Value Calculator: What "All-Inclusive" Actually Means
One line's fare includes gratuities, beverages, WiFi, and dining. Another's covers none of them. How to score true value beyond the sticker price.
Cruise pricing is intentionally opaque
One line's fare includes gratuities, beverages, WiFi, and specialty dining. Another line's base fare covers none of them. The sticker prices look comparable. The real cost isn't.
The Value Calculator scores every line on what is actually included — and what your client will pay out of pocket.
The base score (0–100)
Five categories, weighted:
Beverages — 25 points. Alcohol, soft drinks, and specialty coffee.
Gratuities — 20 points. Pre-paid crew tips versus a daily charge added to the onboard account.
WiFi — 15 points. Unlimited included internet versus per-minute or per-day packages.
Specialty dining — 20 points. Access to premium restaurants without cover charges.
Excursions — 20 points. Included shore excursions versus everything à la carte.
A line that includes all five perfectly scores 100. Most fall somewhere between 30 and 75.
Two more ways to look at it
Enhanced mode blends in guest-experience ratings — overall satisfaction, value-for-money perception, dining ratings, and service scores. This catches lines that include everything but execute poorly, or lines that include less but deliver consistently.
Package view shows what the score looks like with add-on packages (drink packages, WiFi bundles, dining packages). The calculator only adds points for categories not already included — no double-counting.
There's even a regional adjustment: Alaska excursions weighted higher, the Caribbean's beverages weighted for the market.
The value
"Is Viking really all-inclusive?" stops being a vague assurance and becomes a number. Numbers close sales. Vague assurances don't.
Score true value across every line on your 14-day free trial. No card required.