5 Things Cruise Lines Used To Include For Free But Don’t Anymore

I have noticed over the past few years that things that used to be included in your cruise fare now cost extra.

Not large things, just small tweaks that save the cruise lines money and can make your cruise feel less inclusive.

This seems to apply more to the mainstream cruise lines.

More luxury cruise lines like Azamara, Viking, Oceania, and Emerald seem to have filled the gap for those who want to pay upfront and not worry about all the “add-ons” once they are onboard.

When we took our first cruise with Norwegian Cruise Line, my parents remember being handed a glass of sparkling wine as they stepped onboard – a lovely way to start the cruise experience. That certainly doesn’t happen now…

Cruise fares still include a lot

As standard, your cruise fare still includes quite a lot, and always covers:

• Your accommodation
• Meals in the main dining room and buffet
• Transport between ports
• Entertainment

But some things that used to be automatically included now depend on:

• The cruise line
• Your cabin grade
• The type of cruise fare you have paid
• The ship you are sailing on

Things that may be chargeable that used to be included as standard:

#1. Room service after breakfast

Example cruise line – Cunard

Cunard is a traditional cruise line, associated with a luxury experience and great service.

Fully included Room service used to feel like part of the luxury Cunard experience. It was particularly useful, as you have to dress up to eat in the main dining room on a Cunard cruise.

Dress codes are strictly enforced in the public areas of the ship after 6pm, and if you didn’t want to comply, you could order free room service instead.

Unless you have paid extra for the more expensive Britannia Club, Princess Grill, or Queens Grill (suite) experience, free room service has now been cut.

Guests staying in the cheaper Britannia cabins (that is always me!) get complimentary breakfast in their stateroom until 10 am only.

Room service for Britannia guests after breakfast now incurs an additional charge.

Cunard hasn’t removed free room service for everyone, just those in the lower grades of cabins.

Cunard made this change with only a few days notice, so those who had booked expecting to get free room service were disappointed!

There was outrage amongst loyal Cunard cruises – Cunard have always been associated with luxury, tradition and good service.

Find out more about that change, and the prices charged by Cunard here:

Cunard Now Charges For Room Service After Breakfast – Price Lists & More

I stayed in the cheapest cabin on Cunard’s newest ship, Queen Anne. It was a lovely cabin, but I never ordered room service.

Have a look at that inside cabin here:

#2. Ordering extra main courses in the main dining room

Example cruise line – Norwegian Cruise Line

Cruisers used to expect lots of flexibility in the main dining rooms.

Ordering more than one main course was common for many. Some people liked to try multiple things on the menu, and there was no extra charge.

Norwegian have now introduced a charge for additional main dining room entrées.

You may be charged $5 for each additional entrées (main course) you order.

The first entrée is still included. Extra entrées are now chargeable. Extra starters or desserts/puddings remain free of charge.

This is not the same as main dining room meals becoming chargeable, it is an additional charge if you want extra.

Cruise lines would argue that it is about reducing waste, but it’s also about controlling costs and making savings.

This somehow changes the “try whatever you want” feeling that cruising used to have.

Many other cruise lines haven’t implemented these extra charges – it will be interesting to see whether they follow suit.

Repeat cruisers may have strong opinions on this, but I never order extra courses, so it doesn’t worry me.

I find that the portion sizes on Norwegian are often much bigger than on other lines.

I find there is more than enough food for me in the main dining room, and I can always pop to the buffet for a snack later if necessary!

#3. Casual dining venues

Example cruise line: Princess Cruises

Some Princess casual dining venues used to feel like included extras – Alfredo’s / Gigi’s Pizzerias are the most obvious examples.

I always used to enjoy visiting these pizza restaurants, and I am sad that they are now no longer automatically included.

Princess now treats some casual dining venues as chargeable – unless you have bought one of their packages.

Princess lists casual dining as part of the Plus /Premier packages. If you don’t pay the £50+ a day to upgrade to a package, you have to pay extra to eat at the pizzeria.

Standard fare guests may pay a casual dining charge or à la carte pricing.

All main dining and buffet food remains included.

I often see “cheap” deals on Princess cruises that I am tempted by – but once you factor in the price of adding a Princess Plus package (which also includes drinks and gratuities), the price of the cruise can double. It doesn’t turn out to be much of a “cheap” deal after all…

#4. Twice-daily cabin service/turndown

Example cruise line: P&O

Many cruisers remember having their cabins serviced twice daily.

It was lovely to come back to your tidy cabin, the curtains drawn ready for bed, and that lovely chocolate waiting on your pillow…

This has become a thing of the past on many cruise lines.

Although cabin stewards still provide a morning clean – beds are remade, fresh towels are provided, and any glasses or crockery are taken away – the evening turndown service has disappeared from P&O for most passengers.

There are some exceptions, such as higher-suite guests who may have their own butlers to look after their cabins and attend to their every need.

It is not unusual to see your cabin steward working in the bars or the main dining room in the evenings.

Daily schedules that were once left as part of the nightly turn-down service are left in the rack outside your cabin.

If you have more than two people sharing your cabin, then they may come in twice to make the beds up in the evening.

When I shared a mini suite on P&O’s Iona with my parents, I slept on the sofa, which was made into a single bed.

Although the cabin steward offered to come in every day to make up and make down the bed, I told him he could just leave my bed made up for the whole week.

We were in a controversial “Conservatory mini suite” cabin, so we had plenty of extra space to sit.

Have a look at that unusual cabin here:

Not having the room serviced twice a day makes little difference to my cruise experience, although some repeat cruisers may notice the change.

#5. Port shuttle buses

Example cruise line: P&O Cruises

I love it when you cruise with a company like Azamara, shuttle buses are included for everyone.

I don’t like it when companies charge you $15 per person to get to the town centre, which is often only a short distance away. I would rather walk, if that is an option.

Often it isn’t; the cruise ship is docked in an industrial port, or far away from the main city you thought you would be visiting.

Port shuttle buses are one of those boring-but-useful cruise inclusions.

On P&O Cruises, shuttle buses depend on the fare type. “Select Price” guests get complimentary use of shuttle buses in port, where they are provided by P&O Cruises. “Early Saver” guests have shuttle buses at an additional cost.

Fred Olsen offer a similar system, If you book their “Freedom Fare” shuttle buses are included.

Most cruise lines charge you for shuttle bus rides, and in many cases, you have little choice but to pay for them.

I see this as a minor annoyance, but if you are travelling as part of a family or in a big group, these costs at every port can soon add up.

If walking is an option, I always prefer to do that, but I know that doesn’t suit everyone.

Sometimes it just isn’t an option at all. I sailed to Hamburg with Cunard, and we were docked around five miles from the city centre. The paid shuttle bus was the most affordable option.

Unfortunately, our shuttle bus was delayed coming back to the ship by a World War 2 bomb! We did eventually make it back, though…

Hear all about that below:

Before You Go

Another thing that has disappeared from when I first cruised is chocolate midnight buffets! Find out why they have disappeared here:

Remember Cruise Ship Midnight Chocolate Buffets? Here’s Why They Disappeared

Ever worried that your cruise ship might be attacked by pirates? You really don’t need to be. Find out what precautions cruise ships take when sailing in dangerous waters here:

Cruise Ship Blackouts: Why You Probably Don’t Need To Worry