Cunard is charging for shows – is this the beginning of the end for all included cruising?

• All-inclusive has been the cruise line’s catch cry when asked why it was a better value than land-based holidays.
• But now, cruise lines are charging for more and more, meaning fewer experiences are included.
• Are they still better value? Cruise Passenger crunches the numbers below.

Once upon a time, cruising was considered an all-inclusive experience. Nearly all activities, restaurants, entertainment, room service, childcare and more were all included in the price.

The beauty of cruising is that additions like entertainment and most meals are included in your fare. But we are seeing more and more amenities incur extra charges, rather than being included in the base cruise fare. 

In the same way that some years ago, every restaurant on a cruise ship was free, and now some are specialty restaurants that require forking out extra, we’re likely to see this happen with more cruise amenities that we currently enjoy as inclusions. 

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Could shows be next to go?

A huge perk of cruising is seeing Broadway-style shows in massive theatres for free, as well as having free access to all sorts of other live entertainment and more intricate and intimate shows that can be found across cruise ships.

Cunard, for example, has started charging USD$20 per person for select shows carried out in their Bright Lights Society bar, and USD$46 per person for their onboard show, Bitter Sweet Symphony. For now, charges for shows only apply to their newest ship, Queen Anne, and the tickets for the shows do come with some drinks included.

While other major cruise lines don’t charge for entertainment, some cruise lines, such as Virgin Voyages, also charge extra for certain shows. 

Some cruisers on social media are worried that this will become the norm for contemporary and premium cruise lines.

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Are premium cruise lines ‘nickel and dining’ their way into being less all-inclusive?

Since the pandemic, cruisers have complained more and more about what they perceive as ‘nickel and diming’. In recent months, we’ve seen Carnival cutting its loyalty programs. Below are some examples of how some lines are removing items that used to be included in the base fare:

• The newly converted Australian Carnival ships no longer offer their guests free pizza 24/7

• Princess Cruises is increasing prices and cutting perks on its Princess Plus packages

• Royal Caribbean is changing its drinks package policy to require all adults in a cabin to purchase one.  

Cruise holidays were once considered an affordable holiday. But lines like Royal Caribbean, Princess Cruises, Cunard or Norwegian Cruise Line’s fares, with the additional items guests pay for, are coming closer towards the price of premium and upper premium lines like Azamara and Oceania.

Most cruisers will opt for items like specialty dining, WiFi and in particular, drinks packages.

Lines such as Holland America, Princess and Celebrity have all been promoting packages that include drinks and WiFi at better value than other lines such as Royal Caribbean or Carnival. However, once you add these package prices onto the fares, you’re often looking at a price range where you could also opt for a more luxurious cruise line.

For a family cruise line such as Royal Caribbean, many of the activities that are designed for children may incur additional charges like rides, VR simulation games or sports centres.

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What do the numbers tell us?

Cruise line	Azamara	Oceania Cruises	Princess	Royal Caribbean	Holland America	Celebrity Cruises
Cruise	16-night Australia and New Zealand cruise	12-night New Zealand Cruise	14-night New Zealand sailing	12-nights New Zealand Cruise	14-night Australia and New Zealand	13-night New Zealand holiday
Price	$6679	$5645	$4655	$3449	$3934	$3510
Price per day	$417	$403	$332	$287	$281	$270
Price per day with basic package (drinks and wifi)	N/A	N/A	$411	$442	$380	$369
Ship capacity	702 passengers	1250 passengers	3660 passengers	4905 passengers	1972 passengers	2918 passengers

What we can see from the numbers above is that more all-inclusive lines, such as Azamara and Oceania, are not dissimilar in price from contemporary cruise lines with all the added perks.

When considering their inclusions and heightened level of luxury, as well as a smaller and more intimate ship with fewer crowds, many could be convinced to try sailing with these lines. 

• It should be noted that neither Azamara nor Oceania come with both drinks and WiFi included. These are the key differences between the contemporary and upper premium lines.
• Azamara does come with alcoholic beverages included, but not with WiFi.
• An Oceania cruise does include WiFi, but does not include alcoholic beverages.
• Both lines are considered in a high category with more refined interiors, dining and service compared to larger ships. However, they do have a lot fewer onboard activities compared to a line such as Royal Caribbean.
• For example, Azamara sailings have 24-hour room service, select beer, wine and spirits, unlimited self-service laundry, special evening events and more.
• Oceania includes specialty dining, unlimited WiFi, room service, specialty juices and coffees, fitness classes, specialty desserts, laundry services and more. 

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Who should you pick?

If you have been cruising with lines like Princess or Holland America and buying an amenities package, you’re already paying the price of a more premium line. It’s worth considering if that experience could suit you better, and if the perks better suit your needs.

For example, Oceania is a fantastic option for those who don’t drink much, as it has great inclusions, whereas on Princess, if you want the other benefits of the packages, you have to pay for at least Princess Plus, which includes the drinks package.

Azamara is a great option for those looking for the smaller ship experience without breaking the bank, and it has the fantastic bonus of having alcoholic drinks included, which is a big saver for those who enjoy several drinks a day.

Another great bonus of smaller ships is that they can generally take guests on more unique itineraries and offer something different from the ports you might be used to. 

The numbers show that the price gap between what we know as upper-premium cruise lines and the rest of the field is getting smaller.

Could this change with whom you take your next cruise?