Once you go all-inclusive it’s hard to go back. Here are 5 of the best all-inclusive cruises for those who don’t want to be “nickel-and-dimed”.
The world of all-inclusive cruises could be just what you need if you’re tired of those pesky incidental charges adding up. We’re going to look at the very best options for cruises that offer almost everything at one up-front cost.
The listed price of a cruise on a mainstream line can be a little deceiving. It can also feel like a deal too good to be true. That’s because sometimes it is. Once you add in all the additional charges for specialty dining, beverages, WiFi, gratuity, and shore excursions you begin to see the real cost of a cruise that’s not so inclusive.
While an all-inclusive cruise may cost more, it’s certainly worth it for those who are tired of getting out their cruise card every time they get thirsty.
Without a doubt, if you want a worry-free cruise getaway, all-inclusive is the way to go. There’s something mentally relaxing about knowing the all-in price upfront. And not having to continuously worry about how much each drink, excursion, or activity costs is a perk in itself.
In this article, we are going to look at all-inclusive cruises and what we think are the best cruise lines to include all those coveted amenities in the cruise fare.
Note: Some of the more mainstream lines have begun offering packages to make voyages more all-inclusive as well. Cruise lines like Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, and Holland America Line have packages that can be added to your cruise to avoid the “nickel-and-diming” experience.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
This is the cruise line that even calls itself “the only truly all-inclusive luxury cruise line“.
For those who can afford it, stellar quality of service and inclusions await. Regent has one of the best guest-to-crew ratios at sea, boasting an average of 1:1.5 on most cruises.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises also offers some of the most luxurious accommodations at sea, with spacious suites that come equipped with fine linens, marble bathrooms, and private balconies. You’ll feel like you’re staying in a five-star hotel, and you’ll always have an epic ocean view.
Even the smallest suite on The Seven Seas Explorer offers 370 sq. feet of space. The largest suite on this ship is the Regent Suite with an astounding 4,000+ sq. feet to enjoy.
Every accommodation onboard these ships is a suite and 98% of them have a private balcony. While each stateroom has a personal attendant, butler service is reserved for the penthouse guests onboard.
The fleet of Regent Seven Seas ships is classified as medium-sized but the company emphasizes that they have a small ship mentality. Of the soon-to-be six ships in the fleet, none of them carry over 750 passengers, making a 55,000 gross-ton vessel feel even roomier.
The smallest cruise ship with Regent has a capacity of only 490 passengers for those who want an even more intimate experience on a smaller vessel.
There is an understated opulence in the decor of these ships, with Picasso paintings, Italian marble, and crystal chandeliers to welcome passengers.
And with over 500 ports of call the cruise line visits, Regent can take you anywhere in the world, all while only having to unpack once.
What’s included in a Regent Seven Seas Cruise?
- Multiple specialty dining venues including dining in your suite
- Beverages including premium drinks
- Laundry services. You can let the crew do your laundry for you or there is a self-service station, all complimentary.
- Pre-paid gratuities
- Free Wi-Fi internet
- Onboard enrichment that includes classes and activities (aerobics, yoga, spinning classes)
- Unlimited shore excursions. You can do more than one in a day if you have the energy for it.
- Almost every Regent cruise includes airfare and for intercontinental cruises business class is typically included as well.
- Most suite categories will include a night at a highly-rated pre-cruise hotel.
- Transfers to and from the ship are included.
- Steam room and sauna in locker rooms
There are some extras you can add to your bill if you’d like. Spa services such as massages, facials, and pedicures will incur an extra expense. Some cooking classes in the state-of-the-art culinary center will cost extra as well.
Viking
What if all that opulence and fancy luxury aren’t for you, but you still want an all-inclusive cruise and the chance to learn something about the world along the way? Whether it’s a river cruise or an ocean cruise, Viking could fit the bill, all while allowing you to leave your cruise card in your pocket for just about everything. In this section, we’ll focus more on Viking Ocean cruises, but the line also has river and expedition ships as well.
By the strictest standards, Viking isn’t an all-inclusive cruise line, but since what they do include is so exhaustive it had to make the list.
Viking is fairly new to the ocean side of cruising. Having operated river cruises across Europe for decades, the company has successfully taken the ocean cruise industry by storm. For the last 7 years, Viking has won the prestigious Travel + Leisure award for #1 cruise line in both river and ocean categories.
What’s unique about Viking?
There is a refined simplicity about how Viking operates their cruises. Every single ocean ship in the fleet is identical. Each ship has 465 cabins with the same layout, number of decks, restaurants, etc. This means going back on a Viking cruise kind of feels like going back home, as there is an instant familiarity. The line is Norwegian-owned and their ships have a decidedly Scandinavian design to them.
Only passengers 18 and older can sail on a Viking ship, so this is definitely a cruise line for adults only. The heated pools both on the main pool deck and in the aft section of the ship never feel crowded, and the covering over the main pool area means you can take a swim no matter the weather outside.
There is a real focus on destinations and enrichment on a Viking cruise. While you won’t find a casino onboard you will find many insightful talks about ports of call and historical significance. Besides Broadway-style shows in the main theater there are interesting lectures given by experts in their field. This is, after all, “the thinking person’s cruise”.
If you’re all about rest and relaxation you will also find what I think is probably the best thermal suite at sea, all included in your fare. A large thermal pool, dry sauna, steam room, and even a snow room can help ease a tired body after a long day of excursions.
Speaking of excursions, Viking gives you a free excursion at just about every single port of call. If you’d like to pay extra for a non-included excursion you can do that as well though. Since a majority of passengers do at least the free shore excursion it’s always fun when back on the ship to recount how the day went with fellow passengers.
There are two specialty dining venues onboard their ocean cruise ships: The Chef’s Table and my personal favorite Manfredi’s. You will need a reservation for each but they are complimentary.
What’s included in a Viking Ocean cruise?
- Free Wi-Fi internet
- Specialty coffee and tea
- In-suite mini-bar, replenished every day
- Daily afternoon tea at Wintergarden
- 1 included shore excursions at most ports
- Use of spa facilities and thermal suite
- Self-service laundry facilities
- Transfer bus services
- Airport transfers when airfare is purchased through My Viking Air
Some of the items not included in the fare price will be premium drinks outside of meal times, spa services, and gratuities. You can purchase an airfare package along with your cruise at a discount but airfare is not automatically included in the price of your cruise.
Silversea Cruises
For explorers wanting to sail on a cruise to the far reaches of the earth while dining on the finest cuisine, Silversea Cruises is more than qualified for the task.
The smaller 28,000 and 40,000 gross-ton ships that have fewer than 600 guests allow for travel to remote and exotic locations all over the world. Along with their 5 expedition ships, Silversea sails to over 900 destinations. This includes Antarctica, Greenland, Africa and the Indian Ocean, the Mediterranean, the Galapagos Islands, the South Pacific, and almost anywhere you can imagine.
Every guestroom on a Silversea cruise ship is a suite and 90% of them have private verandas. The bathrooms have marble countertops and the sheets and linens are of the finest quality. This is the only cruise line that offers butler service in every suite and category, and these butlers are all professionally trained to make your cruise as perfect as can be.
Onboard there are various amenities such as fitness centers, spas, pools, casinos, theaters, and more. And once your appetite has been worked up there are many dining venues available. Almost every restaurant is included in the cruise fare and instead of having one large dining room, you can dine at a different style specialty restaurant each night.
What’s included in a Silversea cruise?
Silversea Cruises takes a different approach to all-inclusive cruises. They allow you to select from two different packages so you decide what you want to be included and what you can do without. The ultra-luxury cruise line owned by Royal Caribbean Group offers two programs called Door-to-Door all-inclusive and Port-to-Port all-inclusive, so let’s take a look at what is offered in each.
Door-to-Door
- Private executive transfers
- International flights
- Airport Transfers
- All food and beverages
- Butler service
- Shore excursions
- Expedition in-country air and hotel
Port-to-Port
- All food and beverages
- Butler service
- Shore excursions
- Expedition in-country air and hotel
Gratuities are also included in the cruise fare so that’s one less thing to worry about while on your vacation. The complimentary drinks are also extended to the minibar in each suite and you can tell your butler which types of beverages you prefer. Even 24-hour room service is available at no extra charge.
Passengers are able to book one shore excursion at each port free of charge, and there are many additional excursions you can pay extra for if you would like.
Seabourn Cruise Line
Known for its personalized service, each passenger on Seabourn Cruise Line is treated like royalty on board. From spacious suites to intimate social areas, the ships are designed to give you a sense of privacy and allow you to fully relax and unwind.
But the luxury doesn’t stop there. Seabourn Cruise Line offers a wide range of top-notch amenities, including award-winning cuisine, spas, fitness centers, bars and lounges, swimming pools, and live entertainment. And in select ports of call, Seabourn even offers complimentary shore excursions so you can fully immerse yourself in the culture and history of your destination. With Seabourn, you’ll feel like a VIP every step of the way.
You’ll have access to a variety of dining options, including The Restaurant for main dining, The Colonnade for informal dining, and The Grill with Thomas Keller (where you can enjoy a meal once during your cruise). Plus, there’s even a Sushi restaurant on board.
Of course, there are a few exceptions to this all-inclusive policy. Access to The Retreat, a luxurious area complete with cabanas, loungers, a hot tub, and a massage area, comes at an additional cost. And while Wi-Fi is complementary you will want to upgrade to the stream package if you want to do anything other than check your email and browse.
Seabourn boasts one of the most modern fleets in the luxury cruise category and offers intimate ships that have a private club atmosphere.
Each suite includes a Personal Suite Host and Attendant to help with anything passengers need. Each suite also has a walk-in closet, marble bathrooms with double vanities, and a dining table for some in-suite dining.
Built to explore, these smaller ships sail to all seven continents and will often visit hidden harbors that larger ships could never access.
For the more adventurous passengers, all Seabourn ships have an aft water sports marina that guests can take advantage of when the ship is anchored. From here activities like kayaking, longboarding, and even wind-surfing can be enjoyed.
What’s included in a Seabourn cruise?
- Free Wi-Fi Internet for browsing (for streaming there is an extra charge but Penthouse and Premium suite guests will receive this for free)
- Gratuities
- All beverages (except some premium alcoholic drinks)
- All dining (including caviar)
- Fitness classes
- Self-service laundry
- In-suite movies
- 24-hour room service
- In-suite mini-bar, replenished every day
- Access to water sports marina
Shore excursions are not included in the price and can be paid for separately online before your cruise.
Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection
The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection is a new venture that brings the luxury and refinement of Ritz-Carlton hotels to the open seas. Currently, there is only one ship in the fleet, with the next two set to join in 2024 and 2025. The current super-yacht offers 148 suites, some of which are over 1,000 square feet in size, and has a crew of 246 to serve the 298 passengers on board. This results in an excellent crew-to-passenger ratio.
Included in the fare are a personal concierge, gratuities, 24-hour in-suite dining, all beverages, entertainment, Wi-Fi, and water sports activities when the yacht is anchored.
Voyages are available for 7-10 nights and travel to destinations such as the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Canada, and the Caribbean. There are even a few “crossing” voyages that take passengers on a 12 or 13-night journey across the Atlantic.
Expect authentic, one-of-a-kind experiences that can’t be found anywhere else. This is no ordinary cruise ship – it’s a superyacht, complete with dedicated personal assistants in every suite and a Concierge Ashore program that can tailor private tours to your exact preferences.
What’s included on a Ritz Carlton yacht?
- A dedicated personal concierge
- All dining venues onboard except one
- 24-hour room service
- Beverages
- Wi-Fi internet
- Water sports activities on the aft marina
- Gratuities
There are a few additional fees for certain services. For example, the S.E.A. restaurant offers a seven-course menu that is paired with wine, but it comes with a $285 cover charge. The Ritz Kids Club costs $45 per child for a three-hour stay. WiFi is included in the price of your stay, but you can upgrade to a faster speed for an additional fee of $38 per day.
While there is no casino or large theater with musicals showing every night, there is live music played on some of the open decks throughout the voyage.
Explora Journeys
Set to debut its first ship later this year, Explora Journeys will be offering luxury cruises that are both elegant and immersive. The 14-deck ships will have a gross tonnage of 63,900 and a guest-to-crew ratio of 1.25:1, among the best in the industry. Each will have 461 oceanfront suites that have at least 375 sq. feet of space.
The first of a series of four luxury ships will embark on its journey in 2023, with the remaining ships in the series scheduled to be completed and ready for sailing in 2024, 2025, and 2026.
Explora Journeys will offer an all-inclusive luxury cruise experience with things like high-speed Wi-Fi, thermal suite access, unlimited drinks, 9 dining options, and all onboard gratuities complimentary.
Four Seasons Yachts
Set to debut in 2025, Four Seasons Yacht’s first 95-suite ship will feature 14 decks, a length of 679 feet, and a width of 88 feet. It will offer dining and beverage options inspired by Four Seasons’ culinary history, as well as full-service spa and wellness programming.
Each suite will have floor-to-ceiling windows, a ceiling height of 7.9 feet, and a large terrace deck. Guests will be able to connect multiple suites to create larger, villa-like accommodations. Suite sizes will range from an average of 581 square feet to the top-tier Funnel Suite, which boasts 9,601 square feet of indoor/outdoor living space, including a private wading pool and spa area. The ship will have a staff-to-guest ratio of 1:1.