Are you considering an all-inclusive cruise but not sure whether it’s for you? All-inclusive cruises represent the pinnacle of relaxation and indulgence and offer great value for money. Comfortable cabins, fabulous food and enthralling entertainment all come as standard on a normal cruise with an all-inclusive cruise, you have the added bonus of included drinks packages, as well as shore excursions and gratuities in some cases. Continue reading for an overview of each all-inclusive cruise line:
All-inclusive ocean cruise lines
Azamara
What’s included: Luxury cruise line Azamara provides an all-inclusive cruise experience that provides guests a unique travel opportunity. Fares include complimentary AzAmazing Evenings® event (on most voyages), gratuities, select stand spirits, international beers and wines, bottled water, soft drinks, speciality coffees and teas, self-service laundry, shuttle service to and from port communities (where available) and concierge services for personal guidance and reservations.
“My mum is a huge fan of Azamara,” Jenni from Cruise Mummy told us. “She loves that drinks are included as standard and that there are no gratuities to pay. The included drinks are selected spirits, wines, beers, bottled water, soft drinks, teas and coffees. However, the list of included drinks is so extensive that only the most serious of wine or whisky connoisseurs would need to pay extra for specialist drinks.”
Celebrity Cruises
What’s included: Celebrity Cruises introduced Always Included in November 2020. Celebrity believes holidays should be effortless from start to finish which is why every one of their cruises now includes drinks, Wi-Fi and gratuities. Guests can also choose from two upgrade packages to ensure even greater conveniences, there are Elevate and Indulge. With Elevate, guests can enjoy a premium drinks package upgrade plus credit for one shore excursions alongside Wi-Fi and gratuities. With Indulge, guests can enjoy all the benefits of the Elevate package plus an upgrade to unlimited streaming Wi-Fi and an additional on board credit of up to $200.
Crystal Cruises
What’s included: For over 30 years, Crystal Cruises have provided a luxury all-inclusive cruise experience. They are a cruise line passionate about bringing their loyal guest’s life-enhancing experiences through the wonder of travel. Fares include gratuities, all non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, 24-hour room service, all enrichment courses and fitness classes, free Wi-Fi and an evening of dining in a speciality restaurant.
MSC Cruises
What’s included: “As all-inclusive cruise lines are most often luxury lines (with price tags to match!), it was great to see budget-friendly cruise line MSC Cruises* go all-inclusive with cruises from the UK this summer,” Jenni explained. “Cruises on MSC Virtuosa from the UK in 2021 were all inclusive as standard, with every guest receiving free drinks and included gratuities as part of their cruise fare.
“As this deal was so popular, I hope that it’s something that MSC Cruises considers doing again in the future. However, even if they don’t, MSC Cruises drinks packages offer great value for money, requiring fewer drinks to ‘break even’ than other comparable cruise lines. With five packages to choose from, you can choose the package that’s best suited to what you like to drink.”
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
What’s included: Regent is possibly the most inclusive cruise line sailing the seven seas (see what we did there?) The ultra-luxury cruise line aspires to “give you more than just the most luxurious ships, exquisite meals, refined service or exhilarating shore excursions.” Instead, they include every luxury. Regent’s all-inclusive fares include; free return flights (where applicable), unlimited shore excursions, pre-cruise hotel packages (where applicable), unlimited beverages, gratuities, speciality restaurants, transfers, free Wi-Fi and valet laundry service.
Royal Caribbean International
What’s included: “With bumper cars, surf simulator FlowRider, a climbing wall as well as award-winning shows straight out of the West End, Royal Caribbean** is the cruise line for adrenalin junkies looking for the ultimate fun at sea,” says Karen, one half of the dynamic duo, Cruise Blondes.
“Families can currently enjoy all the thrills and spills Anthem of the Seas has to offer as it heads around Britain on its summer season of seacations from Southampton. And there are plenty of reasons to leave your credit card at home as Royal Caribbean include a lot in the very reasonable price for sailing on their 4,180-passenger Quantum Class ship.”
Saga Ocean Cruises
What’s included: Exclusively for those aged 50 and over, Saga Cruises are committed to making each cruise experience truly unforgettable. Included in the price of a Saga cruise is chauffeur service (where applicable), shore excursions, speciality dining, all-inclusive drinks, gratuities, a full programme of live music, entertainment and talks, 24-hour room service, free Wi-Fi and a shuttle bus at most ports.
Scenic Ocean Cruises
What’s included: Scenic Ocean Cruises’ truly all-inclusive programme enables guests to experience ocean cruising like never before. From unforgettable excursions, fine dining and complimentary beverages throughout your cruise, Scenic Ocean Cruises innovative approach to all-inclusive travel means everything is included in the price of your river cruise.
Seabourn
What’s included: Seabourn welcomes you to all-inclusive, luxury cruising refined to its purest form. The cruise line is the official cruise partner of UNESCO World Heritage and guests can choose from two types of UNESCO tours; World Heritage Tours and Discovery Tours. Fares include gratuities, open bar and in-suite bar set-up, all speciality restaurants, 24-hour room service and much, much more.
Silversea
What’s included: Luxury cruise line Silversea features smaller ships and a diverse range of itineraries. Private executive transfers, all-inclusive pre/post-cruise benefits, butler service, complimentary beverages, gourmet dining, gratuities and personalised service, shore excursions and on board lectures, all-inclusive expedition cruising are all included in the price of a Silversea cruise.
All-inclusive river cruise lines
APT Cruising
What’s included: With fine dining, unforgettable destinations, stunning accommodation and attentive staff, every aspect of an APT river cruise exceeds expectations. APT Cruising’s fares include overseas transfers, luggage porterage, gratuities (where applicable), guided sightseeing excursions, sumptuous cuisine and hand-picked accommodation.
Scenic River Cruises
What’s included: Scenic River Cruises’ truly all-inclusive programme enables guests to experience river cruising like never before. From unforgettable excursions, fine dining and complimentary beverages throughout your cruise, Scenic River Cruises innovative approach to all-inclusive travel means everything is included in the price of your river cruise.
Uniworld River Cruises
What’s included: Discover the beauty of boutique river cruising with Uniworld River Cruises. With Uniworld, everything you need to enjoy is already paid for - this includes; at least one daily excursion, multiple dining options, wine and beer, fun on board activities, fitness classes, all scheduled airport transfers to and from the ship, bicycles, gratuities and free Wi-Fi.
*MSC Cruises’ all-inclusive cruises are part of a promotion ending November 2021.
**Royal Caribbean’s All Included covers most things in the cost of your cruise but there also some added extras to purchase on board if you so wish.
