When you book a cruise, you’re getting your money’s worth. With food, entertainment, accommodation – plus travelling the world, it’s a sure bet to grab a lot for your money. But what’s your cruise budget?

Okay, so let’s break it down. If you book everything separately and planning a week’s holiday in just one place: a hotel … a return flight … all your food spends … all your entertainment spends … all those little extras you didn’t count on – you’re looking at a lot of fuss booking all this yourself.

So let’s start on the cruise stuff. An adventure stopping at different ports, so you’re never close to boredom. Be a warrior in Rome one day, and leaning next to the tower of Pisa the next. All this, including food – as much as you want by the way of top quality grub! This is added to high quality entertainment throughout. All this, and we sort it all for you, so your money goes a lot further on the seas.

Being new to cruising might mean you’re unsure of which cruise line will suit you best. That’s why we’re exploring your budget here: ‘Getting Your Money’s Worth and What’s A Realistic Budget?’

This topic doesn’t have one answer that will solve the problem of the dreaded budget. A lot of circumstances change the price of a cruise…

The Campaign: If you book within the time frame, you could choose to take advantage of this deal. Once the expiration date is up, we cannot book your cruise according to the prices or benefits associated with this particular deal. Usually, a new offer will be offered with a brand new set of benefits, prices and expiration dates. These changes are out of our control as a travel agent as offers come and go – making the cost of a cruise different day to day, hour by hour! This is a factor in your budget, because a cruise that you may have thought is way out of reach suddenly becomes a reality.

The Date: Much like when you’re looking to book a land holiday, prices fluctuate depending on the time of year you’re looking to escape normal life. Certain times of the year will be more expensive, such as Christmas, New Year and the children’s summer holidays. You could find a great deal that the cruise lines release for a certain amount of time, or book early to guarantee a lower price.

The Destinations: When sailing from Southampton, the locations you’re sailing to are much closer, meaning a cruise off to the Mediterranean or Norwegian Fjords will usually be cheaper than heading to the Caribbean or Far East. Again, cruise line offers or the time of years you’re looking to cruise can alter the prices.

Another option is a fly cruise, which means you’ll fly off to a different destination, and start your cruise from there. Sometimes these can work out cheaper than sailing from Southampton and can be more convenient for passengers who are looking for fewer days at sea, more port visits, or those who don’t have a close port to them in the UK.

The Time You Book: Grabbing a late deal for a cruise can be great when working with a budget, but they come with other sacrifices. You may not get the grade of cabin you’re after, or your desired dining time. Your balance will more than likely need to be paid in full at the time of booking. Another time to book could be as soon as the sailings become available as you’ll have more control over your booking.

The Cruise Line: This is the final one, and the one that you should base your budget on. We’ve put together a general overview of each cruise line and their pricing. For the money you spend, you want your perfect cruise, so make sure your budget reflects expectations…