These Are the Best All-Inclusive Cruises to Book in 2023

What you may not realize when you book a standard cruise is that often, there are a lot of things that aren’t included in the cruise fare. On many cruises, a hard-to-beat deal might entice you, but once on board you might get barraged with temptations that can add significantly to your vacation cost. You could have to pay extra for things like sodas, espresso drinks, cocktails, wine, fitness classes, spa treatments, specialty dining, shore excursions, gratuities, and Wi-Fi.

But that’s not the case on all-inclusive cruises, which are typically a more luxurious offering. When you book an all-inclusive cruise, you pay for almost everything upfront. The initial tab may be higher, but you avoid that feeling of being constantly nickeled and dimed. In that way, you’re freer to indulge. Here, we round up some of our favorite all-inclusive cruises where you needn’t worry about many, if any, extras. Lines mentioned below include gratuities and Wi-Fi except where noted. There is an extra charge for spa treatments and shore excursions on the cruises below, unless noted otherwise.

Azamara Cruises

Best for unique shore experiences

Courtesy of Azamara Cruises

The four small ships of Azamara Cruises carry a maximum of 704 guests each and operate like friendly, floating boutique hotels. Guests enjoy an open bar serving standard spirits, wines, international beers, bottled water, and soft drinks, though Internet service costs extra. Special golf cruises in conjunction with golf vacation provider PerryGolf come with escorted play at prestigious courses around the world, including Ireland’s Royal Portrush.

Best inclusion: AzAmazing Evenings are extraordinary shoreside events with all guests invited—such as watching dancers, gymnasts, and aerialists of the French troupe Les Farfadais in a private performance at the waterfront Grimaldi Forum in Monte Carlo.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Best over-the-top, all-inclusive cruise

Courtesy of Regent Seven Seas

On Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ fancy 490- to 750-passenger ships, nearly everything is covered by your cruise fare, from your in-suite minibar to business-class international airfare and shore excursions. Guests stay in roomy suites, sip premium wine and spirits, and enjoy fine dining at complimentary specialty restaurants, all amid extravagant decor—parts of the Seven Seas Explorer, for example, are done up with Carrara marble and gold leaf. Also covered is a precruise night at a luxury hotel at your embarkation port. If you want to show off, you can pay extra for a $1,000 bottle of wine, but you won’t necessarily feel the need.

Best inclusion: Regent’s shore excursions go well beyond the norm. You might do an open-air mud bath experience in Cartagena, Spain, or a marine science, history, and food tour with tastings of local craft beer and salmon in Sitka, Alaska.

The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection

Best for socializing

Photo by Christopher Cypert/The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection

On the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s sleek 298-passenger super-yacht Evrima, exploring the Caribbean and Mediterranean, complimentary Moet & Chandon champagne flows to the backdrop of a friendly and relaxed resort-like atmosphere. Many passengers are on board to celebrate the good life, Ritz-Carlton style. Four excellent restaurants are complimentary, and while there’s an extra charge for top wines and booze, and for a tasting menu by a Michelin three-star chef and the supervised Ritz Kids program, much else is covered in the fare—even cigars from the humidor.

Best inclusion: You can use Marriott Bonvoy points for discounts or to pay for your cruise and you can collect points when you book the Evrima, too.

Scenic

Best for polar expeditions

Courtesy of Scenic

With its 228-passenger, polar-class expedition yachts, Scenic Eclipse and Scenic Eclipse II (the latter debuting in spring 2023), Australian brand Scenic combines soft adventure and luxury in adventure-rich destinations such as Antarctica and the Arctic. Every suite has an assigned butler, and the ships feature an eye-popping 10 dining experiences. Complimentary beverages include selections from an over-the-top whiskey bar with more than 100 bottles. Also included are Wi-Fi, e-bikes and kayaks to borrow, and shore excursions. You will pay extra for rides in the ships’ helicopters and submarines, though.

Best inclusion: At the Senses Spa, meditation sessions, Pilates and yoga classes, and the tranquil thermal spa with soothing aromatherapy showers and heated loungers are all complimentary.

Seabourn

Best for couples

Courtesy of Seabourn

Seabourn’s 458- and 600-passenger ships are like the sexy private yachts of the rich and famous, only better because you get to dine on cuisine by chef Thomas Keller (of French Laundry and Per Se fame). The complimentary wine list is impressive, and premium spirits and good champagne flow freely, too. All culinary experiences are included—even artisanal gelato made fresh on board. Internet access is extra (unless you’re in premium accommodations). The line’s luxurious, 264-passenger, polar-class expedition ships skip the Keller cuisine, but add soft adventure experiences such as Zodiac exploration in Antarctica—plus the pay-extra feature of undersea exploration via six-passenger submarines.

Best inclusion: Whenever you want and wherever you happen to be (even at the pool), order complimentary Regiis Ova caviar.

SeaDream Yacht Club

Best for relaxing in the Caribbean

Courtesy of SeaDream Yacht Club

After exploring destinations such as St. Bart’s, St. Tropez, and Capri, you can spend your nights dancing barefoot around the pool on SeaDream Yacht Club’s elegantly carefree 112-passenger SeaDream I and SeaDream II. A crew of 95 is available to pamper you with excellent cocktails, wine, and creative meals; except for a splurge-worthy Thai massage and shore excursions, there’s not much reason to add any expenses to your credit card. Among the complimentary treats is the romantic overnight option of sleeping on a Balinese daybed on deck.

Best inclusion: Head onto the water with small sailing catamarans or Jet Skis that are offered from the vessels’ drop-down marina.

Silversea Cruises

Best destinations

Courtesy of Silversea Cruises

Luxury and expedition cruising are both specialties of Silversea Cruises, which has a fleet of intimate 100- to 608-passenger ships exploring the world. Guests stay in ocean-view suites with butler service and enjoy an open bar with a long list of fine wines, champagne, and spirits. There is a reservation fee for some specialty dining. Select voyages have complimentary shoreside events, while expedition cruises include excursions. In Antarctica and the Arctic, hotel stays, in-country flights, and a parka are among the perks of the polar package.

Best inclusion: Your butler spoils you, unpacking your luggage, offering a choice of pillows, and polishing your shoes. If you’re in a high-end suite, the butler will even draw you a scented bath.

UnCruise Adventures

Best for exploration

Courtesy of UnCruise Adventures

The small ships of the UnCruise Adventures fleet carry between 22 and 90 passengers to places where nature is part of the experience—Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, the Galápagos, Hawai‘i, and Mexico’s Sea of Cortez, to name a few. You spend your days hiking, snorkeling, kayaking, or on guided shore tours, and nights socializing with craft cocktails or microbrews before heading to dinner where sustainable fish dishes are accompanied by Pacific Northwest wines and extravagant desserts from the baker on board. The only extra charges are gratuities (10 percent of your fare is the recommended amount). The Galápagos ship is the sole one with Internet access, and it’s free.

Best inclusion: Great signature Bloody Marys with all the trimmings.

Viking Ocean

Best value

Courtesy of Viking

Viking Ocean (the sister line to Viking River Cruises) translated the standard river cruise concept to the high seas, including that there are few extra charges beyond your cruise fare. On the line’s nearly identical, 930-passenger ocean ships, guests explore exceptionally well-designed spaces decked out in streamlined Scandinavian furnishings. Among the inclusions are specialty dining venues, wine and beer with lunch and dinner (drink packages are for sale if you want more), a shore excursion at every port, fitness classes, and unlimited Wi-Fi. Gratuities are extra.

Best inclusion: The ships’ Nordic spa, hydrotherapy pool, steam room, and invigorating snow room are open to all on a complimentary basis.

This article originally appeared on September 9, 2019, and was most recently updated on January 17, 2023, to include current information.