Reddit User Rethinks Cruise Invitation After Friend Objects to Costs—’I’m Not Giving In to Her Wanting to Be Cheap’

A Reddit user turned to r/AmItheAsshole after reconsidering a friend's invitation to join a cruise over a disagreement about the trip's costs. According to the poster, the friend initially agreed to pay $160 but later objected to additional fees, including gratuities and a drink package.

Woman Questions Cruise Fees, Prompting Friend to Reconsider Invitation

In the Reddit post, u/SukItUp shared that they have access to cheap trips thanks to “using credit cards and casino comps,” and so they booked a seven-night cruise that covers gratuities for the staff and a drink package so they can enjoy a drink whenever they want, whether it’s at dinner or by the pool.

But they have this friend who asked about their upcoming plans, and they shared the details about the cruise. The friend was very interested and asked about costs. The original poster said they could add the friend for $600, which would include a balcony mini-suite, taxes, fees, gratuities, dining and a drink package.

While the friend seemed interested, the poster says she came back a few days later and said “that she’d be good with the $160, but had done research and didn’t want to pay the other $455 in fees because she read that it’s not mandatory that you pay gratuities to the staff and she could order something online so she could sneak alcohol onto the ship.”

The original poster explained that the way the package works, everyone involved in the booking has to have the same order in order to get the deal.

After explaining this to their friend and adding that if she didn’t want to pay, maybe she should just sit this vacation out, their friend got upset because the trip would cost her nearly $4,000 if she booked it herself.

The original poster is now wondering if they are wrong for “wanting to do vacation the way I want and not giving in to her wanting to be cheap on this,” especially since they say their friend can afford the package she was offered and is simply looking to bend the rules.

Many commenters supported the poster's decision not to invite the friend. “Can you imagine dragging this anchor around on vacation while they try to cheap out on everything?” one person wrote. Meanwhile, another called out the overall friendship, writing, “Not sure if that is a real friend but they are entitled and a mooch.” Either way, Reddit gave the poster clearance on not being the asshole.

The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the details of the cruise arrangements or the claims made by the poster, which are based solely on their account shared on r/AmItheAsshole.