All-Inclusive Cruises: Which Lines Include the Most?

"All-inclusive" means very different things depending on which cruise line is using the phrase. Some bundle drinks, dining and Wi-Fi into the headline fare, others stretch the definition to include shore excursions and gratuities, and a few use the term loosely for what is really just a base fare with two extras tacked on. Here is what the major lines actually include.

Virgin Voyages: Transparent Approach

Virgin Voyages does not call itself all-inclusive but bundles a lot into the fare: cabin, all main dining (including the speciality restaurants, which other lines charge for), basic drinks like still water, soft drinks, drip coffee and gym classes, plus Wi-Fi and gratuities. Premium cocktails, wines and spirits are extra, but the package is honest about where the line falls.

Viking Ocean Cruises: Premium Standard

Viking is the closest mainstream operator to genuine all-inclusive. Fares cover accommodation, all meals across every restaurant, beer and wine with lunch and dinner, one shore excursion per port, Wi-Fi and gratuities. The headline price is high, but you can step off the ship at the end of two weeks with no onboard bill at all.

Silversea and Marella

Silversea is ultra-luxury all-inclusive: butlers, premium spirits and shore excursions baked into a substantially higher fare. Marella, owned by TUI, is the British answer at a more accessible price. It includes drinks, gratuities and most meals on board, sails from UK ports and remains one of the few genuinely affordable inclusive options for UK families.

Value Calculation

Compare the all-inclusive headline against the equivalent cruise-only fare plus what you would realistically spend on drinks, speciality dining, Wi-Fi, gratuities and one or two excursions. The premium for going all-inclusive is typically 30 to 50 percent. It is worth it if you would otherwise tense up every time you ordered another glass of wine; less worthwhile if you are a light drinker who eats mostly in the main dining room.