What a free casino cruise really costs

• Taxes, fees and port expensesCharged per guest and set by the sailing. The offer documents give a range, not a figure: Celebrity's 2,000-point list (261005) says "just pay between $95 and $494 in taxes and fees"; Royal Caribbean's 2610C04 says between $34.00 and $371.18. The exact amount is confirmed when you book. Holland America's casino terms put its required fees and taxes at "approximately $110 to $1535 USD."
• GratuitiesMost lines add a daily charge per guest to your onboard account. On a 7-night cruise for two that's 14 guest-days, so a $20 rate adds $280. Rates by line are in the table below. Most lines also add 18% or 20% to drinks, specialty dining and spa purchases.
• The second guestOn "fare for 1" offers the second guest pays a reduced casino fare. Neither Celebrity nor Royal Caribbean publishes that rate; you see it when you price the sailing. Sailing alone in a double cabin doesn't remove it on Royal Caribbean: the terms say you pay the second guest's fare at the casino discount rate.
• Deposits and admin feesSome lines charge one even on a free fare. NCL's Points to Paradise charges an administration fee of $20 per person per day. Virgin Voyages takes a $200 deposit that comes back as slot play on board, and is non-refundable if you cancel within 30 days. Holland America takes a $100 non-refundable deposit per person for the first two guests, returned as onboard credit up to $200 per stateroom. Royal Caribbean adds a $200 per-stateroom deposit if you were a recent no-show.
• Cabin category limitsThe offer covers one category, and often a guarantee (A booking in a cabin category without choosing the cabin. The line picks the actual cabin later.) cabin. Holland America gives "the lowest level of stateroom available in the corresponding category," which may have an obstructed view. Upgrades are at your expense on every line we checked.
• Onboard spendingDrinks, specialty dining, Wi-Fi, excursions and the spa, plus the purchase gratuities above. Some lines give free drinks while you play; see free drinks in cruise casinos.
• Getting to the portFlights, a hotel the night before and parking or transfers. Royal Caribbean's terms exclude "air and ground transfers" and NCL's Points to Paradise page says "transportation to/from the port and onboard folio charges are not included."
• Fuel and other surchargesNCL may add a fuel supplement of up to $10 per person per day if oil closes above $65 a barrel. Margaritaville at Sea charges $15 per person per night on its Paradise ship.

Winnings on board can also be taxable, and losses only count if you keep records. See cruise casino winnings and taxes.

1. Celebrity, 2,000-point level: interior for two

The row, from Celebrity's October 2026 offer 261005: Celebrity Summit, Tampa, December 13, 2026, 7 Night Key West & Bahamas Cruise, Interior, Cruise Fare For 2 Guests, $150 FreePlay. Fares are Celebrity's own interior "from" price for that sailing on October 11, 2026, as recorded in our offer data: $545.10 per person including $189.10 of taxes and fees.

The offer saves $712 of fare and leaves $651.20 to pay. Add the expected cost of earning it and the total is about $1,450 to $1,460. The $150 FreePlay comes back at the game's return, about $146 on 8/5 Jacks or Better. Celebrity's tax figure for this sailing ($189.10) is inside the $95 to $494 range on the offer document.

2. Royal Caribbean, offer 2610C04: balcony for two

The row: Symphony of the Seas, Galveston, November 8, 2026, 7 Night Western Caribbean Cruise, Balcony - GTY, Cruise Fare For 2 Guests, Next Cruise Bonus $250 FreePlay, Next Cruise OBC $50. The document gives no fare and only a tax range for the whole offer, so the taxes are shown as a range.

Royal Caribbean doesn't say how many points lead to this offer code, so we show the cost per 1,000 points instead of a total. The document doesn't explain how the FreePlay and onboard credit bonuses are earned; our Royal Caribbean offers guide covers what is and isn't known.

3. Norwegian, Points to Paradise: free fare for two

NCL's Points to Paradise page offers complimentary cruise fare on 3- to 14-night sailings, with an administration fee. It gives the points needed in a banner on that page (2,000 points for a free fare; see our Norwegian casino offers guide), but not the cabin category or whether the fare covers a second guest, so this example assumes two guests in a standard cabin on 7 nights, booked after January 1, 2023.

Government taxes, port expenses and fees come on top; NCL's page doesn't give an amount. Ask Casinos At Sea for the full quote before you book.

• Price the whole cabinTaxes and fees for every guest, gratuities for every day, and guest 2's fare if it's a "fare for 1" offer.
• Ask about deposits and feesSome are refundable, some come back as onboard credit or slot play, and some are kept if you cancel.
• Check the cabinNote the category and whether it's a guarantee. Price any upgrade before you accept.
• Add the tripFlights, a hotel, parking and transfers often cost more than the taxes.
• Set a casino budgetDecide what you're comfortable losing, then see what it earns. The finder shows the play each program needs.
• Plan the next one honestlyEnd-of-cruise certificates follow the same math. See end-of-cruise casino comps.

A casino offer can be good value if you'd cruise and play anyway. It isn't free money, and nothing on this page is a promise of what an offer will cost you.