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5 Cruise Upgrades That Just Aren’t Worth Paying Extra for Anymore

Higher prices and service charges changed the math on these add-ons.

By Amanda Teague , Edited by Sara Albertelli

Updated Oct. 26, 2026

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Cruise add-ons used to be an easy yes. Lately, the math has shifted. Carnival raised its service charge from 18% to 20% in December 2025, then bumped daily gratuities to $17 per person in April 2026. That's $238 a week for a couple before anyone orders a drink. Norwegian's drink package also stopped working at Great Stirrup Cay on March 1, 2026, and only three cruise line private islands still honor onboard packages.

If you like to travel on a budget, those changes matter. The break-even point on most extras has drifted past what a typical passenger uses. Here are five upgrades to rethink, with the numbers.

Alcohol packages

Carnival's Cheers package runs $69.95 per person, per day when you buy ahead, plus a 20% service charge. That's $83.94 a day. Every adult in the cabin has to buy it for the whole cruise, so a couple pays $1,175.16 for a week. A $12 cocktail comes to $14.40 with the service charge, so you each need about six a day, every day, to break even.

Beer drinkers have it worse. At $6.50 a beer ($7.80 with the charge), you'd need 11. Port days count too, and the package doesn't cover drinks at Celebration Key or Half Moon Cay. Check your loyalty perks before you buy. Royal Caribbean's Diamond members already get four free drinks a day.

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Specialty dining bundles

Royal Caribbean's Unlimited Dining Package runs about $260 per person for a seven-night cruise, and an 18% gratuity brings it to $306.80. Individual cover charges usually land between $35 and $60. Before gratuity, that's $260 against roughly $50 a dinner, so the package doesn't pay off until your sixth specialty meal. That's on a ship where the main dining room is already paid for.

"Unlimited" has limits too. À la carte spots give you a $20 credit once a day, and Izumi Hibachi adds a $15 surcharge. One reviewer who paid $665.48 for two on Icon of the Seas said they wouldn't buy it again. If you really want two nice dinners, just pay the cover twice. That's about $100 per person before gratuity instead of $260.

Per-device Wi-Fi plans

Wi-Fi is priced per device, and that's where it gets you. On Royal Caribbean, a seven-night plan for one device costs $230.93 onboard, or $32.99 a night. Two devices run $405.86. Carnival raised its Wi-Fi prices for 2026, and its Premium plan is now $25.50 a day pre-cruise and $30 onboard.

The workaround is simple. On Royal Caribbean, you can log one device off and another on, so a couple can share a single plan and save $174.93 for the week. A second device only pays off if you both need to be online at the same moment. Buying before you sail helps too. Carnival's pre-cruise rate saves $4.50 a day, or $31.50 over a week.

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Thermal spa passes

Heated loungers and steam rooms sound great on embarkation day, but some cruisers buy the pass and barely use it. Carnival lists a thermal suite day pass starting at $30, with seven-day passes starting at $129. Do the division, and you need five or six visits in a week before the cruise pass beats paying by the day.

Carnival sells day passes on board only, which works in your favor. Buy one, see whether you go back, and decide from there. If the spa is the whole point of your trip, look at a Cloud 9 Spa stateroom instead. Those include a free cruise-long thermal suite pass for the first two adults in the room.

Priority boarding

Carnival's Faster to the Fun costs $79.95 to $209.95 per cabin, depending on cruise length. Royal Caribbean's The Key runs $25 to $40 per person, per day, so a couple on a seven-night cruise pays $350 to $560. The Key includes Wi-Fi for one device each, so it only pencils out when its price sits close to the Wi-Fi you'd buy anyway.

Most of the value lands on embarkation day, and arriving late in the check-in window gets you the same short lines for free. If you want perks all week, price a suite instead. Royal Caribbean's Star Class bundles drinks, specialty dining, Wi-Fi, and gratuities with priority boarding, which can beat buying those pieces separately.

Bottom line

The pattern is the same across all five. Prices and service charges went up, and the break-even moved past what most people use. The easiest way to save money on travel is to count your own drinks and dinners before you pay for anyone's "unlimited" version.

One upgrade that still earns its keep is the balcony. Most people are happy they upgraded, and a handy rule is to say yes when it costs $25 or less per person, per day. For everything else, book early and keep watching, since Royal Caribbean lets you cancel and rebook pre-cruise purchases up to 48 hours before sailing if the price drops. Run the numbers at home, not at the gangway.

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Amanda Teague

Amanda specializes in travel and personal finance. With six years of experience, she helps readers find ways to see the world without overspending, whether that means identifying affordable retirement destinations, uncovering underrated places that feel luxurious on a budget, or avoiding common travel costs like airline baggage fees.