offer land-like speeds .

Cruise lines are no longer consistent in how they package or price Wi-Fi. Some lines offer packages for the entire voyages, while others sell packages that come with preset time or data limits. The latter (and sometimes the former) can be chewed up by modern sites like Facebook or apps that refresh in the background.

You may also see packages only meant for email and social media usage. In any case, the fees will add up (especially if you want streaming and high-download access), so be sure to choose wisely.

Look for Wi-Fi Promotions When Booking Your Cruise Many cruise lines offer Wi-Fi packages as an added perk when booking certain promotions. Also look for free Wi-Fi access in port; you might need to buy a cup of coffee or a snack at a cafe to access it. You can also find cheaper internet centers in port.

Use Your Cruise Line App to Communicate with Fellow Cruisers New cruise line apps offer certain planning and communication services -- often for free or discounted rates -- when you're onboard.

Discover your options for staying connected at sea with our piece on internet and phone use onboard .

Protect Your Trip »

How Much Does a Cruise Cost?

The average cost of a cruise varies by ship, destination, trip length and more. Use this guide to learn more about cruise costs.

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With the rising cost of everything, including travel, cruise fares – some as low as $26 per person per night based on double occupancy – seem like an incredible bargain. And they certainly can be, but the fares you see advertised online often don't include extras like taxes, fees, port expenses, gratuities, shore excursions, specialty dining, alcoholic beverages, specialty coffees, room service fees and more.

Cruise pricing can be confusing with so many variables; unless you're sailing with a smaller luxury line that is all-inclusive , your bill on the day of disembarkation may be unexpected or even shocking. Small things like buying bottled water or renting noodles for floating in the ocean at a cruise line's private island can add up quickly. To help you plan better for a cruise vacation , U.S. News has broken down some of the costs and add-ons you need to take into consideration before booking your next getaway on the high seas.

How much does a one-week cruise cost?

A cruise can cost anywhere from about $171 per person for a four-night Bahamas cruise to up to $94,999 per person for a 154-night world cruise and anywhere in between. Cruise fares vary based on itinerary, number of nights, cabin type, amenities and cruise line. Here are a few examples of base cruise cost ranges on larger cruise lines for various regions:

A seven-night Caribbean cruise in November costs approximately $424 to $1,158 per person.
A seven-night Alaska cruise in May costs approximately $244 to $1,632 per person.
A seven-night Western Mediterranean cruise in June costs approximately $439 to $3,218 per person.
A seven-night Mexico cruise in January costs approximately $529 to $695 per person.
A seven-night Canada and New England cruise in October costs approximately $470 to $954 per person.

What's included in the base fare with a larger cruise line?

Aerial of family sitting on lounge chairs, being served drinks on a cruise ship

Mass-market cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean International , Norwegian Cruise Line , MSC Cruises and Carnival Cruise Line – and more upscale lines like Celebrity Cruises , Holland America Line , Cunard Line , Disney Cruise Line and Princess Cruises – advertise "starting from" base fares, which are for inside cabins. These are the least expensive staterooms on the ship, and they do not have windows. Staying in these accommodations still gives you access to all the complimentary dining venues, several types of nonalcoholic beverages (nonbottled water, iced tea, lemonade, juices, hot coffee and tea), the ship's pools, the gym, kids clubs and onboard entertainment.

If you want a room with a view – or a larger stateroom – consider booking an ocean view room with a porthole or window, or a cabin with a balcony or veranda. With these rooms, you'll have access to all the ship's included amenities and typically more spacious accommodations for the week. Of course, this option will come at a higher price point.

No matter which room category you choose, port expenses, taxes and fees are not included in the base fares, and they're automatically added to the cost of your cruise. The amount of these charges will depend on the length of your cruise and where you're sailing. Gratuities for the staff and crew are also additional.

Find the best value sailings on GoToSea , a service of U.S. News.

What if you want more amenities and perks?

If you splurge on a suite or a higher room category, such as Celebrity's Concierge Class, you'll get perks like priority embarkation, a Welcome Aboard Concierge Class Lunch, complimentary sparkling wine and daily tastings (upon request), concierge service, invitations to exclusive destination seminars, pillow selection and more.

With Disney Cruise Line's Concierge Staterooms and Suites, guests have a dedicated concierge agent offering personalized assistance for pre-arrival planning for port adventures, dining reservations, other onboard activities and special requests. You'll also have priority check-in and boarding, complimentary Wi-Fi, access to a private lounge, and other perks.

You may opt to stay within an exclusive area of the ship, such as MSC Cruises' Yacht Club, Norwegian's The Haven or Celebrity's The Retreat. These high-end private retreats offer an all-inclusive experience with additional features, while still including access to all the entertainment, dining venues and more on board. The accommodations can cost hundreds more dollars per day, but you'll have an experience similar to sailing on a small luxury vessel.

For example, the MSC Yacht Club offers an intimate all-inclusive space within its larger ships. The private area is accessible with a key card and features luxurious suites, a dedicated concierge, 24-hour butler service, a private restaurant and lounge, a rooftop pool, and other amenities. There are also additional dining and snack options throughout the day at the pool and lounge.

You'll find similar amenities in Norwegian's and Celebrity's private retreats, including priority boarding and disembarkation, exclusive sun deck areas, and priority access when boarding tenders for going ashore.

What factors determine pricing?

Base pricing and the additional components vary greatly among the cruise lines, so you'll need to determine what your budget is for the trip – and what you can and can't live without when it comes to accommodations and amenities. Travelers may also find that one cruise line has a deal or promotion with reduced pricing that includes airfare, specialty dining, a beverage package, free Wi-Fi or other perks in the advertised rate, while another line isn't running any specials for a similar itinerary.

Voyages on older cruise ships tend to be less expensive, so if you're on a tight budget, consider a ship with fewer bells and whistles. If you're sailing on a short itinerary in the Bahamas and plan to lounge by the pool or on the beach all day, you may not be concerned about having high-tech onboard amenities, martini bars and several specialty restaurants.

Save the money to splurge on more expensive fares when you're planning to sail on longer voyages on larger and newer ships. You'll want several days at sea to enjoy the onboard amenities on some vessels, such as a three-level racetrack and a 10-story-tall slides on a new ship like Norwegian Prima or its new sister ship, Norwegian Viva, set to debut in summer 2023.

Another significant factor to consider is the time of year you want to travel. Better deals are available in the offseason, but the offseason varies depending on what part of the world you're traveling to. For example, May is a great time to find a deal in the Caribbean. The offseason – or shoulder season – in that market typically runs from May to November. However, keep in mind this period overlaps with hurricane season .

You also may be able to find last-minute deals in many other destinations if you're flexible. Working with a travel agent is an excellent way to learn of last-minute specials and cruise deals that offer add-ons like beverage packages, specialty dining inclusions, shore excursions and other perks. You can also check out the online specials that change frequently.

Read: The Best Cruise Lines for the Money

Solo travelers may pay more

Back of woman holding her hat, with her scarf flying in the wind, on a cruise ship

If you're traveling alone , you may also need to factor in a single supplement, which can add up to as much as 100% of the cruise fare. To save money, bring a friend so you can access the lower double occupancy fare or consider lines that feature rooms for solo travelers; select Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and Celebrity ships offer solo cabins.

These smaller accommodations – around 100 to 200 square feet in size – are priced and designed for solo travelers. Key card access to Norwegian's Studio Complex and Lounge is included with the line's solo cabins and offers a place to relax and mix and mingle with other cruisers. Other lines that offer solo cabins include Holland America, MSC and Virgin Voyages . While the price may not be as inexpensive as the double occupancy fare when traveling with someone else, these accommodations offer some savings over a typical solo fare.

Some lines often feature special deals on select sailings where the single supplement is waived or reduced. A knowledgeable travel agent specializing in cruises can assist in finding the best offers for solo travelers.

Read: The Top Cruise Lines for Solo Travelers

Kids cruise free promotions can help families save

Smiling woman holding laughing daughter on a cruise ship in the Norwegian fjords

If you're traveling with kids, many cruise lines – such as Holland America, MSC, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, Disney and Princess – offer "kids sail free" promotions periodically throughout the year. You can also find discounted fares for the kids on select sailings. Regent Seven Seas Cruises has fares as low as $999 for children 17 and younger on a variety of select voyages whose regular fares are around $6,000 and up. This fare also includes unlimited shore excursions and all the benefits and perks of sailing with an all-inclusive luxury cruise line.

Read: The Top Cruises for Babies and Toddlers

Food and beverage packages are another expense to consider

Table of breakfast overlooking the ocean

Once you determine your total cruise fare with the taxes, fees, port charges and gratuities, you'll need to budget for the additional expenses you'll have on the ship – and these extras can add up quickly. Meals at specialty dining venues , alcoholic drinks and other beverages may not be covered in the basic cruise fare. You'll also have to pay for room service on most ships.

You can purchase specialty dining, beverage and Wi-Fi packages before or during your cruise. These packages offer savings over purchasing everything individually – and it's best to buy them once you book your cruise, as they're typically cheaper to purchase before you board the ship. For an example of the savings, Royal Caribbean offers up to a 40% discount with a dining package. This package includes reduced pricing for children ages 6 to 12, while kids 5 and younger eat for free. The cruise line's unlimited dining package also offers discounts on bottles of wine.

In addition to specialty dining venues that charge a flat fee – usually between $30 to $50 – there are also restaurants that charge as much as $75 or more for dinner. Other venues feature a la carte menus with sushi, bar food and even steakhouses that price out individual courses. Some of these may not include gratuity, so that's another add-on. If you decide to dine at any of these spots – and they're not included in your package – you'll have to budget for them in the total cruise price. Enticing dessert items in the gelato and ice cream shops on some ships also come with a price, including Coco's and Dolce Gelato on Norwegian or MSC's Venchi.

There are endless options when considering beverage packages, too, so you need choose what fits best with your interests and budget. Some of the package options are only for nonalcoholic drinks like fountain sodas, sparkling waters and coffees, while premium or deluxe beverage packages cover beer, wine and cocktails, so they are more expensive. Depending on the cruise line, most premium packages will usually cover drinks up to $15, but many craft cocktails on cruise ships can be quite expensive, costing much more, especially if you request a call brand for the liquor. If you have the premium package and want to splurge on the fancy beverage, you'll have to pay the difference.

Other lines have packages that cover top-shelf beverages of up to $20 each and include wine, large bottles of water and soda, and other perks. You'll need to budget around $85 per person per day for this option – and an additional 18% gratuity. This type of package can add up to quite a bit of money on a seven-day cruise or longer.

For additional savings, look into bundle pricing that includes specialty dining, Wi-Fi, photos and more. Purchasing them together may be more cost-effective. For example, Holland America offers a "Have It All" package that encompasses a shore excursion credit, a signature beverage package (including the service charge), one evening of specialty dining and Wi-Fi. If you're sailing on longer cruises of 10 to 21 days or more, the benefits increase. The line estimates savings of 50% when you purchase this bundle.

While these packages may not always work out in your favor, you'll at least know what your dining, imbibing, excursions, Wi-Fi and even additional activities on the cruise will cost.

Read: Cruise Drink Packages: Your Options by Cruise Line

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Additional costs on a cruise ship

Two Champagne flutes on table on cruise ship, with sparkling ocean in the background

Cruisers will also incur additional fees from excursions, fitness classes, spa treatments, access to thermal spa rooms, babysitting services, ship tours, wine tastings, cocktail demonstrations, cooking classes, laundry services, and some entertainment venues and activities on the ship – such as Norwegian's racetrack and Carnival's first roller coaster at sea, BOLT. See some of the more popular added costs you'll want to consider below.

Wi-Fi access

If you need Wi-Fi during the cruise, that's another cost to factor into the total price. Here are two examples of pricing for internet plans for two cruise lines.

Carnival offers three options for Wi-Fi, using Starlink. The basic Social Wi-Fi Plan gives you access certain social media channels like Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp and more starting at $12.75 per day per person. The cost increases to $17 per day per person with the Value Wi-Fi Plan. This option gives you access to your email and to sites for weather, news, finance and more. It does not support Skype or music and video streaming services like Spotify and Netflix during your cruise.

Carnival's Premium Wi-Fi Plan starts at $18.70 per person per day and offers speeds up to three times faster than the Value plan. With this plan you can make Zoom calls and use Skype. For all three of these plans, you can save 15% off the total price if you book in advance of your trip.

Celebrity also uses Starlink. The line's "Always Included" fare includes basic internet, a classic drink package and gratuities. If you don't book that fare, Wi-Fi plans range from $20 per day for basic service to premium Wi-Fi at $35 per day.

Shore excursions

If you're traveling to far-flung or new destinations, you'll want to book shore excursions. Cruise lines recommend that you book excursions directly with them rather than hiring an independent tour company or operator, but it can be more expensive to book tours through the cruise line.

However, if you experienced a delay on an independent tour and couldn't get back to the ship on time, there's a chance you could get left behind if you're not on a ship-sponsored tour. If you decide to go with a private tour guide, be sure to book an excursion where you'll arrive back at the ship with plenty of time to spare before the vessel departs for the next destination. Most tour operators in busy cruise ports work with the cruise ship schedules all the time, so you should be fine with a reputable independent guide.

Some trips last an entire day or are once-in-a-lifetime adventures like dog-sledding on a glacier in Alaska or taking a helicopter ride in Iceland. These types of excursions can be costly, ranging anywhere from hundreds to even thousands of dollars.

If these types of experiences are not in your budget, then look for historic walking or panoramic driving tours. These excursions are shorter in duration and typically the least expensive tours available on the cruise. Most of these types of tours will cost less than $100. And, of course, there are always other options available that range between the lower and higher price range of excursions.

If your ship is docked directly in the town or city, then you'll be able to explore off the ship on your own for free. Some cruise lines also offer complimentary shuttle buses into town, or a round-trip ride for a nominal fee, if it's not within walking distance of the ship. That's another less expensive option for you to sightsee, shop or grab lunch in town.

Transportation

Transportation is another expense that's often overlooked in the total cost of a cruise. Consider if you'll be driving or flying to the cruise port. If you're driving, you'll have to pay for gas and parking at the port – and maybe a hotel the night before the cruise, depending on when you arrive and when your ship is scheduled to set sail. Don't forget the meals or beverages you'll purchase on the way.

If you're flying to the port, especially on a long-distance flight, it's best to come in a day early. In that case, you'll also have to pay for a hotel, transfers from the airport to the hotel and then a transfer (private hire, Uber or cab) to the ship's terminal. There will also be meals to budget for while you're in town before the cruise and a ride back to the airport after the cruise.

Souvenirs or forgotten items

Don't forget to account for purchases on the ship. Items that you forgot to bring from home will be more expensive on the ship. It's also easy to run up the bill when buying souvenirs for yourself or the kids. It's a good idea to periodically check your bill online or with guest services to see the current balance. You can keep a running tab of what you've billed to your stateroom – and also make sure that the charges are correct.

Cruise pricing checklist

Suitcase with flippers on top on a rocky beach, with ocean in background

To sum it up, here's a checklist of major items that will help you to compare costs across cruise lines and tally up the total cost of a cruise:

Base cruise price
Taxes, fees, gratuities and port expenses
Specialty dining
Beverage package
Optional activities
Miscellaneous expenses
Air or ground travel to the port
Hotel prior to embarking

If you don't want to budget for all the individual expenses related to a cruise – and you don't need the over-the-top entertainment of a larger cruise ship – consider booking a mostly all-inclusive or fully all-inclusive cruise with a luxury cruise line . These cruise lines include almost everything in your cruise fare.

Mostly all-inclusive cruises

One option for a mostly all-inclusive cruise is Viking Ocean Cruises . The line's nine all-veranda ocean-going vessels accommodate 930 passengers – and all of Viking's ships feature the same categories of staterooms and suites, dining, lounges, and entertainment venues across the fleet. The ships offer an immersive cultural curriculum on board with regional dishes, destination performances and enrichment lectures.

Viking's fares include veranda accommodations, port taxes and fees, free Wi-Fi, access to The Nordic Spa and fitness center, 24-hour room service, ground transportation (if you book airfare with Viking), and one complimentary excursion in each port. You'll also have complimentary alternative dining options and free beer, wine and soft drinks with lunch and dinner on board the ship. Specialty coffees, teas and bottled water are available 24 hours a day at no extra charge. Guests are also invited to a welcome cocktail party and farewell reception.

If you like to have an aperitif before your evening meal or an after-dinner cocktail, those beverages will be at an additional cost. You'll also need to budget for any optional shore excursions that are not included in the fare.

Keep in mind that Viking is an adults-only cruise line, so children younger than 18 are not permitted.

Read: The Best Adults-Only Cruises

All-inclusive cruises

Cruise ship balcony deck with railing and red lifebuoy

Silversea Cruises , Regent Seven Seas and Seabourn Cruise Line boast all-inclusive luxury experiences with shipwide amenities such as ocean-facing suites, butlers, premium spirits, fully stocked in-suite bars, no tipping and complimentary dining at world-class restaurants.

Additional perks with Regent Seven Seas include complimentary shore excursions, free two- or three-night land programs, a free one-night hotel stay before the cruise departure, transfers from the airport to the ship, and business class or economy airfare, depending on the destination.

Silversea offers door-to-door arrangements where everything is handled by the cruise line. You can also opt for a port-to-port all-inclusive rate if you prefer to make your own travel arrangements. If you're on one of the cruise line's expedition cruises, fares will include a pre- or post-cruise hotel stay. All Silversea fares cover a selection of complimentary shore excursions in each port.

If you're interested in an even smaller ship – and are sailing to the Caribbean or Mediterranean – SeaDream Yacht Club features an intimate luxury experience on its two 56-stateroom yachts. The fares include top-notch cuisine, open bar and gratuities, complimentary daily yoga, access to water sports activities and nightly movies under the stars.

Read: The Top Cruises on Small Ships

How much does a luxury cruise cost for two?

If you want to go on a mostly adults-only luxury ship, what can you expect to pay for two people? This will depend on the ship, where you want to sail and for how long – and what amenities are included in the fare.

For a seven-night cruise in the Baltic region in June with Regent Seven Seas, an all-inclusive fare with suite accommodations is $12,540 ($6,270 per person). There are also additional perks available, depending on where you book the cruise. Some of the extras include a cash-back offer, a two-category upgrade and shipboard credit.

Silversea has a similar itinerary in June, and the fare also comes with added perks for $13,860 for two people ($6,930 per person) in suite accommodations.

While the price tag may seem high, compare the total cost with the base fare on a larger cruise ship and then add in all the extras.

See the top cruises on GoToSea .

The bottom line

The average cost of a cruise is all over the map – and there are many variables to consider. Hiring a cruise specialist to navigate the rough waters may be your best option. Cruise specialists are also privy to special deals and incentives that you may not be able to access on your own.

Travel agents can also advise you of promotions that may include free specialty dining, beverage packages, complimentary Wi-Fi, shore excursions, discounts on solo and family travel, and more. This approach will save you the hassle of searching online or calling the individual cruise companies to check on what specials are available.

If you'd rather have one price with everything included so there's little room for surprises at the end of the trip, consider a mostly or fully all-inclusive cruise fare. If you don't need waterslides for the kids, big Broadway shows and high-tech entertainment, opt for a cruise on a small luxury line.

When doing the math and comparing the costs, you might be surprised how similar in price cruising with a larger mass-market cruise line and a smaller luxury line can be. In the end, your decision will come down to your personal preferences and what you value most for your cruise vacation.

Why Trust U.S. News Travel

Gwen Pratesi has been an avid cruiser since her early 20s. She has sailed on nearly every type of cruise ship built, including the newest megaships, paddle-wheelers on the Snake and Columbia rivers, and an 18-stateroom river ship on the Mekong River in Vietnam and Cambodia. Most recently, she traveled on a small luxury expedition vessel in Antarctica and crossed the notorious Drake Passage twice. She covers the travel and culinary industries, specializing in cruises, for major publications including U.S. News & World Report.

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How Much It Costs to Live on a Cruise Ship For a Year

Who hasn’t gone on a cruise and thought, “I could do this forever”?

The idea of retiring from the rat race and living out your days on a cruise has great appeal for some people.

There’s no cleaning, no cooking, and no lawn to mow. You don’t have to worry about doing the dishes or paying an electric bill. There’s always something going on, new people to meet, and every day you wake up to some of the most beautiful views in the world.

Add to that the fact that Internet access allows many to work remotely from anywhere, and wi-fi is widely available on any major cruise ship. That means even if you don’t want to completely retire, but instead work from the cruise ship, it’s technically possible.

Of course, not everyone can run off and live on a cruise ship, but that doesn’t mean you can’t dream.

And the first question that comes to mind when you think about escaping is how much it would cost to live aboard a cruise ship?

So how much would you have to pay? Is the total cost even realistic? We recently priced out the cost of living on a cruise ship for an entire year.

The result? Just know that you’ll definitely need to open your wallet to live full-time in paradise.

Where You’ll Spend Money on Your Cruise

Head to any cruise website and you’ll see plenty of cheap headline prices. Cruises starting at a few hundred dollars for a week are common. At first glance, it seems like living on a cruise ship would be amazingly affordable. ( One cruise line advertises the ability to live aboard for just around $33,000 per person, per year .)

After all, a cruise for $500 a week would cost only $26,000 to sail for a year. For many people, that would be cheaper than living on land!

But anyone who has been on a cruise knows those headline prices are just the start of what you pay. In fact, in our opinion it’s a bit disingenuous of the cruise lines to advertise those prices. After all, what you’ll actually pay is much, much more.

Double Occupancy Cruise Fare: Apart from a few sailings that offer solo cabins, any headline price you find is actually only half of what you will pay for cruise fare. That’s because cabins are typically sold based on double occupancy, but prices are shown per person.

So for a fare that’s $599, it will actually cost $1,198 based on double occupancy. Even if you are sailing solo (unless in a solo cabin), you will still have to pay this “double” charge.

In other words, whenever you see a cruise price, double it right away for what you’ll really pay in fare.

Port Fees & Taxes: We all expect to pay taxes on things that we buy. It’s no different for a cruise. However, the taxes aren’t included in the headline cruise fare. As well, cruise fares will also have port fees tacked on. These are per-passenger fees paid to ports of call for the privilege of docking.

These fees vary, but in general, expect about $100-$200 per person for a seven-day cruise.

Gratuities: Sure, at the end of the day gratuities aren’t a required cost (you can adjust them as necessary), but in practice they are usually considered a charge that you’ll have to pay. They also add up quickly.

At around $16 per person, per day, a couple traveling on a week cruise will pay about $200 in gratuities. Over the course of a year on a cruise ship, that amount comes out to more than $10,000!

Onboard Spending: Anyone who has taken a cruise knows that what you pay in cruise fare is the start of what you’ll spend during your time on the ship.

From drinks to wi-fi to specialty restaurants, there are plenty of extra to spend on the ship . And even if you are a frugal sailor, you won’t go any lengthy time without having a few drinks or signing up for the Internet package to check in back on shore.

We Priced a Year’s Worth of Cruises to Get a True Cost

With all of these expenses in mind, we dove into what it would cost to live on a cruise ship for an entire year.

Cost of living on a cruise ship for a year.

Of course, when it comes to cruising for twelve months, you have an amazing number of options. From different cruise lines to routes, departure ports, ships, and even cabin types, there are a number of things that will have a big impact on what you spend.

That’s why we aimed to keep everything simple. To price what it costs to live aboard the ship, we took a look at sailings aboard a single ship from Carnival, which is known for being affordable. In this case, we priced a year’s worth of sailing for Carnival Horizon in 2024.

Carnival Horizon is a newer ship from the cruise line that sails six and eight-day itineraries year-round from Miami in 2024. That means you could sail the entire year without having to change ships and always coming back to a homeport in the United States.

The routes that the Horizon sails would take you all across the Caribbean, from Cozumel to Aruba, from Curacao to Grand Cayman. Because it is a bigger and (relatively) newer ship in the Carnival fleet, you’d also have tons of amenities and activities on board, as well as a many restaurant options — including Guy’s Burger Joint .

As for the cabin, in our search we opted for a balcony cabin. Yes, you would be able to sail for cheaper in an oceanview or interior cabin, however, we assume that if you are aboard the ship for an extended period of time, having your own balcony is a must.

As well, we assume a couple is sailing with two people to the room.

Summing up, here’s what we searched for our prices used in this estimate:

Cruise Line: Carnival
Ship: Carnival Horizon
Time Period: January-December 2024
Homeport: Miami
Room Type: Balcony
Number of People: 2

Here’s How Much It Costs to Live on a Cruise Ship

So how much does it cost to sail on the Carnival Horizon for a year? We estimate it to cost around $199,000 for two people , although that number can vary from person to person, depending on their spending habits .

Here’s an overview of where you’ll spend, and we breakdown each expense below:

Cruise Fare: The largest expense by far is cruise fare. Pricing a balcony room for each of the dozens of cruises the ship sails in 2024, it totaled $99,766 . Factored out, that's about $1,900 a week or $6,150 per month. Keep in mind this is for two passengers on the ship and includes the bulk of what you'll spend on a cruise, including your cabin, entertainment, and food.

Port Fees & Taxes: There's no escaping taxes, even on a cruise out at sea. Pricing out our cruises, the taxes and port fees for two people totaled up to $15,395 for the year. That comes out to a little less than $1,300 a month.

Gratuities: One of the perks of being on a cruise is that you are waited on hand and foot. But it doesn't come free. Carnival charges $16.00 per person, per day for automatic gratuities. Over the course of a year, that adds up to $11,648 in tips paid to staff.

Onboard Spending: How can you know what you'll spend on the ship over the course of a year? It's impossible to know for sure, and different people will spend different amounts. For example, do you need to have a drink package every day of the year? Or are you fine drinking water or juice? Are you a gambler? How often do you want to eat at specialty restaurants?

While you can't pinpoint exactly what you'll spend, you can get a good estimate. As a public company, Carnival Corporation (the parent of Carnival Cruise Line) publishes detailed numbers about their business. For instance, in 2022 the company took in $7 billion in ticket revenue and $5.1 billion in onboard spending.

So onboard spending across all of its lines was 73% of ticket revenue. For every $1,000 in cruise fare, the average person would spend about $730 on the ship. (Note: Onboard spending has increased since cruises returned, but bundling of offers like drink packages and wi-fi have also changed the amount. Before the pandemic, it was usually around 45% of ticket revenue.)

Using this metric, with a total cruise fare of $99,766, the average couple would spend $72,829 onboard during the course of the year. However, it's likely that the figure would be drastically lower as average spending on the ship will likely be less if staying full-time versus splurging for a short vacation.

Total Cost: Adding up tickets, port fees, taxes, gratuities, and onboard spending, the total estimated cost of living on a cruise ship for a year is $199,638 for a couple -- or about $100,000 per person. Without onboard spending, it comes out to $126,809 or $63,404 per person.

Notably, this figure is about 35-40% higher than the roughly $145,000 we calculated for the same ship when we last ran the numbers in 2023. The main difference between then and now? Cruise fares in 2024 for Carnival Horizon come out about $18,000 higher (for two people) during the course of the year and onboard spending estimates increased sharply based on the latest figures provided in financial reports.

Too Expensive? Here's How to Lower the Cost

There's no doubt that it's expensive to live on a cruise ship, but there are ways that you can trim that amount. If you're interested in cutting down the price, here are a few ideas.

Limit Onboard Spending: In our estimate, we used the average spending Carnival Corporation sees across all its cruise lines, which is 73% of the cruise fare.

You don't have to spend near that much. After all, when people cruise they are on vacation and likely willing to spend more freely than they would normally. By limiting the amount spent on board, you can cut thousands off this estimated total.

It's doubtful you can get by without spending at least some money, but our estimate comes out to about $700 per person, per week. Being able to spend less than that should be relatively easy.

Older Ships: Our estimate is aboard the Carnival Horizon. We chose this ship because it is relatively new (meaning you'll have the most amenities for a long-term stay), but it also runs a regular schedule from Miami.

That said, in general newer ships like the Horizon are more expensive to sail aboard. If you look for older ships, you should be able to cut the price down.

Be Flexible for Cheaper Trips: For this estimate, we priced out a year's worth of cruises on a single ship. This makes it easy if you're sailing long-term; you simply stay on the ship and don't have to worry about changing ships, or ports.

If you want cheaper options, however, you might find them by being more flexible with changing ships and/or cruise lines when you find a deal. That's where sailing from a port like Miami -- which offers a lot of options -- can be beneficial to your pocketbook.

Avoid Expensive Times of Year: In our search, the sailing aboard the ship varied dramatically due to the time of year. For example, the most expensive cruise aboard Horizon during the year was during the Christmas holidays and ran $1,399 per person. The least expensive 8-day cruise ran $869 per person -- or about 60% as much.

If you have the ability to take a few weeks off here and there during the expensive times of year, it can lead to big savings.

What do you think about the cost of living full-time on a cruise ship for a year? Let us know in the comments below.

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What about the VCL Victoria Cruises Majestic ship? Set to sail this fall, it’s a true long term residential ship that will circumnavigate the globe in 27 months from Fort Lauderdale. There is still space available! Price points and discounts vary based on how long you lease your cabin -ranging from 6 month’s minimum up to 37 months and beyond. About 500 cabins have been sold so far- adults only. And it’s all inclusive of internet, most drinks, laundry service, housekeeping of course, room service, etc.. All the standard things you’d find on a cruise ship. See this article that was posted today by one of the future residents! https://www.allwaystraveller.com/continents/worldwide/circumnavigating-the-globe-for-two-years-on-a-residential-cruise-ship

I would love to see the cruise lines cater to single seniors, they would be surprised how many would travel all the time….I personally would like to do three months, but the cost is just too high! Maybe there is a singles travel cruise group that I can join. Any suggestions out there?

Someone young wrote this article. Carnival is not the line most people would choose to cruise for a long period of time. On the Oceania Marina we met a couple cruising for several months and a charming older man who was cruising for 180 days. The couple had sold their house & were having a new house built, so homeless for a period of time. The older man was single &, I think, rather lonely so the ship life provided him nice social opportunities to talk to people. Here’s more info; “After record demand for its 2023 world cruise, Oceania Cruises has unveiled the itinerary for its epic global voyage for 2024. The cruise line’s 180-day journey around the world will set sail on January 14, 2024, and visit more than 96 destinations in 34 different countries.

“Incredibly, last year our 2023 world cruise sold out in just one day, so for 2024 we are providing guests more extended voyage options to deeply and meaningfully rediscover the world,” Howard Sherman, President and CEO of Oceania Cruises, said in a statement shared with Travel + Leisure.

Oceania’s “Around the World in 180 Days” cruise will depart from Los Angeles and cross more than three oceans and 15 seas as it makes its way around the globe to New York. The journey, on the Oceania Insignia, stops at more than 100 UNESCO World Heritage sites with 24 overnight stays.

Passengers will journey across the Pacific, through French Polynesia and Australia before continuing onto destinations like Japan and Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay. The voyage continues along the shores of India and the Arabian Peninsula before sailing across Europe and completing its route across the Atlantic in New York.

The 2024 “Around the World” journey starts at $48,499 per person and includes roundtrip first-class airfare and amenities like prepaid gratuities, laundry, and luggage delivery. During your days at sea, you can keep yourself busy with spa appointments, art workshops, the casino, cabaret, and four open-seating restaurants — not to mention the daily afternoon tea service accompanied by a four-string quartet. There is also a fitness center and sports deck, and of course, a saltwater pool with two hot tubs.

As usual, catering mostly to people who have the means to do this without blinking. It is time for older single seniors on a fixed income to be able to be able to cruise on a non party boat. A tranquil, voyage, letting go and actually hearing the sounds of Mother Nature, not a floating amusement park. That would be amazing.

It would only be me living on the ship, cant i spilt that cost that I would have if i had a spouse? so would that be about 60k ?

I think this is not taking into consideration the rewards systems that most cruise operators have which would reduce the fare, even in a balcony cabin. I could never do it since the state of cruiseline wifi is still pathetic!

Another way to do it vs estimated$175k year is to buy in to a condo cabin on the new state of the art Narrative from Storylines.com. Sails around world in 3 1/2 years starting at $5000 a month 2 people all inclusive , starting 2024!

😂😂😂 with prices starting at $400,000 and rising to $8 million

What about when someone needs care/hospitalisation etc….. Surely you would need a private medical insurance policy, which would get progressively more expensive as you aged?

I’m sure. This article only focuses on the costs of sailing for the year. Other costs aren’t considered.

Good information but why does long term stay/full time cost is so high. you would think there be discount especially for seniors. Also price for solo why double? I think it sounds like fun how about travel for 3 months first to try out. Sea sick is that a common element to consider for most? People with restricted diet such as vegetarians do they get the meals prepared? Are some classes offered for free? classes such as dancing or crafts part of the activities? Thanks

the price for double occupancy is basic international hotel rates. The cruise ship is basically a floating/mobile resort hotel. All cruise lines came onboard with the double occupancy in 2010. before it was fare and half to cruise solo. If you get a good cruise line that you like, most have a loyalty program that after so many cruise points you will be charged fare and a half for solo travel. 3 months would be a good trial to see if you like it, sea sickness is not really a problem as these ship travel well. you can put in for restricted diet before going on a cruise so should not be a problem long term – might be you have to request every week. Main Dinning has a veggie meal every night and the buffet style cafe onboard allows you to select what you want. You can even get Kosher meals. most Classes are free as well as activities. buy the drink package that is suitable to your habits. your excursions will cost you but after a few weeks you may be done with excursions and it is all about enjoying the ship.

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Live on a Cruise Ship: 100 Staterooms Now Open For Bid

Doug Parker

November 7, 2020

Today is your day if you’ve ever dreamed of living or retiring on a cruise ship. Last month, we told you about a company that bought a cruise ship and intends to sell the cabins as permanent residences and offices. Their goal? To create an entire floating community just off the coast of Panama.

On Thursday morning, the first block of 100 cabins went up for public auction, and we’ve got what you need to know about how to bid, what’s included in the price — and what’s not.

Thanks to the international health crisis, which led to cruise lines raising money by selling off older vessels, Ocean Builders was able to purchase the former P&O Pacific Dawn .

The newly named ms Satoshi will soon sail from Greece to the western coast of Panama, where it will be permanently anchored unless it has to be moved due to weather or mechanical issues.

How much does a cruise ship cabin cost?

Bids for stateroom ownership start at $25,000 per inside cabin, $35,000 for an ocean view, and $50,000 for a balcony.

Bidding for this first set of staterooms will run until November 29, with the winner being informed the following week. There are also buy-it-now options that let you bypass the stress of the auction. Inside staterooms cost $49,500, oceanview $69,500, and balcony cabins are at $99,500.

Future Prices Could Be Higher

During a recent video chat with potential seasteaders, Ocean Builders COO Chad Elwartowski indicated that the opening bid on future batches of staterooms might run higher.

He likened those who bid during this initial auction to people getting in on the ground floor of something that will only become more valuable as word spreads.

Monthly maintenance fees are determined by the cabin size and start at $570 per month. Plus, until metered service is set up for individual units, the utility fee (electricity and water) will run for $138 per month. This comes to $8,496 annually for an inside stateroom.

He also indicated that the larger suites on the 11th floor would essentially be for VIPs and, as such, would go for much higher prices. These suites would also pay higher fees, theoretically bringing down the costs paid by those in the standard staterooms.

Ocean Builders hopes to have a “Grand Opening” on or around January 3, although Elwartowski indicated there were still questions as to what Panamanian officials would require of would-be residents from the perspective of health-related protocols.

READ: You Can Live on this Cruise Ship Starting at $25,000

While the website has a dedicated FAQ page to offer details about pets, smoking, and other topics, there remain many unanswered questions.

During video chats, many questions regarding logistics, future fees, and how things would be decided once people begin moving in were answered in the vaguest of terms, with “probably” and “maybe” being the terms most commonly used.

Even the contracts which will bind the ship’s owners and its residents remain in a state of flux.

There was also a startling lack of knowledge about the ship and its operations, even with regard to whether or not staterooms had phone or Wi-Fi (both of which would seem vital given that Ocean Builders hopes to attract YouTube personalities and others whose livelihood would depend on reliable Internet access).

One thing is for certain: the world will be watching to see how this experiment in high-seas living ultimately plays out.

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Rendering of Storylines MV Narrative cruise ship

You Can Now Buy or Rent an Apartment Aboard a Cruise Ship

Caroline Morse Teel

Caroline Morse Teel is the Managing Editor for SmarterTravel Media. Follow her adventures around the world on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline.

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Tired of paying the rent on a boring house that doesn’t go anywhere? Now you can buy or rent an apartment aboard a cruise ship and see the world without ever leaving your home.

Storylines , a new luxury cruise line, is launching the MV Narrative, a residential cruise ship in 2024. Unlike a regular cruise ship, where you rent a cabin for a designated length of time on a specified itinerary, cruisers on the MV Narrative permanently purchase their rooms on a trip around-the-world.

Rendering of the MV Narrative, Storylines' upcoming residential cruise ship

Fully furnished one-to-four bedroom residences are for sale starting at $1 million, and a limited number are also available to lease for 12 or 24 years, starting at $400,000.

The 10 Best Cruise Deals for 2022

However, there are also mandatory all-inclusive living fees (which cover food, beverage, and amenities on the ship) that range from $65,000 to $200,000 per unit per year (based on double occupancy).

The MV Narrative is 741 feet long, and will have 547 cabins that range in size from 237 to 1,970 square feet.

Renderings of the potential layout of an apartment onboard Storylines' MV Narrative.

The ship will be on a constant round-the-world tour, circumnavigating the globe every three years. The cruise will stop in ports for around 1-5 days at a time, so homeowners will have plenty of time to explore each destination. The itinerary will change every three years, and residents will be able to vote on ports of call.

Onboard, the luxury cruise ship will have all the amenities residents could need, including a hospital, microbrewery, pet exercise area, 10,000 book library, movie theater, bowling alley, outdoor running track, golf simulators, and more.

A spokesperson for Storylines did not disclose how many residences have already been purchased, but said “the company has seen strong sales due to more people having the freedom to work and study remotely.”

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Are cruise drink packages worth the price? What to know before you buy

Are cruise drink packages worth the price? The short answer is that it depends.

It depends on how expensive a cruise line's alcohol package is on any given ship as compared to the cost of drinks purchased individually. Both things vary greatly from line to line.

It also depends on how much you drink in any given day and what sort of drinks you typically order.

For more cruise guides, news and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

In addition, it depends on whether you'll have access to any free drinks on a ship before paying up for a drink package. On many river cruise ships, for instance, wine and beer with lunch and dinner are included in base fares. You only pay extra for other alcoholic drinks served at meals or outside of meal times.

At some lines, the question isn't even relevant, as they include all or most alcoholic drinks in their base fares. At some other lines, drinks normally cost extra but often are thrown in for free as part of booking promotions.

Thinking about buying a cruise drink package or just wondering how much you should budget for drinks when cruising? Here, we talk about everything you need to know about whether purchasing an alcoholic drink package when cruising is right for you.

What is a cruise drink package?

One of the big allures of a cruise for many vacationers is that quite a lot is included in the fare, including a room, most meals and a wide range of entertainment. Alas, at many lines, drinks are not part of the package — and they can be quite pricey. For heavier drinkers, it's easy to run up an enormous bar tab when ordering drinks by the glass.

Enter the drink package, a flat-fee, all-you-can-drink offering that many lines have added over the years. For a fixed per-day rate, a drink package lets you order as many alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks as you want every day.

The price of such packages varies widely from line to line, from around $60 a day at cruise giant Carnival Cruise Line (if booked in advance) to $138 a day at Norwegian Cruise Line . For more on what's included in such packages and a line-by-line breakdown of what they cost, see TPG's ultimate guide to cruise line drink packages .

The benefits of a cruise line drink package

It can pay off to buy a drink package if you are someone who normally orders a lot of individual drinks on a cruise ship, particularly pricier drinks such as premium cocktails and wines by the glass. It's not uncommon for premium cocktails to cost as much as $15 or more on some lines, and wines by the glass also can approach $15 or more on some lines, too.

The first thing you should do when considering a drink package is carefully think through how many drinks (and what type) you normally order while on vacation.

As noted above, cruise drink packages on ships often are quite pricey, and they only make sense if you're a big spender on drinks — a really big spender. Carnival, for instance, charges $59.95 per person, per day for its Cheers! drink package if booked in advance ($64.95 if booked on board). Royal Caribbean drink packages sometimes cost as much as $89 per day. One Norwegian drink package is $138 a day. These packages only make sense if you routinely spend more than those amounts on drinks on a per-day basis.

If you're a beer drinker, the packages generally are not a good deal. It's better just to pay for beer as you go. On Carnival ships, for instance, many beers cost $7 to $7.95. You'd have to order more than seven to eight beers a day at that price for Carnival's Cheers! package to start paying off.

The packages make better sense for wine drinkers, as the cost of wine by the glass on cruise ships often is high. Wines by the glass on Carnival ships range from around $10 to $15. At the higher end of that spectrum, you'd have to order five glasses a day for the package to start paying off.

Related: The best drinks to order with a cruise ship beverage package

In addition to alcoholic drinks, passengers purchasing a cruise drink package typically can order an unlimited number of nonalcoholic beverages, such as specialty coffees and sodas that normally come with an extra charge. So the packages can be a good value to vacationers who are fond of ordering a high number of lattes, Cokes and other nonalcoholic beverages during the day in addition to alcoholic drinks.

To use the Carnival example again, someone who orders two or three lattes in the morning, several sodas during the day and three or four glasses of premium wine in the evening would come out ahead by buying a drink package.

For some cruisers, drink packages also prove to be a valuable budgeting tool. You typically can buy a drink package in advance and know exactly what you're going to spend for drinks for your entire cruise before you even step on board. Having a drink package also makes bar-hopping on ships easy, as you don't have to worry about paying for drinks as you go.

The drawbacks of a cruise drink package

The big drawback of buying a drink package when you cruise is that you may not get the value out of it that you think.

One thing to keep in mind is that lines generally sell drink packages by the cruise, not by the day. That means that you can't just buy a package for the specific days when you want to bar-hop on a ship. If you're on a seven-day cruise, you'll have to pay the steep per-day rates for all seven days — even for days when you don't plan to drink heavily.

Even if you think you'll use a drink package every day, remember that you might be spending a significant amount of time off your ship during port days on your cruise. On days when you're off the ship much of the time, you won't be ordering nearly as many drinks on board as on a sea day. Some cruise lines don't even allow you to use your drink packages on their private islands.

The packages make the most sense for passengers who consistently order a large number of drinks from day to day — even on port days.

Related: Can I bring alcohol on a cruise ship? A line-by-line guide

On many ships, you'll also need to factor in the drinking habits of your traveling companion. Several lines including Carnival, Holland America and MSC Cruises have a rule that if one adult in a cabin orders a drink package, all adults in the cabin must order the package. This is to prevent two people in a cabin from sharing a single drink package.

In such cases, it often doesn't make sense to buy a cruise drink package unless everyone in your cabin is a significant drinker. If one of you drinks and the other does not, you'll save more money by buying drinks by the glass.

Two lines that notably don't have such a rule are Princess Cruises and Windstar Cruises .

Another downside of many cruise drink packages is that they often have unexpected exclusions and price caps. Even the priciest drink packages might not include your favorite brand of whiskey or vodka, for instance. And many drink packages only apply to drinks on menus that cost under, say, $15. Note that in some cases, lines offer more than one drink package, with a pricier tier that gives you access to a broader range of brands and a higher per-drink cost limit.

If you're someone who is picky about wines, meanwhile, you may find that the wines included in drink packages don't quite meet your expectations. Generally, cruise drink packages only can be used for the wines by the glass that are available at bars and restaurants on ships, not the wider array of bottled wine in cruise ship cellars. That said, signing up for a drink package will get you a discount when buying wines by the bottle on some lines.

Related: These are the best cruise ship bars

How to get a free cruise drink package

The decision about whether or not to get a cruise ship drink package changes when you can get a package for free. Some big-ship lines will throw in drink packages for no extra cost as a perk during limited-time or ongoing booking promotions.

The line perhaps best known for throwing in free cruise drink packages as a booking perk is Norwegian Cruise Line. Norwegian seemingly always is running some variation of its "Free at Sea" promotion that brings a free drink package, specialty dining, excursions and other perks. Depending on the cabin category you book, you typically can get one or more of the freebies thrown in.

Other lines that historically have run promotions with free drink packages include Princess Cruises and Holland America, although both lines now are touting new all-inclusive fares that include drink packages and other perks.

Related: The best cruise booking perks – and which ones are actually free

Just note that the free cruise drink packages that lines sometimes offer with booking promotions aren't always their top-tier drink packages. Celebrity Cruises , for instance, includes a drink package with one of its fare classes called All Included fares. But it's not Celebrity's top-tier Premium Drink Package. The included package only covers drinks up to $9 and does not include premium brands of liquor and beer. For an expanded list of covered brands and drinks up to $15, you'd need to pay to upgrade your package.

Another drawback of the free cruise drink packages that lines sometimes offer with booking promotions is that they're not really free. Cruise lines typically charge customers who get a free drink package a gratuity fee for receiving the package in the amount of 15% to 20% of whatever the package normally costs. That can result in your "free" drink package actually costing you more than $100 a week.

Bottom line

Buying a drink package on a cruise ship instead of paying for drinks individually can be a good way to save when cruising. But they aren't for everyone. Drink packages generally make sense only for cruisers who typically order large numbers of drinks every day or particularly expensive drinks such as premium cocktails. For cruisers who only have one or two or three drinks a day, or order low-cost drinks such as beers, a cruise drink package generally doesn't make sense.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
A beginners guide to picking a cruise line
The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise
A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
Top ways cruisers waste money
The ultimate guide to choosing a cruise ship cabin

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Sweepstakes

Here's Your Chance to Buy a Retired Carnival Cruise Ship

One of Carnival's earliest cruise ships is going up for auction in the UK.

Why buy a dream home or a yacht when you can have an actual cruise ship?

According to The Points Guy , London-based ship auctioneer CW Kellock & Co. is listing one of Carnival Cruise Line ’s earliest vessels, the Holiday , next month. If you happen to have a couple million dollars lying around, it could be all yours.

The former Carnival vessel also sailed for Cruise & Maritime Voyages under the name Magellan since 2015, according to The Points Guy, though it still retained its signature winged funnel (also known as the “whale tail”) that Carnival is known for. The British company has since shut down due to the coronavirus, leaving the Holiday / Magellan without a crew.

The vessel originally set sail in 1985. It weighs 46,052 tons, can cater to 1,860 passengers, and generally had between 660 and 670 crew members on board, according to the listing on the CW Kellock and Co. website. Its length is between 727 and 733 feet and has 12 decks.

It’s currently the second oldest Carnival ship that still exists today. CW Kellock & Co. has a number of other vessels that are going up for auction in October, including the Vasco Da Gama , the Columbus , the Astor , and the Marco Polo , according to CruiseHive . All of these vessels other than the Marco Polo are docked in Port Tilbury in Essex, England.

Anyone who wishes to make a bid can also set up an inspection of the ship with CW Kellock & Co., The Points Guy reported. All bids must be submitted to the company by Oct. 19, 2020. There is currently no pre-auction price estimate for the ship, though The Points Guy estimates it will be for several million dollars.

Bidders should submit their offer in a sealed envelope with the vessel’s current name (Magellan) on it via mail to CW Kellock & Co Ltd, 5th Floor, 2 London Wall Buildings, London EC2M 5PP, U.K., or emailed to directly to kellock@eggarforrester.com, The Points Guy reported.

For more information, visit the CW Kellock & Co. website .

You Can Live Permanently On A Cruise Ship! Here’s How Much It Costs

This post may contain affiliate links. if you click one, i may earn a commission at no cost to you. as an amazon associate, i earn from qualifying purchases..

You know that feeling at the end of a cruise where you’re sad that you have to get back to everyday life…

Wouldn’t it be nice if you didn’t have to worry about that feeling ever again? Can you live on a cruise ship permanently?

It’s actually not as far-fetched a thought as you might think. In this guide, I’ll take you through all the options for living on a cruise ship. You’ll learn how much it costs, and what you’d need to think about if you wanted to try it.

Can You Live Permanently on a Cruise Ship?

It is possible to live on a cruise ship and there are several cruise lines that allow you to purchase an apartment onboard. Alternatively, you could book a series of short cruises on a mainstream cruise line.

It’s better to choose a cruise ship designed for long-term living than one from a mainstream cruise line. Logistically, booking back-to-back cruises with a standard cruise line is often not possible and you may have to change rooms regularly or even switch ships.

Cruise Ships You Can Live On Permanently

How much it costs to live on a cruise ship, the people who live on cruise ships, things to consider when living on a cruise ship, faqs about living on a cruise ship.

Technically you could live on any cruise ship, but it might not be possible. Cruises don’t always sell out, but the most popular staterooms and cabins book up far in advance. You would have to constantly look at booking cruises to make sure you have somewhere to stay.

Let’s look at your options in a little more detail…

Traditional Cruises

Cruise ships designed for permanent living, the three-year world cruise.

You can book yourself onto a traditional cruise ship for the long term. You would need to book each itinerary, one after the other.

If you wanted the same cabin on every cruise, it’s wise to make sure that you’re first in line when bookings open. That’s the only way to make sure you can secure the same room for the long term. Otherwise, someone could book your room and essentially kick you out.

Cruises are available to book around 18 to 24 months in advance, so you’ll need to plan ahead.

Moving cabins might not be the end of the world – but it would be a lot easier if you didn’t have to pack and unpack at the start of every new itinerary.

Note: Some cruise lines might make you leave the ship and re-board between itineraries

World Cruises

The easiest way to enjoy living on a cruise ship for the long term would be to look for world cruises. These itineraries can last a long time. Some of the longest run for six months, but three months is more common.

However, don’t expect world cruises to run back-to-back. Typically a cruise ship that is offering a world cruise will go back to offering more regular sailings for the rest of the year, so you would need to keep booking new cruises every time.

These cruises are often expensive too, so the cost of booking world cruises as frequently as possible may not be something you can afford to do.

I was keen to see what a world cruise ship was like, and I managed to book myself a place on board just for the first two days. You can see what the ship was like in my video…

Ship-Hopping

Another option is to ship-hop every few weeks. This may work out cheaper, especially on some cruise lines that offer cheap nightly rates and one-way repositioning cruises.

You should bear in mind how much work would be involved in constantly booking your next cruise, plus the added stress of worrying about whether you’d miss your chance and end up without a cabin.

It can be done though. One person who’s doing just that is Fraser from the YouTube channel Fraser At Sea . Check out this video where he announced his plans to live on cruise ships in 2023:

I’ve taken cruises that cost as little as £40 ($50) per night with all meals included. So if you’re savvy, living on cruise ships can be pretty cheap.

Below you can see examples of some of the best cruise deals available right now…

Arguably the better way to live on a cruise ship is to choose one that’s designed for permanent living.

There aren’t too many of these in existence, but there are some ships that are planned with full-time living in mind, removing all of the worry about making sure you stay booked onto the ship.

Here are the ships that are designed for full-time living:

It’s important to note that these are all planned launch dates. Already some have been pushed back – MS Utopia was originally scheduled for 2023. If you’re interested in living on a cruise ship, you probably need to be flexible on your start year, as plans can change.

1. The World

The World is the largest private residential ship on the planet with 165 residences. It has 106 two- and three-bedroom apartments, 19 one- and two-bedroom studio apartments and 40 studios.

Instead of booking individual cruises, people purchase one of the residences on the ship and are then free to use it as and when they want. Some people live on the ship full-time while others come and go, using it as a vacation home or an alternative to owning a yacht.

The World tries to distance itself in some ways from comparisons to a traditional cruise ship, but there are a lot of similarities, including in the onboard experience.

Take a look at this video to see what you can expect from life on board…

The ship features guest speakers, musicians, and cultural performances to entertain guests, similar to those which would feature on traditional luxury world cruises.

Daytime activities are available too, with two swimming pools as well as a tennis court, and a gym offering exercise classes like yoga and cardio. This is good, considering there are six gourmet restaurants on the ship!

The residences also have their own kitchens, and there’s a grocery store on the ship, if you want to cook for yourself.

The World has a spa, just like you would find on a cruise ship. So really, the experience is very comparable to a typical cruise ship – the only difference is that you have your own kitchen area and that you’re able to stay on the ship long term.

Although, one more difference is the option to host guests. You own your residence and so you’re able to welcome guests onto the ship if you wish.

The ship isn’t particularly family-friendly – kids are welcome, but there isn’t much for them to do. Understandably, the ship is primarily aimed at a mature audience as it’s likely to be retirees who wish to live on a cruise ship.

But that doesn’t mean your family won’t want to visit every now and then, and they will be permitted onto the ship to say hello, although you may be charged if they use some of the facilities, including the restaurants.

2. MS Utopia

Utopia is a planned luxury residential ocean liner project costing $1.1 billion that was originally ordered all the way back in 2009 by Utopia Residences .

The ship has had the launch date regularly pushed back, with the latest launch date announced as 2025. Everything has since gone a little quiet, so there are no guarantees that this project will actually reach completion.

The ship’s yearly itinerary includes stops at some of the world’s most premier events, such as Wimbledon in London, Carnival in Rio De Janeiro, Running of the Bulls in Spain, and Cannes Film Festival in France.

If it does go ahead as planned, Utopia will have 190 residences and will also feature a 175-room hotel, casino, 16,000-square-foot spa, nightclub, and many other amenities typical of large-scale commercial cruise ships.

3. Victoria Majestic

The former ms Veendam for Holland America Line, Victoria Majestic has now been turned into a residential ship and will soon set sail with Victoria Cruises .

Billed as the “world’s first affordable residential ship”, she doesn’t allow guests to purchase a room, but instead lease one on a long-term basis.

The longer you rent a cabin, the higher a discount you’ll get. For example, an Inside Cabin typically costs $8,000 per month (with a $10,000 refundable deposit), but if you book one of the longest leases for 37 months, you’ll get a 40% discount, meaning you’ll pay $4,800 per month. And that’s for two people – $2,400 per person, per month is a pretty great deal for living on a ship!

The ship will offer plenty of onboard facilities to keep guests entertained, and WiFi access means that you could work remotely from the ship if you’re able to.

The planned itinerary for the ship sees her sail from the US around the Caribbean and then down around South America, back up to the west coast of the US before crossing the Pacific to Asia, then onto Africa and a comprehensive tour of Europe for her first 212 days.

Not a lot is known about Somnio – the superyacht is still cloaked in mystery, and details are only available to those invited to apply for a residence onboard. It’s that kind of exclusive.

But here’s what we do know…

There are just 39 residential apartments on this exquisite vessel, each of which is customisable to fit the needs of the buyer. Prices are believed to start from around $11 million, with maintenance fees payable on top of that to the tune of around $100,000 or more.

For the money, you get use of the aft deck – the main hub of the yacht where you can enjoy a large lap pool, two spa pools and various bars and seating areas. Watersports equipment is also available, along with boats if you want to go fishing or diving.

The ship will sail a leisurely itinerary, cruising the world slowly to allow guests more time to explore in port (and to be more environmentally friendly, burning less fuel at slower speeds).

5. Villa Vie Residences

Villa Vie Residences is another new live-on-board world cruise option that has an interesting offering. You can choose to own a cabin, or you can just craft your own world cruise by paying for a cabin like you normally would on a ship, for your chosen segment of the cruise.

And that cruise is epic – it’s a planned 3.5 year journey that will visit over 420 ports in 147 continents across all seven continents. And it’ll continue running this cruise in perpetuity, so once it completes the first navigation, it all begins again.

If you choose to own a cabin, prices start from just $99,999, although there is then a monthly fee you need to pay on top of that. However, you can welcome guests to your cabin and only pay the daily port fees and gratuities for them ($33 per day), and what’s cool is you can rent out your cabin when you aren’t on the ship – making your money back.

Otherwise, if you prefer the Voyagers Program, it works like any other cruise. Prices start at $89 per person, per night and there are a range of itinerary options from 35 days up to 120 days, with the option to combine any that you like.

The cruise is all-inclusive with beer and wine served at meals, complimentary healthcare, free high-speed WiFi, selected free excursions, and free laundry.

And even with the monthly fees, it’s one of the best-value options for living on a cruise ship full time.

Villa Vie has also confirmed the purchase of the former Fred. Olsen ship Braemar for the cruise.

I was lucky enough to be able to interview one of the guests who has purchased a cabin on the Odyssey. You can read that interview here: One Man’s Plan to Live Full-Time on a Cruise Ship

6. MV Narrative

MV Narrative is a contemporary superyacht offering a luxury residential community at sea. Belonging to Storylines , it’s a more affordable choice than some of the other ships you can live on, with the cheapest residences starting at $875,000.

It’s also much larger, with 547 residences available and 18 decks.

You also have the option of leasing a residence on the yacht, if you can’t afford to buy one outright. This means you can pay yearly fees at a much more reasonable five-figure sum, but the downside is that once your 12- or 24-year lease is finished, you don’t own the residence.

It’s a very beautiful yacht with lots of relaxing places to unwind. There are three swimming pools, along with a mammoth 20 restaurants to choose from. You can also borrow from the 10,000 books in the library, or enjoy a drink brewed in the ship’s own microbrewery.

Everything’s included with MV Narrative, including laundry services, high-speed WiFi, premium satellite TV and even regular wellness visits with the onboard doctors and nutritionists, so you can make sure you stay fit and healthy while enjoying your life at sea.

If you have children, it’s by far the best option. There’s a ‘worldschooling’ program with onboard teachers offering hands-on learning through field trips, tutoring, classes and clubs.

Several British people have already bought residences on board, one of these is mindset coach Mimi Bland. You can read her story here: British Woman Embarks On New Life Working Remotely From A Cruise Ship .

Njord by Ocean Residences is a planned superyacht due to launch in 2025, with a wide variety of luxury residences that you can buy.

Studios on the yacht range from two to six bedrooms, so you can really splash out on a luxury pad for entertaining guests if you want to. The biggest suites are 9,000 square feet – consider how an average interior room on a cruise ship is around 130 square feet, and you get the picture.

Everything about this yacht will be extremely luxurious, including hand-picked furnishings, high-end appliances from Gaggenau and integrated smart-home tech throughout.

The yacht has seven onboard restaurants, an extensive spa and fitness suite, its own concierge hospital and medical centre, a cinema, a games room, arts and craft studios, and even a kids club should you wish to bring the family. There are two pools including an aft infinity pool.

Suites on the Njord start from $8.5 million so this is definitely a yacht aimed at the super-rich.

8. MS Dark Island

Dark Island is another residential cruise ship which is planned to be built by 2026.

The ship offers adventurous itineraries, visiting destinations around the world, with lectures, forums, discussions and field trips by leading academics preceding the destinations and expeditions.

There are 101 ultra-luxurious suites to choose from, each with a balcony and a choice of one, two or three bedrooms.

The Dark Island is built to minimise its impact on the environment, with a focus on sustainability and green initiatives.

There was one more option – and this was designed as a middle option between traditional cruising and residential cruising. That’s the ultra-long-term world cruise option announced by Life At Sea Cruises .

However, just as the ship was due to launch on her three-year itinerary in November 2023, the company cancelled the cruise after revealing they had not been able to secure a suitable ship. Read about the cancellation here .

The company had originally announced a three-year itinerary on their ship MV Gemini, with all-inclusive fares starting at $29,999 per person, per year. At the time, this looked like one of the most affordable long-term options for anyone interested in living on a cruise ship.

But then there were challenges about whether the ship was seaworthy, and so a second ship was sought. But with a deal lined up, the cruise line didn’t pay for the AIDAaura when it came up for sale, and instead it was purchased by Celestyal Cruises.

The cruise was due to set sail on 1st November 2023 and visit 135 countries until late 2026, covering 130,000 miles.

Guests had already travelled to Istanbul for the departure, and are now facing a wait for refunds. The company has promised to repay guests but using monthly installments, which suggests the money may have been spent – hopefully everyone gets their money back.

The cost of buying an apartment on a residential cruise ship is between $1 million and $14 million. There are also annual fees of between $60,000 and $300,000 to pay. In theory, you could cruise on traditional cruise ships for around $35,000 per year, if you choose a basic cruise.

There’s no getting away from the fact that residential cruise ships are expensive. That’s because they’re more like luxury ships, and they’re very exclusive. Plus you’re buying an asset, which can be sold on at a later date.

It’s difficult to compare costs directly since ships include different levels of service within their fares, plus you don’t know how long you’re going to want to live on a cruise ship.

But for the sake of comparison, let’s look at the estimated costs of living aboard three residential cruise ships, three traditional cruise lines and the new three-year world cruise.

Table comparing the cost of living on cruise ships for 10 years

Notes about the data.

It’s difficult to compare costs directly since ships include different levels of service within their fares, plus you don’t know how long you’re going to want to live on a cruise ship. You can’t really compare the price of owning a residential place on a ship to cruising for just one year. If you’re looking to buy a place on one of the residential ships, you’ll probably be looking to use it for the long term.

With that in mind, I’ve used 10 years as a guideline, comparing the price of buying a room on a residential ship for 10 years, against the cost of booking traditional cruises for the same time period.

The costs for each option is based on the cheapest accommodation using reported figures.

For the Carnival price, I have used a typical 4-day cruise and included the cost of the Cheers drinks package and the premium WiFi packages .

For Royal Caribbean, I’ve used an average 7-day Caribbean cruise, plus the costs of the Deluxe Beverage Package and the Voom Surf + Stream internet package .

For Regent Seven Seas I’ve based the price on a typical 10-day cruise. Drinks, WiFi, tips and taxes are included as standard.

Where I’ve placed an asterisk for annual costs – these aren’t published by Residences at Sea or Somnio Superyachts, so I’ve used the best estimate I can find.

How To Live On a Cruise Ship Cheaply

The cheapest way to live on a cruise ship would be to choose Life At Sea’s Three Year World cruise. They have the cheapest fares for long-term living, starting at $29,999 per person, per year and including everything you need.

You can even pay monthly if you prefer, with financing options starting at $5,227 per month – a figure that may be within reach for many digital nomads.

With Life at Seas, you get:

Free family & friend visits
Medical consultations during your cruise
Access to a Business Center onboard
Alcohol served with dinner
All port fees and taxes
High-speed internet
Laundry and housekeeping
All entertainment and enrichment seminars

If you would rather stick to a traditional cruise line, you can still keep prices low, but remember you’ll be booking cruises regularly, and you would need to avoid paying for many extras on the ship. You’ll also want to look at cruising with the cheapest cruise lines in the world, such as Carnival or MSC Cruises .

When you’re booking a Carnival cruise, the cheapest fare you can get will be one where you only pay for the cruise itself and the necessary extras – the port fees , taxes and gratuities.

And trust me, while it is possible to opt out of gratuities , you definitely don’t want to do that when you’re living on a cruise ship!

If you cruised in this way – choosing an inside cabin , eating only in the free restaurants and sticking to the free drinks you get on the ship (water, juices, basic tea and coffee at breakfast) then you could possibly cruise for around $35,000 per year.

This would mean you’d have no internet access and you would have to pay for any other drinks separately, but you would be able to enjoy the free accommodation, days at port, and the included daytime and evening entertainment on the ship, along with meals in the main dining restaurant, the buffet and any other included venues on the ship.

Life at Sea’s three-year cruise remains cheaper, and you get more included, but it depends on whether you like the idea of cruising with a more established mainstream cruise line or taking a punt on something new.

How To Live On A Cruise Ship For Free

The absolute cheapest way to live on a cruise ship is to work on one – although it probably isn’t what you had in mind when you thought about living on a cruise ship!

It’s the cheapest option because you’d actually be making money – and your room and food would be free. But you would be working six or seven days a week with only very rare days off, and often for long hours.

It’s hardly a relaxing way to see the world. But if you fancy it, there are plenty of cruise ship jobs with no experience needed .

In some cases, senior officers, including the ship’s captain and cruise director , may be allowed to have their families staying on the ship with them. It isn’t really standard practice, and most officers live on the ships alone, but if you really wanted to live on a cruise ship for free, then try convincing your partner to take up a career as a ship’s senior officer and then see what the cruise line can do for you!

Comparing The Cost of Cruise Ship Living With Other Options

A cruise ship offers a number of perks over regular living, the main one being that you get to see the world. Living on a cruise ship means travelling all across the globe, experiencing new cultures and thrilling experiences.

But how does the cost compare to regular living?

Is it cheaper to live on a cruise ship than in a house?

It costs a similar amount to live on a cruise ship as it does in a house. In the UK, the average cost of living is £2,200 per month, equal to around $2,650, and in the US the average cost is $3,200. You can live on a cruise ship for around $2,500-$3,000 per month.

Surprising, right? The average cost of living stats for the UK and for the US include typical rent payments, the cost of food, transport and entertainment, so we’re looking at very comparable rates. The UK’s cost of living makes it being cheaper than the average cruise, while the US is slightly more expensive.

Again, these are average costs for the countries. If we just look at the most expensive places to live, then London becomes £3,200 a month, or $3,800, while New York is approximately $5,100. So living on a cruise ship could actually work out cheaper!

Is it cheaper to live on a cruise ship than in a nursing home?

It is usually cheaper to live on a cruise ship than in a nursing home. The UK average cost for living in a care home is £3,550 per month ($4,250), while the US average is much higher at $7,900 per month. It is possible to live on a cruise ship from $2,500 per month.

Of course, if you need to live in a care home, there’s a good chance you need a carer. If that carer’s responsibilities aren’t specialised – if a family member is capable of taking care of you – then you just need to pay for a second person to join you on a cruise.

But that can still work out to be cheaper than paying for a care home.

So, if you don’t need any specialist medical care and have someone in mind who would like to travel the world with you, then paying for the two of you to live on a cruise ship could work out cheaper than living in a care home.

However, one thing that you’ll certainly need to factor in is travel insurance and medical costs. Travel insurance for such a trip could be very costly indeed, and it is mandatory.

Cruise ships do have doctors , but visits to the onboard medical centre can be very costly indeed, and for any serious medical issues, you would need to visit a hospital on land.

What we’ve gathered from this guide is that financially, it is viable to live on a cruise ship, although you need to plan your cruise carefully.

But is it actually an option, or are we being fanciful?

I’ve looked into some real-life examples of people who have lived on cruise ships, and there are some notable examples that prove it is a lifestyle within reach.

1. Lee Wachtstetter

Lee Wachtstetter was an American author who began living on cruise ships back in 2005, choosing Holland America Line’s MS Prinsendam as her ship of choice. She moved in 2008 to Crystal Serenity, and I love the reason why – it’s because Holland America stopped providing dancing partners.

Wachtstetter remained on Crystal Serenity until 2018 when she apparently had to return to land due to ill health. She’s published a book about her experiences, called I May Be Homeless, But You Should See My Yacht .

2. Morton Jablin

Morton Jablin , affectionately nicknamed ‘Captain’, is another long-term cruise passenger. As of 2018, when Jablin was 94 years old, he had spent 13 years living on Seven Seas Navigator, enjoying a life of luxury.

3. Mario Salcedo

Perhaps the most famous case is of Mario Salcedo , nicknamed Super Mario. Mario has lived continuously on Royal Caribbean ships since 2000, with an average of 15 days a year spent on land to handle life admin. He did live on land for 15 months during the COVID-19 pandemic too.

Salcedo isn’t a retiree – he works on the ship, managing investments for various high-worth individuals. And he isn’t tied to a single ship – at the end of his cruises he will return to his condo in Miami for a few hours, before embarking on his next voyage, often flying to a different port to meet the ship.

Here are some of the things you’ll need to consider when you’re living on a cruise ship.

There are two main things to mention when considering tax on your cruise.

Firstly, every cruise you take has taxes that need to be paid. On residential cruise ships or long-term world cruises, these are incorporated into the cost, but if you choose to book traditional cruises back-to-back, the taxes and fees may be separate – so be careful when you’re budgeting.

The second tax consideration is if you decide to work while you cruise. Even if you cruise on a ship permanently, you’ll still need to have a home country of residence, and you’ll need to obey the tax laws for that country.

However, there are often exclusions if you spend less than a set number of days residing in the country, so it’s worth checking your local tax laws and speaking to your accountant for advice.

As an example, in the UK you usually only pay tax if you live in the country for more than half the year. So, by living on a cruise ship permanently, you may not have to pay tax at all.

In theory, you could get a work-from-home job and work on a cruise ship, and potentially save yourself tax money by not being permanently based in your home country! And if you’re a high earner, it could even be more cost-effective to work at sea since the cost of the cruise fare may be less than the tax you save.

This Reddit thread dives into it in a little more detail.

Especially when you consider that your cruise fare includes your room and food – maybe this is something I need to think about?

Just be careful, though because you may also be paying other benefits at home that you could miss out on if living on a ship. For example, in the UK, if you don’t make National Insurance payments, you won’t get the full state pension later in life.

2. Insurance

Normal travel insurance isn’t going to cover you if you decide to live on a cruise ship. Travel insurance policies count on the fact that medical cover is a rarity when you travel for 2-3 weeks of the year.

You’ll need to look into long-term health insurance, so that you have cover should anything go wrong while you’re sailing, and this is likely to be significantly more expensive than regular travel insurance.

Speaking of health, you’ll need to consider how you’re going to stay healthy while living on a cruise ship. Cruise ships generally have a doctor onboard but visits to see them are costly, and they don’t offer most dental treatments.

It would be better to have the option of returning to land on a semi-regular basis to see a doctor and dentist, where prices will be lower.

If you intend to eat in the cruise ship restaurants, remember that they are aimed at vacation guests, and so meals will be richer and higher in calories than a regular diet may be. You might need to be careful with your meal choices, and you’ll want to make sure you visit the gym regularly, or find other ways to stay active.

A minor consideration, but if you sail on a cruise ship, receiving mail isn’t as easy as it would be at home. It is possible for someone to write to you at a cruise port via the port agency, but this requires you to reach an agreement for them to hold your mail.

It may be better to have a post box somewhere that you visit regularly – essentially, set up a home port where you can visit medical services and pick up any mail that you need.

There are several cruise ships designed for permanent living. The World is the only one sailing currently but more are coming soon – though you need to be flexible on dates, as launches are often postponed.

Living on a cruise ship costs between $2,800 and $6,000 per month for most mainstream cruise lines, including drinks packages and WiFi. Luxury cruise lines can cost more, up to $40,000 per month for a typical suite.

You can retire and live on a cruise ship from $2,500 per month, if you choose world cruise itineraries on the cheapest ship options. Choosing other long-term residential cruises, or back-to-back cruises that include drinks and internet access, can cost a lot more than this.

The Bottom Line

That’s a lot of information, but considering how we’re talking about as big a decision as living your life on a cruise ship, there’s always going to be a ton of information you need.

Is it realistic? Yes, it clearly is since others have done it, but it’s not something you can do without having some decent savings.

You’ll need at least $3,000 a month on most cruises, often more, and that’s per person – if you want to live solo then costs may be inflated as well, so bear that in mind.

The best option is to choose one of the specialist cruises aimed at residential guests – such as the MV Narrative from Storylines. These offer the comfort of a long-term solution, while being more affordable than the ultra-luxury MS The World.

It’s definitely a tempting way of living out your retirement, with the chance to be cooked for and pampered while being whisked around the world. Are you considering it?

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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

10 thoughts on “You Can Live Permanently On A Cruise Ship! Here’s How Much It Costs”

I love how much effort and detail you put into your articles Jenni, thank you for all your hard work! 🙂

Thank you! I appreciate your comment. Jenni

Hi There, My name is Moneir Saidden, I live in Australia, Sydney, semi-retired practising dental surgeon with close to 40 years’ experience, 66 years of age, healthy, very young looking and single. I would like to discuss the possibility of living permanently on a cruise ship, I would be more than happy if I could work on the boat as a dentist / health professional or whatever for my residence, i.e. I would not need a salary or wages, just the privilege of free living or part free living on the cruise ship.

Regards, Moneir Saidden

hello am FELIX ADDO BRONI and i will love to work with you.

Sounds very promising

One point about the Victoria Cruises offering – it does offer a flexible fare structure in that you can choose how long you wish to cruise – from 6 months through to forever. This is one of the reasons we chose Victoria Cruise – you can join the ship at any port. We have signed up for the three years to obtain the biggest discount but know that we can stop at any time and leave. So it really works for us and of course what a great way to see the world!

Come join us on Victoria Cruises line! We plan to sail 1 September 2023, pending a 80% occupancy…only 11% away!

It’s a brand new concept as it gives you all the perks of a cruise with a monthly rental structure while sailing around, traveling the world. The big advantage is that you can start your journey at any port and we stop at many ports for multiple days to allow us a proper emersion into the places we are visiting. It’s also an all inclusive cruise with all your meals, internet, free laundry service and so much more!

https://victoria.cruises/

You covered everything but Victoria Cruise Line, which is due to launch a residential ship this year. After looking at both Life at Sea and Victoria, I decided that Victoria was the better deal, especially for a solo traveler.

Thanks Athena. I’m in contact with someone from Victoria and will be adding it very soon. I agree it looks like a great option.

I want to live on cruise ship permanently

Travel | 8 new ships coming to Norwegian Cruise Line,…

Breaking News

Travel | booms, sirens in israel after iran launches ballistic missiles, drones in unprecedented attack, things to do, subscriber only, travel | 8 new ships coming to norwegian cruise line, sister brands plus dock at great stirrup cay.

Norwegian Cruise Line's second Prima-class ship Norwegian Viva arrived to Miami on Nov. 28, 2023 as it began its first Caribbean sailing season. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)

The parent company to Norwegian Cruise Line announced Monday a major order for eight new ships among its three brands as well as the construction of a pier to allow its cruise ships to dock instead of tender to its private Bahamas island for the first time.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings said it was planning to bring on four new ships for NCL, two new ships for upper premium brand Oceania Cruises and two ships for luxury brand Regent Seven Seas, all to be built at Fincantieri shipyard in Italy and debut during a 10-year run from 2026-2036.

The NCL ships would be the largest ever built for the line at around 200,000 gross tons and capacity of about 5,000 guests. They won’t arrive until after the final delivery of its Prima-Plus class ships expected between 2025-2028, the larger sister ships to the Norwegian Prima and Viva that debuted in the last couple of years. The four ships from the unnamed class of vessel would arrive in 2030, 2032, 2034 and 2036.

The new class for Oceania Cruises, which in 2023 debuted its first new ship in more than a decade — the Oceania Allura — will also be the largest ever built for the line at 86,000 gross tons and a capacity of 1,450 guests. They’re expected in 2027 and 2029.

And the Regent Seven Seas fleet’s new vessels will also be larger coming in at 77,000 gross tons with a capacity of 850 guests. They’re expected in 2026 and 2029. Regent just debuted the third of its Explorer class ships in December 2023.

“This strategic new-ship order across all three of our award-winning brands provides for the steady introduction of cutting-edge vessels into our fleet and solidifies our long-term growth,” said NCLH president and CEO Harry Sommer in a press release. “It also allows us to significantly leverage our operating scale, strengthen our commitment to innovation and enhance our ability to offer our guests new products and experiences, all while providing opportunities to enhance the efficiency of our fleet.”

No other details about the ships were released. Financing is already in place to fund 80% of the cost for the four ships among the Oceania and Regent orders, but financing for the four NCL ships is not finalized.

The eight ships expects to add 25,000 more to the three cruise lines’ passenger capacity.

In addition, the line is set to construct a multi-ship pier at Great Stirrup Cay, the popular Bahamas private destination visited by all three brands. The move follows the introduction of a dock that can support two Oasis-class vessels at neighboring Perfect Day at Coco Cay for Royal Caribbean while other private Bahamas destinations including Disney’s Castaway Cay and its new Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point feature tenderless docks for easy access.

“We are likewise excited with the addition of a new pier at Great Stirrup Cay to support our increased capacity in the Caribbean and multiple ships to call on the island, enhancing our guest experience and bringing seamless and reliable access to our private island year-round,” Sommer said.

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photo of Icon of the Seas, taken on a long railed path approaching the stern of the ship, with people walking along dock

Crying Myself to Sleep on the Biggest Cruise Ship Ever

Seven agonizing nights aboard the Icon of the Seas

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Updated at 2:44 p.m. ET on April 6, 2024.

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MY FIRST GLIMPSE of Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, from the window of an approaching Miami cab, brings on a feeling of vertigo, nausea, amazement, and distress. I shut my eyes in defense, as my brain tells my optic nerve to try again.

The ship makes no sense, vertically or horizontally. It makes no sense on sea, or on land, or in outer space. It looks like a hodgepodge of domes and minarets, tubes and canopies, like Istanbul had it been designed by idiots. Vibrant, oversignifying colors are stacked upon other such colors, decks perched over still more decks; the only comfort is a row of lifeboats ringing its perimeter. There is no imposed order, no cogent thought, and, for those who do not harbor a totalitarian sense of gigantomania, no visual mercy. This is the biggest cruise ship ever built, and I have been tasked with witnessing its inaugural voyage.

Explore the May 2024 Issue

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“Author embarks on their first cruise-ship voyage” has been a staple of American essay writing for almost three decades, beginning with David Foster Wallace’s “A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again,” which was first published in 1996 under the title “Shipping Out.” Since then, many admirable writers have widened and diversified the genre. Usually the essayist commissioned to take to the sea is in their first or second flush of youth and is ready to sharpen their wit against the hull of the offending vessel. I am 51, old and tired, having seen much of the world as a former travel journalist, and mostly what I do in both life and prose is shrug while muttering to my imaginary dachshund, “This too shall pass.” But the Icon of the Seas will not countenance a shrug. The Icon of the Seas is the Linda Loman of cruise ships, exclaiming that attention must be paid. And here I am in late January with my one piece of luggage and useless gray winter jacket and passport, zipping through the Port of Miami en route to the gangway that will separate me from the bulk of North America for more than seven days, ready to pay it in full.

The aforementioned gangway opens up directly onto a thriving mall (I will soon learn it is imperiously called the “Royal Promenade”), presently filled with yapping passengers beneath a ceiling studded with balloons ready to drop. Crew members from every part of the global South, as well as a few Balkans, are shepherding us along while pressing flutes of champagne into our hands. By a humming Starbucks, I drink as many of these as I can and prepare to find my cabin. I show my blue Suite Sky SeaPass Card (more on this later, much more) to a smiling woman from the Philippines, and she tells me to go “aft.” Which is where, now? As someone who has rarely sailed on a vessel grander than the Staten Island Ferry, I am confused. It turns out that the aft is the stern of the ship, or, for those of us who don’t know what a stern or an aft are, its ass. The nose of the ship, responsible for separating the waves before it, is also called a bow, and is marked for passengers as the FWD , or forward. The part of the contemporary sailing vessel where the malls are clustered is called the midship. I trust that you have enjoyed this nautical lesson.

I ascend via elevator to my suite on Deck 11. This is where I encounter my first terrible surprise. My suite windows and balcony do not face the ocean. Instead, they look out onto another shopping mall. This mall is the one that’s called Central Park, perhaps in homage to the Olmsted-designed bit of greenery in the middle of my hometown. Although on land I would be delighted to own a suite with Central Park views, here I am deeply depressed. To sail on a ship and not wake up to a vast blue carpet of ocean? Unthinkable.

Allow me a brief preamble here. The story you are reading was commissioned at a moment when most staterooms on the Icon were sold out. In fact, so enthralled by the prospect of this voyage were hard-core mariners that the ship’s entire inventory of guest rooms (the Icon can accommodate up to 7,600 passengers, but its inaugural journey was reduced to 5,000 or so for a less crowded experience) was almost immediately sold out. Hence, this publication was faced with the shocking prospect of paying nearly $19,000 to procure for this solitary passenger an entire suite—not including drinking expenses—all for the privilege of bringing you this article. But the suite in question doesn’t even have a view of the ocean! I sit down hard on my soft bed. Nineteen thousand dollars for this .

selfie photo of man with glasses, in background is swim-up bar with two women facing away

The viewless suite does have its pluses. In addition to all the Malin+Goetz products in my dual bathrooms, I am granted use of a dedicated Suite Deck lounge; access to Coastal Kitchen, a superior restaurant for Suites passengers; complimentary VOOM SM Surf & Stream (“the fastest Internet at Sea”) “for one device per person for the whole cruise duration”; a pair of bathrobes (one of which comes prestained with what looks like a large expectoration by the greenest lizard on Earth); and use of the Grove Suite Sun, an area on Decks 18 and 19 with food and deck chairs reserved exclusively for Suite passengers. I also get reserved seating for a performance of The Wizard of Oz , an ice-skating tribute to the periodic table, and similar provocations. The very color of my Suite Sky SeaPass Card, an oceanic blue as opposed to the cloying royal purple of the standard non-Suite passenger, will soon provoke envy and admiration. But as high as my status may be, there are those on board who have much higher status still, and I will soon learn to bow before them.

In preparation for sailing, I have “priced in,” as they say on Wall Street, the possibility that I may come from a somewhat different monde than many of the other cruisers. Without falling into stereotypes or preconceptions, I prepare myself for a friendly outspokenness on the part of my fellow seafarers that may not comply with modern DEI standards. I believe in meeting people halfway, and so the day before flying down to Miami, I visited what remains of Little Italy to purchase a popular T-shirt that reads DADDY’S LITTLE MEATBALL across the breast in the colors of the Italian flag. My wife recommended that I bring one of my many T-shirts featuring Snoopy and the Peanuts gang, as all Americans love the beagle and his friends. But I naively thought that my meatball T-shirt would be more suitable for conversation-starting. “Oh, and who is your ‘daddy’?” some might ask upon seeing it. “And how long have you been his ‘little meatball’?” And so on.

I put on my meatball T-shirt and head for one of the dining rooms to get a late lunch. In the elevator, I stick out my chest for all to read the funny legend upon it, but soon I realize that despite its burnished tricolor letters, no one takes note. More to the point, no one takes note of me. Despite my attempts at bridge building, the very sight of me (small, ethnic, without a cap bearing the name of a football team) elicits no reaction from other passengers. Most often, they will small-talk over me as if I don’t exist. This brings to mind the travails of David Foster Wallace , who felt so ostracized by his fellow passengers that he retreated to his cabin for much of his voyage. And Wallace was raised primarily in the Midwest and was a much larger, more American-looking meatball than I am. If he couldn’t talk to these people, how will I? What if I leave this ship without making any friends at all, despite my T-shirt? I am a social creature, and the prospect of seven days alone and apart is saddening. Wallace’s stateroom, at least, had a view of the ocean, a kind of cheap eternity.

Worse awaits me in the dining room. This is a large, multichandeliered room where I attended my safety training (I was shown how to put on a flotation vest; it is a very simple procedure). But the maître d’ politely refuses me entry in an English that seems to verge on another language. “I’m sorry, this is only for pendejos ,” he seems to be saying. I push back politely and he repeats himself. Pendejos ? Piranhas? There’s some kind of P-word to which I am not attuned. Meanwhile elderly passengers stream right past, powered by their limbs, walkers, and electric wheelchairs. “It is only pendejo dining today, sir.” “But I have a suite!” I say, already starting to catch on to the ship’s class system. He examines my card again. “But you are not a pendejo ,” he confirms. I am wearing a DADDY’S LITTLE MEATBALL T-shirt, I want to say to him. I am the essence of pendejo .

Eventually, I give up and head to the plebeian buffet on Deck 15, which has an aquatic-styled name I have now forgotten. Before gaining entry to this endless cornucopia of reheated food, one passes a washing station of many sinks and soap dispensers, and perhaps the most intriguing character on the entire ship. He is Mr. Washy Washy—or, according to his name tag, Nielbert of the Philippines—and he is dressed as a taco (on other occasions, I’ll see him dressed as a burger). Mr. Washy Washy performs an eponymous song in spirited, indeed flamboyant English: “Washy, washy, wash your hands, WASHY WASHY!” The dangers of norovirus and COVID on a cruise ship this size (a giant fellow ship was stricken with the former right after my voyage) makes Mr. Washy Washy an essential member of the crew. The problem lies with the food at the end of Washy’s rainbow. The buffet is groaning with what sounds like sophisticated dishes—marinated octopus, boiled egg with anchovy, chorizo, lobster claws—but every animal tastes tragically the same, as if there was only one creature available at the market, a “cruisipus” bred specifically for Royal Caribbean dining. The “vegetables” are no better. I pick up a tomato slice and look right through it. It tastes like cellophane. I sit alone, apart from the couples and parents with gaggles of children, as “We Are Family” echoes across the buffet space.

I may have failed to mention that all this time, the Icon of the Seas has not left port. As the fiery mango of the subtropical setting sun makes Miami’s condo skyline even more apocalyptic, the ship shoves off beneath a perfunctory display of fireworks. After the sun sets, in the far, dark distance, another circus-lit cruise ship ruptures the waves before us. We glance at it with pity, because it is by definition a smaller ship than our own. I am on Deck 15, outside the buffet and overlooking a bunch of pools (the Icon has seven of them), drinking a frilly drink that I got from one of the bars (the Icon has 15 of them), still too shy to speak to anyone, despite Sister Sledge’s assertion that all on the ship are somehow related.

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The ship’s passage away from Ron DeSantis’s Florida provides no frisson, no sense of developing “sea legs,” as the ship is too large to register the presence of waves unless a mighty wind adds significant chop. It is time for me to register the presence of the 5,000 passengers around me, even if they refuse to register mine. My fellow travelers have prepared for this trip with personally decorated T-shirts celebrating the importance of this voyage. The simplest ones say ICON INAUGURAL ’24 on the back and the family name on the front. Others attest to an over-the-top love of cruise ships: WARNING! MAY START TALKING ABOUT CRUISING . Still others are artisanally designed and celebrate lifetimes spent married while cruising (on ships, of course). A couple possibly in their 90s are wearing shirts whose backs feature a drawing of a cruise liner, two flamingos with ostensibly male and female characteristics, and the legend “ HUSBAND AND WIFE Cruising Partners FOR LIFE WE MAY NOT HAVE IT All Together BUT TOGETHER WE HAVE IT ALL .” (The words not in all caps have been written in cursive.) A real journalist or a more intrepid conversationalist would have gone up to the couple and asked them to explain the longevity of their marriage vis-à-vis their love of cruising. But instead I head to my mall suite, take off my meatball T-shirt, and allow the first tears of the cruise to roll down my cheeks slowly enough that I briefly fall asleep amid the moisture and salt.

photo of elaborate twisting multicolored waterslides with long stairwell to platform

I WAKE UP with a hangover. Oh God. Right. I cannot believe all of that happened last night. A name floats into my cobwebbed, nauseated brain: “Ayn Rand.” Jesus Christ.

I breakfast alone at the Coastal Kitchen. The coffee tastes fine and the eggs came out of a bird. The ship rolls slightly this morning; I can feel it in my thighs and my schlong, the parts of me that are most receptive to danger.

I had a dangerous conversation last night. After the sun set and we were at least 50 miles from shore (most modern cruise ships sail at about 23 miles an hour), I lay in bed softly hiccupping, my arms stretched out exactly like Jesus on the cross, the sound of the distant waves missing from my mall-facing suite, replaced by the hum of air-conditioning and children shouting in Spanish through the vents of my two bathrooms. I decided this passivity was unacceptable. As an immigrant, I feel duty-bound to complete the tasks I am paid for, which means reaching out and trying to understand my fellow cruisers. So I put on a normal James Perse T-shirt and headed for one of the bars on the Royal Promenade—the Schooner Bar, it was called, if memory serves correctly.

I sat at the bar for a martini and two Negronis. An old man with thick, hairy forearms drank next to me, very silent and Hemingwaylike, while a dreadlocked piano player tinkled out a series of excellent Elton John covers. To my right, a young white couple—he in floral shorts, she in a light, summery miniskirt with a fearsome diamond ring, neither of them in football regalia—chatted with an elderly couple. Do it , I commanded myself. Open your mouth. Speak! Speak without being spoken to. Initiate. A sentence fragment caught my ear from the young woman, “Cherry Hill.” This is a suburb of Philadelphia in New Jersey, and I had once been there for a reading at a synagogue. “Excuse me,” I said gently to her. “Did you just mention Cherry Hill? It’s a lovely place.”

As it turned out, the couple now lived in Fort Lauderdale (the number of Floridians on the cruise surprised me, given that Southern Florida is itself a kind of cruise ship, albeit one slowly sinking), but soon they were talking with me exclusively—the man potbellied, with a chin like a hard-boiled egg; the woman as svelte as if she were one of the many Ukrainian members of the crew—the elderly couple next to them forgotten. This felt as groundbreaking as the first time I dared to address an American in his native tongue, as a child on a bus in Queens (“On my foot you are standing, Mister”).

“I don’t want to talk politics,” the man said. “But they’re going to eighty-six Biden and put Michelle in.”

I considered the contradictions of his opening conversational gambit, but decided to play along. “People like Michelle,” I said, testing the waters. The husband sneered, but the wife charitably put forward that the former first lady was “more personable” than Joe Biden. “They’re gonna eighty-six Biden,” the husband repeated. “He can’t put a sentence together.”

After I mentioned that I was a writer—though I presented myself as a writer of teleplays instead of novels and articles such as this one—the husband told me his favorite writer was Ayn Rand. “Ayn Rand, she came here with nothing,” the husband said. “I work with a lot of Cubans, so …” I wondered if I should mention what I usually do to ingratiate myself with Republicans or libertarians: the fact that my finances improved after pass-through corporations were taxed differently under Donald Trump. Instead, I ordered another drink and the couple did the same, and I told him that Rand and I were born in the same city, St. Petersburg/Leningrad, and that my family also came here with nothing. Now the bonding and drinking began in earnest, and several more rounds appeared. Until it all fell apart.

Read: Gary Shteyngart on watching Russian television for five days straight

My new friend, whom I will refer to as Ayn, called out to a buddy of his across the bar, and suddenly a young couple, both covered in tattoos, appeared next to us. “He fucking punked me,” Ayn’s frat-boy-like friend called out as he put his arm around Ayn, while his sizable partner sizzled up to Mrs. Rand. Both of them had a look I have never seen on land—their eyes projecting absence and enmity in equal measure. In the ’90s, I drank with Russian soldiers fresh from Chechnya and wandered the streets of wartime Zagreb, but I have never seen such undisguised hostility toward both me and perhaps the universe at large. I was briefly introduced to this psychopathic pair, but neither of them wanted to have anything to do with me, and the tattooed woman would not even reveal her Christian name to me (she pretended to have the same first name as Mrs. Rand). To impress his tattooed friends, Ayn made fun of the fact that as a television writer, I’d worked on the series Succession (which, it would turn out, practically nobody on the ship had watched), instead of the far more palatable, in his eyes, zombie drama of last year. And then my new friends drifted away from me into an angry private conversation—“He punked me!”—as I ordered another drink for myself, scared of the dead-eyed arrivals whose gaze never registered in the dim wattage of the Schooner Bar, whose terrifying voices and hollow laughs grated like unoiled gears against the crooning of “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.”

But today is a new day for me and my hangover. After breakfast, I explore the ship’s so-called neighborhoods . There’s the AquaDome, where one can find a food hall and an acrobatic sound-and-light aquatic show. Central Park has a premium steak house, a sushi joint, and a used Rolex that can be bought for $8,000 on land here proudly offered at $17,000. There’s the aforementioned Royal Promenade, where I had drunk with the Rands, and where a pair of dueling pianos duel well into the night. There’s Surfside, a kids’ neighborhood full of sugary garbage, which looks out onto the frothy trail that the behemoth leaves behind itself. Thrill Island refers to the collection of tubes that clutter the ass of the ship and offer passengers six waterslides and a surfing simulation. There’s the Hideaway, an adult zone that plays music from a vomit-slathered, Brit-filled Alicante nightclub circa 1996 and proves a big favorite with groups of young Latin American customers. And, most hurtfully, there’s the Suite Neighborhood.

2 photos: a ship's foamy white wake stretches to the horizon; a man at reailing with water and two large ships docked behind

I say hurtfully because as a Suite passenger I should be here, though my particular suite is far from the others. Whereas I am stuck amid the riffraff of Deck 11, this section is on the highborn Decks 16 and 17, and in passing, I peek into the spacious, tall-ceilinged staterooms from the hallway, dazzled by the glint of the waves and sun. For $75,000, one multifloor suite even comes with its own slide between floors, so that a family may enjoy this particular terror in private. There is a quiet splendor to the Suite Neighborhood. I see fewer stickers and signs and drawings than in my own neighborhood—for example, MIKE AND DIANA PROUDLY SERVED U.S. MARINE CORPS RETIRED . No one here needs to announce their branch of service or rank; they are simply Suites, and this is where they belong. Once again, despite my hard work and perseverance, I have been disallowed from the true American elite. Once again, I am “Not our class, dear.” I am reminded of watching The Love Boat on my grandmother’s Zenith, which either was given to her or we found in the trash (I get our many malfunctioning Zeniths confused) and whose tube got so hot, I would put little chunks of government cheese on a thin tissue atop it to give our welfare treat a pleasant, Reagan-era gooeyness. I could not understand English well enough then to catch the nuances of that seafaring program, but I knew that there were differences in the status of the passengers, and that sometimes those differences made them sad. Still, this ship, this plenty—every few steps, there are complimentary nachos or milkshakes or gyros on offer—was the fatty fuel of my childhood dreams. If only I had remained a child.

I walk around the outdoor decks looking for company. There is a middle-aged African American couple who always seem to be asleep in each other’s arms, probably exhausted from the late capitalism they regularly encounter on land. There is far more diversity on this ship than I expected. Many couples are a testament to Loving v. Virginia , and there is a large group of folks whose T-shirts read MELANIN AT SEA / IT’S THE MELANIN FOR ME . I smile when I see them, but then some young kids from the group makes Mr. Washy Washy do a cruel, caricatured “Burger Dance” (today he is in his burger getup), and I think, Well, so much for intersectionality .

At the infinity pool on Deck 17, I spot some elderly women who could be ethnic and from my part of the world, and so I jump in. I am proved correct! Many of them seem to be originally from Queens (“Corona was still great when it was all Italian”), though they are now spread across the tristate area. We bond over the way “Ron-kon-koma” sounds when announced in Penn Station.

“Everyone is here for a different reason,” one of them tells me. She and her ex-husband last sailed together four years ago to prove to themselves that their marriage was truly over. Her 15-year-old son lost his virginity to “an Irish young lady” while their ship was moored in Ravenna, Italy. The gaggle of old-timers competes to tell me their favorite cruising stories and tips. “A guy proposed in Central Park a couple of years ago”—many Royal Caribbean ships apparently have this ridiculous communal area—“and she ran away screaming!” “If you’re diamond-class, you get four drinks for free.” “A different kind of passenger sails out of Bayonne.” (This, perhaps, is racially coded.) “Sometimes, if you tip the bartender $5, your next drink will be free.”

“Everyone’s here for a different reason,” the woman whose marriage ended on a cruise tells me again. “Some people are here for bad reasons—the drinkers and the gamblers. Some people are here for medical reasons.” I have seen more than a few oxygen tanks and at least one woman clearly undergoing very serious chemo. Some T-shirts celebrate good news about a cancer diagnosis. This might be someone’s last cruise or week on Earth. For these women, who have spent months, if not years, at sea, cruising is a ritual as well as a life cycle: first love, last love, marriage, divorce, death.

Read: The last place on Earth any tourist should go

I have talked with these women for so long, tonight I promise myself that after a sad solitary dinner I will not try to seek out company at the bars in the mall or the adult-themed Hideaway. I have enough material to fulfill my duties to this publication. As I approach my orphaned suite, I run into the aggro young people who stole Mr. and Mrs. Rand away from me the night before. The tattooed apparitions pass me without a glance. She is singing something violent about “Stuttering Stanley” (a character in a popular horror movie, as I discover with my complimentary VOOM SM Surf & Stream Internet at Sea) and he’s loudly shouting about “all the money I’ve lost,” presumably at the casino in the bowels of the ship.

So these bent psychos out of a Cormac McCarthy novel are angrily inhabiting my deck. As I mewl myself to sleep, I envision a limited series for HBO or some other streamer, a kind of low-rent White Lotus , where several aggressive couples conspire to throw a shy intellectual interloper overboard. I type the scenario into my phone. As I fall asleep, I think of what the woman who recently divorced her husband and whose son became a man through the good offices of the Irish Republic told me while I was hoisting myself out of the infinity pool. “I’m here because I’m an explorer. I’m here because I’m trying something new.” What if I allowed myself to believe in her fantasy?

2 photos: 2 slices of pizza on plate; man in "Daddy's Little Meatball" shirt and shorts standing in outdoor dining area with ship's exhaust stacks in background

“YOU REALLY STARTED AT THE TOP,” they tell me. I’m at the Coastal Kitchen for my eggs and corned-beef hash, and the maître d’ has slotted me in between two couples. Fueled by coffee or perhaps intrigued by my relative youth, they strike up a conversation with me. As always, people are shocked that this is my first cruise. They contrast the Icon favorably with all the preceding liners in the Royal Caribbean fleet, usually commenting on the efficiency of the elevators that hurl us from deck to deck (as in many large corporate buildings, the elevators ask you to choose a floor and then direct you to one of many lifts). The couple to my right, from Palo Alto—he refers to his “porn mustache” and calls his wife “my cougar” because she is two years older—tell me they are “Pandemic Pinnacles.”

This is the day that my eyes will be opened. Pinnacles , it is explained to me over translucent cantaloupe, have sailed with Royal Caribbean for 700 ungodly nights. Pandemic Pinnacles took advantage of the two-for-one accrual rate of Pinnacle points during the pandemic, when sailing on a cruise ship was even more ill-advised, to catapult themselves into Pinnacle status.

Because of the importance of the inaugural voyage of the world’s largest cruise liner, more than 200 Pinnacles are on this ship, a startling number, it seems. Mrs. Palo Alto takes out a golden badge that I have seen affixed over many a breast, which reads CROWN AND ANCHOR SOCIETY along with her name. This is the coveted badge of the Pinnacle. “You should hear all the whining in Guest Services,” her husband tells me. Apparently, the Pinnacles who are not also Suites like us are all trying to use their status to get into Coastal Kitchen, our elite restaurant. Even a Pinnacle needs to be a Suite to access this level of corned-beef hash.

“We’re just baby Pinnacles,” Mrs. Palo Alto tells me, describing a kind of internal class struggle among the Pinnacle elite for ever higher status.

And now I understand what the maître d’ was saying to me on the first day of my cruise. He wasn’t saying “ pendejo .” He was saying “Pinnacle.” The dining room was for Pinnacles only, all those older people rolling in like the tide on their motorized scooters.

And now I understand something else: This whole thing is a cult. And like most cults, it can’t help but mirror the endless American fight for status. Like Keith Raniere’s NXIVM, where different-colored sashes were given out to connote rank among Raniere’s branded acolytes, this is an endless competition among Pinnacles, Suites, Diamond-Plusers, and facing-the-mall, no-balcony purple SeaPass Card peasants, not to mention the many distinctions within each category. The more you cruise, the higher your status. No wonder a section of the Royal Promenade is devoted to getting passengers to book their next cruise during the one they should be enjoying now. No wonder desperate Royal Caribbean offers (“FINAL HOURS”) crowded my email account weeks before I set sail. No wonder the ship’s jewelry store, the Royal Bling, is selling a $100,000 golden chalice that will entitle its owner to drink free on Royal Caribbean cruises for life. (One passenger was already gaming out whether her 28-year-old son was young enough to “just about earn out” on the chalice or if that ship had sailed.) No wonder this ship was sold out months before departure , and we had to pay $19,000 for a horrid suite away from the Suite Neighborhood. No wonder the most mythical hero of Royal Caribbean lore is someone named Super Mario, who has cruised so often, he now has his own working desk on many ships. This whole experience is part cult, part nautical pyramid scheme.

From the June 2014 issue: Ship of wonks

“The toilets are amazing,” the Palo Altos are telling me. “One flush and you’re done.” “They don’t understand how energy-efficient these ships are,” the husband of the other couple is telling me. “They got the LNG”—liquefied natural gas, which is supposed to make the Icon a boon to the environment (a concept widely disputed and sometimes ridiculed by environmentalists).

But I’m thinking along a different line of attack as I spear my last pallid slice of melon. For my streaming limited series, a Pinnacle would have to get killed by either an outright peasant or a Suite without an ocean view. I tell my breakfast companions my idea.

“Oh, for sure a Pinnacle would have to be killed,” Mr. Palo Alto, the Pandemic Pinnacle, says, touching his porn mustache thoughtfully as his wife nods.

“THAT’S RIGHT, IT’S your time, buddy!” Hubert, my fun-loving Panamanian cabin attendant, shouts as I step out of my suite in a robe. “Take it easy, buddy!”

I have come up with a new dressing strategy. Instead of trying to impress with my choice of T-shirts, I have decided to start wearing a robe, as one does at a resort property on land, with a proper spa and hammam. The response among my fellow cruisers has been ecstatic. “Look at you in the robe!” Mr. Rand cries out as we pass each other by the Thrill Island aqua park. “You’re living the cruise life! You know, you really drank me under the table that night.” I laugh as we part ways, but my soul cries out, Please spend more time with me, Mr. and Mrs. Rand; I so need the company .

In my white robe, I am a stately presence, a refugee from a better limited series, a one-man crossover episode. (Only Suites are granted these robes to begin with.) Today, I will try many of the activities these ships have on offer to provide their clientele with a sense of never-ceasing motion. Because I am already at Thrill Island, I decide to climb the staircase to what looks like a mast on an old-fashioned ship (terrified, because I am afraid of heights) to try a ride called “Storm Chasers,” which is part of the “Category 6” water park, named in honor of one of the storms that may someday do away with the Port of Miami entirely. Storm Chasers consists of falling from the “mast” down a long, twisting neon tube filled with water, like being the camera inside your own colonoscopy, as you hold on to the handles of a mat, hoping not to die. The tube then flops you down headfirst into a trough of water, a Royal Caribbean baptism. It both knocks my breath out and makes me sad.

In keeping with the aquatic theme, I attend a show at the AquaDome. To the sound of “Live and Let Die,” a man in a harness gyrates to and fro in the sultry air. I saw something very similar in the back rooms of the famed Berghain club in early-aughts Berlin. Soon another harnessed man is gyrating next to the first. Ja , I think to myself, I know how this ends. Now will come the fisting , natürlich . But the show soon devolves into the usual Marvel-film-grade nonsense, with too much light and sound signifying nichts . If any fisting is happening, it is probably in the Suite Neighborhood, inside a cabin marked with an upside-down pineapple, which I understand means a couple are ready to swing, and I will see none of it.

I go to the ice show, which is a kind of homage—if that’s possible—to the periodic table, done with the style and pomp and masterful precision that would please the likes of Kim Jong Un, if only he could afford Royal Caribbean talent. At one point, the dancers skate to the theme song of Succession . “See that!” I want to say to my fellow Suites—at “cultural” events, we have a special section reserved for us away from the commoners—“ Succession ! It’s even better than the zombie show! Open your minds!”

Finally, I visit a comedy revue in an enormous and too brightly lit version of an “intimate,” per Royal Caribbean literature, “Manhattan comedy club.” Many of the jokes are about the cruising life. “I’ve lived on ships for 20 years,” one of the middle-aged comedians says. “I can only see so many Filipino homosexuals dressed as a taco.” He pauses while the audience laughs. “I am so fired tonight,” he says. He segues into a Trump impression and then Biden falling asleep at the microphone, which gets the most laughs. “Anyone here from Fort Leonard Wood?” another comedian asks. Half the crowd seems to cheer. As I fall asleep that night, I realize another connection I have failed to make, and one that may explain some of the diversity on this vessel—many of its passengers have served in the military.

As a coddled passenger with a suite, I feel like I am starting to understand what it means to have a rank and be constantly reminded of it. There are many espresso makers , I think as I look across the expanse of my officer-grade quarters before closing my eyes, but this one is mine .

photo of sheltered sandy beach with palms, umbrellas, and chairs with two large docked cruise ships in background

A shocking sight greets me beyond the pools of Deck 17 as I saunter over to the Coastal Kitchen for my morning intake of slightly sour Americanos. A tiny city beneath a series of perfectly pressed green mountains. Land! We have docked for a brief respite in Basseterre, the capital of St. Kitts and Nevis. I wolf down my egg scramble to be one of the first passengers off the ship. Once past the gangway, I barely refrain from kissing the ground. I rush into the sights and sounds of this scruffy island city, sampling incredible conch curry and buckets of non-Starbucks coffee. How wonderful it is to be where God intended humans to be: on land. After all, I am neither a fish nor a mall rat. This is my natural environment. Basseterre may not be Havana, but there are signs of human ingenuity and desire everywhere you look. The Black Table Grill Has been Relocated to Soho Village, Market Street, Directly Behind of, Gary’s Fruits and Flower Shop. Signed. THE PORK MAN reads a sign stuck to a wall. Now, that is how you write a sign. A real sign, not the come-ons for overpriced Rolexes that blink across the screens of the Royal Promenade.

“Hey, tie your shoestring!” a pair of laughing ladies shout to me across the street.

“Thank you!” I shout back. Shoestring! “Thank you very much.”

A man in Independence Square Park comes by and asks if I want to play with his monkey. I haven’t heard that pickup line since the Penn Station of the 1980s. But then he pulls a real monkey out of a bag. The monkey is wearing a diaper and looks insane. Wonderful , I think, just wonderful! There is so much life here. I email my editor asking if I can remain on St. Kitts and allow the Icon to sail off into the horizon without me. I have even priced a flight home at less than $300, and I have enough material from the first four days on the cruise to write the entire story. “It would be funny …” my editor replies. “Now get on the boat.”

As I slink back to the ship after my brief jailbreak, the locals stand under umbrellas to gaze at and photograph the boat that towers over their small capital city. The limousines of the prime minister and his lackeys are parked beside the gangway. St. Kitts, I’ve been told, is one of the few islands that would allow a ship of this size to dock.

“We hear about all the waterslides,” a sweet young server in one of the cafés told me. “We wish we could go on the ship, but we have to work.”

“I want to stay on your island,” I replied. “I love it here.”

But she didn’t understand how I could possibly mean that.

“WASHY, WASHY, so you don’t get stinky, stinky!” kids are singing outside the AquaDome, while their adult minders look on in disapproval, perhaps worried that Mr. Washy Washy is grooming them into a life of gayness. I heard a southern couple skip the buffet entirely out of fear of Mr. Washy Washy.

Meanwhile, I have found a new watering hole for myself, the Swim & Tonic, the biggest swim-up bar on any cruise ship in the world. Drinking next to full-size, nearly naked Americans takes away one’s own self-consciousness. The men have curvaceous mom bodies. The women are equally un-shy about their sprawling physiques.

Today I’ve befriended a bald man with many children who tells me that all of the little trinkets that Royal Caribbean has left us in our staterooms and suites are worth a fortune on eBay. “Eighty dollars for the water bottle, 60 for the lanyard,” the man says. “This is a cult.”

“Tell me about it,” I say. There is, however, a clientele for whom this cruise makes perfect sense. For a large middle-class family (he works in “supply chains”), seven days in a lower-tier cabin—which starts at $1,800 a person—allow the parents to drop off their children in Surfside, where I imagine many young Filipina crew members will take care of them, while the parents are free to get drunk at a swim-up bar and maybe even get intimate in their cabin. Cruise ships have become, for a certain kind of hardworking family, a form of subsidized child care.

There is another man I would like to befriend at the Swim & Tonic, a tall, bald fellow who is perpetually inebriated and who wears a necklace studded with little rubber duckies in sunglasses, which, I am told, is a sort of secret handshake for cruise aficionados. Tomorrow, I will spend more time with him, but first the ship docks at St. Thomas, in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Charlotte Amalie, the capital, is more charming in name than in presence, but I still all but jump off the ship to score a juicy oxtail and plantains at the well-known Petite Pump Room, overlooking the harbor. From one of the highest points in the small city, the Icon of the Seas appears bigger than the surrounding hills.

I usually tan very evenly, but something about the discombobulation of life at sea makes me forget the regular application of sunscreen. As I walk down the streets of Charlotte Amalie in my fluorescent Icon of the Seas cap, an old Rastafarian stares me down. “Redneck,” he hisses.

“No,” I want to tell him, as I bring a hand up to my red neck, “that’s not who I am at all. On my island, Mannahatta, as Whitman would have it, I am an interesting person living within an engaging artistic milieu. I do not wish to use the Caribbean as a dumping ground for the cruise-ship industry. I love the work of Derek Walcott. You don’t understand. I am not a redneck. And if I am, they did this to me.” They meaning Royal Caribbean? Its passengers? The Rands?

“They did this to me!”

Back on the Icon, some older matrons are muttering about a run-in with passengers from the Celebrity cruise ship docked next to us, the Celebrity Apex. Although Celebrity Cruises is also owned by Royal Caribbean, I am made to understand that there is a deep fratricidal beef between passengers of the two lines. “We met a woman from the Apex,” one matron says, “and she says it was a small ship and there was nothing to do. Her face was as tight as a 19-year-old’s, she had so much surgery.” With those words, and beneath a cloudy sky, humidity shrouding our weathered faces and red necks, we set sail once again, hopefully in the direction of home.

photo from inside of spacious geodesic-style glass dome facing ocean, with stairwells and seating areas

THERE ARE BARELY 48 HOURS LEFT to the cruise, and the Icon of the Seas’ passengers are salty. They know how to work the elevators. They know the Washy Washy song by heart. They understand that the chicken gyro at “Feta Mediterranean,” in the AquaDome Market, is the least problematic form of chicken on the ship.

The passengers have shed their INAUGURAL CRUISE T-shirts and are now starting to evince political opinions. There are caps pledging to make America great again and T-shirts that celebrate words sometimes attributed to Patrick Henry: “The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people; it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government.” With their preponderance of FAMILY FLAG FAITH FRIENDS FIREARMS T-shirts, the tables by the crepe station sometimes resemble the Capitol Rotunda on January 6. The Real Anthony Fauci , by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., appears to be a popular form of literature, especially among young men with very complicated versions of the American flag on their T-shirts. Other opinions blend the personal and the political. “Someone needs to kill Washy guy, right?” a well-dressed man in the elevator tells me, his gray eyes radiating nothing. “Just beat him to death. Am I right?” I overhear the male member of a young couple whisper, “There goes that freak” as I saunter by in my white spa robe, and I decide to retire it for the rest of the cruise.

I visit the Royal Bling to see up close the $100,000 golden chalice that entitles you to free drinks on Royal Caribbean forever. The pleasant Serbian saleslady explains that the chalice is actually gold-plated and covered in white zirconia instead of diamonds, as it would otherwise cost $1 million. “If you already have everything,” she explains, “this is one more thing you can get.”

I believe that anyone who works for Royal Caribbean should be entitled to immediate American citizenship. They already speak English better than most of the passengers and, per the Serbian lady’s sales pitch above, better understand what America is as well. Crew members like my Panamanian cabin attendant seem to work 24 hours a day. A waiter from New Delhi tells me that his contract is six months and three weeks long. After a cruise ends, he says, “in a few hours, we start again for the next cruise.” At the end of the half a year at sea, he is allowed a two-to-three-month stay at home with his family. As of 2019, the median income for crew members was somewhere in the vicinity of $20,000, according to a major business publication. Royal Caribbean would not share the current median salary for its crew members, but I am certain that it amounts to a fraction of the cost of a Royal Bling gold-plated, zirconia-studded chalice.

And because most of the Icon’s hyper-sanitized spaces are just a frittata away from being a Delta lounge, one forgets that there are actual sailors on this ship, charged with the herculean task of docking it in port. “Having driven 100,000-ton aircraft carriers throughout my career,” retired Admiral James G. Stavridis, the former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, writes to me, “I’m not sure I would even know where to begin with trying to control a sea monster like this one nearly three times the size.” (I first met Stavridis while touring Army bases in Germany more than a decade ago.)

Today, I decide to head to the hot tub near Swim & Tonic, where some of the ship’s drunkest reprobates seem to gather (the other tubs are filled with families and couples). The talk here, like everywhere else on the ship, concerns football, a sport about which I know nothing. It is apparent that four teams have recently competed in some kind of finals for the year, and that two of them will now face off in the championship. Often when people on the Icon speak, I will try to repeat the last thing they said with a laugh or a nod of disbelief. “Yes, 20-yard line! Ha!” “Oh my God, of course, scrimmage.”

Soon we are joined in the hot tub by the late-middle-age drunk guy with the duck necklace. He is wearing a bucket hat with the legend HAWKEYES , which, I soon gather, is yet another football team. “All right, who turned me in?” Duck Necklace says as he plops into the tub beside us. “I get a call in the morning,” he says. “It’s security. Can you come down to the dining room by 10 a.m.? You need to stay away from the members of this religious family.” Apparently, the gregarious Duck Necklace had photobombed the wrong people. There are several families who present as evangelical Christians or practicing Muslims on the ship. One man, evidently, was not happy that Duck Necklace had made contact with his relatives. “It’s because of religious stuff; he was offended. I put my arm around 20 people a day.”

Everyone laughs. “They asked me three times if I needed medication,” he says of the security people who apparently interrogated him in full view of others having breakfast.

Another hot-tub denizen suggests that he should have asked for fentanyl. After a few more drinks, Duck Necklace begins to muse about what it would be like to fall off the ship. “I’m 62 and I’m ready to go,” he says. “I just don’t want a shark to eat me. I’m a huge God guy. I’m a Bible guy. There’s some Mayan theory squaring science stuff with religion. There is so much more to life on Earth.” We all nod into our Red Stripes.

“I never get off the ship when we dock,” he says. He tells us he lost $6,000 in the casino the other day. Later, I look him up, and it appears that on land, he’s a financial adviser in a crisp gray suit, probably a pillar of his North Chicago community.

photo of author smiling and holding soft-serve ice-cream cone with outdoor seating area in background

THE OCEAN IS TEEMING with fascinating life, but on the surface it has little to teach us. The waves come and go. The horizon remains ever far away.

I am constantly told by my fellow passengers that “everybody here has a story.” Yes, I want to reply, but everybody everywhere has a story. You, the reader of this essay, have a story, and yet you’re not inclined to jump on a cruise ship and, like Duck Necklace, tell your story to others at great pitch and volume. Maybe what they’re saying is that everybody on this ship wants to have a bigger, more coherent, more interesting story than the one they’ve been given. Maybe that’s why there’s so much signage on the doors around me attesting to marriages spent on the sea. Maybe that’s why the Royal Caribbean newsletter slipped under my door tells me that “this isn’t a vacation day spent—it’s bragging rights earned.” Maybe that’s why I’m so lonely.

Today is a big day for Icon passengers. Today the ship docks at Royal Caribbean’s own Bahamian island, the Perfect Day at CocoCay. (This appears to be the actual name of the island.) A comedian at the nightclub opined on what his perfect day at CocoCay would look like—receiving oral sex while learning that his ex-wife had been killed in a car crash (big laughter). But the reality of the island is far less humorous than that.

One of the ethnic tristate ladies in the infinity pool told me that she loved CocoCay because it had exactly the same things that could be found on the ship itself. This proves to be correct. It is like the Icon, but with sand. The same tired burgers, the same colorful tubes conveying children and water from Point A to B. The same swim-up bar at its Hideaway ($140 for admittance, no children allowed; Royal Caribbean must be printing money off its clientele). “There was almost a fight at The Wizard of Oz ,” I overhear an elderly woman tell her companion on a chaise lounge. Apparently one of the passengers began recording Royal Caribbean’s intellectual property and “three guys came after him.”

I walk down a pathway to the center of the island, where a sign reads DO NOT ENTER: YOU HAVE REACHED THE BOUNDARY OF ADVENTURE . I hear an animal scampering in the bushes. A Royal Caribbean worker in an enormous golf cart soon chases me down and takes me back to the Hideaway, where I run into Mrs. Rand in a bikini. She becomes livid telling me about an altercation she had the other day with a woman over a towel and a deck chair. We Suites have special towel privileges; we do not have to hand over our SeaPass Card to score a towel. But the Rands are not Suites. “People are so entitled here,” Mrs. Rand says. “It’s like the airport with all its classes.” “You see,” I want to say, “this is where your husband’s love of Ayn Rand runs into the cruelties and arbitrary indignities of unbridled capitalism.” Instead we make plans to meet for a final drink in the Schooner Bar tonight (the Rands will stand me up).

Back on the ship, I try to do laps, but the pool (the largest on any cruise ship, naturally) is fully trashed with the detritus of American life: candy wrappers, a slowly dissolving tortilla chip, napkins. I take an extra-long shower in my suite, then walk around the perimeter of the ship on a kind of exercise track, past all the alluring lifeboats in their yellow-and-white livery. Maybe there is a dystopian angle to the HBO series that I will surely end up pitching, one with shades of WALL-E or Snowpiercer . In a collapsed world, a Royal Caribbean–like cruise liner sails from port to port, collecting new shipmates and supplies in exchange for the precious energy it has on board. (The actual Icon features a new technology that converts passengers’ poop into enough energy to power the waterslides . In the series, this shitty technology would be greatly expanded.) A very young woman (18? 19?), smart and lonely, who has only known life on the ship, walks along the same track as I do now, contemplating jumping off into the surf left by its wake. I picture reusing Duck Necklace’s words in the opening shot of the pilot. The girl is walking around the track, her eyes on the horizon; maybe she’s highborn—a Suite—and we hear the voice-over: “I’m 19 and I’m ready to go. I just don’t want a shark to eat me.”

Before the cruise is finished, I talk to Mr. Washy Washy, or Nielbert of the Philippines. He is a sweet, gentle man, and I thank him for the earworm of a song he has given me and for keeping us safe from the dreaded norovirus. “This is very important to me, getting people to wash their hands,” he tells me in his burger getup. He has dreams, as an artist and a performer, but they are limited in scope. One day he wants to dress up as a piece of bacon for the morning shift.

THE MAIDEN VOYAGE OF THE TITANIC (the Icon of the Seas is five times as large as that doomed vessel) at least offered its passengers an exciting ending to their cruise, but when I wake up on the eighth day, all I see are the gray ghosts that populate Miami’s condo skyline. Throughout my voyage, my writer friends wrote in to commiserate with me. Sloane Crosley, who once covered a three-day spa mini-cruise for Vogue , tells me she felt “so very alone … I found it very untethering.” Gideon Lewis-Kraus writes in an Instagram comment: “When Gary is done I think it’s time this genre was taken out back and shot.” And he is right. To badly paraphrase Adorno: After this, no more cruise stories. It is unfair to put a thinking person on a cruise ship. Writers typically have difficult childhoods, and it is cruel to remind them of the inherent loneliness that drove them to writing in the first place. It is also unseemly to write about the kind of people who go on cruises. Our country does not provide the education and upbringing that allow its citizens an interior life. For the creative class to point fingers at the large, breasty gentlemen adrift in tortilla-chip-laden pools of water is to gather a sour harvest of low-hanging fruit.

A day or two before I got off the ship, I decided to make use of my balcony, which I had avoided because I thought the view would only depress me further. What I found shocked me. My suite did not look out on Central Park after all. This entire time, I had been living in the ship’s Disneyland, Surfside, the neighborhood full of screaming toddlers consuming milkshakes and candy. And as I leaned out over my balcony, I beheld a slight vista of the sea and surf that I thought I had been missing. It had been there all along. The sea was frothy and infinite and blue-green beneath the span of a seagull’s wing. And though it had been trod hard by the world’s largest cruise ship, it remained.

This article appears in the May 2024 print edition with the headline “A Meatball at Sea.” When you buy a book using a link on this page, we receive a commission. Thank you for supporting The Atlantic.

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Father of cruise passenger, 20, who jumped overboard ship speaks out for first time since the incident

Levion parker jumped from the cruise ship last week.

Britt Jones

After a man jumped off a cruise ship into the Bahama Ocean, his father has said he believes he is still alive in the sea.

Levion Parker, 20, was last seen jumping off a Royal Caribbean cruise ship.

His father Francel Parker told the Daily Sun: “As soon as he went off the side, I prayed over him.

"I was confident the prayers I said over my son were heard. I stand on the word of God. I believe he is alive.”

According to reports, he allegedly jumped off an 18-story Liberty of the Seas boat around 4am in front of his younger brother and dad after getting into an argument with his father.

But Francel explained that he wasn’t actually arguing with his son and that there’s no way his son was trying to take his own life.

He went on to explain that his son is a skilled diver who works on fishing boats .

The 20-year-old was seen jumping from the cruise ship (Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)

Another passenger told The Post that Francel had been ‘fussing at [Levion]’ before he jumped overboard.

Bryan Sims told The Post that he had been hanging out with the two brothers in the hot tub early hours in the morning and that later that day he bumped into the family near the elevators.

He said following an argument with his family, Levion 'jumped out the window in front of us all'

Another guest, Deborah Morrison told The Post: “There was a lot of yelling, and the crew was alerted immediately.

“His family was horrified. Just beside themselves. I can’t even begin to imagine what they’re going through.”

The man’s father claimed to have thrown over six life rings in the hopes of saving his son before the giant ship could come to a stop 20 minutes later where the Royal Caribbean launched search boats.

Levion Parker jumped from the cruise ship (Instagram/ levionparker)

However, he was never found, and the Coast Guard called off the search .

Royal Caribbean told the New York Post in a statement at the time of the incident: "The ship’s crew immediately launched a search and rescue effort alongside the US Coast Guard, who has taken over the search.

“Our Care Team is providing support and assistance to the guest’s family during this difficult time. For the privacy of the guest and their family, we have no additional details to share.”

Meanwhile, the Coast Guard said: "The Coast Guard has suspended its search for the 20-year-old pending the development of new information.”

A Royal Caribbean spokesperson told LADbible Group: "Our hearts go out to the family, and we continue to offer them our support and assistance during this difficult time.

"Our policies strictly prohibit guests under the age of 21 from being served alcohol onboard."

Topics: Travel , Food and Drink

Passenger speaks out on what happened moments before man, 20, ‘jumped off’ cruise ship in front of family
Rescue mission underway after man, 20, ‘jumped off’ cruise ship in front of his family
Coast Guard calls off search for man, 20, who jumped overboard on cruise in front of family
Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s ex-husband Ryan Anderson speaks out for first time since split

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Why You Should Consider Living On A Residential Cruise Ship

T ravel is another way to add excitement and flair to your life. For some people, they fit traveling in when and if they can. However, for others, traveling is a lifestyle that goes beyond a temporary vacation. In fact, some travelers are dedicating their lives to living on the sea.

Residential cruise ships are becoming more popular. Initially, the luxury sea complex The World was the only option for those looking to live on the ocean full-time. However, in 2024, a new company called Storylines will launch its own vessel with 547 residential units for those who want to call a cruise ship home for extended periods.

“What a typical cruise line might do in one month or three weeks, we will take three to four months to do,” Storylines founder and CEO Alister Punton told CNN.

Living aboard a residential cruise ship has a plethora of perks that avid travelers love. In addition to the all-inclusive lifestyle that comes with cruising, access to a close-knit community, more reasonable pricing, and daily exploration are making some consider residential cruise ship living as a viable option.

Everyday Is An Exploration

Like a traditional cruise, residential cruise ships still dock at ports across the globe. This makes adventure and exploration a regular occurrence for those living on the ships. The World has a variety of expeditions for residents to choose from. From exploring Antarctica to cruising the Kimberley in Australia, there’s a destination for every lifestyle.

Traditionally, travelers would have to book a vacation to experience an out-of-town adventure. Residential cruise ships provide nonstop thrills both on and off the ship. In addition to scheduled stops, Storyline will also offer “residence choice” stops where those abroad can pick where the ship goes next.

Some Cost Less Than Buying A House

The World has been operating residential cruise ships for 20 years. However, the luxury complex comes at a steep ticket. According to Insider, it’s difficult to secure a unit aboard vessels and travelers should expect to pay at least $2 million for the extended cruise. With Storylines setting sail in 2024, travelers will have a cheaper option for residential cruise ship living.

“With a full outright purchase, the resident owners get a perpetuity clause, which means they are able to roll over into a new residence on a future ship without an additional purchase, making this a long-term investment,” Punton said.

The new company will offer units starting at $400,000 for outright purchases. There will also be a limited number of units available for lease according to CNN. Other companies like Villa Vie Residences will offer residential cruise ship units for as low as $100,00 which is cheaper than buying a house in some American cities.

Another Option For Retiring Travelers

Millennials are getting older. Retirement age seems closer with each passing birthday. Whether millennials like to admit it or not, it’s time to start making plans for retirement and residential cruise ship living could be an option for some.

Extended cruise ship living is a viable option for millennial travelers who still want to see the world once they retire. Everything is all in one place and travelers could spend the rest of their lives exploring different destinations and cruising the sea. This eliminates the hassle of planning trips in your senior years and consolidates everything you need into one location out on the ocean.

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Frugal Traveler

Standby Cruising: A New Option for Bargain Seekers

Are you a flexible traveler? Holland America’s standby cruises may be for you. The cost: $49 a day, excluding fees, taxes and extras. The catch: It might be a hair-raising, last-minute scramble.

A large cruise ship is situated in the middle of a calm, peaceful bay, surrounded by snow-capped mountains.

By Elaine Glusac

Elaine Glusac is the Frugal Traveler columnist, focusing on budget-friendly tips and journeys.

In February, Barb McGowan took a seven-day cruise on Holland America Line, visiting the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, and the Dominican Republic for just $343, or $49 a day, excluding taxes, port fees and extras. By comparison, Holland America currently lists a seven-day Caribbean itinerary in October from about $700.

The catch: She had just 48 hours’ notice.

Ms. McGown, a 64-year-old from Naples, Fla., who runs a restaurant franchise, took one of the line’s new standby cruises , which are aimed at travelers who live near departure ports and intended to fill ship vacancies.

“I look for deals, and this was an especially good experience,” Ms. McGowan said, praising the food and entertainment. “I was impressed enough to put down a deposit on a future cruise.”

A way to keep ships full

Holland America introduced its standby program last August to maximize ship occupancy, knowing that cancellations are inevitable. So far, the rest of the cruise industry has not followed its lead.

“If cancellations are within a week or two of sailing, it’s difficult to resell that space in the open market,” said Dan Rough, the vice president of revenue management at Holland America.

In the same way that airlines oversell seats, cruise lines may compensate for cancellations by overselling staterooms. Filling in with standbys, however, reduces Holland America’s reliance on overselling, which runs the risk of bumping passengers to distant departures or potentially offering generous cash incentives to coax volunteers to cancel.

Though the company does not heavily promote the new practice, it has attracted a following among the thrifty by dangling a bargain rate — $49 a person, whether sharing a cabin or traveling solo, before taxes and fees — on a web page that lists available departure dates to attract flexible travelers. Standbys should expect an inside cabin, according to the company, though ocean-view and veranda cabins have been assigned. (The company declined to say how many standby cabins it has offered.)

“Forty-nine dollars per person, per day is pretty exceptional,” said Colleen McDaniel, the editor of CruiseCritic.com , a website that reviews cruises, noting that the price covers all meals and entertainment. “You can’t find a cheaper rate at a land resort for what’s included.” (In 2023, the average nightly rate for a hotel room in the United States was nearly $156, according to STR, a data analytics firm that monitors the hospitality industry.)

To participate, travelers choose an itinerary from the standby list on the website — current embarkation ports include Boston; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Montreal; Quebec City; San Diego; Seattle; Vancouver, British Columbia; and Whittier, Alaska — and pay for the trip in advance by calling Holland America or booking through a travel adviser.

There are no refunds for standby cruisers who want to back out. However, if the gamble fails to pay off, and the cruise line cannot offer a cabin to someone on the standby list, it issues a refund.

The company says standby offerings are added on a rolling basis and usually lists itineraries within two to three months of departure. Current offerings include seven-day sailings in Alaska’s Inside Passage from April through September and seven-to-11-day trips cruising the coast of New England and Canada’s Maritime Provinces between May and October.

Proximity is a bonus

Standby cruisers don’t learn of their acceptance or denial until a week to two days before departure, complicating transportation arrangements.

“Last-minute airfare could offset the savings on a cruise,” wrote Crystal Seaton, the owner of Road to Relaxation Travel , a travel agency based in Raleigh, N.C., in an email. Though she has not booked a client on a standby sailing yet, she surmised that it is intended for travelers who can drive to a port.

“We were lucky; we found out Tuesday we were going on a Friday 3 p.m. sailing,” said Sheila Valloney, 66, of Clermont, Fla., who with her husband spent nine days aboard a Holland America ship in the southern Caribbean in February by going standby.

Before being cleared, she reserved a parking spot near the ship dock in Fort Lauderdale, which would have set her back about $6 if she canceled. She also kept their vacation clothes ready to go at the last minute for the three-and-a-half-hour drive to port.

Booking a refundable airline ticket — or at least one that guarantees a credit in loyalty points or cash in the event of cancellation — is one way travelers who must fly can take advantage of the deal.

For her standby sailing, Ms. McGowan drove 90 minutes from her home to the ship in Fort Lauderdale. But her travel companion was coming from Indiana, so when she joined the standby list a few months before the departure date, she booked her friend a Southwest Airlines flight using frequent flier points that would be refunded if the last-minute cruise didn’t come through.

Avoiding extra charges

Once on board, charges for extras like cabin upgrades, Wi-Fi, alcohol and shore excursions can inflate the bill, though the thriftiest travelers try to avoid them.

Ms. McGowan sprang for the $17.50-a-day charge for an upgraded drink package (basic nonalcoholic drinks are included in the cruise) and took one shore excursion, focused on coffee growing, which she deemed a good value at $89.

On their Caribbean cruise, the Valloneys asked around for recommendations for good beaches, where they went to relax on port days, and waited until they were on land to check emails, in order to avoid paying for Wi-Fi on the ship.

“We didn’t miss it at all,” Ms. Valloney said. “For beverages, we would wait until happy hour, when it was buy one, get one free.”

Will other companies follow suit?

To date, no other cruise lines have adopted standby programs.

Princess Cruises said it did not plan to offer cabins on a standby basis, but noted that it already offers last-minute deals , which tend to run about $50 to $60 per passenger per day. For example, a seven-day Alaska sailing from Vancouver to Anchorage departing on May 8 is listed at $399 a person in a double-occupancy cabin.

Several other major cruise lines did not respond to inquiries about potentially adopting standby programs, though operators like Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line also offer last-minute deals on their websites.

“We would be surprised to see many mainstream cruise lines begin to adopt a similar model” to the standby system, wrote Kimberly Coyne, the head of sales and content strategy for Cruiseline.com , a cruise review site, in an email. She said the standby fares might be financially unsustainable for cruise lines and cited the potential that travelers might become too accustomed to late-booking deals.

More ways to save

With the recent surge in cruise bookings, companies are discounting less, said Ms. McDaniel of CruiseCritic.com.

She identified more reliable ways to get a deal compared with going standby, such as booking during “ wave season ,” a sales period that generally runs January through March, or taking a repositioning cruise, in which a ship relocates from one region to another seasonally. A repositioning itinerary might sail in the fall from Alaska to the Caribbean via the Panama Canal.

“It’s not unusual to see a repositioning cruise at less than $75 per night,” Ms. McDaniel, said, noting that other expenses such as an airline itinerary into one city and returning from another may cost more than a standard round-trip ticket.

Repositioning cruises tend to stop at fewer ports and add more shipboard enrichment programs, such as lectures and activities like cake decorating classes and craft spirits tastings.

“For a lot of people the ship is the destination and this is the perfect activity for people who like to be on the ship,” she said.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

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Breaking news, we found cheap tickets to see maroon 5 with maren morris this summer.

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Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine croons onstage.

A Las Vegas residency and a handful of festival headlining gigs wasn’t enough for Maroon 5 this year.

From June 21 through July 3 — sandwiched in between residency and festival dates — Adam Levine and co. are striking out on a mini seven-concert tour with special guest Maren Morris .

Along the way, the “Moves Like Jagger” group are slated to stop into Holmdel, NJ’s PNC Bank Arts Center on Saturday, June 29 and Wantagh, NY’s Jones Beach Theater on Wednesday, July 3.

As of Friday, April 12, tickets are available for all recently announced East Coast shows.

Some are quite affordable, too.

At the time of publication, we found seats going for as low as $51 before fees on Vivid Seats.

Other East Coast concerts start anywhere from $52 to $98 before fees.

Want to catch Maroon 5 in Las Vegas, the East Coast or at a festival this year?

We’ve got everything you need to know and more about Maroon 5 live shows in 2024 below.

All prices listed above are subject to fluctuation.

Maroon 5 ticket prices 2024

A complete calendar of all Maroon 5 residency, tour and festival dates along with venues and lowest ticket prices can be found here:

(Note: The New York Post confirmed all above prices at the publication time. All prices are in US dollars, subject to fluctuation and include additional fees at checkout .)

Vivid Seats is a verified secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand.

They offer a 100% buyer guarantee that states your transaction will be safe and secure and your tickets will be delivered prior to the event.

Maroon 5 festival appearances 2024

As noted earlier, Maroon 5 is lending their talents to a number of high-profile multi-day musical extravaganzas.

Here’s everything you need to know about each festival on their 2024 itinerary:

Maroon 5 Las Vegas residency

On and off from May through October, Maroon 5 will bring their ‘M5LV The Residency’ to Las Vegas’ Dolby Live at Park MGM.

“I’m really looking forward to doing it again and honestly could never have told you that before we started,” Levine, 44, told People . “I went into it with an open mind and a good attitude, but I was actually shocked at how much I enjoyed it.”

Maren Morris solo tour 2024

In addition to the brief jaunt with Maroon 5, Maren Morris is striking out on a tour of her own as well this year.

The popular country star has gigs lined up all over North America from May through July.

Want to see if she’s headed to a venue near you?

You can find Maren Morris’ summer 2024 tour schedule here .

Maroon 5 set list

Although we can’t guarantee what the band will play this year, our team found what Maroon 5 performed at their final 2023 show at Park MGM’s Dolby Live.

Here are the 21 cuts they took to the stage that night, courtesy of Set List FM .

01.) “Animals” 02.) “One More Night” 03.) “This Love” 04.) “Stereo Hearts” (Gym Class Heroes cover) 05.) “Harder to Breathe” 06.) “Lucky Strike” 07.) “Sunday Morning” 08.) “Payphone” 09.) “What Lovers Do” 10.) “Makes Me Wonder” 11.) “I Wanna Be Your Lover” (Prince cover) 12.) “Heavy” (PJ Morton song) 13.) “Maps” 14.) “Memories” 15.) “Don’t Wanna Know” 16.) “Love Somebody” 17.) “Moves Like Jagger” 18.) “Stayin’ Alive” (Bee Gees cover)

19.) “She Will Be Loved” 20.) “Girls Like You” 21.) “Sugar”

Maroon 5 new music

In 2023, Maroon 5 dropped just one single.

“Middle Ground,” an earnest ballad, can be heard here .

As for their next album, Levine said it’s on the way.

“We’re always working on music, but there’s some stuff we’re working on now that we’re absolutely in love with,” he shared with People. “At this point, we don’t want to release anything until we’re happy.”

How to get to Las Vegas to see Maroon 5

In the event you’re now planning a Vegas trip around catching Adam Levine, Jesse Carmichael, James Valentine, Matt Flynn, PJ Morton and Sam Farrar live at the Dolby Theater next year, we recommend securing your flights and hotel plans via Expedia .

If you want to snoop around the web and check out other room and board alternatives, Hotels.com might be the way to see what else the market has to offer.

Huge stars on tour in 2024

Maroon 5 not headed to a venue near you in the near future?

We recommend checking out these five acts similar to Maroon 5 that are on the road this year.

• Justin Timberlake

• AJR

• Jason Mraz

• Ben Folds

• Niall Horan

Who else is on tour? Check out our list of the 50 biggest concert tours in 2024 to find out.

Why Trust Post Wanted by the New York Post

This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements for your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed Bruce Springsteen and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.

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COMMENTS

How Much Does a Cruise Ship Cost? All Ships Ranked in Order
Royal Caribbean spent $940 Million for the ship in 2019. The ship measures 169k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the Spectrum of the Seas cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,569 per GT. It's also interesting to look at the Spectrum of the Seas cost per cabin.
How to Buy a Cruise Ship
An average-sized newbuild liner costs USD 700-800 million. There are shipbrokers who might be able to help you purchase a ship built in the 1980s or 1990s, which was popular in the time, but the cruise line that owned it moved on to better vessels. Such a classic ship might set you back as little as USD 10-20 million.
Cruise Ships for sale
Cruise ships pricing. Cruise ships for sale on YachtWorld are listed for an assortment of prices from $41,251 on the relatively more affordable end up to $119,500,000 for the most exclusive yachts. When evaluating your budget and the listed price of a yacht for sale, it is crucial to factor in the cost of ownership.
How Much Does a Cruise Ship Cost to Build
2022. 56,000. 2345. $500. $213,000. In our world's current economic situation of uncertainty and stagnation, most cruise companies prefer to renovate ships rather than building new ones. The cost of cruise lines refurbishments and ship renovation programs may reach close to half a billion dollars.
How Much a Cruise Costs in 2024
Expect to spend about $16-20 per person, per day. Gratuities may be slightly higher or lower depending on the cruise line. As well, suites have higher gratuity rates compared to lower-tier cabins. So while you might pay $16 per day for a normal cabin, that amount might be $18 per day (or more) if staying in a suite.
How Much Does A Cruise Ship Cost?
Cruise ships catering to up to 1000 passengers cost an average of $394 million. Ships catering between 1000-2000 passengers cost $442 million and those catering to 2000-3000 passengers cost approximately $555 million. Therefore a big lottery winner could afford to buy a cruise ship. The Muster Station also discovered that cruise ships looking ...
Cruise Ship Pricing: What to Expect
Cruise pricing is a confusing business. Just like airlines, the best fares are usually available either a long way out or at the last minute (and also at specific times of year, as detailed below ...
How Much Does a Cruise Ship Cost?
Financing for a Cruise Ship. The overall cost of a cruise ship can exceed $1 billion. A 5% loan on $950 million (after a 5% down payment) will run about $47.5 million a year. Of course, you must double that for a 10% loan. Happily, this kind of financing is one of the strengths of Assets America ®.
10 Hidden Costs of Cruising and How to Save Money
6. The Cost of Laundry on Your Cruise: Saving Money on Laundry and Dry-Cleaning. Guest Laundry on Marina. Laundry and dry-cleaning charges on a cruise can be steep (approximately $3 to $7 to wash ...
How Much Does a Cruise Cost
It's possible to find an inside cabin on a Carnival for $50/night, but a balcony cabin or suite on the same cruise could cost $200/night, so there's a lot of range here. Estimated Cost: $400 - $1400 per person. Tip: Unlike hotel prices, cruise fares are listed per person, not per cabin, with rates based on two people occupying a stateroom.
How Much Does a Cruise Cost?
Here are a few examples of base cruise cost ranges on larger cruise lines for various regions: A seven-night Caribbean cruise in November costs approximately $424 to $1,158 per person. A seven ...
How much does it cost to build a cruise ship?
On average, modern cruise ships cost between $500 million to over $900 million to build. Cruise ship costs were much different back in the day. When the Titanic entered service in 1912, the 3,300-passenger ship was the world's largest and cost $7.5 million to build (almost $239 million by today's standards). While we might think of the Titanic ...
Can you live on a cruise ship? Yes, and here's how much it costs
Storylines. "All-inclusive living fees" come on top of the purchase price, starting at around $2,100 a person per month, covering things like food and drinks from the ship's restaurants and ...
How Much It Costs to Live on a Cruise Ship For a Year
Total Cost: Adding up tickets, port fees, taxes, gratuities, and onboard spending, the total estimated cost of living on a cruise ship for a year is $199,638 for a couple -- or about $100,000 per person. Without onboard spending, it comes out to $126,809 or $63,404 per person. Notably, this figure is about 35-40% higher than the roughly ...
Live on a Cruise Ship: 100 Staterooms Now Open For Bid
How much does a cruise ship cabin cost? A balcony cabin on the Satoshi. (Photo courtesy of P&O Cruises) Bids for stateroom ownership start at $25,000 per inside cabin, $35,000 for an ocean view ...
You can now live on a cruise ship for $30,000 per year
Cabins run the gamut from 130 square feet "Virtual Inside" staterooms - which start at $29,999 per person per year, coming out at $179,994 for the three-year trip for two people - to ...
You Can Now Buy a Vacation Home on a Cruise Ship Sailing ...
Most of the one-to-four-bedroom homes, ranging from 237 to 1,970 square feet, feature balconies and can be customized in a coastal or contemporary style. While the onboard residences are in the $1 ...
You Can Now Buy or Rent an Apartment Aboard a Cruise Ship
Now you can buy or rent an apartment aboard a cruise ship and see the world without ever leaving your home. Storylines, a new luxury cruise line, is launching the MV Narrative, a residential ...
How Much Does It Cost to Build a Cruise Ship?
In addition, owners pay $60,000-$500,000 as a yearly maintenance fee depending on the room. The World contains 198 cabins with 165 residential apartments. While the cost to board this ship may ...
Are cruise drink packages worth the price? What to know before you buy
As noted above, cruise drink packages on ships often are quite pricey, and they only make sense if you're a big spender on drinks — a really big spender. Carnival, for instance, charges $59.95 per person, per day for its Cheers! drink package if booked in advance ($64.95 if booked on board).
Here's Your Chance to Buy a Retired Carnival Cruise Ship
The vessel originally set sail in 1985. It weighs 46,052 tons, can cater to 1,860 passengers, and generally had between 660 and 670 crew members on board, according to the listing on the CW ...
What You Need to Know
The cruise line that you sail on is probably the biggest driver of cost. Some are most expensive than others. However, the inclusions may be different, so look at the add-ons in addition to the ...
The residential cruise ship offering a 'more affordable' life at sea
Launching in 2024, Storylines is selling fully furnished one-to-four-bedroom residences, as well as a two-story penthouse on board its upcoming ship, with prices starting at $400,000 and rising to ...
You Can Live Permanently On A Cruise Ship! Here's How Much It Costs
The cost of buying an apartment on a residential cruise ship is between $1 million and $14 million. There are also annual fees of between $60,000 and $300,000 to pay. In theory, you could cruise on traditional cruise ships for around $35,000 per year, if you choose a basic cruise.
8 new ships coming to Norwegian Cruise Line, sister brands plus dock at
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings said it was planning to bring on four new ships for NCL, two new ships for upper premium brand Oceania Cruises and two ships for luxury brand Regent Seven Seas, all ...
Crying Myself to Sleep on the Biggest Cruise Ship Ever
Day 1. MY FIRST GLIMPSE of Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas, from the window of an approaching Miami cab, brings on a feeling of vertigo, nausea, amazement, and distress. I shut my eyes in ...
Father of cruise passenger, 20, who jumped overboard ship speaks ...
After a man jumped off a cruise ship into the Bahama Ocean, his father has said he believes he is still alive in the sea. Levion Parker, 20, was last seen jumping off a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. His father Francel Parker told the Daily Sun: "As soon as he went off the side, I prayed over him.
Why You Should Consider Living On A Residential Cruise Ship
Other companies like Villa Vie Residences will offer residential cruise ship units for as low as $100,00 which is cheaper than buying a house in some American cities.
Standby Cruising: A New Option for Bargain Seekers
In February, Barb McGowan took a seven-day cruise on Holland America Line, visiting the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, and the Dominican Republic for just $343, or $49 a day, excluding taxes, port ...
Maroon 5 tour 2024: Where to buy tickets, best prices, schedule
We found the best prices on tickets to see Maroon 5 on tour with Maren Morris in summer 2024. They'll perform at Holmdel, NJ's PNC Bank Arts Center and Long Island's Jones Beach Theater.