I am confused.. Do cruises include food or no? How much cash should I take with me for two people??

Question

I am looking at a royal carribean cruise, and it says it includes room service and stuff, does that mean its avible, or but you have to pay for it, or does that mean EVERYTHING is free? (besides tip)

It also says includes most meals...what does this mean?


How much cash should I take with me per person?

Answer 1

We are going on our 2nd cruise in June. Most food is included and I would be amazed if you couldn't satisfy yourself on this food. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, room service, afternoon teas, midnight buffets...

Drinks are not included exept at breakfast and afternoon tea where limited choices are included. Alcohol and soda are extra. On Celebrity we were able to purchase a bottle of wine and if we didn't finish it, they would bring it back to use the following night for dinner... it made the price much more reasonable... ask about this.

Cash isn't necessary to buy things on board... you will have a card that you use to purchase drinks and anything else on board, just settle it up with a credit card at the end.

We did bring cash for tips, and purchases on shore. the liquor is so cheap on caribbean islands! I think we brought $500 in cash and kept it in the room safe, which you are allowed to rename the code to.

If you have other questions... call r.c. I call once a week with a question and princess is more than happy to deal with me. I am sure royal will be too

Have a great time!

Answer 2

I've never been on Royal Carribean but I just returned from a cruise to London with Cunard. The only meals not covered were ones eaten in 2 places onboard.

Mixed drinks were extra, pop was extra (1.75 a can)

If you use the computer (your or thiers) Cunard charges .50 a minute. They charge a similar amount if you use MS Word or Excel.

Tips:
Usually some amount (like 10.00 per day per person) is added on to your bill at the end to cover tips for the many folks caring for you on the cruise. Clearly when it is divided up they get next to nothing so generally it is fair to give a little extra to your cabin steward, waiter, wine steward, etc.. We gave 50.00 to most and 100 to the cabin steward & waiter.

Depending on where you're going there could be shore excursions and those are gonna cost ya.. we didn't have any with Cunard (because it was a transatlantic crossing) but we did with a cruise to Mexico with Carnivale.

Also if you plan to gamble bring cash - charging it to your room generally incurs an extra 3% fee.

Answer 3

Meals are free, but sometimes cruise ships have extra-fancy restaurants called Supper Clubs that charge $30 a person for the privilege of eating there. The Supper Clubs are separate from the general dining areas and are totally optional.

How long is your cruise? Bring at least $50 cash per day per person.

Answer 4

Yes most meals are included. They do have some speciality restaurants but we do not go to them. There is plenty and even more food available than you can think of. You will not go hungry. Room service is 24 hours a day. Included.
Buy the drink package and you can have all the juice and fountain drinks you want.
Alcohol will cost you. Surprisingly the drinks are priced very reasonable. No taxes added.
We usually spend around $2000 on extras such as excursions and photos , drinks and the casino.
If you go off the ship the excursions run from 79-200 dollars per person depending on the activity.
If you want e-mail me with specific questions and I can get you some better answers rather than general ones.
Cruises are fun.

Answer 5

I have to sort of clarify things - there are NO cruise lines that have 'free' food or alcohol. It is covered in the cost of the cruise. A matter of semantics, I know..... However there are ships that have additional costs for premium dining like steak houses or chef's tables and most mainstream outfits charge extra for alcohol. Not sure where the first poster found those prices but he underestimated it by a lot.

Answer 6

I won't go over the good info the other posters have given you, but beware! I just saw an ad for a cruise price WITHOUT food.
Water, Tea, and Coffee are free.
Tipping is typically to the table staff in the dining room and the room steward at the end of the cruise.

Answer 7

The price of a cruise includes all meals and snacks all day and night. There are places on ship where you can go to breakfast, lunch and dinner and midnight buffets and all of the food is free. There is generally a room service menu that you can order from 24/7 and that food is free (you should tip the delivery person a couple dollars). There are places where you can get something to eat 24/7. But that does not include all drinks. The ships provide coffee, tea, milk, juices, and drinks like lemonade and punch for free. BUT, you must pay for soft drinks (usually about $1.50) and all alcoholic beverages including beer and wine.

Every ship has what they call specialty restaurants, like a French, Tex-Mex, Sushi, or steak house where there is a charge. The charge can be from $10 to $20 per person each time you eat. They call it a gratuity or service charge. Norwegian cruise line is different because it has Freestyle Cruising which means that you do not have to specify a dining option when you book your cruise and thus don't have a table and waiter assigned to you. "FREESTYLE" means you can go to dinner in the main dining room, or any other alternative restaurant, any time of the evening after 6:00 PM.. But you will have to reserve a time in the alternate restaurants. It also means that you don't have to "dress up" for dinner, but just go "sports casual". But it also means that you may be standing in line awaiting a table on some days (like we had to do a couple times); not what you want on a cruise. Since you go when you want, you rarely get the same waiter and so never really get to know your waiter and he/she never learns what you prefer as is done on “traditional” cruise lines. Their optional dining restaurants. However, these dining options can cost $10 to $20 a person for dinner each night. This is not what you want after paying for a cruise which is supposed to be all inclusive. All Royal Caribbean ships have a couple of these alternative dining places but you do not have to use them.


The hidden costs on a cruise are your tab after the cruise for drinks (alcoholic and sodas), tours, and gratuities. Many ships now add the recommended gratuity to your on-board tab. The gratuity is about $10 to $12 per day per person. You can give more if you want. Tours can add hundreds to your final bill, depending upon how many stop the ship makes and what you want to do. Study the tours carefully; some places you may want to just go on your own.

You do not use any cash money on ship, except if you go into the casino to play. When you arrive at the port to check in you (each passenger) will receive a key card which will serve as your room key, charge card for anything you buy on ship (i.e.,drinks, souvenir) and its also your pass to get on and off ship in each port. When you first board the ship the security personnel will have you insert your key card into a scanner and then will take a photo of you that is included in the magnetic strip on the card. Each time you get off ship you will need this key card and many times also a photo ID (passport or driver's license). This card allows them to keep an accurate track of all passengers entering and/or leaving the ship.

If you plan to do heavy shopping in ports use a credit card. If you go to outdoor markets take cash for small purchases. If you don't have credit cards you will need enough cash to settle your bill at the end of the cruise.

Answer 8

Depends, sometimes there´s one or two paid restaurants. Royal has them. But there is always free food as well. Meaning you don´t have to pay, if may choose to, so you can experience a better, more exclusive restaurant.
You pay the booze though.
Royal I´m sure has at least two of those.

Answer 9

OK, all food is FREE. No charge whatsoever.

The drinks that are in your stateroom are NOT free. You will be charged if you drink them, even if you have their soda coupon (happened to me on a cruise).

I did not have to pay for any food on the ship.

On the ship, you will be using your seapass card, and any charges (souvenirs, alcohol, sodas) on that will be credited to the credit card you used when you checked in.

Cash would be for any tips you want to give or used at the ports of call.

Answer 10

What is Not Included in a Cruise Price

Of course, no vacation is perfect, and cruises are not all-inclusive. Several types of activities require additional fees, but most of them are optional and budget-conscious cruisers can easily moderate the added costs. Items requiring extra fees include…

Shore excursions: Though tours and island activities may seem expensive, shore excursions are a good deal and frequently include knowledgeable guides, transportation to and from the ship to the excursion site, and necessary equipment.

Gambling costs: Nearly all ships offer state-of-the-art casinos with slot machines, video poker, and table games. Events such as tournaments and bingo games are also frequent cruise activities and prices vary.

Exclusive dining options: Most ships, particularly larger vessels, offer reservations-only dining venues for more intimate meals and exotic tastes. Fees may be per person or based on the food ordered. Exclusive snack options, such as gourmet ice cream, may also have extra charges.

Carbonated and alcoholic beverages: While water and juice are free and unlimited on most vessels, carbonated sodas and alcoholic drinks are not. Several cruise lines offer prepaid cards for carbonated drinks that allow the bearer to order as many as they wish, and alcoholic drinks range in price from $3 to $10 or more depending on the type of drink. Wine can be purchased by the bottle or by the glass. Specialty coffees may also incur an extra fee.

Photographs: Professional photographers are available on to capture every moment of your vacation, and while you can always preview your photos, there is no obligation to buy. Prices average $6-15 per photo depending on the size and are usually available throughout your cruise so you do not have to make your decision immediately.

Souvenirs: Every cruise ship offers onboard, duty-free shopping at a variety of stores, including jewelry boutiques, clothing stores, and standard souvenir ships with magnets, shot glasses, hats, toys, and other merchandise to commemorate your vacation. Prices are similar to land-based stores.

Spa treatments: Massages, facials, and manicures are available in every ship’s spa. Fees vary depending on the length of treatment, but specials are available throughout the cruise, such as in-port discounts and package deals.

Specialized fitness classes: Certain fitness classes may require a minimal charge, typically if the class involves specialized equipment or a reserved area.

Gratuities: Most cruise ships do not include tips in their fares, and the typical charge is $10 per passenger per day. You do have the option to adjust tips based on your experiences, however. Depending on the length of the cruise, the tips may be prepaid or automatically placed on your shipboard account, though you can still exercise your discretion.

Different cruise lines include different items in their fares that other lines may not. Typically, the more exclusive and luxurious the cruise line, the more likely they are to include incidental items such as tips and beverages in their fares.