What is Included in a Cruise Package?
One of the attractions people find with the cruise vacation is the whole package deal where you basically pay one price and it covers most everything typically encountered during your cruise. All the necessities like your lodging, all meals including breakfast, lunch and dinner plus there are snack bars everywhere and 24 hour room service. As good as that sounds it doesn't end there. Cruises offer free admissions to the gyms, nightly shows and loads of fun entertainment around the ship. Kids programs and the use of all the family approved facilities on ship like the pools, hot tubs, and recreation activities, vary from one ship to the next.
What's Not Included in a Cruise Package?
Typically speaking, beverages including soda and alcohol are not included but there are options to add them on many cruises today. Even though, coffee, tea, juice, lemonade, punch and milk are all included in the price of the cruise package you can add on a soda punch-card for a nominal price. One thing to remember is you must purchase the unlimited soda cards on the first day of the cruise. Below in an excerpt from Princess Cruise Lines about their beverage punch cards.
"Princess Cruises - Unlimited Soda Packages"
With our Unlimited Soda Package you'll never be without your favorite fountain sodas, from Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barq's Root Beer, to nostalgic orange soda, soda water, tonic water and ginger ale. And at $4.50 per day, you can get never-ending refills without breaking the bank! Plus, for just $2.50 a day extra, our Unlimited Soda & More Package allows you as many fountain sodas, refreshing juices, fruity mocktails and creamy ice cream shakes as you can handle.
It's important that we remind you the information here is being related to main stream cruise lines like Princess, Holland America, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean. Luxury cruises are a totally different breed and will be covered separately but referred to in parentheses from time to time.
NOTE: Within the main stream cruise lines it has become customary for there to be an added charge for what they call "specialty" restaurants. These charges can be very minimal with an average range from $5.00 to $25.00 per person. Other than this, typical meals and snacks are included in the cruise fares.