Travel Value Finder
Leslie Nics, TravelValueFinder.com | Updated October 2026 | Built from SEC filings, federal data, and official port and state fee notices
How much does a cruise cost? In 2025, the average Carnival Corporation guest paid about $1,280 for the ticket and roughly $660 more onboard. That is about $1,940 per person, or $3,880 for a couple, before flights. Your own total moves with trip length, cabin, season, and ship class.
No government agency tracks cruise fares. So we anchored this guide to what cruise companies report to the SEC, plus official fee schedules. Every dollar figure below traces to an official source.
Table of Contents
How Much Does a Cruise Cost Per Person? The Verified Baseline
Carnival Corporation reported $17.4 billion in 2025 ticket revenue and carried 13.6 million guests, per its annual report. Dividing one by the other gives about $1,280 per guest for the ticket.
The same report says onboard and other spending made up 34% of cruise revenue. That works out to about $660 per guest.
The report also counts 101.7 million passenger cruise days for those 13.6 million guests. That means the average trip lasted about 7.5 days. Ticket revenue per passenger cruise day comes to about $170, and onboard spending to about $90.
| Cost piece | Per person | Couple | Per person, per day |
| Average ticket | About $1,280 | About $2,560 | About $170 |
| Average onboard spending | About $660 | About $1,320 | About $90 |
| Total before travel to the port | About $1,940 | About $3,880 | About $260 |
These are company wide averages. They blend every trip length and brand, and the ticket figure includes some air packages. Treat them as a starting point, not a quote.
Royal Caribbean shows the same pattern. Onboard and other revenue made up 30.2% of its 2025 total revenue, per its annual report.
So close to one dollar in three comes after boarding. Our first time cruise tips guide lists those add ons by category, so we skip that list here.
Before I look at fares, I price everything the cruise line never shows me. That total is usually the real surprise.” Leslie Nics, TraveValueFinder.com
What the Ticket Covers and What It Does Not
Carnival’s report says a ticket typically covers the cabin, most meals, pools, entertainment, and several ports. Supervised youth programs are included too.
Beverage packages, internet, shore excursions, specialty restaurants, photos, and service charges are sold on top.
Fares are usually quoted per person, based on two guests sharing a cabin. The industry counts capacity the same way. A third guest, a child, or a solo traveler is priced differently, so ask before you book.
Carnival’s occupancy was 105% in 2025. That means some cabins held three or more guests, so extra guests are common.
Costs Outside the Cruise Line’s Bill
Getting to the Port
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics reports an average domestic itinerary fare of $428 for the first quarter of 2026. That is the highest first quarter fare on record. Two travelers flying to the port would spend about $856 at that average. Your route will differ.
Driving can cost far less. The Canaveral Port Authority charges $20 a day plus tax at its terminal garages. The rate covers both the arrival and departure days. A seven night cruise counts as eight days, or $160 plus tax. Other homeports set their own rates.
Passports and ID
You may not need a new passport. U.S. citizens on closed loop cruises can often show a photo ID and proof of citizenship instead. A closed loop cruise starts and ends at the same U.S. port. A certified birth certificate is one example of proof, per U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Your cruise line and some foreign ports can still ask for a passport. Confirm before you skip it. Fees below come from the State Department.
| Document | Official fee | Good for |
| Passport book, first time adult | $130 plus $35 execution fee | Air, land, and sea travel |
| Passport card, first time adult | $30 plus $35 execution fee | Land and sea only, not air |
| Photo ID plus certified birth certificate | Birth certificate fee set by your state | Closed loop cruises for U.S. citizens |
Taxes and Port Fees: What You Pay Before You Board
Royal Caribbean charged guests $1.3 billion in port costs in 2025 and counted them inside the ticket price. That is why a price marked taxes and fees included matters. Compare cruises on that number, not the headline fare.
Alaska adds its own tax. The state taxes each passenger $34.50 per voyage, less certain local fees, per the Alaska Department of Revenue.
Hawaii tried to tax cruise fares too. Act 96 applied the 11% hotel tax rate to cruise fares. The state tax department stopped enforcing the cruise portion after a federal court injunction, per its January 2, 2026 announcement. That can change, so check the status before booking a Hawaii sailing.
Why Two Cruises With Similar Fares Can Cost Very Different Totals
Carnival’s report says prices vary by itinerary, cabin category, season, duration, and brand. Here is what the filing says about each factor.
| Factor | What the annual report says | What it means for your total |
| Trip length and class | Contemporary cruises generally last seven days or less. Premium cruises generally last seven to 14 days. | Longer premium sailings mean more nights to pay for. |
| Season | Demand peaks in the third quarter, with higher ticket prices and fuller ships. | Summer departures cost more. |
| Region | The Caribbean is 35% of Carnival capacity in 2026. Alaska is 7%. | The Caribbean has far more sailings to compare. |
| Cabin category | Price varies by category of guest accommodation. | Inside, ocean view, balcony, and suite each carry a different fare. |
| Booking window | Bookings are taken months ahead, and prices adjust with demand. | A fare can move between the day you look and the day you book. |
What Contemporary, Premium, and Luxury Mean
The report sorts cruise brands into three classes.
- Contemporary lines suit a broad audience, including families, with many activities and entertainment venues.
- Premium lines emphasize quality, comfort, style, and more varied itineraries.
- Luxury lines offer very high standards of service on smaller ships and exotic ports larger ships cannot reach.
Carnival says it has brands in all three classes. So a brand name alone does not tell you the price level. Check the specific ship and sailing.
Alaska also runs a short season. Carnival’s Alaska tour business earns its revenue from May through September, per the same report.
River sailings price differently. Our guide to river cruises for retirees compares those lines side by side.
One Couple, One Week: A Worked Budget
Here are the daily averages applied to a couple on a seven night sailing from Port Canaveral. Swap in your real fare to personalize it.
| Line | Fly in | Drive in |
| Tickets for two, seven days at about $170 each per day | $2,380 | $2,380 |
| Onboard spending for two, seven days at about $90 each per day | $1,260 | $1,260 |
| Subtotal | $3,640 | $3,640 |
| Flights for two at the BTS average | $856 | $0 |
| Port parking, eight days | $0 | $160 plus tax |
| Total | $4,496 | $3,800 plus tax |
The table leaves out a hotel night before sailing, travel insurance, and passport fees. Add those once you have your own quotes. Then replace the average ticket with the taxes and fees included price on your sailing page.
Compare cruises on the all in price. The headline fare is only the starting line.” Leslie Nics, TraveValueFinder.com
How I Build a Cruise Budget
I build the budget from the outside in. I price the trip to the port, the documents, and the port taxes first. Then I look at the fare.
That order keeps a cheap looking fare from setting the whole plan. It also shows when a higher fare with taxes included is the better deal.
A low fare on a sailing page tells you what the cruise line wants to sell. The total tells you what you will spend.” Leslie Nics, TraveValueFinder.com
You can total the pieces yourself with our Travel Budget Calculator. Our Travel Cost Guide shows how we price trips to other destinations.
Cruise Cost FAQs
Is $2,000 enough for a cruise?
For one guest, it roughly covers the average ticket and onboard spending. It does not cover flights, parking, or insurance.
How much does a cruise cost per day?
About $260 per person per day on average, split between the ticket and onboard spending, based on Carnival’s 2025 report.
Are taxes and port fees included in the fare?
Often, yes. Look for a price marked taxes and fees included, and confirm it at checkout.
Do I need a passport for a cruise?
Not always. U.S. citizens on closed loop cruises can often use a photo ID and proof of citizenship. Your cruise line may still ask for a passport.
When is a cruise most expensive?
Summer, based on Carnival’s report. Demand peaks then, with higher ticket prices and fuller ships.
Source Notes
- Carnival Corporation & plc, Annual Report on Form 10K, fiscal year ended November 30, 2025, filed with the SEC
- Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., Annual Report on Form 10K, fiscal year 2025, filed with the SEC
- US Bureau of Transportation Statistics, First Quarter 2026 Average Air Fare
- Canaveral Port Authority, Directions and Parking
- US Department of State, Passport Fees
- US Customs and Border Protection, Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative
- Alaska Department of Revenue, Notice on excise tax for travel aboard commercial passenger vessels
- Hawaii Department of Taxation, Announcement No. 2025 03, and Announcement No. 2026 01, January 2, 2026
