Top 10 Expensive Cruise Destinations Worth The Price
With everything included in a cruise, from food and drink to entertainment and travel, you often get so much more value from booking this type of holiday over any other but there are sometimes when a cruise adventure can get very expensive, very quickly.
You may think that those are the places that you should avoid and whilst some expensive cruise destinations are tourist traps and will leave you feeling ripped off after your holiday, there are some destinations that are well worth saving up for.
In this list, we look at those destinations that make for the perfect place to visit for an anniversary, to celebrate a major birthday or even for your honeymoon as whilst they will cost more than your usual cruise, they are well worth the cost.
Just to clarify, we are not talking about destinations that cost a lot because you can visit there on luxury cruise lines or because you can only visit on a world cruise, we are including only destinations that can be visited on a wide range of different lines, including mainstream ones.
So just which expensive cruise destinations are worth the cost, that is just what we look at in this list.
Our Top 10 Expensive Cruise Destinations Worth The Price
Antarctica
Antarctica is one of the few places that claim to be no where else on earth and actually mean it! The southern continent is the only one to not have any permanent human inhabitants which has allowed the animals that live there to flourish, and many other species head there to take advantage of the pollutionless land, air and sea.
The remoteness of the area, the incredibly small cruise season before the waters around the peninsula freeze over and the difficulties in getting there all come together make this an incredibly expensive trip for the majority of us.
But with some of the best scenery on earth, once in a lifetime experiences, almost unlimited wildlife spotting, some great ports to explore on your itinerary back in South America and the chance to experience the infamous Drake Passage, and you have an expensive, but incredible adventure.
Galapagos Islands
The Galapagos Islands have their place in history as they helped create Darwin’s theory of evolution thanks to the unique species that developed in this remote part of the world.
It is that amazing wildlife that is the major draw for those visiting the archipelago in the modern era but the Ecuadorian government have place restrictions of who can visit their and how they can do it.
That is of course a great thing and helps protect the wildlife there for the next generation but with only a select number of small boats able to visit there and with most having to fly to Quito, the capital city of Ecuador first and you have an expensive getaway but one that will be something all those lucky enough to do it remember for the rest of their lives.
French Polynesia
If the idea of tropical beaches, remote sun-soaked atolls, crystal clear blue waters and every stop along the way giving you the chance to experience a whole new culture and set of traditions, a visit to the archipelago if French Polynesia gives you all of that and more.
These idyllic south Pacific islands attract holidaymakers from across the globe all wanting to take advantage of the more laid-back way of life and the incredible scenery found throughout with the likes of Moorea, Huahine, Bora Bora and especially Tahiti been popular holiday islands.
One of the great things about the island chain is it uniqueness, from the terrain there to the people who call the islands home and that comes from the remoteness of its location which sits almost equidistant between Australia and South America in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
That makes it’s a tricky place for many to get to, with only a limited number of flights for those starting or ending their adventures there and means those starting their cruise from Australia or New Zealand needing a long and expensive journey to get there, but again, it is well worth it if you are fortunate to be able to go there.
Svalbard
Svalbard is a Norwegian archipelago located in the convergence of the Artic and Atlantic Oceans, almost due north of the Norwegian mainland.
Although there are some settlements located there, including the de facto capital of Longyearbyen, much of the land is barren and even covered in ice.
That is a big part of the charm of Svalbard however as that has allowed a plethora of wildlife to excel there, including been the remaining home of polar bears in Europe, with any cruises spending days sailing around the islands to allow you to watch the wildlife from a distance.
Along the way you will also see many glaciers and get to visit abandonment settlements and you will often experience the Aurora Borealis, but with few ships sailing to the islands and many of them been smaller, specialised ships, it all comes at a high cost.
Tokyo, Japan
Japan is an amazing place to visit thanks to it been part futuristic and at the same time full of history and a distinctive culture that has developed thanks in part to its isolistic past.
Made up of a number of different islands, unlike so many of the destinations on this list, there is a wide variety of lines and ships that either visit the country or that are based there and offer round trips of Japan.
Despite that, you will still need a large budget to be able to do things that you want to do when there as it is an incredibly expensive country and with organised tourism not quite as well spread as many other countries, a lot of experiences, excursions and adventures come at a huge cost.
Thankfully, what awaits you is well worth it and despite many ports been only a short distance from the one you last visited; the destination you explore can be completely different.
From the futuristic megalopolis of Tokyo to the historic Kyoto and from the tropical beaches of Okinawa to the snow-capped mountains around Otaru on Hokkaido, Japan is a country of contrasts and a cruise there is one full of adventure.
Patagonia
Patagonia is a region of South America that takes in Argentina and Chile on the southernmost section of the continent.
That includes the Andes mountains in the north of the region and the Chilean fjords in the south, with lots to enjoy along the way.
The majority of cruise itineraries visiting the region start in either Buenos Aires, in Argentina, or Santiago in Chile and unfortunately both can be difficult for many to get to, with only limited flights to both from outside of South America and that all adds to the cost.
As does the fact that many of the cruisers sailing around Patagonia continue south to Antarctica or sail around Cape Horn to take in both the Atlantic and Pacific sides of Patagonia, that all takes time and adds to the cost.
Thankfully, there are many unforgettable experiences on offer for those choosing to sail there including Penguins on Isla Magdalena from Punta Arenas, the stunning beauty of Tierra del Fuego from Ushuaia and the traversing of the historic Beagle Channel.
Amazon River
If you have every wanted to take a river cruise but have been put off by the smaller nature of the ships, don’t worry, as a journey up the Amazon River offers the chance to enjoy the size and variety of a sea going cruise ship with the views of a river cruise.
A small amount of cruise ships will sail down the Amazon from its mouth to the city of Manaus, with many offering the chance to overnight onboard.
That allows you to really experience what life is like living in the ‘lungs of the world’ and your journey down the river gets you close to incredible wildlife, breathtaking scenery and small, indigenous villages all whilst enjoy the comforts of your cruise ship.
Sadly, the majority of lines offering this type of holiday are luxury ones and many are on long itineraries cruising around Central or South America and that makes for a very expensive holiday.
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is one of the most famous waterways in the world and one of most popular repositioning cruises out there. Most cruises will start in California and end in Florida, or vice versa, with adds to the cost even if you are from the UK and there is a large fee for ships to pay, again adding to your cost but to experience sailing somewhere such as the Panama Canal on a large cruise ship is one that you will always remember.
There are not many places where these giants ship sail through locks, down rivers, under bridges and within feet of huge tankers and container ships but you get all of that and more on these adventures.
There are also many great ports of call to explore on these itineraries including Panama City, Cartagena and Puntarenas in Costa Rica and whilst there are cheaper options that do a partial transit of the canal, your real need to do the full transit for the, well, full experience.
Monaco
Monaco is known for its glitz, glamour and for ‘favourable’ conditions for the rich and famous to live there but all of that comes at a cost for those visiting there.
Whilst there are plenty of options for those wanting to visit the small Principality on the Mediterranean from nearby ports such as Nice, those wanting the full experience of docking in Monte Carlo will need to pay a big premium for the privilege.
That does give you the luxury experience from the off as you dock next to luxury private yachts and allows you to set off exploring by foot but the limited facilites and limited itineraries offering that opportunity really does add to the cost.
One of the most popular times to enjoy a Monegasque experience is to visit during the Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend, but that also adds an extra premium to your visit but for many, that is what Monte Carlo is famous for and the chance to watch the race there whilst staying on a cruise ship ins adream getaway no matter the cost.
Easter Island
Easter Island is almost one of those magical places that you have seen photos of, but you are never quite sure that it is real.
The isolation of the island also adds to that feeling even when you arrive there, with cruise ships visiting the main town of Hanga Roa usually after days at sea travelling from either Polynesia or South America.
Sitting in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean, Easter Island has its own history and culture but in truth, there is only one thing many are heading to see and that is iconic Moai.
These large sculptures were carved by the Rapa Nui people between 1250 and 1500 CE and whilst they can be found almost all over the island, most are found in the Rapa Nui National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The remoteness of the island, the long time needed to get to and from there and the limited number of lines and ships tend to make for an expensive adventure to go there but with so many people having a visit their on their bucket list, if you want to go, a cruise ship is the way to do it.
