How Much Does an MSC Cruise Cost? (2025 Guide)

If you’re an American, you may have seen advertisements for MSC Cruises and wondered what the line was all about. This European line has been consistently growing in the U.S. market, now offering voyages from ports in Florida, New York, and Texas. And of course, there are plenty of MSC sailings to choose from in the Mediterranean, northern Europe, and beyond. If you’re considering a cruise with MSC, you may be wondering just how much it will cost you. Here, we’re breaking down the factors that go into determining how much an MSC cruise costs.

Key Takeaways

• Your cabin category will be the main driver of your overall cruise cost
• MSC cruises in the Caribbean tend to be slightly cheaper than voyages in Europe
• Most MSC cruises are seven nights long, though many shorter ones (especially in the Bahamas) and longer ones are available
• MSC is not a luxury all-inclusive line, so you’ll need to pay extra for things like alcoholic beverages, internet access, and excursions

What is the MSC cruise cost for my family?

There is no “one size fits all” answer to how much an MSC cruise costs. The cost of an MSC cruise varies greatly depending on a number of factors. The length of the cruise, the region and time of year you’re sailing, the ship, the type of cabin you’re staying in, and the number of people in your family all contribute to the overall cost. It’s worth noting that the third and fourth guests staying in a cabin cost less per person than the first two passengers do.

The good news is that many things are included in an MSC cruise so once you’ve chosen your specific itinerary and cabin, a good portion of the planning is already done. Things that are included in the cruise fare include your accommodations, entertainment, most activities on the ship, and some restaurants including the main dining room and buffet.

Stick around to the end and we’ll help you get a good idea on how much to budget for an MSC cruise.

MSC Cruise Costs By Cabin Type

Like other major cruise lines, MSC offers a large variety of staterooms to choose from. From interiors, oceanviews, and balconies all the way up to various sizes of suites, there’s a cabin for everyone on MSC Cruises. Interior cabins are generally the smallest and have no windows, making them the cheapest option. Suites — especially those in the MSC Yacht Club — have the most space and are the most expensive. Many MSC ships also offer specialty stateroom categories like studio cabins (for solo travelers) and cabins that are designed specifically for families.

Here are some price ranges to give you an idea of what you can expect to pay in each of the three standard cabin categories on MSC, based on double occupancy. We’ve divided them out by the two most popular places the line sails — the Caribbean and Europe:

Caribbean:

• Interior: $75 to $100 per person, per night
• Oceanview: $90 to $120 per person, per night
• Balcony: $110 to $140 per person, per night
• Suite: $220 to $400 per person, per night

Europe:

• Interior: $90 to $140 per person, per night
• Oceanview: $120 to $180 per person, per night
• Balcony: $150 to $200 per person, per night
• Suite: $270 to $440 per person, per night

Keep in mind that these are just estimates — there are lots of MSC cruises in those two regions and beyond that cost less (and more!) than the figures above. So if you’re looking to cruise on a tight budget, be sure to look at sailings currently available for booking and see what options fit your needs and preferences.

MSC Yacht Club

If you’re looking for the ultimate in luxury on an MSC cruise, consider booking into the MSC Yacht Club. This ship-within-a-ship complex is accessible through keycard only to those staying in a Yacht Club suite. Depending on the ship, Yacht Club accommodations range from interior suites all the way up to large family suites, owner’s suites, and two-story duplex suites. In addition to more space and high-end finishes, staying in the Yacht Club means you have access to your own bar and lounge, restaurant, and sundeck with swimming pool.

Yacht Club suites generally cost more than standard suites thanks to all of the inclusions that come with this accommodation, so that’s something to keep in mind when deciding on an MSC cruise stateroom. If you’re looking into booking a suite — whether inside or outside of the MSC Yacht Club — we highly suggest utilizing the services of a travel agent to go over your options and help you pick your perfect accommodation.

Other Stateroom Options

To provide options for solo travelers, some newer MSC ships offer interior (some also have oceanview) studio cabins. They cost less than what you’d often pay for a standard cabin designed for two people (up to 200 percent of the usual per-person price, though this can be lower depending on the specific cruise). However, they still cost more than the usual per-person price if you’re traveling as a couple. Expect to pay around 150 percent of the usual per-person price (for the comparable standard stateroom category) when booking into a studio stateroom. These cabins are small, but they can be a great option if you want a more budget-friendly accommodation and don’t feel the need for a balcony.

A final note on MSC Cruises staterooms. This line is unique (and a bit confusing) in that when you book your cruise, you not only choose your cabin category but also your “experience” package. These include Bella, Fantastica, and Aurea. For information on these, check out our article on comparing the MSC experience levels.

MSC Costs By Cruise Length

When looking at the length of a cruise you want to take, it’s important to realize that MSC does not offer as many short cruise options as other lines. The majority of sailings are seven nights or longer, especially in Europe. In the Caribbean, it is easy to find three and four-night cruises to the Bahamas (though there are far more seven-nighter Caribbean cruises too). Of course in most cases, the shorter a cruise the less expensive it will be overall.

However, you may be wondering how the per-day MSC cruise cost for a short voyage compares to the per-day cost for a longer voyage. Generally, the per-day cost is a bit more for a shorter cruise. This is largely because the ship has to be fully turned over for a new set of guests more often.

For example, cabin stewards have to fully clean cabins and replace linens in cabins twice in one week on a ship that does three and four-day cruises vs. just once per week on ships that operate seven-night cruises. Another factor may be less casino and retail revenue. Casinos and shops must be closed while in port — which includes a homeport turnaround day. On a weeklong cruise, that day could be an extra sea day which means more revenue.

But depending on the season, how popular the ship is, and other factors, you can find great deals on short cruises just like you can on longer ones. And if you’re on a really tight budget, it may make sense to take a shorter cruise for an overall lower cost — regardless of what the per-day price is.

What costs extra on MSC Cruises?

Gratuities

The daily gratuities (or hotel service charges) are charged on a per-person, per-day basis, and vary depending on the region where you’re sailing. These gratuities benefit various crew members including cabin stewards, dining staff, and behind-the-scenes crew such as culinary staff and hotel operations personnel who work hard to enhance your cruise experience.

On cruises from U.S. homeports, guests in standard cabins are charged $16 per person/day. Yacht Club guests are charged $20 per person/day. On voyages in Europe and the Middle East, guests ages 12 and older are charged €12 (about $13) per person/day. Kids ages 2-11 are charged half that at €6. In the Yacht Club, these figures increase to €16 and €8, respectively. Babies and toddlers under two are not charged daily gratuities.

You can either pre-pay gratuities prior to your cruise by calling MSC customer service (you cannot do it online) or you can pay at the end of your cruise. If for some reason during your sailing you want to remove or reduce the amount you pay in daily gratuities, you can do so by visiting Guest Services.

Select Beverages

Some beverages such as non-bottled water, iced tea, lemonade, brewed coffee, hot tea, and juice at breakfast are included in the cruise fare on MSC.

You have to pay extra for things like soda, specialty coffees, smoothies, bottled water, and alcoholic drinks. Here’s a quick guide on the pricing:

• Bottled Water (non-premium): $3.25 to $3.75
• Espresso-Based Beverages: $4.25
• Soft Drinks: $3 for a glass, $3.50 for a can
• Mocktails: $7
• Energy Drinks: $5
• Beer: $7.50
• Wine: most glasses are $9 to $16
• Cocktails: $10 to $13
• Signature Cocktails: $14 to $16

MSC Cruises offers multiple drink packages to choose from. This allows you to pay a set per-day price to enjoy beverages without worrying about the a la carte cost. For adults, the Alcohol-Free Package ranges from $33 to $35 per person/day. The Premium Extra Package (includes alcohol) ranges from $85 to $95 per person/day.

Select Dining Options

While some restaurants such as the main dining room and buffet are included in your fare, you’ll have to pay extra for most other restaurants. The exact venues available on board vary from ship to ship, but often include restaurants focusing on cuisines such as Asian, Italian, Mexican, seafood, and steak. Some restaurants offer dishes at an a la carte price, while others incur a flat per-person fee.

Dining packages are available, allowing you to book multiple nights of specialty dining in advance to receive a discount.

Internet Access

MSC Cruises has two base wifi packages to choose from: Browse and Browse and Stream. Browse allows you to browse the web, send and receive emails and images, and chat on messaging apps such as WhatsApp or iMessage. The Browse and Stream package adds on the ability to video chat, stream music and videos, and post videos and live streams on social media. Prices vary depending on the cruise, but generally both packages are less than $20 per day for one device if the package is purchased in advance. Multi-device versions of both packages are also available at a discount.

MSC has a smartphone app called MSC For Me, which is free to download and use. You can do everything from making dining reservations and booking shore excursions to viewing a ship map and chatting with family and friends on the cruise right from the app. Just connect to the ship’s internet to take advantage of all of the app’s features while on board.

Though it wasn’t too long ago that internet could be slow and spotty on a cruise, times have changed — especially since cruise lines began adding Starlink satellite internet to their ships. MSC is one of those lines, so you should expect pretty speedy internet without many hang-ups. Though you should never expect cruise ship internet to be as fast and smooth as you might be used to at home.

Shore Excursions

If you’re planning to do any shore excursions, it’s important to factor those into your overall MSC budget because they can add up quickly. But first, know that shore excursions are not required. Many cruisers get off the ship and explore a port completely on their own.

If you’re unsure about whether to take a shore excursion, first think about what you want to do most in each port. If you don’t know much about a port, research how walkable it is, what the most popular activities are to do there, and get a feel for how you want to spend your time there. Look at shore excursions offered by MSC, as well as those that may be offered by third-party tour operators. In Europe, walking and bus tours that focus on history, culture, and food are very popular. In the Caribbean, there’s more of a mix with lots of water sports, beach breaks, island highlights tours, and culinary tastings.

Walking or bus tours that give a general overview of a destination tend to be a bit less expensive, as are things like beach breaks. You can easily find tours like these for under $70 per person. Longer and more specialized excursions such as a cooking class in Europe, ATV and horseback riding in the Caribbean, or a boat ride along the Italian coast can reach well over $100 or $200 per person.

Onboard Activities

There are lots of included amenities on an MSC cruise, such as the pools and hot tubs, the water slides and splash areas, the kids’ clubs, and the sports courts. Activities such as arts and crafts, dance parties, and the nightclub are also included, as is various entertainment in the theater and around the ship.

There are some activities that cost extra, though, including:

• Formula 1 simulator
• Arcade games
• Virtual reality games
• Bowling
• 4D cinema
• Top-deck attractions (such as Robotron, Cliffhanger, or the zipline)
• Bumper cars
• Casino
• Bingo
• Beverage tastings

Keep in mind that not all activities and amenities are available on every ship, so look into what’s on your specific ship prior to sailing to help with budget planning. Pricing varies.

If you want to do as many action-packed activities as possible, MSC offers a Fun Pass. When you purchase a Fun Pass, you’re essentially purchasing onboard credit to be used towards activities and amenities on the ship at a discount (usually about half, so if the Fun Pass was $80 you’d get $160 in credit). It’s valid for things like the XD and 4D cinemas, the F1 simulator, video and VR games, bowling, Robotron, bumper cars, and more. Purchasing a Fun Pass prior to sailing saves you 20 percent vs. purchasing it once on board.

Spa and Wellness

The spa and salon on MSC ships offer a variety of treatments and services. Though prices vary, here’s an idea of how much you’ll pay:

• 50-minute massage: $150 to $190
• 50-minute facial: $150 to $200
• Manicure: $50 to $70
• Pedicure: $55 to $80
• Women’s haircut and blowdry: $80 to $90
• Hairstyling: $45 to $55
• Hair updo: $65 to $75
• Men’s shaving and beard ritual: $55

In addition to treatments and services, the spa has a thermal suite that is available for purchase either for one day or for the duration of the cruise. Expect to pay around $80 per person for a day pass. Entire cruise passes are discounted. The thermal suite includes amenities like experiential showers, heated stone loungers, a sauna, a steam room, a salt room, a snow room, and a thalassotherapy pool.

While the onboard gym is free for guests to use, most organized fitness classes come with a fee. Classes such as spinning, aerobics, pilates, and step training are offered. Expect to pay around $20 per class.

Miscellaneous

In addition to the things that have already been mentioned, build some wiggle room into your budget for discretionary expenses. Additional MSC cruise costs include things like onboard shopping and souvenirs, specialty chocolates and gelato from Venchi, photos from the photo gallery, and laundry service.

Related Expenses When Taking an MSC Cruise

When budgeting for a cruise, you have to think beyond what will occur during the actual cruise itself. Extras like transportation to/from your ship’s homeport, a possible pre or post-cruise hotel stay and related expenses such as dinner the night before the sailing, and travel insurance are all things to take into consideration. Let’s break these down.

Transportation to the Port

MSC Cruises ships sail from dozens of ports around the world. As such, not everyone on one ship will arrive to the port the same way. If you live two hours away from your homeport, you’re probably going to drive or take some kind of ground transportation such as a rideshare or train to get to your ship. If you live several hundreds of miles away or more, you’ll likely hop on a plane to travel to your cruise’s starting point.

How close you live to a homeport can have a big impact on your vacation’s overall budget. If you’re on a tight budget, we recommend getting an idea of how much transportation will cost before you even book your cruise — especially if you’ll need to fly. If there’s nothing within your price range, it may be worth considering a different ship or itinerary that costs a bit less to offset your travel expenses.

Consider Parking Costs

Once you arrive to your homeport city, you’ll then need to get to the cruise port itself. If you’re driving, you’ll likely choose to park at the terminal or an offsite lot. The daily price for cruise port parking varies wildly. For example, it currently costs $17 per day at Port Canaveral, $35 per day at PortMiami, and an eye-watering $45 per day in Brooklyn. If you’re planning to drive and park for the duration of your cruise, consider trusted offsite lots before deciding whether to park at the port — they’ll cost you a lot less.

Getting From the Airport to the Cruise Port

If you’re flying, you’ll need to get to the cruise port from the airport. There are many options for this, including rideshares (Uber, Lyft) and taxis, cruise line shuttles, and independent shuttles. Some cities may also have public train systems with stations at the airport and near the cruise port.

Pre or Post-Cruise Hotel

Depending on flight schedules from your home airport and when your ship sets sail, you may or may not be able to fly into your homeport city the day of sail away. However, we strongly discourage doing that. Flight delays and cancellations can easily happen due to things that are out of your control such as mechanical issues, staffing issues, and weather. Or, for whatever reason, you could miss your flight and then likely miss your cruise because there was no other flight that could get you there in time.

Unless you have a can’t-miss event or some other important reason you absolutely cannot get to your port city the night before, try to do so. So with that advice in mind, you’ll need to find a hotel to stay in the night before you set sail. Factor that hotel — and related costs like dining out — into your overall MSC cruise budget.

Travel Insurance

While not required, travel insurance is highly recommended for anyone taking a cruise on any cruise line. It can not only cover medical expenses (which your regular health insurance probably won’t cover out of country) but also travel-related incidents like trip delays or cancellations, lost luggage, and more.

For an MSC cruise, you have two options for travel insurance: purchase it through MSC or purchase it yourself from a third-party company. No matter which option you choose, the cost will be determined by various factors including where you live, your age, and the length and cost of the trip. We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance for everyone in your party soon after booking your cruise.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is MSC Cruises all-inclusive?

No, MSC Cruises is not an all-inclusive cruise line. However, there are different inclusions based on which “experience” you choose when you book. As well, the MSC Yacht Club includes things that make the voyage a more inclusive experience such as a drink package, wifi, and more.

How much should I budget for gratuities on MSC?

If you’re taking a seven-night cruise in the Caribbean in a standard cabin, you should budget for $112 in daily gratuities per person ($16 per night). That number goes up to $140 if you’re staying in Yacht Club. In Europe, a seven-night cruise in a standard cabin would be 84 euros per person (around $94).

When is the cheapest time to cruise with MSC?

The cheapest time to sail with MSC — as well as other cruise lines — is generally during the off-season in the regions where the ships sail. For example, the busy season for cruising in the Caribbean are the colder winter months. People want to escape the harsh winter and ships aren’t sailing in more seasonal regions like Alaska, Canada/New England, and northern Europe. Many travelers also want to avoid risking a cruise scheduled during hurricane season, which runs from mid-spring through late fall. Therefore, the best time to score a Caribbean cruise deal is during those warmer spring and summer months.

The busy season for the Mediterranean is late spring through the summer. Therefore, choosing a winter cruise there will probably afford you a better deal, though your selection in ships will be sparse. For a place like Alaska where ships are only sailing from mid-spring and into the fall, look into sailing as early or late in the season as you can for the best deals. Just remember that you may not have the best weather.

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