Or compare all seven: price after payment. How it works: swaps, corrections and credit types. Need your deposit, final-payment date or card hold? Go to the payment guide.
Can the price change after I've paid in full?
Every line says it can still pass on higher government taxes and fees. Only Norwegian, MSC and Disney say the cruise price itself is fixed once you've paid, and each keeps exceptions. Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Norwegian also let themselves add a fuel supplement; that is permission in a contract, not evidence that it is being charged.
Can I swap a guest or fix a spelling mistake?
It depends on the line, and on which you mean. Carnival allows a swap at no charge on an unrestricted fare with no Carnival-booked flights, Royal Caribbean allows it before the final manifest goes to the ship, and MSC charges $50 a name change. Norwegian, Princess and Disney treat a swap as a cancellation, and the sources reviewed state no swap rule for Celebrity. Most lines state no rule for correcting a misspelled name: ask the line before you change anything.
What happens to unused onboard credit?
Where the lines say, it is usually lost. Celebrity's complimentary credit expires at 10pm on the last evening, Carnival's Cruise Cash is forfeited, and Princess's Premier excursion credit is forfeited at the end of the voyage. Credit you buy is refundable before you leave the ship on Celebrity. Future cruise credit varies by line and by kind. Where a line’s sources state its rules, its section sets them out; where they do not, the section says so.
Your cruise line, in full
Each section gives one line’s price after payment, guest changes and credit, in the same order every time, and ends with the pages we read.
US bookings only. “Not stated” means the pages listed under that line do not say; it is not a claim that no rule exists. Credit sections cover the credit we found, not every line’s every kind. Need a deposit or final-payment date? Each section links to the same line in the payment guide.
Carnival Cruise Line: price after payment, guest changes and unused credit
US bookings. Based on pages read in October 2026; sources are listed below.
Price after payment
- Fare
- No price lock is stated in the sources reviewed. Carnival reserves the right to increase published fares.
- Government taxes and fees
- Increases in government taxes and fees can be passed on “even if the Cruise Fare has already been paid in full.”
- Fuel supplement
- The ticket contract text reviewed does not mention a fuel supplement.
- If the price drops
- Lowest Price Guarantee. Claim within 48 hours of booking if you find a lower Carnival-advertised price. Carnival gives 110% of the difference as onboard credit, which is non-refundable and has no cash value. Carnival can discontinue or change the program. Early Saver price protection. Only bookings made with an Early Saver promotion qualify. Carnival’s terms let you adjust your total cruise price to the best current advertised price for a like stateroom category, and its claim form offers an upgrade or a non-refundable onboard credit for the fare difference. Prepaid extras such as vacation protection, air, transfers and prepaid gratuities are not covered.
- Not established
- How Early Saver price protection is paid on a booking you have already paid in full, and the last date to request it. Ask Carnival whether your fare is an Early Saver fare, what you would receive (a lower fare, an upgrade or onboard credit), and by when you must ask.
Guest changes and spelling corrections
- Swapping one guest for another
- Allowed while one original guest stays on the booking. No charge on a booking with no Carnival-booked air that is not under a restricted or non-refundable fare. Restricted fares (Early Saver, Pack & Go and Super Saver): these may not allow a swap; the terms of the promotion govern. If a swap is not allowed the original guest faces a non-refundable deposit or the full fare, or cancellation penalties, and the new guest pays a new deposit. On Carnival Flexible Air inside the penalty period, cancellation penalties apply, plus a $200 service fee within 60 days of sailing.
- Correcting a misspelled name
- Not stated in the sources reviewed.
- Confirm before you ask
- Confirm your fare type before asking for a swap: restricted fares may not allow one, and a booking with Carnival-booked air is treated differently.
Unused onboard credit
- Cruise Cash you buy
- Forfeited if unused. Valid for one voyage. Non-refundable and non-transferable once on board; cannot be moved to a future booking.
- Credit from a refunded shore excursion
- Carnival only offers shipboard credit for excursion refunds. Any of that credit not used by the end of the cruise is refunded by check to the designated contact for the excursion order.
Future cruise credit
- Future cruise credit from a cancellation before final payment
- For the price of a new Carnival cruise booked in US dollars; it can only be applied to the price of the future cruise. The credit equals the deposit less a service fee. It is non-refundable and non-transferable, and must be used for a new reservation made within 12 months of the cancellation. Any unused portion is forfeited. The contract states this directly after the Early Saver deposit rule, so whether it covers every fare is not clear from its wording.
Sources read: Name Changes (10 Oct 2026); Cruise Cash Program (10 Oct 2026); Shore excursion terms (10 Oct 2026); Terms and Conditions of Ticket Contract (11 Oct 2026); Specials terms and conditions (Lowest Price Guarantee, Early Saver) (11 Oct 2026); Early Saver price protection form (11 Oct 2026).
Carnival: deposit, final payment and card holds → Also read: Carnival pricing explained Back to cruise lines
Royal Caribbean: price after payment, guest changes and unused credit
US bookings. Based on pages read in October 2026; sources are listed below.
Price after payment
- Fare
- No price lock is stated in the sources reviewed.
- Government taxes and fees
- Taxes and fees can be passed on at any time after booking.
- Fuel supplement
- The contract lets Royal Caribbean add a fuel supplement of up to $12 a person a day even on a booking paid in full. That is permission, not evidence that it is being charged.
- If the price drops
- Best Price Guarantee. You can ask for a price match any time before final payment, or within 24 hours of booking. After that the page names no price match. If the price of the same cabin class is lower, Royal Caribbean adjusts your fare and refunds the difference if you have already paid. If a higher cabin class costs less than you paid, you may be eligible for a free upgrade instead, subject to availability. The program is not available in all countries or for all reservations.
- Not established
- Which reservations the guarantee excludes: Royal Caribbean says it is not available in all countries or for all reservations. Ask Royal Caribbean before final payment whether your reservation qualifies.
Guest changes and spelling corrections
- Swapping one guest for another
- Allowed for all but one of the original names on the booking, before the final electronic manifest is sent to the ship. No fee is stated in the US documents reviewed. Extra charges can apply if airfare booked through Air2Sea has already been assigned.
- Correcting a misspelled name
- Names and dates of birth lock online once completed; further corrections go through the call center.
- Confirm before you ask
- Ask Royal Caribbean what it would charge for a swap on your booking, before the final manifest date, because no US fee is stated.
Unused onboard credit
- Credit for an itinerary change or service recovery
- Based on each guest's cruise fare paid. It excludes prepaid add-ons such as transfers, hotels and flights, prepaid gratuities, promotion savings, and taxes and fees. What happens to it if unused is not stated in the sources reviewed.
- Other onboard credit
- What happens to it if unused is not stated in the sources reviewed.
Future cruise credit
- Future cruise credit
- The sources reviewed do not set out Royal Caribbean’s future cruise credit rules. If you are offered one, confirm its terms with Royal Caribbean.
Sources read: US cruise ticket contract (11 Oct 2026); How can I modify my reservation after booking? (10 Oct 2026); Can the price of a cruise change? (11 Oct 2026); Best Price Guarantee (11 Oct 2026); How are onboard credits and future cruise credits calculated? (10 Oct 2026); Onboard credit guide (10 Oct 2026).
Royal Caribbean: deposit, final payment and card holds → Also read: Royal Caribbean pricing explained Back to cruise lines
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL): price after payment, guest changes and unused credit
US bookings. Based on pages read in October 2026; sources are listed below.
Price after payment
- Fare
- Rate secure once it has your deposit or full payment, except for substantial increases in operating costs, tariffs or taxes.
- Government taxes and fees
- Government fees and taxes can still be added, whether you have a deposit down or have paid in full.
- Fuel supplement
- The contract lets Norwegian add a fuel supplement of up to $10 a person a day even on a booking paid in full. That is permission, not evidence that it is being charged.
- If the price drops
- Re-pricing. Norwegian’s US FAQs confirm that a reservation can be re-priced for a new offer or a lower price, and that guests who re-price or upgrade their stateroom after 5 November 2025 are subject to the new amenities and terms of Free at Sea.
- Not established
- Who qualifies for a price drop, the deadline, and how a price drop is paid. Ask Norwegian before final payment whether your sailing qualifies and how a price drop would be paid. If you re-price, ask which amenities and terms would then apply.
Guest changes and spelling corrections
- Swapping one guest for another
- Name substitutions are considered cancellations and are subject to cancellation fees. Norwegian’s fee schedule, by days before departure, is below. The terms say cancellation fees apply to all guests on the reservation; they do not say how that works for a one-guest swap.
Cancellation fee by days before departure Days before departure Club Balcony Suites and below The Haven, suites and Garden Villas 119–106 days 25% 25% 105–91 days 25% 50% 90–61 days 50% 75% 60–31 days 75% 100% 30 days or less 100% 100% - Correcting a misspelled name
- Spelling corrections may be considered cancellations. Norwegian’s air terms set a non-refundable $150 change fee if the correct complete legal name is not provided before final payment. Those terms cover guests who book Norwegian’s air (the Air promotion and Air Choice). They do not say the fee applies to a cruise-only booking.
- Confirm before you ask
- Before asking for a swap, ask Norwegian what fee would apply on your sailing date and to whom, and say whether your booking includes Norwegian air.
Unused onboard credit
- Credit from a refunded shore excursion
- Refunds made once on board go to the onboard folio of the excursion order contact. Any of that credit unused at the end of the sailing is refunded by check to the same person.
- Promotional onboard credit
- What happens to it if unused is not stated in the sources reviewed.
Future cruise credit
- CruiseNext credits you buy
- Refundable within 30 days of purchase. For new reservations only; they do not expire. The refund is the amount paid minus the non-refundable onboard credit received for buying the credits.
- Credit issued after a cancellation or as compensation
- Not covered by the sources reviewed. The rules for credit you buy do not tell you the rules for credit Norwegian issues after a cancellation or as compensation. Confirm those terms when you are offered one.
Sources read: US terms and conditions (11 Oct 2026); Can I remove or replace a guest on my reservation? (10 Oct 2026); Promotional terms and conditions (CruiseNext) (10 Oct 2026); Re-priced reservations FAQ (11 Oct 2026).
Norwegian: deposit, final payment and card holds → Also read: Norwegian Free at Sea Back to cruise lines
Princess Cruises: price after payment, guest changes and unused credit
US bookings. Based on pages read in September and October 2026; sources are listed below.
Price after payment
- Fare
- No price lock is stated in the sources reviewed.
- Government taxes and fees
- Increases in government taxes and fees can be passed on even after full payment.
- Fuel supplement
- The passage contract text reviewed does not mention a fuel supplement.
- If the price drops
- Better Than Best Price Guarantee. Covers only bookings made between 16 December 2024 and 15 December 2025, for cruises departing in 2025, 2026 or 2027. For those bookings, a lower fare found on Princess.com before final payment earned onboard credit worth 120% of the difference, up to $2,000, to use on the original cruise.
- Not established
- Whether Princess has any price-adjustment policy for bookings made after 15 December 2025. Ask Princess before final payment whether any price adjustment applies to your booking.
Guest changes and spelling corrections
- Swapping one guest for another
- Name changes require the prior approval of the carrier and may not always be possible. They are considered reservation cancellations and are subject to cancellation fees. The cancellation fee depends on how close you are to sailing. No separate name-change fee amount is stated in the US documents reviewed.
- Correcting a misspelled name
- Not stated in the sources reviewed.
- Confirm before you ask
- Princess says your booking confirmation holds the cancellation schedule that applies to you. Check it, and ask for Princess’s approval, before requesting a swap.
Unused onboard credit
- Premier package shore excursion credit
- Unused credit is forfeited at the end of the voyage and is not redeemable or refundable for cash.
- Other onboard credit
- What happens to it if unused is not stated in the sources reviewed.
Future cruise credit
- Future Cruise Credit issued in place of a refund
- For a Princess cruise booking, not onboard expenses; it must be used by its book-by and sail-by dates. If it expires, its remaining cash value is refunded to the Captain's Circle account; a guest can also ask for the refund of an unused one at any time.
- Other Future Cruise Credits
- Credits not labeled with a cash value expire with no refund. They have book-by and sail-by dates.
Sources read: Passage contract (11 Oct 2026); Standard cancellation and refund policy (10 Sep 2026); Future Cruise Credit and onboard cruise credits (10 Oct 2026); Better Than Best Price Guarantee (11 Oct 2026); Princess Plus and Premier terms (10 Oct 2026).
Princess: deposit, final payment and card holds → Also read: Princess Plus Back to cruise lines
MSC Cruises: price after payment, guest changes and unused credit
US bookings. Based on pages read in September and October 2026; sources are listed below.
Price after payment
- Fare
- Price fixed from full payment, or 20 days before departure, whichever comes first.
- Government taxes and fees
- Government taxes, fees and port expenses can still rise.
- Contract price adjustments
- Before full payment, or 20 days before departure if that comes first, MSC can change the price for air, fuel and exchange-rate variations, up or down. For fuel, its terms set the change at 0.33% of the cruise price for every dollar of increase in the fuel price per barrel (NYMEX index).
- Changing to a cheaper package
- If you change to a cruise package that costs less than your original, MSC’s terms say no refund is due.
- Lower advertised fare
- MSC’s booking terms name no way to claim a lower advertised fare after you book. Whether MSC will apply one on request is not established. Ask MSC whether a lower fare can be applied before you pay in full.
Guest changes and spelling corrections
- Swapping one guest for another
- Allowed while one original passenger remains on the booking, no later than 7 days before departure. $50 per name change. Not possible on a booking that includes airfare; it counts as a voluntary cancellation.
- Correcting a misspelled name
- The sources reviewed do not say whether a spelling correction counts as a name change.
- Confirm before you ask
- Check that your booking has no airfare, and ask at least 7 days before departure.
Unused onboard credit
- Onboard Credit certificate
- For onboard purchases on a future sailing. Cannot be exchanged for cash, transferred or refunded. Valid two years from the issue date on the certificate.
Future cruise credit
- Future Cruise Credit
- For the cruise fare of a future MSC cruise only; not taxes, port charges or prepaid packages. No cash value; cannot be refunded or transferred. Valid one year from the issue date on the certificate.
Sources read: US standard booking terms and conditions (10 Sep 2026); Terms and conditions (10 Oct 2026); Future cruise and onboard credits (10 Oct 2026).
MSC: deposit, final payment and card holds → Also read: MSC pricing explained Back to cruise lines
Celebrity Cruises: price after payment, guest changes and unused credit
US bookings. Based on pages read in October 2026; sources are listed below.
Price after payment
- Fare
- No price lock is stated in the sources reviewed.
- Government taxes and fees
- Taxes and fees can be passed on at any time after booking.
- Fuel supplement
- The contract lets Celebrity add a fuel supplement of up to $12 a person a day after booking. That is permission, not evidence that it is being charged.
- If the price drops
- Best Price Guarantee. Before final payment you can receive a complimentary stateroom upgrade or a price adjustment, with a refund if you have paid in full. After final payment, a booking made within the last 24 hours gets the same. After final payment, a booking made more than 24 hours ago may be eligible for a complimentary upgrade, subject to availability. You request it by phone. Certain promotions are excluded, and Celebrity can change or cancel the guarantee at any time without notice.
- Not established
- Which promotions the guarantee excludes: the page says certain promotions are excluded without naming them. Also, how late a fuel supplement can be imposed, and whether one is in force on any sailing. Ask Celebrity before relying on a price adjustment whether your fare or promotion is excluded, and whether a fuel supplement applies to your sailing.
Guest changes and spelling corrections
- Swapping one guest for another
- Not stated in the US contract or FAQ reviewed. Change fees apply to bookings with a non-refundable deposit; the amount is not stated. Ask Celebrity before you plan a swap.
- Correcting a misspelled name
- Not stated in the sources reviewed.
- TBA guests on a courtesy hold
- A booking on courtesy hold cannot be amended. A secondary guest created as TBA or TBD through express checkout can still have their name, last name and date of birth edited while the booking is on hold. This is not a rule for correcting a misspelled name on a confirmed booking.
- Confirm before you ask
- Ask Celebrity before you plan a swap or a correction, because neither is described for a confirmed booking.
Unused onboard credit
- Complimentary onboard credit
- Valid until 10pm on the last evening of the cruise. No cash value; no refund for unused credit.
- Onboard credit you buy
- Spent after complimentary credit. Refundable to the guest before leaving the ship.
Future cruise credit
- Future cruise credit
- The sources reviewed do not set out Celebrity’s future cruise credit rules. If you are offered one, confirm its terms with Celebrity.
Sources read: US cruise ticket contract (11 Oct 2026); Managing and planning your cruise FAQs (10 Oct 2026); Best Price Guarantee (11 Oct 2026); Ways to spend onboard credit (10 Oct 2026); On board a cruise FAQs (11 Oct 2026).
Celebrity: deposit, final payment and card holds → Also read: Celebrity All Included Back to cruise lines
Disney Cruise Line: price after payment, guest changes and unused credit
US bookings. Based on pages read in September and October 2026; sources are listed below.
Price after payment
- Fare
- Price changes won’t affect a booking with timely final payment.
- Government taxes and fees
- Government taxes, fees and port expenses can still rise.
- Fuel supplement
- Disney’s US terms list fuel supplements among the items the cruise fare does not include. They state no amount or trigger.
- If the price drops
- Lower fare. Disney’s US terms describe no way to claim a lower fare on an existing booking. Separately, they say a change in party size may change the rate.
- Not established
- Whether Disney will apply a lower fare to an existing booking, before or after final payment. The terms are silent, which is not a refusal. Ask Disney whether it can be applied to your booking, and whether final payment affects that.
Guest changes and spelling corrections
- Swapping one guest for another
- Changes of guest names are considered cancellations. The cancellation fee depends on how close you are to sailing. No separate name-change fee amount is stated in the US documents reviewed.
- Correcting a misspelled name
- Not stated in the sources reviewed. Name change and correction are listed among the changes that trigger airline and Disney change or cancellation fees on bookings with air.
- Confirm before you ask
- Check the cancellation schedule for your cabin category and cruise length in your booking terms before asking for a swap.
Unused onboard credit
- Onboard credit from the Onboard Booking Offer
- The offer terms call it a non-refundable and non-transferrable onboard credit. What happens to it if unused is not stated in the sources reviewed.
- Other onboard credit
- What happens to it if unused is not stated in the sources reviewed.
Future cruise credit
- Future cruise credit
- The sources reviewed do not set out Disney’s future cruise credit rules. If you are offered one, confirm its terms with Disney.
Sources read: Terms and conditions for residents of the United States (10 Sep 2026); Onboard Booking Offer terms (10 Oct 2026).
Disney: deposit, final payment and card holds → Also read: Is Disney worth it? Back to cruise lines
Price after payment, compared
Only Norwegian, MSC and Disney say the price is fixed once you’ve paid, and each keeps exceptions. Every line can still pass on higher government taxes and fees.
The other four, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess and Celebrity, state no price lock in the sources reviewed. That means we found none, not that the price will change. If it matters to your booking, ask the line.
| Cruise line | After you’ve paid in full |
|---|---|
| Carnival | No price lock is stated in the sources reviewed. Carnival reserves the right to increase published fares. Increases in government taxes and fees can be passed on “even if the Cruise Fare has already been paid in full.” |
| Royal Caribbean | No price lock is stated in the sources reviewed. Taxes and fees can be passed on at any time after booking. A fuel supplement of up to $12 a person a day can be added even on a booking paid in full. |
| Norwegian | Rate secure once it has your deposit or full payment, except for substantial increases in operating costs, tariffs or taxes. Government fees and taxes can still be added, whether you have a deposit down or have paid in full. A fuel supplement of up to $10 a person a day can be added even on a booking paid in full. |
| Princess | No price lock is stated in the sources reviewed. Increases in government taxes and fees can be passed on even after full payment. |
| MSC | Price fixed from full payment, or 20 days before departure, whichever comes first. Government taxes, fees and port expenses can still rise. |
| Celebrity | No price lock is stated in the sources reviewed. Taxes and fees can be passed on at any time after booking. A fuel supplement of up to $12 a person a day can be added after booking. |
| Disney | Price changes won’t affect a booking with timely final payment. Government taxes, fees and port expenses can still rise. |
The fuel supplement is the one to know about. It’s an extra daily charge a line can add if oil or gas prices rise. Royal Caribbean and Celebrity can add up to $12 a person a day, and Norwegian can add up to $10 a person a day. At $12, that’s $84 a person on a 7-night cruise, and $168 for two. Royal Caribbean and Celebrity can add it if West Texas Intermediate oil closes above $65 a barrel, or Henry Hub natural gas above $3.00. Norwegian’s trigger is West Texas Intermediate oil above $65 a barrel; it has no gas trigger. These are limits in the contracts. We don’t know whether any line is charging one today.
How swaps, corrections and credit work
A swap and a spelling correction are different requests, and credit comes in kinds with different rules.
A swap and a spelling correction are different requests. Swapping one guest for another is a change of who is travelling. Correcting a misspelled name is fixing a typo. Most lines answer only the first. Where a line treats a swap as a cancellation, the cancellation fee depends on how close you are to sailing. A rule for filling in a TBA guest on a held booking is not a rule for correcting a misspelling.
Credit comes in kinds, and the rules differ by kind. Complimentary and bought credit are treated differently on some lines. Credit from a refunded excursion is a third kind. Future cruise credit is for a later booking, not for spending on board. Read the section for the kind you hold. A specific offer or certificate can carry its own terms. Why cruisers overspend onboard covers how onboard credit gets spent.
A lower price after booking is a different matter from a higher one. Some lines publish a way to claim a lower price, with windows that often close at final payment or within a day or two of booking. Where we read one, it is under “If the price drops” in that line's section. Where we did not, the section says so. What port fees and taxes are is in the seven charges beyond the fare.
How we checked, and what the sources do not establish
Every rule here comes from the cruise line’s own US website, booking terms or contract, read in September and October 2026. Each line section lists the pages and the date each was read.
A clause we searched for and did not find proves only that search. Terms change, so check your own booking confirmation before you rely on a rule or a fee.
Reading notes, by line:
- Carnival: Carnival’s help page on Early Saver price protection could not be read: help.carnival.com blocks automated reading, and the block was not worked around. Carnival’s specials terms and its claim form were read instead.
- Carnival: Whether Carnival publishes a fuel supplement outside its ticket contract is not established.
- Royal Caribbean: Royal Caribbean’s international booking conditions cap a name-change fee at US$100 per name change per booking, up to 7 days before sailing. Its US documents do not say whether that applies to US bookings, so this guide does not use it.
- Norwegian: Norwegian’s best-price page returns to its home page on the US site. The price-drop conditions we could find are on Norwegian’s Canadian and Australian pages, which are not US terms, so this guide does not use them.
- Celebrity: The sentence in Celebrity’s ticket contract that says how late a fuel supplement can be imposed did not render in full when the contract was read, so no latest date is given.
- Disney: Disney’s terms and conditions were read from a copy saved on 10 September 2026; its Onboard Booking Offer terms were read on 10 October 2026.
Before you act
- Confirm your final-payment date in your booking confirmation, or see the payment guide.
- Identify the exact credit type you hold: onboard credit, future cruise credit, or a certificate with its own terms.
- Before you ask for a swap, a name change or a lower price, read the conditions in your line’s section above.