Top 10 Budget Friendly Cruise Lines

Even if that itinerary does exist, the chances are that it will be incredibly expensive and out of the reach for many of us.
When it comes to cruising in the real world, there are always some compromises that need to be made.
Some prefer to spend more on the ship part of their holiday and less on travel and/or excursions, some prefer to spend more on excursions, and some prefer to travel in style to their embarkation port.
If your preference is to try and save on the cruise itself, you will be wanting to get the best value cruise possible to get the most for your money and even if you are willing to splash the cash on a better room on a more inclusive line, you will still be wanting great value for money.
That is what we look at in this list where we rank what we believe to be the top 10 most budget friendly cruise lines, but that doesn’t just mean that they are the cheapest.
That is of course a big part of it, but we also consider just what you get for your money and what is included in your cruise fair and whilst some will have a lower cost to start with, by the time you have just paid out for the basics, the cost have quickly gone up and you are paying more than you would on a similar line.
Our Top 10 Budget Friendly Cruise Lines
MSC Cruises
MSC Cruises are an Italian cruise line that operate throughout Europe, with a focus on the Mediterranean but in recent years they have expanded greatly and now home port in North America, the Caribbean and the Middle East.
The line offers a no-frills approach to sailing which makes them great for those who simply want to have a cheap getaway and don’t care about extras, but you do have to be prepared for paying for everything onboard, including many things that are included as standard on other lines.
MSC also offer multiple departure ports on the same cruise holiday, so expect many ports to be busy and chaotic.
Costa Cruises
Costa are part of the Carnival Cruises family of lines which this one operating as a Italian facing one, where there onboard service is aimed at Italian speaking customers.
The line has a focus on cruising around the Med, mostly from numerous Italian ports but they also offer itineraries in other popular regions such as the Caribbean and the Middle East.
The line does have a reputation off offering a low-cost no-frills style of cruising but if fine dining and expensive production shows aren’t to your liking, they could be a good option.
Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival is known for their fun approach to cruising and if you are wanting to have lots of silly fun and late nights whilst on holiday, the great news is that they often have some of the lowest prices on the market.
The line has a focus on the American market, with most of their cruises sailing between the US mainland and the Caribbean but they also sail in Europe, Alaska, Australia and elsewhere.
It is on their home country that the true bargains can be found, especially if you book on smaller and older ships sailing from smaller cruise ports such as Galveston.
Princess Cruises
Princess is a premium line that more often than not come with a premium cost attached to their holidays but that isn’t always the case.
If you are looking for a high standard of service, modern ships, great food and drink and a calming style of cruising, Princess could be the line for you even if you are wanting a budget getaway.
Whilst they offer itineraries all around the world, the best bargains are found in the ultra-competitive routes of traveling between the US and either the Caribbean or the Mexican Riviera.
Norwegian Cruise Lines
Norwegian have a great range of cruise ships, including some of the biggest and modernist in the world and they are known for offering lots of facilities including full production Broadway/West End shows and Go-Kart tracks.
If you are sailing as a family or if you like to keep busy on holiday, they make for a great choice but all of those facilities and sailing on new or refurbished ships can often come at a cost- but that isn’t always the case.
The line operates around the world, but they do have a focus on the competitive regions of North America, the Mediterranean and the Caribbean.
If you look at older ships, sailing in those regions and especially on repositioning cruises, you can get some great value journeys whilst still getting the full NCL ‘Freestyle’ cruising experience.
Celestyal Cruises
If you want to sail around the Greek Islands, what better way to do just that that with a local specialist?
Celestyal cruises may not have the same level of luxury as most of the other lines on this list as their ships tend to be smaller and older and their service is much more basic, but that really doesn’t matter when you sail with them.
Their itineraries are often short but still pack lots in as you often spend the morning on one island and the afternoon on another to really take in all that this beautiful part of the world has to offer.
Royal Caribbean Cruise Line
Royal Caribbean are known for their huge ships, for offering something for everyone and for been a great family friendly cruise line but they are also known for not been the cheapest on the market.
That is normally not too much of a problem as you get to experience so much on board, they still offer a fantastic value when compared to over lines but if you are looking for a budget cruise, they don’t normally come into the equation.
That doesn’t have to be the case however as if you stay away from their more modern ships, you can still enjoy the Royal Caribbean style of cruising but at an often much lower cost.
Bargains can often be found in busy regions such as the Med and the Caribbean, especially if you choose a repositioning cruise.
P&O Cruises
P&O cruises, another line that are part of the Carnival family, are a British facing line that are rebranding themselves from a premium line to a no-frills one.
That has led to a lot of issues with the lines as those who have been loyal to them down the years struggle to adapt and those new to the line perhaps get onboard expecting more.
With some of the biggest cruise ships in the world to fill and with a focus on sailings out of Southampton, there are often bargains to be had if you sail outside of the summer months and school holidays.
AIDA Cruises
AIDA cruises offer a wide range of crise ships that are aimed at a German speaking market wanting to escape Northern Europe and head to sunnier climes.
As part of the Carnival family, the line offers huge ships that have a relaxed and fun style of cruising on itineraries around the Caribbean, the Med, the Canaries and the Middle East.
With some of the biggest ships in the world and a relatively small market to fill them, it is often a great line to pick up a bargain.
Ambassador Cruise Line
Ambassador is a small, British-based cruise line that offers a small selection of cruises in most parts of Europe.
They offer a more traditional style of cruising that is aimed at the over 50’s market and whilst most of their holidays are the traditional 7 or 14 night getaways, they do offer a number of short, repositioning cruises that are some of the cheapest on the market.