The short answer
Lines fall into four groups: mass-market (lowest fares, most extras), premium (better food and service), luxury (most included), and river lines. River lines range from 'some things included' (Viking, AmaWaterways, Avalon) to 'everything included' (Uniworld, Scenic, Tauck). Always check what your fare includes, because it changes by line, market and promotion.
At a glance
| Line | Type | Price level | Best for | What's included (checked Nov 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Caribbean | Ocean, big ship | Mass-market | Families, lots to do | Basic meals; drinks, tips, wifi, tours extra (not verified this round) |
| Norwegian (NCL) | Ocean, big ship | Mass-market | Flexible dining, groups | Not verified this round |
| MSC | Ocean, big ship | Mass-market | Low fares, Europe-based | Destination fees (Greece, Venice) added to onboard account |
| Celebrity | Ocean | Premium | Couples, food | Gratuities extra: $19.50 pp/day standard cabins since Jul 29, 2026 |
| Princess | Ocean | Premium | Older couples, value | Final payment 120 days before for bookings made on or after Sep 2, 2026 |
| Holland America | Ocean | Premium | Older travelers, quiet | Not verified this round |
| Viking Ocean | Ocean, small-mid ship | Upper premium | Adults 18+, culture | One tour per port, beer/wine at meals, wifi, port taxes; US terms: tips not included |
| Oceania / Azamara | Ocean, mid ship | Upper premium | Food, longer port days | Not verified this round |
| Regent / Silversea / Seabourn | Ocean, small ship | Luxury | Most included | Not verified this round |
| Viking River | River | Mid-upper | First river cruise | One tour per port, beer/wine at meals, wifi, port taxes; US terms: tips not included |
| AmaWaterways | River | Mid-upper | Active travelers, wine | Terms list gratuities and optional tours as extra; other inclusions not verified |
| Avalon Waterways | River | Mid | Big windows, choice of tours | Meal drinks, happy hour, tour choice, wifi; tips extra |
| Uniworld | River | Luxury | Boutique style, all-in | Drinks, gratuities, tours, transfers |
| Scenic | River | Luxury | All-inclusive | Most drinks, gratuities, many tours |
| Tauck | River | Luxury | Hands-off, all-in | All drinks, all tours, tips incl. local guides |
| Emerald | River | Mid | Younger feel, value | Meal drinks, tips, set tours (UK site) |
| Riverside | River | Luxury | Suites, all-in option | All-inclusive option only |
| CroisiEurope | River | Value | Budget, French style | Not verified |
Ocean lines by price level
- Mass-market: Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, MSC, Carnival (limited Europe), Costa. Big ships, families, lots to do onboard.
- Premium: Celebrity, Princess, Holland America, Cunard. Better dining, a bit calmer, many 50+ guests.
- Upscale / small premium: Viking Ocean, Oceania, Azamara, Windstar. Smaller ships, more port time, adults-focused.
- Luxury: Regent Seven Seas, Silversea, Seabourn, Explora, Ritz-Carlton Yacht. Most things included, small ships.
River lines
- Viking: fares include one shore excursion in nearly every port, beer, wine and soft drinks at lunch and dinner, wifi, and port taxes (Viking UK site). US terms say gratuities are NOT included.
- AmaWaterways: Europe deposit $400 per person; full payment due 90 days before departure. Its terms list gratuities and optional excursions as not included.
- Avalon Waterways: wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, nightly happy hour, choice of included excursions, free Starlink wifi on Europe Suite Ships; gratuities not included (CruiseWeb, Oct 2026).
- Uniworld: all-inclusive with wines, beers and spirits, gratuities, selected excursions and transfers (Uniworld).
- Scenic: all drinks except specialty wines and rare spirits, gratuities and many excursions included (Cruise Critic, Oct 2025).
- Tauck: all drinks, all excursions, and tips for crew and local guides included (Cruise Critic, Oct 2025).
- Emerald Cruises: drinks with meals, gratuities and a set number of excursions included on the UK site; premium drink package extra.
- Riverside Luxury Cruises: an all-inclusive option covers premium drinks, tips, excursions and transfers; cruise-only fares exclude them (Cruise Critic, Oct 2025).
- CroisiEurope: French family-owned line, generally lower priced. Inclusions could not be checked on its website.
Watch out
- Inclusions differ by country. Viking's UK site lists crew tips as covered; its US terms say gratuities are not included.
- 'Free' items are often promotions for certain dates. Get the inclusions in writing for your sailing.
Your checklist
Sources & what we could not confirm · 10 sources · checked 2026-11
- Viking: Viking Inclusive Value (UK site)
- Viking: Booking and Sale Terms and Conditions (US)
- AmaWaterways: Terms and Conditions
- CruiseWeb: What's included on an Avalon Waterways river cruise (updated Oct 21, 2026)
- Uniworld: What is included
- Cruise Critic: All-inclusive river cruises (Oct 14, 2025)
- Emerald Cruises (UK site): The Emerald Cruises river experience
- CruiseMapper: Celebrity raises daily gratuities (Jul 30, 2026)
- Princess Cruises: Standard cancellation, refund and final payment policy
- MSC Cruises: Destination fees and local charges (Greece, Venice, Iceland)
Still being confirmed
- Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Holland America, Oceania, Azamara, Regent, Silversea, Seabourn and CroisiEurope inclusions were not verified on their websites this round.
- Scenic, Tauck and Riverside inclusions come from Cruise Critic (Oct 2025), not the lines' own pages (their sites blocked fetching).
- Avalon inclusions come from CruiseWeb (Oct 2026), a travel agency, not Avalon's site.
- Emerald inclusions were read from its UK site; US fares may differ.
- Price level groupings are general industry positioning, not official categories.