Dare to compare: how a family will save up to $4393 by switching from a resort to a cruise

• As the cost of living crunch hits travel, families are discovering the cruise advantage.
• Not only is it more relaxed, it’s also way better value than a resort.
• Cruise Passenger has compared the cost of cruising with real resort holidays. Here’s how you can save thousands.

Thousands of families hit by the cost-of-living crunch are calling travel agents to explore a holiday catagory they hadn’t considered before: cruising.

The reason: a family of four can save thousands of dollars taking a cruise instead of taking off to a resort on the Gold Coast or Fiji.

Travel agents report more interest than ever before from new-to-cruise families. So Cruise Passenger set out to find out just how much a family can save by taking a sea vacation.

There is no doubt the cost of living crunch has hit Australia. According to realestate.com.au, over the past two years, 12 per cent of Aussies have turned to camping to save money. And 27 per cent of Aussies haven’t been on a holiday at all. 

Out at sea, things are different. Some 33 per cent of Australian’s are planning a cruise in 2026, up from 26 per cent in 2024. Why? They like the assurance of the inclusions, especially for families, who can be assured that at least basic entertainment, dining, activities and childcare are all covered in their cruise fare. 

On a holiday often the biggest chunk of money simply goes to day-to-day costs like activities, meals, transport and so on, which are also the trickiest costs to budget. On a cruise ship these costs are much easier to keep in check, particularly if you’re just looking for family fun rather than splurging on things like specialty dining, spa services and more.

Cruise Passenger has compiled a guide to help families make informed travel decisions as their purse strings tighten.

This guide explains the price comparison between Australia’s leading cruise lines, and some other common holidays for Aussies, such as a trip to the Gold Coast or Fiji.

Carnival Cruise

A Carnival Cruise offers incredibly good value in its fare, with prices starting from less than $100 per person per night. 

Let’s take this 10-day Vanuatu & New Caledonia cruise from Sydney, which offers multiple departure dates in either 2026 or 2027 and starts from $949 per adult. The cruise stops in Mystery Island, Port Vila, Lifou and Noumea.

The total price of this cruise for a family of four is 

• $3178 for an in interior cabin
• $3618 for an ocean view cabin
• $4488 for a balcony cabin 

What is included in this fare 

• Unlimited dining from a select range of restaurants 
• Entertainment like shows, comedy, karaoke and live music 
• Some onboard activities like pools, waterslides, fitness centres, mini-golf, basketball, ship games, outdoor movie nights, themed parties and more

Extra costs on the ship

• A steakhouse specialty dining meal for two is about $100 
• An average of three cocktails a day for two adults comes out to $600 across the cruise
• Two nights of after hours childcare so the parents can enjoy the ship will come out to about $150 

On-shore costs 

• While shore excursions through the cruise line are generally quite pricey, generally if you book through an independent operator you can find an activity like snorkelling or visiting a lagoon from about $100 per person, including a meal. 
• If a family were to enjoy shore excursions at two destinations, and then have cheaper beach days involving a meal, some drinks and souvenirs ($37.50 per person per day) at the other two destinations, this would come out to $1100 in total spent on shore.

Total costs 

• For a budget cruise in an interior cabin, enjoying only the fare inclusions and beach days at the destinations, this would come to $3778 for a holiday of four people for 10-nights.
• For a slightly more indulgent experience, which would involve an oceanview cabin, some specialty dining, alcohol, night time childcare for the kids and at least two shore excursions, the price would come out to $5568 for a holiday of four people for 10-nights.

Royal Caribbean Cruise

While some Royal Caribbean cruises can prove pricey, there are many great deals to be had that are relatively competitive with Carnival prices, and offer what most consider to be a more premium experience.
For example, a nine-night cruise from Sydney out to the South Pacific, including Royal Caribbean’s new beach club at Lelepa, will start from $1569 per person. This cruise stops at a total of three ports.

• On this cruise, an interior room for four people starts from $4358
• An ocean view room starts from $5039
• A balcony cabin starts from $5348

What is included in this fare 

• Unlimited dining at select restaurants, broadway-style shows, live music, waterslides, rock climbing mini-golf, kids clubs, fitness facilities, basic non-alcoholic beverage and more

Extra costs on the ship

• A steakhouse specialty dining meal for two is about $120
• An average of three cocktails a day for two adults comes out to $720 across the cruise
• Two nights of after hours childcare so the parents can enjoy the ship will come out to about $160

On-shore costs 

• Similar to Carnival, shore excursions through the cruise line are generally expensive, however, if you book through an independent operator you can find a classic South Pacific activity like a snorkel tour or lagoon visit from about $100 per person, including a meal. 
• Using the same calculation as Carnival, iIf a family were to enjoy shore excursions at two destinations, and then have cheaper beach days involving a meal, some drinks and souvenirs ($37.50 per person per day) at the other two destinations, this would come out to $1100 in total spent on shore.

Total costs

• For a budget cruise with Royal Caribbean, in an interior cabin, enjoying the fare inclusions and spending money on beach days in port rather than excursions, this would come out to $4808. 
• For a slightly more indulgent cruise, in an ocean view cabin, enjoying some specialty dining, cocktails, after hours childcare and two shore excursions, plus a beach day, this would come out to $6989.

Gold Coast 

The Gold Coast is a popular family destination that offers all sorts of entertainment options for kids, as well as great beach days for the family. While a more common stay might be about a week, for the purpose of comparing the holiday to a 10-day cruise, costs will be calculated based on a 10-night holiday. 

Hotel costs 

• A four star hotel at Surfer’s Paradise for 10-nights for a family of four generally ranges from $2800 to $3500. A 10-night stay on Moorings on Cavill starts from $2850 for 10-nights, or a stay at Hi Surf Beachfront Resort Apartments comes out to $3541 for the 10-nights.

Multi Park Pass and visit costs  

• A five day multi park pass that offers unlimited entry to Movie World, Sea World, Wet n Wild and Paradise Country is $159, for four people this is $636.
• Considering meals, snacks, drinks, extra games and entertainment options, souvenirs, and possible fast passes, an extra daily spend per person can be between $50 and $100 per person per day. 

Other days of travel and activities

• After spending five days at the entertainment parks, this leaves another five days of Gold Coast travel. 
• According to Budget Your Trip, people in the Gold Coast spend $72 per person per day on food, adding an average of $50 – 80 per day, mixing between beach days and activities such as snorkelling tours, ziplining, the wildlife sanctuary, skypoint observation deck or others, that comes out to $132 per person per day spend. 
• The price of 10 days of Gold Coast car rental to be able to get around would come out between $500 – 750, depending on the model of car and level of insurance coverage.

Total costs 

• For a more budget holiday, in a more modest hotel and car rental, limiting spending where possible, will come out to $7376 for a 10-day family holiday.
• For a slightly more indulgent holiday, with a nicer hotel, a nicer car rental and more spending money, this will come out to $9967.

Fiji 

To measure the cost of a resort holiday to Fiji for 10-nights, including flights we can look at Flight Centre packages. 

• A package four a family of four to a highly rated resort such as Warwick Fiji, which includes return flights, accommodation, various amenities, free breakfast and more, starts from $6181. 
• A slightly fancier option such as the Radisson Blu Resort Fiji Denarau Island starts from $8968, this also features a range of extra amenities.
• However, what’s not included in either are extra activities and meals.  Averaging a $25 – 35 per meal per person for lunch and dinner, adds on $500 to $700 per person throughout the 10-nights.
• As far as activities go, Viatour lists most tours in Fiji, such as snorkelling, day cruises and waterfall adventures in between $150 and $250 per person.
• In total, for a Fiji holiday that remains semi budget-conscious, with the Warwick resort, cheaper males and one extra lower range activity, this will come out to $8171.
• For a more upscale Fiji trip, staying at the Radisson, enjoying pricier meals, and going on two family higher range activities, this will come out to $13581, proving to be pricey for a 10-night holiday.

The results

	Carnival Cruise	Royal Caribbean Cruise	Gold Coast Holiday	Fiji Holiday
Moderate/budget	$3778	$4804	$7376	$8171
Including extras	$5568	$6989	$9967	$13581

While holiday spending will always greatly vary according to the wants and needs of your travel party, a breakdown of the basics shows why cruising is so attractive. 

While many cruisers will splurge on extras like drinks packages, spa services, more specialty dining or other extras, this comparison shows exactly why cruising resonates with Aussie families, because if you need to keep things cheap, you can.

A big difference lies in how cruise ships can alleviate the pressure of day-to-day spend on a holiday. For example, in the Gold Coast holiday, everyday will require transport costs, purchasing two to three meals plus drinks and snacks, and likely some sort of activity or entertainment option.

On a cruise ship, you can easily spend a day eating the included food, enjoying the included games or activities and even sending your kids to the kids club and just hanging out by the pool. These relaxed days then offer the opportunity to splurge a bit more on excursions or shopping when in port.

At a resort, such as the Fiji holidays, you can also spend the day just relaxing, but the initial base fare is generally higher than a budget cruise, there are less entertainment options and meals generally aren’t included.

Therefore, while cruising offers the option to have a great day out on a ship, potentially without spending any extra money, other holidays simply don’t offer this, and costs keep stacking up day by day.

This isn’t all to say that a cruise is always the cheapest holiday or best option for you, but the comparison makes it easy to see why Aussies are flocking to cruise ships as cost of living pressures continue to mount.

Ways to keep your cruise price low

If you are looking to cruise, it should be noted, while it’s a great budget holiday, if you don’t keep an eye on costs they can quickly spiral. However, with a few basic tips, you can make sure you keep costs down, while still enjoying all the ship has to offer.
In saying that, a great part of cruising is that because the base fares are so low, many families don’t have to be overly worrily about saving money at every single turn, as there’s a fair bit of room to splurge before cruising becomes as expensive as other types of holidays.

If you are looking to save wherever possible, or at least cut spending in some parts of your holiday to leave room to splurge elsewhere, here are some basic tips. 

• Book your own shore excursions: Cruise lines generally charge a premium on shore excursions booked directly, and you can make big savings by booking your own excursions. It’s important to research beforehand and book through operators with good online reviews on platforms like Google and TripAdvisor, as well as making sure the excursion is specifically designed for cruise ship passengers, to make sure you get back on time.
• Bring your own alcohol: Many cruisers don’t know that many cruise lines actually allow you to bring some alcohol onboard. The exact amount depends on the cruise line, but often one to two bottles of wine per person or per room are allowed.
• Skip on some luxuries: While enjoying high speed internet and splurging on specialty dining, spa services and more is fun, it’s not 100% necessary to enjoy your cruise. Make sure to explore the ship to find all the included dining and activities that you can enjoy and you might be surprised just how much is included in your fare.
• Try a travel agent: While it might sound like a cliche or unnecessary, cruise agents in particular can often not only get you a better price, but sometimes perks like onboard credit or reduced packages, which can also keep costs down. They can also give you tips about the ships themselves and what’s included, which free restaurants are the best, and so on. 
• Stay on the ship during port stops: It’s totally understandable that you when you cruise you’ll want to go and visit the beautiful ports you pull into, however, choosing to stay on the ship has its benefits as well. Not only do you save money and continue to enjoy the included dining and activities, but you also get to enjoy an almost empty ship, with pools and lounges to yourself, and no lines for activities. 
• Try an interior cabin: While the idea of an interior cabin may not sound luxurious, many cruisers report that the cabins are fine, and that they spend most of their time outside in the ship anyway. If your budget is looking tight, don’t be afraid to consider an interior and remember it’s just an incentive to spend more time exploring the ship anyway. 
• Do the maths on your packages: If you’re considering packages for things like drinks, wifi and specialty dining, the best thing you can do is carefully read what’s included and do the maths on whether it’s worth it to you. Many cruisers will quickly snap up a package without realising that it would’ve been cheaper to just pay as they go, or others might ignore packages and not realise they could’ve saved. Have a realistic of what you’ll want on board, get out your calculator and work out if the packages are worth it to you.
• Enjoy as much of the included food as you can: While getting off the ship and tasting local food is part of the experience, on days where you don’t have a rush, don’t forget you can enjoy a big breakfast or an early lunch before heading off the ship. While ports generally have restrictions on what food you can take in, pre-packaged snacks are generally fine if you want to bring some food with you and avoid high in-port costs. 
• Research transport beforehand: Port transport often sucks a big chunk out of your budget, as taxis charge premiums for transportation to local activities, beaches, city centres and so on. Check if the cruise line itself offers shuttle or a bus or if there’s easy public transport, or even if the attractions you want to visit are within walking distance, and you can save a lot of money on your final costs. You can also check if your destination offers Uber.
• Travel outside of peak times: While if you’re travelling with kids it can be tricky to avoid school holidays, if you happen to have a bit of flexibility, a cruise in the shoulder season can often be significantly cheaper. If you absolutely have to travel in peak periods such as over Christmas or in summer school holidays, try to book as early as possible and get a good deal.