Cruising is an excellent vacation choice for many reasons, but one of the most important reasons for me is how affordable it is. I like to think I am a savvy travel planner - always looking for the best deals whenever I can. Cruising is my favorite way to vacation, so I need to save money where I can to ensure the next cruise isn't too long after the last.

With a little flexibility and research, you can find super affordable cruises for less than $60 a day. In fact, I booked a cruise in January 2022 that cost me only $57 each day on Brilliance of the Seas. If I took myself out to a fancy restaurant, I would easily spend more than that on a single meal!

Using the search function on Royal Caribbean’s website, I started to research different sailing options. Since my schedule was wide open for January, I selected that month with a few options for departure port in Florida. 

Sorting prices from "low to high" is my favorite way to find cheap cruises. It might be a no-brainer, but this really allows me to quickly compare a few different options between departure dates, ships, number of nights, and initial cruise cost per person.

Although 3- and 4-night cruises might be the cheapest options, these can be more expensive per day than sailings that are 5 to 7 nights. Weekend cruises have their own demand from short vacationers, while longer cruises can really offer the potential for huge savings.

There are a few other key factors to keep in mind while looking for the cheapest cruise option. When looking at January cruise options, it didn’t shock me that the most expensive cruises were the ones that sailed over New Year's.

I also figured that I wouldn’t be sailing on a huge, new ship. As expected, I found the cheapest option per day was on Brilliance of the Seas, which is a smaller and older ship in Royal Caribbean’s fleet. The sailing was just 31 days away when I booked it! 

Based on my experience booking cheap Royal Caribbean cruises, here are the key tips that I would share to find the best deal on a cruise.

Two kinds of cheap

When someone wants to book a cheap cruise, do they mean the cheapest out-the-door price for a cruise or the cheapest nightly rate?

While the total price for your cruise is usually what most people consider when booking a cheap cruise, sometimes there is better value in a cruise that gets you more time onboard for less.

Short sailings (under 5 nights) will almost always be the cheapest bottom line price for a cruise because their duration is limited enough it comes in at a low price.

However, short sailings usually have a higher per-night cost than some longer sailings.

When choosing between sailings to find the best deal, often a longer sailing can be a better deal even if the total price is higher because you're paying less per night of the cruise. Moreover, you're getting more vacation time with a longer sailing.

Read more: How to have the best experience for cheap on Royal Caribbean

When to book

In my experience, there are two approaches to finding the cheapest cruise fares. I’ve found that booking cruises 1-2 months in advance is a good timeframe to snag the best deal. Last-minute cruising is very lucrative, especially if you live close to a cruise port!

On the other hand, booking a year or two in advance, especially for more unique sailings or highly sought-after itineraries, can help you lock in the cheapest fare. This is because the cheapest rooms usually book first on popular sailings, like my 2022 Holy Land cruise. My family and I booked this sailing shortly after it was announced to make sure we could get two interior cabins.

My husband and I looked at booking an Iceland and Ireland cruise for May 2022. The only available rooms were balconies and suites, which isn’t great for our travel budget. We ended up booking a different sailing where we could have an interior guarantee cabin, which saved us $1,500. 

For a January cruise, I booked it with only one month to go before the sail date. If cabins aren’t filling for a cruise with a closer departure, the cruise line is more likely to drop the price in an attempt to make the sailing more profitable. When demand is low, they have lots of cabins to fill! I was able to snag an inside guarantee cabin for $570 for 5 nights!

Read more: Should I book a guarantee stateroom on a cruise?

Flexibility

If you’re trying to book an itinerary with a specific date that aligns with a holiday or spring break, you can expect to pay extra. When kids are in school, you’ll find that fares are the cheapest. The same is true for sailing in the travel offseason.

I cruised the Southern Caribbean in 2018 over New Year's Eve and found the itinerary to be nearly 3x the price as the same itinerary that sailed a few weeks later. Since we didn’t have flexibility with our schedule, we were stuck with paying the inflated price.

Mid-January is right after the holidays; families cruising with kids will be looking to take advantage of the week between Christmas and New Year's. By having flexibility in my schedule, I was able to find this cheap cruise for $57 a day.

For example, a 7-day cruise on the Serenade of the Seas that sails on December 24 is $2,370 for 2 people. The same itinerary on January 22 is less than half with the cost coming out to be $970.

Smaller ships

Royal Caribbean loves to hype and advertise that they have the biggest ships in the world. The biggest ships typically come with the highest price tags. Ships that have more amenities and attractions are expensive for the company to operate. For them to be profitable, the cruise fares simply need to be more expensive.

If you are willing to sail on smaller ships, you can typically find great prices! Smaller ships don’t have all the bells and whistles, but they certainly can still provide a great cruise experience. You are also able to visit more secluded ports that can’t accommodate the bigger ships. I find that smaller ships are more relaxing because they don’t attract as many kids either. 

Read more: What’s the difference between a large and small cruise ship?

Older ships

If you’re looking to sail on a brand-new ship, you likely won’t be snagging a stellar deal.

When it comes to older ships, pricing comes down to supply and demand. The newer ships are likely to have higher demand, meaning Royal Caribbean can charge more than they typically would. They know travelers are eager to sail on the latest and greatest, which means you’ll be paying a pretty penny to be among the first to sail.

On the other hand, older ships are much cheaper to operate. More often than not, older ships are more affordable. You can still have a great cruising experience while sailing on an older boat - without breaking the bank!

Read more: What was added to each Royal Caribbean ship during its Royal Amplified refurbishment

Itinerary choice

Back to flexibility! If you’re like me and just love to cruise, I will go to Cozumel 100 times over if it means I am on a cruise ship and I snagged a good deal! By having some flexibility in our destination choices, we are able to have more options available.

If we want to book a unique itinerary, we know we will be paying more. My last cruise before the pandemic was a 7-day Best of Japan sailing on Spectrum of the Seas. Although one of my favorites ever, it was the most expensive cruise of my life. No surprise though, as it was a unique itinerary on a brand new ship.

Read more: What is the cheapest month to go on a cruise?

During its deployment to Asia, Spectrum of the Seas was a brand-new ship and typically only offered 4 and 5-night sailings. There were only a handful of itineraries that offered 7 nights. For those of us traveling to China for the cruise, we were more interested in a longer sailing so we could see as much of Japan as possible!

With only a few longer itineraries available to Japan, Royal Caribbean was able to charge us more. We knew it was costly, but it was a big trip for our family and we wanted to sail for 7 days to make the trip feel worthwhile. We were told that sailing had more non-resident cruisers than any other sailing that season - so many other cruisers had the same mindset!

I might be sailing to Cozumel for the 7th time next month, but I am happy to be cruising regardless of the itinerary given how affordable it is. For me, any cruise is a great cruise!

Read more: 45 ways to save money on a Royal Caribbean cruise

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World cruises are the ultimate bucket list item for many dedicated cruisers. You’re not alone if you’ve dreamed of sailing the world, taking in each world wonder from the balcony of your stateroom. Unfortunately, these cruises are typically very expensive and require months of being away from home. 

In a surprise announcement, Royal Caribbean released a 274 day world cruise with an outstanding lineup of ports for 2023. If time and money were unlimited, you’d be seeing me on that itinerary in a heartbeat! Sadly, I doubt my boss would approve that much time away from work. Not to mention, our dogs would miss us terribly.

Maybe you aren’t able to spend that much time away from your home or family. Perhaps you simply cannot afford to sail around the world on a voyage like this. But, fear not! You can still visit plenty of world wonders on shorter (and cheaper!) cruises. 

Some of the world’s most historic and famous monuments can be visited on a cruise. For example, Eastern Mediterranean itineraries often stop at historic cities in Italy, Greece and Turkey, making it super easy to visit multiple famous monuments.  

Below is a list of world wonders you can visit on your next cruise. If you didn’t know, there are multiple categories of world wonders, including the new world, ancient world, medieval world, modern world, industrial world, etc. So many places to see!

From the 7 New Wonders of the World

• The Great Wall of China (Tianjin, China)

• Petra, Jordan (Abaqa, Jordan)

• Colosseum (Civitavecchia, Italy)

• Chichen Itza (Cozumel, Mexico)

Cozumel is a common port for Caribbean cruises, making this an easy visit if you are cruising from the United States. I’ve been to Cozumel more times than I can count, but still haven’t made the trip to Chichen Itza. Adding it to my list currently!

Ships sailing Cozumel

Adventure of the Seas - 5 and 4 night sailings to Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico. November 2021 - March 2022 from Galveston, TX

Allure of the Seas - 6 night sailing to Cozumel, Puerto Costa Maya and Perfect Day at CocoCay. April 2021 to September 2021 from Fort Lauderdale, FL. 

Over in Europe, cruises to Italy almost always include a stop in Civitavecchia, which is a port city located an hour outside of Rome. No excursion to Rome is complete without a stop at the Colosseum in the heart of the city! 

Itineraries to Jordan are less common, but Royal Caribbean has featured this port a few times on Middle Eastern or Suez Canal cruises.

Ships sailing to Europe

Vision of the Seas - 8 night Western Mediterranean to Rome, Nice, Sicily and Portofino. June 2022 to October 2022 from Barcelona, Spain.

Rhapsody of the Seas - 7 night Greek Isles cruise to Cyprus and Greece. August 2022 to September 2022 from Haifa, Israel. 

Brilliance of the Seas- 6 night Italy and Adriatic Sea cruise to Croatia, Italy and Montenegro. October 2022 from Venice (Ravenna), Italy.

Finally, Tianjin in China is a common stop and departure port for Royal Caribbean’s Asian cruises. The city is conveniently located 2 hours from Beijing and the famous, historic Great Wall of China. Add this one to your bucket list!

Ships sailing to China

Spectrum of the Seas - 7 and 8 night Best of Japan sailings to Nagasaki, Osaka and Kyoto. September and May 2022 from Tianjin (Beijing), China. 

From the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World

• The Parthenon (Athens, Greece)

• Great Pyramid of Giza (Cairo, Egypt) 

• Colossus of Rhodes (Rhodes, Greece)

• Status of Zeus (Olympia, Greece)

• Temple of Artemis (Ephesus, Turkey)

If you’re new to traveling and want to see as much ancient history as possible, a Greek Islands cruise is your best bet. You’ll be able to see 3 of these world wonders in Athens, Rhodes and Olympia. 

Cruises in the Eastern Mediterranean, including Holy Land and Greek Isles, often include a stop at Turkey’s port city of Ephesus. This is a great stop packed with centuries of history. 

If you’re hoping to see the Great Pyramid of Giza, you’ll want to look for cruises that stop in Cairo. This is a less common stop in recent years for Royal Caribbean, but hopefully will make its return to itineraries in the Mediterranean. 

Ships sailing to Greece and Turkey

Jewel of the Seas - 9 night sailing to Italy, Greece and Turkey in September 2022. Sailing from Barcelona, Spain. 

Odyssey of the Seas - 9 night Greek Isles sailing to Italy, Greece and Turkey in May 2022 and September 2022. Sailing from Rome, Italy. 

The 7 Wonders of the Medieval World

1. Stonehenge (Southampton, UK)

2. Hagia Sophia (Istanbul, Turkey)

3. Leaning Tower of Pisa (Livorno, Italy)

These 3 wonders of the medieval world can be found in Europe as well. Stonehenge is a common excursion for ships docked in Southampton, which is a port located 1.5 hours from London. 

To visit the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy, your ship will dock at Livorno, which is conveniently located to both Florence and Pisa. Very doable to visit both cities in one day! 

Hagia Sophia in Istanbul is one of the most popular mosques in the world. No stop to Isanbul is complete unless you visit this famous medieval wonder. 

Ships sailing to UK and Italy

Anthem of the Seas - 7 night France and Spain cruise from Southampton, England from May 2022 to September 2022. 

Rhapsody of the Seas - 7 night Western Mediterranean cruise from Venice, Italy to Barcelona, Spain with stops in Rome, Cannes, Livorno (Pisa) and Sicily in June 2022. 

From the 7 Wonders of the Modern World

1. The Golden Gate Bridge (San Francisco, California)

2. Empire State Building (New York City, New York)

3. Zuiderzee Works (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

4. Panama Canal (Panama)

Two of these modern world wonders can be found in the United States - one on each coast. Itineraries to the Pacific Northwest will typically include a stop in San Francisco where you can see the famous Golden Gate Bridge. 

New York is also a popular departure port on the east coast, where you’ll be able to see the Empire State Building.

Ships sailing from East Coast

Oasis of the Seas - 9 night Eastern Caribbean from Cape Liberty, New Jersey to Labadee, Puerto Rico and St. Maarten in August 2022. 

Adventure of the Seas - 9 night Canada and New England Cruise from Cape Liberty, New Jersey from September 2022 to October 2022. 

Ships sailing from West Coast

Serenade of the Seas - 7 night Pacific Coastal cruise to San Francisco, Oregon and Victoria, British Columbia in September 2022 from Vancouver, British Columbia. 

Further south is where you’ll find the Panama Canal. Sailing through the canal is an incredibly memorable experience and the best way to see this modern wonder and engineering accomplishment.  

Ships sailing to Panama

Grandeur of the Seas - 14 night Ultimate Caribbean cruise sailing to Colon, Panama in January 2022 and February 2022 from Bridgetown, Barbados.

Finally, Zuiderzee Works is located just outside of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Royal Caribbean has Amsterdam as a common departure port for Northern European cruises. 

Ships sailing to Amsterdam

Voyager of the Seas - 9 night Best of Western Europe cruise to Amsterdam, Netherlands from Barcelona, Spain to Copenhagen, Denmark on April 15, 2022.

Jewel of the Seas - 12 night Iceland & Ireland cruise from Amsterdam, Netherlands from May 2022 to August 2022.

From the 7 Wonders of the Natural World

1. Northern Lights (Arctic Circle)

2. Great Barrier Reef (Cairns, Australia)

Most of the natural world wonders are located more inland than ports can accommodate, but there are 2 famous sites that are easily accessible by cruise ship. 

The Northern Lights can be seen on Arctic Circle cruises or itineraries that feature northern ports in Norway. If you catch a glimpse of these dancing natural wonders, you’ll remember the sight for the rest of your life!

Ships sailing to Arctic Circle

Voyager of the Seas - 14 night Arctic Circle Crossing to Greenland and Iceland in September 2022 from Amsterdam to Boston.

Jewel of the Seas - 12 night Arctic Cruise to Norway’s Arctic Circle from Amsterdam, Netherlands in June and July 2022. 

If snorkeling or swimming in the Great Barrier Reef is on your bucket list, you’ll want to look for itineraries that feature stops to Cairns, Australia, which is located on the northern side of the continent.  

Ships sailing to Australia

Quantum of the Seas - 6 night Queensland cruise visiting ports in Australia from Brisbane, Australia in November 2022.

Special Mention: Other Famous Monuments

• Big Ben (Southampton, England)

• Eiffel Tower (Le Havre, France)

• Church of Spilled Blood (Saint Petersburg, Russia)

• Arc de Triomphe (Le Havre, France)

• Sydney Opera House (Sydney, Australia)

• Burj, Khalifa (Dubai)

• The Berlin Wall (Warnemunde, Germany)

• Mont Saint-Michel: (Normandy, France)

• The Western Wall (Jerusalem)

• Giant’s Causeway (Belfast, UK)

• La Sagrada Familia (Barcelona, Spain)

• The Grand Palace (Bangkok, Thailand)

• Ha Long Bay (Vietnam)

• Blue Domes of Oia (Santorini, Greece)

In addition to the world's wonders, there are plenty of other famous landmarks that you can visit on your next cruise! From Europe to Asia and the Middle East, cruising makes it easy to see multiple famous monuments from the comfort of your stateroom.

If you’re dying to visit a historic city or see a world wonder, consider looking at more unique cruise itineraries that include these stops!

Walking onto a cruise ship for your first day of vacation is one of the best feelings. There’s so much excitement that comes with exploring a new ship and getting settled in your cabin. The first dinner at sea always feels extra special as the servers go above and beyond to take care of you. Finally, you don’t have to worry about cooking or cleaning for a few days!

If you’re like me, you love looking forward to your next cruise. This is a time for me to disconnect from reality and reconnect with my family. I greatly value the opportunity to relax and reset, all while enjoying delicious food and visiting amazing destinations. 

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. If only vacation could last forever! 

You might find yourself feeling depressed after a highly anticipated cruise. As a kid, I would cry as we left the ship because I was so sad for our cruises to end. My mom used to remind me that the anticipation was sometimes just as exciting as the cruise itself. It’s so hard to not feel sadness after your cruise ends, especially if it was a once in a lifetime vacation for you. 

Luckily, there are few ways to avoid post-cruise depression while still having a great time at sea!

Planning another cruise

Maybe this is too obvious, but planning another cruise is probably the quickest way to avoid the post vacation blues. I am a firm believer that mundane, daily life is better when you have something exciting to look forward to. 

Royal Caribbean makes it super easy to book a future cruise onboard any of their ships. Next Cruise is typically located near the promenade or central atrium. You can meet with one of the travel planners to book your next cruise. These specialists will answer all of your questions and help you book the best cabin with the best rate.

If you decide to book your cruise with Next Cruise, you’ll also receive some pretty sweet benefits. You can reserve an itinerary with reduced deposits and increased onboard credit. This makes it very convenient and affordable to plan your next cruise - and immediately gives you something to look forward to when your cruise concludes!

Disconnecting

Our lives are deeply intertwined with technology, making it harder to truly disconnect from our everyday stress. One of the reasons I love cruising is having the rare opportunity to put my phone down and enjoy the present. Internet packages and international cell-service can be pricey anyway, which gives me a great excuse to disconnect as much as possible. 

I spent 105 days at sea in college during my study abroad with no internet. Can you imagine a ship full of college students in the 21st century with only access to email?! While you might imagine we were miserable, almost everyone agreed that being forced to disconnect was one of the best aspects of life at sea. We learned to live in the moment and soak up every experience. We journaled about our travels and read plenty of books. I took more naps in 4 months than I had my entire life! We all realized very quickly how easily technology distracts us from seizing the day. 

By leaving my phone and computer behind, I am able to be present and live in the moment while cruising. I try to avoid emails, texts and phone calls from home as much as possible. 

This is especially important with work emails and messages! Unless there’s an absolute emergency, I always set the expectation that I will be unreachable on my cruise. I also refrain from reading news articles and checking social media to help myself live in the moment.

The more present you are for your vacation, the less likely you’ll leave your cruise feeling desperate for another vacation. 

Prioritize Your Needs

I always recommend cruising for people looking to take a vacation with a large group of friends or family. There’s something for everyone to enjoy because there’s so much to do! 

However, sometimes traveling in a group can be stressful. Having too many excursions planned or packing your itinerary full might leave you feeling exhausted on the last day of your cruise. No one wants to feel like they spent time and money just for vacation to be stressful and exhausting. 

Cruising should be all about relaxation. Prioritizing your needs is vitally important to fully relax and rejuvenate. 

Book a massage or schedule some alone time to take advantage of self-care opportunities. My mom always takes one port day to stay onboard for alone time - she typically reads a book, takes a nap and enjoys the quiet ship. Similarly, if you want to see a certain landmark but no one else does, take that opportunity to do what you want! 

That 7am excursion you booked months ago? Don’t feel bad if you need to cancel and sleep in that morning instead. Your 7am wakeup call will be at home when you return from your cruise anyway.

Prioritizing and catering your vacation to fit your needs ensures you’ll leave the ship feeling refreshed and rested. We’ve cruised with no plans or obligations because we just wanted to relax and prioritize rest. Other cruises, we’ve been exploring nonstop in each port and walking 7+ miles a day. 

Evaluate what you want out of your cruise and try your best to honor those needs, even if you’re traveling with a group. There’s nothing worse than needing a vacation after your vacation!

Help your future self

After being pampered for days on end, it can be a rude awakening returning to life back on land. No one is making your bed everyday or cooking you delicious food to your heart’s content. The view from your window is just your backyard now rather than the beautiful blue ocean. It can be depressing that your long-awaited cruise is over and you’re back to the normal stress and routine of daily life.

Make a few arrangements to ease your future self back to reality after you return. I found that giving myself a day to get reacclimated before returning to work helps tremendously. Too many times have I flown back from a cruise on Sunday night and dragged myself to work the next morning. I was never productive and always felt depressed that I wasn’t cruising anymore. 

I also schedule a grocery pickup for the first day back so I don’t have to worry about what to cook for dinner. If you have time before your cruise, you can also prepare a freezer meal to easily heat up when you return.

We enjoy meal-delivery services (like HelloFresh or HomeChef) to reduce the stress around cooking and meal-planning. After returning from our last cruise, I scheduled our weekly delivery for the following day with low-effort meals. This helped me feel less overwhelmed about getting back into a routine or needing to go grocery shopping right away.

We also try to leave the house clean and organized before leaving for our cruises. Coming home to a messy house with dirty laundry or chores only makes the post-cruise depression worse. 

In this way, a little preparation can help ease you back into your normal routine again - hopefully with a new cruise to look forward to!

From unlimited ice cream on the pool deck to the teen clubs and lucrative loyalty perks, there are plenty of reasons to bring your kids on your next Royal Caribbean cruise. 

As a former cruise kid myself, I am a huge advocate for cruising as a family. The fun is endless onboard for kids, and the quality family time can’t be matched. Also, adding a 3rd or 4th person to a reservation is usually heavily discounted, making it very affordable to cruise as a family.  

While there’s certainly a time and place for childless vacations, taking your kids on a cruise can have a lasting impact on their lives. 

Lifetime Crown & Anchor Status

One of the biggest reasons I would encourage you to take your kids on a cruise is to take advantage of Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor program. This is a lifetime loyalty program that can have huge benefits for your kids down the road. 

When we started to cruise with Royal Caribbean in 2006, my sister and I inherited our parents’ Gold Crown and Anchor status. Taking a family cruise became a yearly tradition for us, one that I eagerly looked forward to each year. My sister and I continued to earn loyalty points for each night at sea, allowing us to slowly work our way through each tier. 

Once we turned 18, we each retained our earned Diamond status. Effectively, we earned this through a combination of inheriting points from our parents and continuing to cruise as a family. 

We still loved to cruise even as my sister and I went to college, which allowed us to earn Diamond+ status in our early 20s. This is something we will carry with us for the rest of our lives!

My Diamond Plus status also transferred to my husband after we got married in 2018. With one phone call to Royal Caribbean, they joined our accounts together.

Moving forward, our C&A points are tied; so even if we cruise without the other, our statuses will always be the same. This has been a huge benefit for us, as the Diamond+ drink vouchers alone save us $800 on a 7 day cruise!

Similar to my experience, I believe our future children would also inherit our Diamond Plus status, creating 3 generations of Crown and Anchor loyalty with Royal Caribbean.

Make Lifelong Friends

Aside from loyalty perks, Royal Caribbean truly creates an awesome environment for kids of all ages. Onboard activities are plentiful, from insane waterslides to ship-wide scavenger hunts. 

There is also a unique opportunity to meet other kids through the Teen Program and Adventure Ocean. This program is an excellent resource to keep your kids entertained throughout your cruise.

As a young cruiser, Royal Caribbean’s Teen Program totally transformed cruising for me. I made friends from all over the world, which was such a unique experience to have as a teenager. I would spend the day with my family and then meet up with my new friends after dinner. On the sea days, we would spend the whole day exploring the ship and having the best time. 

More than 12 years later, I still keep in touch with friends that I met through the teen program. Luckily, social media makes it easy to stay connected through all these years. I’ve actually met up with one friend multiple times since we first met onboard the Explorer of the Seas in 2008. 

Exposure to New Foods and Experiences

Cruising as a kid also offers the opportunity to try many new foods and experiences. 

My parents would encourage us to try something new each night at dinner. In fact, this was the first time I tried caesar salads and steak! My parents emphasized that I could always order something different if I didn’t like what I tried. My sister, who was notoriously picky, expanded her palette immensely because of cruising. 

At a young age, I also started to develop a worldly perspective by experiencing different cultures. We were exposed to so much at a young age by visiting different ports of call. 

Locals and tour guides in each of the ports were always excited to share their culture with us. My parents loved to chat with our wait staff each night at dinner, asking about their families and home countries. I didn’t really experience this type of diversity back home in South Dakota. 

In high school, we started to take cruises with more interesting itineraries. We found that cruising around Europe was a great way to visit numerous new countries without worrying about logistics. Not only did we have really cool experiences in the ports, but we also met so many nice cruisers from all over the world onboard.   

A Lasting Impact 

Cruising played an instrumental role throughout my childhood and into my adult life. I have no doubt that cruising at a young age instilled within me a deep appreciation for travel.

My love for being at sea has followed me through life. In college, I jumped at the opportunity to study abroad by enrolling in a program called Semester at Sea. I spent 105 days traveling the world on a ship, visiting 12 countries and 4 continents. We took classes during sea days and spent 4-6 days in each port. To this day, it’s been the most rewarding and extraordinary experience of my life. 

Some of my biggest life moments have also happened while cruising.

At the ripe age of 16, my lifelong travel dream came true when we cruised around Northern Europe. Our ship docked in Le Havre, France, which is the closest port to Paris. We spent the day touring the City of Love, cruising down the River Seine and gawking all day at the Eiffel Tower. It was just as magical as the movies!

After graduating college, my now-husband and I got engaged on a bridge in Venice while cruising the Mediterranean with both of our families. We went back the following year to visit the bridge again and cruise from Venice to Croatia and Greece for our honeymoon. 

Just this summer, we celebrated my MBA graduation and my husband’s military pilot training completion on an Alaskan cruise. It’s been so special to commemorate these life events at sea. 

I’ve also continued to cruise with my family. In July 2019, we cruised around Japan from China. We have 2 cruises planned for 2022 (fingers crossed!). Even as my sister and I have become adults on our own, we still love to cruise as a family and appreciate the time we can all spend together at sea. 

I’m forever thankful that my parents valued the opportunity for me to travel, learn and experience different cultures throughout my childhood.

When you think of budget travel, cruising might not be the first thing that comes to your mind. Budget travel can often be associated with sleeping on overnight trains and lugging around an oversized backpack from one hostel to the next. However, cruising can be a hidden gem for those looking to travel on a budget.

Cruises offer an incredible travel experience with an easy, all-inclusive vacation style that cuts out nearly all of the typical logistics of traveling. Each morning you’ll wake up with a new view of a different country or city without even needing to repack your bags.

Here's a break down of how cruising with Royal Caribbean can not only ease your travels, but also offer a very affordable vacation.

Cruising isn't what you think

Time is limited on vacation, and it’s understandable you want to squeeze in as much experience and culture as possible.

Unlike land-based vacations, cruises give you the ability to easily see multiple countries on a single voyage without worrying about any logistics or coordination. Lucky for Royal Caribbean cruisers, there’s so much to see both on and off the ship that you’ll undoubtedly get the most bang for your buck.

Most travelers might not consider cruising because of a preconceived notion that it’s too expensive or doesn’t cater to a younger demographic. While some cruise lines still market towards older travelers, Royal Caribbean has continued to both innovate and renovate its ships to appeal to younger travelers.

Royal Caribbean is an excellent choice for younger travelers looking to spend their hard-earned money on memorable travel experiences - without sacrificing cultural experiences!

Most itineraries allow for 8-12 hours in each city if you’re looking to optimize port stays. Some cruises even offer multiple nights in one port to allow extra time for exploration.

More affordable than you might think

Take a note from Millennial travelers - you don’t need to skimp on luxury to enjoy an affordable vacation. Millennials have actually been lowering the average age of cruisers within previous years. Gone are the days where budget travel means staying in a hostel and backpacking between cities.

While hostels can certainly be affordable, there could be multiple strangers sleeping in close quarters and sharing your bathroom. You might be paying for train tickets, taxi rides, airline tickets and bus fares to travel between cities. Buying 3 meals a day can also add up quickly unless you prefer living off granola bars or skipping meals.

In this way, cruises can end up being more affordable when adding together daily travel expenses - from food each day to transportation costs and accommodations. Also, the time you typically spend traveling between cities is now spent as extra time relaxing onboard or exploring the port.

See the world in a more reasonable way

Cruising is so efficient that you’ll be shocked how much you can squeeze into your travel days.

Picture this: you spent all day exploring the ancient temple of Kek Lok Si in Penang, Malaysia. You hiked up so many steps to visit the temple and enjoyed some local shopping along the way. Lunch was enjoyed at a Malaysian food-court where you tried the coolest shaved-ice dessert concoction. You learned all about the history of the city from your local guide.

It was a great day immersing yourself in the culture and sights of the city; however, you’re sweaty and sticky from exploring in the scorching heat of Southeast Asia.

Instead of heading to your hostel or budget accommodation, you head back to your ship docked in the city. You’re welcomed back to your air conditioned cabin, which has been meticulously cleaned by your stateroom attendant.

After taking a much-needed shower, you head to dinner for a delicious 3-course meal in the dining room.

The evening ends with a Broadway-style musical onboard in the theatre. While you loved trying the local delicacies at lunch, relaxing with a familiar meal at the end of the day is just what you needed. Tomorrow you’ll be arriving in Phuket, Thailand for another full day of exploring, so it’s time for bed in your cozy, clean cabin.

This scenario is a great example of why you should consider cruising - you can have elements of luxury and vacation while still immersing yourself in different cultures. Visiting different ports and exploring the world is exhilarating, while coming back to the ship is both comforting and relaxing.

Cheap cruise deals are there for you to find

The ship is a safe and comfortable home base to return to each night. Not having to worry about logistics and travel coordination is also a huge benefit of cruising that will definitely put your mind (and wallet!) at ease.

When it comes to pricing, cruise fares cover lodging, transportation and food all in one price and place. If you’re flexible with your travel schedule, off-season itineraries and dates can offer very low fares.

Repositioning cruises and last-minute sailings can also offer very low rates if your schedule allows. For an inside cabin, plenty of Royal Caribbean cruises can cost less than $100/day. You can even find some cruises for half that price depending on the sailing date.

For example, you could cruise on the Rhapsody of the Seas from Venice and visit Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Rome and Florence for 7 nights in June 2022 for $75/day. One repositioning cruise in November 2022 sails from Barbados to Spain with stops in Portugal, France and The Azores. This sailing costs only $49/day for an inside cabin.

Another affordable option includes a 7 night cruise to Russia, Sweden, Finland and Estonia for only $88 a day on the Voyager of the Seas in July 2022. These are just a few examples of affordable and culturally immersive itineraries offered by Royal Caribbean.

While you could easily spend more on your sailing, it’s not difficult to stick to your prepaid cruise fare throughout your trip. Independent exploration while in port can cut down extensively on costs, along with enjoying meals on the ship whenever it fits your schedule.

With some planning and flexibility, cruising gives you the opportunity to see the world while traveling in luxury, even on a budget.

Why I went from hostels to cruise ships

When I first started to travel in my early 20s, I was all about budget accommodations, including hostels, cheap motels and sketchy Airbnbs. I wanted to be as cheap as possible, even if it meant sacrificing comfort. I’d pack a protein bar to get me through lunch, meaning I only had to buy 1-2 meals a day.

I learned quickly that these accommodations were not worth the savings. I ended up having elevated anxiety when traveling. I was constantly worried about my belongings getting stolen, especially my passport or money.

I also didn’t love the idea of sharing a room with a stranger or staying in a private room of an Airbnb host.

Once I started doing the math, I realized that cruising was essentially the same price when I added in all my travel costs.

Staying on the ship also offered safety, reliability, and comfort that I couldn’t find with other budget accommodations.

I started to cruise because I wanted to see the world on a budget – and I never returned to the hostel life.

From the time of its inception, cruising was immediately stereotyped as an exclusive type of vacation geared towards older travelers.

Within the last decade, many cruise lines have opted to innovate ships and experiences to attract a younger generation of cruisers. Ships are tossing out classic cruising protocol to create a more relaxed and adventure-packed atmosphere at sea. Cruise lines have shifted marketing efforts to attract thrill-seekers, foodies and world travelers alike.

From ship to shore, below are 5 reasons that young travelers should consider cruising for their next adventure.

Exotic Locations

When you think of cruising, the Caribbean likely comes to mind. Although Royal Caribbean loves to focus its itineraries on ports throughout the Caribbean, there are plenty of itineraries that feature exotic ports of call.

These itineraries often appeal to those looking for a more unique experience, one that packs multiple countries and cultures into one voyage. Some of these cool locations include: the Arctic Circle, the Holy Land, Japan and China, Southeast Asia, British Isles, South Pacific, the Canary Islands and Russian Baltic cruises. 

Bucket List Adventures

So you’ve always wanted to climb the Great Wall of China in Beijing or cliff jump into the Adriatic Sea in Croatia? Maybe you’ve dreamed of sipping wine in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris or gorging on authentic pasta in ancient Rome. You may not realize that you can actually visit all of these bucket-list locations by cruising!

Other incredible experiences include visiting the Church of Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg, walking around the floating villages of Thailand, crossing the famous Shibuya Scramble in Tokyo, watching a gorgeous sunset in Santorini, riding a gondola in Venice, and seeing the Northern Lights in Norway.

Onboard Trendy Entertainment

70's discos and casino night not your thing? No worries!

Cruise ships have all kinds of high-quality and trendy entertainment for your enjoyment. Full-length Broadway shows, including Mamma Mia, Grease and Hairspray, are widely available on Royal’s ships (likely to be found on Oasis and Quantum-class ships).

Other premium entertainment options include world-class acrobats, Olympic figure skaters, famous comedians, talented vocalists and crazy jugglers.

Ship Thrills

Royal Caribbean has been actively building and renovating ships that scream ‘thrill-seeking’. Ice skating and rock climbing have been classic thrills offered by the cruise line for years.

Recently, the thrills have been amplified for onboard activities. The North Star on Quantum-class ships allows travelers to board a glass-enclosed pod that lifts above the ship to provide 360-degree views. The SkyPad trampoline park gives cruisers virtual-reality glasses to take their jumping to the next level.

For newer ships, huge waterslides and the 10-story Ultimate Abyss slide will surely have you smiling from ear to ear. Oasis-class ships featured the first zip-line at sea, giving cruisers the opportunity to fly over the ship’s Central Park with stunning views of the sea. Your adventurous heart will run out of time to partake in all the onboard thrills!

Freestyle Dining for Foodies

One of the best features of cruising is all of the amazing food available! Nearly all the food onboard is included in your cruise fare, making the ship a foodie’s paradise.

For many years, dining onboard felt stuffy, formal and too-structured. Royal Caribbean introduced My Time Dining to offer cruisers flexibility each day to choose their dining time. Food is from the moment you wake up until your bed hits the pillow each night. Quantum-class ships offer 15 different restaurants for cruisers to choose from.

Specialty dining also offers luxurious food options, such as Izumi for sushi and Jame’s Italian by Chef Jamie Oliver.