Cheap Cruise Deals — Great Value Sailings from Cruise1st

Where Can You Go on a Budget Cruise?

Affordable cruising covers far more ground than most people expect. Sailings span round-Britain coastal itineraries all the way through to the Caribbean, Alaska, the western Mediterranean, South America, Japan and transatlantic crossings. Most itineraries run for around 7 nights, though sailings range from 4 nights up to 17, so there is something for a long weekend break as well as a proper fortnight away.

Round Britain and No-Fly Sailings

The biggest single group of sailings here departs from UK ports, which means no airport, no check-in queue, and no luggage allowance headache. Sailings from Southampton are easy to reach by road or rail from most of Britain, and you can be at sea the same afternoon you board. If you want to keep things even shorter, short breaks from Southampton are a great entry point — a few nights at sea without taking a full week off work.

Coastal and round-Britain routes sail through English waters, calling at ports along the way. They suit first-time cruisers and those who prefer to stay closer to home, and because there is no flight involved, the price you see is closer to the price you pay.

The Caribbean, Alaska and Further Afield

For longer-haul destinations, the Caribbean is the most popular choice, with sailings departing from Florida ports. Miami and Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades) are about half an hour apart, so a Florida trip can sail from either — worth checking both for dates and prices. Los Angeles and Vancouver serve as the main gateways for Alaska sailings, with many itineraries running one-way between the two — if that is your route, you will need a flight home from whichever port you disembark. We can arrange that flight, plus hotels either side and transfers, as part of a Cruise1st Package.

South America, the Mexican Riviera and Japan round out the more adventurous options. These tend to be longer sailings and involve a flight from the UK, but booking everything together through Cruise1st keeps it simple — one call, one itinerary, one point of contact if anything changes.

Norway is also well represented, from the fjords to the North Cape. If that is your preference, take a look at our Norway cruises from the UK page, and if all-inclusive is important to you, our all-inclusive Norwegian fjords cruises page narrows it down further.

Which Cruise Lines Have Sailings Available?

Several of the world’s largest cruise lines feature prominently. MSC Cruises and Royal Caribbean lead by volume, followed by Carnival Cruise Line, Costa Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line and Princess Cruises. P&O Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Cunard and Virgin Voyages also have sailings available. Each line has its own personality — MSC and Costa lean into Italian style and Mediterranean flavour; Royal Caribbean is known for large ships with extensive onboard activities; Norwegian brings a freestyle, flexible approach to dining and scheduling; Princess suits those who want a more classic, unhurried experience.

Ships Worth Knowing About

Costa Smeralda is one of the most distinctive ships afloat. It is home to the world’s first Frescobaldi wine restaurant at sea — the Osteria Frescobaldi — and the 4,500 m² Solemio Spa includes a rare snow grotto. The Colosseo Theatre spans three decks for evening shows, and a Food Lab cookery school is on board for anyone who wants to go home with more than a tan. Cabin grades on Costa Smeralda run as follows:

• Inside cabin I1 — 10 m², sleeps up to 4, positioned on lower decks and ideal for guests who spend most of their time exploring the ship
• Ocean-view cabin with sea view E1 — 17 m², sleeps up to 4, with a window giving daylight and an ever-changing view without balcony prices
• Balcony cabin with sea view B1 — 14 m², sleeps up to 4, exclusively on deck 5 for a lower, more stable position
• Grand Suite GS — 33 m², sleeps up to 4, noticeably more spacious than the standard suites

Costa Fascinosa takes its design cues from Italian cinema — interiors inspired by Fellini and Visconti, with gold leaf and deep ruby tones throughout. The Samsara Spa covers 6,000 m² across two decks, with a thalassotherapy pool and over 100 spa-access cabins. A three-deck theatre and a restaurant where Michelin-starred chefs have been on board complete a ship that takes its food and entertainment seriously. Cabin options on Costa Fascinosa include:

• Inside cabin I4 — 10 m², sleeps up to 4
• Ocean-view cabin E1 — 16 m², sleeps up to 4, 7 m² larger than the smaller ocean-view grade
• Balcony cabin B1 — 19 m², sleeps up to 4, with a private balcony for breakfast or a sundowner
• Suite GS — 31 m², sleeps up to 4, 11 m² larger than the Mini-Suite

MSC Preziosa is built around elegance and variety. Swarovski crystal staircases and a cobbled Italian piazza set the tone in the public spaces, while Vertigo — one of the longest waterslides at sea — sits alongside a 4D cinema, an F1 simulator, a bowling alley and the Platinum Theatre. The MSC Yacht Club offers butler service, a private pool deck and exclusive dining for those who want a ship-within-a-ship experience. Cabin grades include the 16 m² Deluxe Inside Cabin Fantastica, the 20 m² Premium Ocean View Fantastica, the 18 m² Balcony Aurea with a 4 m² private balcony, the 38 m² Grand Suite Aurea, and the 40 m² MSC Yacht Club Executive & Family Suite.

Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas was refurbished in 2025 and now carries a FlowRider surf simulator, The Perfect Storm dual waterslides, and the iconic Royal Promenade boulevard. An ice-skating rink with professional shows and open passenger sessions makes it one of very few cruise ships where you can actually skate at sea. The ship sails from Southampton in summer — no flight required for that departure. See the Explorer of the Seas cabin and deck plans if you are comparing grades.

Brilliance of the Seas and Adventure of the Seas also feature across these sailings. Adventure of the Seas carries a large climbing wall, ice skating, roller skating and a water slide — a ship that keeps an active family genuinely busy. Check the Adventure of the Seas deck plans or Brilliance of the Seas cabin grades if you are at the choosing stage.

MSC Sinfonia is a Lirica-class ship — 65,542 GT — which means it reaches smaller harbours that the fleet’s larger ships cannot enter. It has 94 balcony cabins, a top-deck water park, an Aurea Spa with thermal suite, and a teatro with Broadway-style shows. LEGO and Chicco children’s zones make it a strong family option. Cabin layout details are on the MSC Sinfonia cabins and decks page.

MSC Musica rounds out the MSC ships on these sailings. Deck plans and cabin grades are available on the MSC Musica cabins page.

What Do the Fares Include?

Fare inclusions vary by cruise line, and it is worth comparing them before you book — what looks like the lowest headline price may not include drinks, and a pricier fare with drinks and dining packages can work out better value over a week.

Royal Caribbean offers several fare types, including a standard cruise fare and a solo/single occupancy fare for guests travelling alone. Promotional fare types — such as last-minute offers and third and fourth guest rates — appear from time to time on select sailings, so it is worth asking our team what is currently running.

Costa Cruises offers a range of tiers including an All Inclusive fare covering drinks and dining, a Comfort Plus tier with full board and unlimited drinks, a FLASH rate for last-minute value, and a standard Last Minute fare for spontaneous bookings.

Norwegian Cruise Line has a straightforward lowest fare (cruise only) alongside its Free at Sea tier — which adds a beverage package, a speciality dining package, Wi-Fi and shore excursion credits — and a Free at Sea Plus upgrade that extends those inclusions further.

A large proportion of sailings are all-inclusive, which means drinks and dining are bundled into the fare from the start. If that matters to you, our cheap all-inclusive cruises page filters to those options directly, and cheap all-inclusive sailings from Southampton narrows it to no-fly departures.

Why Book with Cruise1st?

Cruise1st is one of the UK’s leading cruise specialists — which means our team knows these ships and itineraries in genuine detail, not just what is on the brochure. Before you book, you can speak to a real cruise expert who can talk you through cabin grades, fare inclusions, embarkation ports and what each line does differently. That kind of advice is hard to replicate on a cruise line’s own booking site, where the answer to “which cabin should I choose?” is usually a filter.

For most of these sailings, a flight is part of the picture — whether you are heading to Florida for the Caribbean, to a Mediterranean port, or positioning for an Alaska sailing. We can put the whole trip together as a Cruise1st Package: cruise, flights, hotels either side, transfers and insurance on one booking, so nothing is left as a problem to solve later. For those departing from the UK, we can arrange train travel or transfers to the port too.

Cruise1st is ABTA and ATOL protected, and holds a Trustpilot rating of 4.5/5 from over 7,000 reviews. If you want to see how the value compares, our cruises under a tighter budget page is worth a look, and Caribbean cruise deals, Alaska cruise deals and Mediterranean cruise deals go deeper into specific destinations.

Departure Ports and Last-Minute Options

UK departures — mainly from Southampton — are available for those who want a no-fly holiday. American departures run from Florida ports, with Miami and Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades) both well served — the two ports are about half an hour apart, so either works for a Florida trip. Barcelona serves western Mediterranean itineraries. Los Angeles and Vancouver are the key gateways for Alaska and West Coast sailings.

If you are looking to book at short notice, MSC last-minute cruise deals and last-minute P&O deals are updated regularly. For shorter breaks, cheap mini cruises and cheap mini cruises from Southampton cover itineraries of just a few nights.

For sailings under an even tighter budget, cruises under £599 pp* is the next step down. Or if you want to see the full range of all cruises on sale, including longer and more premium options, start there and filter from scratch.

*Prices are per person based on 2 people sharing, and are subject to change. This price is not kept up to date and therefore does not reflect live pricing and availability. Prices and any discounts shown were checked on 14 October 2026.