The best and worst cruise lines to avoid nickel-and-dime upsells

They’re sea-sick of it.

Frustrated cruise passengers are sounding the distress signal over a rising trend toward nickel-and-diming, as lines find new and creative ways to upsell their customers on everything from drinks to arcade games.

A queasy traveler started an interesting conversation on the subject online, recently about which lines fleece their guests and which actually deliver on the all-inclusive promise.

The high seas set-to kicked off over a woman detailing her poor experience on an MSC cruise, where she said she was upsold significantly on spa treatments. Her account, posted elsewhere on Reddit, inspired a slew of salty tales.

“I have personally been on two Norwegian cruises and my biggest complaint is the nickel & dime-ing,” the original poster confessed. 

Case in point: the arcade. “On my first cruise, which was an older and a bit dated ship, there was an arcade. All games cost money, but you could buy a daily access pass. Yet not all games were included in the daily pass.”

Drinks weren’t safe either. “On the next cruise, not all drinks were included in the all-you-can-drink package, and if you were a drink package holder, you were offered a ‘discount’ on these speciality drinks.” 

Ouch. Even repeat cruisers noticed the sting: “My travel companions, who had been on this ship before, said this was a new charge as their last trip everything was truly inclusive.”

The Redditor summed up their frustration with a simple question: “So I am curious what cruise lines are least likely to nickel & dime you, as right now its my biggest turn off about cruising, but perhaps there’s another line I should try.”

Fellow Redditors weren’t shy about weighing in on which cruise lines are smooth sailing — and which are straight-up wallet sharks. 

“NCL was the worst. I’ve done them, Carnival, and Royal [Caribbean],” one wrote.

Luxury liners came out looking like the good guys. One user bragged about their worry-free voyages: “I agree with the annoying nickel and diming of cruise companies. […] We travel exclusively on Regent and Seabourn. Almost everything is included from specialty restaurants. One price includes airfare and cruise.”

Another chimed in, giving a nod to the high-end ships: “Seabourn, Windstar and Cunard there was no upselling in my experience. Generally the more expensive the cruise per day the less of that you’ll have to put up with.”

Viking also earned praise for its upfront pricing, even if excursions come with a separate fee.

Virgin cruisers, meanwhile, appeared to get nearly everything without reaching for the wallet: “Virgin doesn’t nickel and dime — there’s no gratuities and all specialty dining is included. They don’t have a drink package and there are some options in their dining that costs extra […] but 98% of all the food is included.”

Even the budget-conscious passengers had tips for avoiding the upsell trap: “All ‘budget friendly’ cruise lines are going to upsell everything. Luxury cruise lines are going to be closer to all inclusive. […] If you don’t WANT to spend above a certain amount, then just say no.”

Just want to keep it simple? Disney proved a popular example of all-inclusive charm: “When we got on board, we paid for a WiFi package. That was it. Disney includes stuff like soda for free. Room service is also free. We paid for the few drinks we ordered because they don’t offer alcohol drinks packages.”

Smooth sailing isn’t always guaranteed aboard a luxury cruise, and sometimes the perils are more macabre than seasickness.

Crew members reportedly use a series of cryptic codes over the ship’s loudspeaker to discreetly alert one another to emergencies — including death — without alarming passengers, according to TikTok insider Amber Olivia.

“Code Alpha means it’s something to do with medical,” she explained in a recent clip, as reported by The Post.

The TikTokker also confirmed that most ships come equipped with below-deck morgues, a freaky fact that left many followers spooked.

So whether you’re hunting for all-inclusive bliss or just trying to dodge hidden fees and ghostly codes, remember: at sea, it pays to read the fine print — and maybe bring a life jacket for your wallet.