15 Cruise Rip Offs That Are Getting Out of Control
💸 Cruise lines keep finding new ways to get you to spend more. These are the 15 cruise rip-offs we refuse to pay for in 2026, plus what we do instead to save hundreds on every sailing. 💲Save BIG with MEI-Travel cruise deals: https://bookmeicruise.com/?apid=escy 🌎Save Up to 40% On Shore Excursions: https://www.shoreexcursionsgroup.com/?id=1603014 📖 Ultimate Cruise Planning Guide: https://eatsleepcruise.com/cruise-planning-guide/ UP NEXT - 15 Things We Stopped Doing on Cruises: https://youtu.be/GtkBjn5GvJA Subscribe to the Eat Sleep Cruise YouTube Channel if you love to travel and cruise the world! https://www.youtube.com/@Eatsleepcruise1 Whether you’re planning your first cruise or your 50th, some cruise extras are worth it and others have gotten ridiculously overpriced. In this video, Don from Eat Sleep Cruise breaks down the hidden cruise costs, onboard upcharges, and booking mistakes that drain your vacation budget, including one easy-to-miss mistake that could cost you hundreds before you even step onboard. 🚢 BEFORE YOU BOOK Some of the biggest cruise rip-offs happen before you sail. We explain why the cheapest cruise fare isn’t always the best deal, why the bundled fare isn’t automatic either, and how a cruise travel advisor like MEI-Travel can help you catch price drops after booking. We also share why oceanview cabins often land in an awkward middle ground between an inside cabin and a balcony, why cruise line travel insurance deserves a side-by-side comparison with third-party coverage, and how cruise line transfers priced per person can cost more than a taxi or Uber for your whole group. 🍹 ONCE YOU’RE ONBOARD Priority boarding packages like Carnival’s Faster to the Fun and Royal Caribbean’s The Key include other perks, but early boarding alone isn’t worth the price. Cruise drink packages can now top $100 per person, per day, so we walk through how to do the math and check exclusions and daily limits. We also cover the growing list of places charging extra for food, upcharge activities like escape rooms and go-karts, and why paying $20 or more for a single cruise photo makes little sense when your phone takes great pictures. 🛍️ THE UPSELLS TO WATCH FOR Cruise ship spa treatments can approach $300 for a 50-minute massage, onboard shopping “deals” aren’t always the best price, and art auctions are one rip-off that refuses to go away. We share what we do instead, from port-day spa specials and thermal suite passes to checking prices on your phone before buying anything. 🌴 SMARTER WAYS TO SPEND Cruise line shore excursions often cost more than independent tours or providers like Shore Excursions Group, which offer a return-to-ship guarantee. We also explain how to avoid paying for more cruise WiFi than you need, and why packing a small toiletry and medicine kit keeps you from paying marked-up prices onboard. 💡 WHY THESE CRUISE MONEY SAVING TIPS MATTER Cruise fares look affordable, but add-ons and onboard spending can nearly double your total cost. Knowing which cruise upcharges to skip lets you spend where it counts, like a specialty restaurant you’re excited about, a balcony cabin, or a must-do shore excursion. 0:00 15 Cruise Rip-Offs That Have Gotten Ridiculously Overpriced 0:28 Is Paying for Priority Boarding Worth It? 1:27 What Cruise Photo Packages Really Cost Now 2:26 The Oceanview Cabin Question Every Cruiser Should Ask 4:27 Cruise Drink Packages: Do the Math Before You Buy 5:50 The Cruise Fare Mistake That Costs You Hundreds 8:36 What to Check Before Buying Cruise Line Travel Insurance 9:25 Cruise Line Transfers vs Getting to the Port Yourself 12:21 Are Cruise Line Shore Excursions Still the Best Option? 14:28 How Much Cruise Ship WiFi Do You Really Need? 16:02 The Cruise Ship Rip-Off That Refuses to Disappear #CruiseTips #CruiseRipOffs #CruiseHacks #Cruise2026 #CruiseMoneySavingTips #EatSleepCruise ----TRENDING VIDEOS FROM EAT SLEEP CRUISE------ 6 Cruise Lines EVERYONE is Switching to in 2026: https://youtu.be/M-4eM2avmPU 40 Cruise Hacks We Swear by After 100 Cruises: https://youtu.be/ivvzrns5QOI 5 Cruise Lines Everyone Is Switching To in 2025: Best Cruises for Couples: https://youtu.be/fenNj5GmLdM Join us on Social Media as we “Sea the World, One Port at a Time.” Instagram: https://instagram.com/EatSleepCruise Facebook: https://facebook.com/EatSleepCruise Twitter: https://twitter.com/EatSleepCruise TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eatsleepcruise Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/EatSleepCruise 📌 ABOUT EAT SLEEP CRUISE We're Don and Heidi from Eat Sleep Cruise. After more than 100 cruises across dozens of cruise lines, we share honest cruise ship reviews, cruise tips, and planning advice to help you book the right cruise. 📢 DISCLOSURE This video is not sponsored, and all opinions are our own. Some links in this description are affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Eat Sleep Cruise!