The Best Affordable Cruises to Take This Year

Ocean Cruises

Carnival Cruise Line - Western Caribbean from Tampa

Departure Date: Various (Year-Round)

Starting Price: $340 per person

This four-night cruise has prices starting from $340 per person, making it extremely affordable to anyone looking for a quick getaway. There are various room types, the cheapest being an interior room (which will be the case on most cruises). This cruise is extremely family-friendly, with activities such as mini golf, a Dr. Seuss-themed parade, water slides for the kids, and a casino, tequila bar, and art exhibition for the adults. Entertainment, meals, and nonalcoholic beverages are included.

MSC Cruises - 7-Night Mediterranean from Barcelona

Departure Date: Various (Spring–Fall)

Starting Price: $600 per person

Looking to explore the Mediterranean without breaking the bank? MSC Cruises offers a 7-night cruise from Barcelona starting under $600 per person. You can find cheap nonstop flights to Barcelona from several US cities, many under $400. The price includes all meals, entertainment, kids' clubs, pools, and more. Alcohol and WiFi are not included, but both can be added as a package when booking. Watch for their specials when kids sail free for added savings.

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) - Alaska Glacier Route

Departure Date: May–September 2025

Starting Price: $699 per person

Alaska is on many people’s bucket lists, and a cruise is one of the best ways to see it affordably. While some Alaskan cruises can be pricey, there are affordable ones out there that give you the most bang for your buck. For less than $700 per person, travel seven nights and stop at Glacier Bay, Juneau, Ketchikan, among others. Your cruise will include food, non-alcoholic beverages, activities, and more. Shore excursions, gratuities, alcohol, and WiFi may be extra. It sails from Seattle, which has affordable airfare options from airports throughout the U.S.

River Cruises

Viking River Cruises - Danube Waltz

Departure Date: November 16, 2025

Starting Price: $2,998 per person

Visit four countries for under $3,000 when you take the 8-Day Danube Waltz cruise on Viking River Cruises. While it may seem more expensive than other cruises, Viking is more luxurious, smaller, and includes more, giving it more value. Unlike most cruises, VIking includes one shore excursion per port, and visits to UNESCO sites. This cruise includes stops in Hungary, Slovakia, Austria and Germany, giving you a wide range of sites to see on your journey. Viking often has special deals and shoulder season pricing to make it even more affordable. Viking also lets you include airfare when you book. I was able to find a cruise leaving Passau on November 16, ending in Budapest, including airfare for two people for $6396 total, including taxes and fees.

Emerald Cruises - Christmas Time on the Danube

Departure Date: November & December 2025

Starting Price: $1,500 per person

European Christmas markets are a must-do, and hitting some of the best ones out there via river cruise is a super convenient way to do it. This five day cruise starts in Budapest, stops in Bratislava and ends in Vienna. The cruise includes meals, walking tours, on board presentations and more. For just over $1,500 per person, it’s the perfect way to get into the tradtional christmas spirit. Of course, you’ll also have to get airfare to Budapest and home from Vienna, but one way fares cost around $400, bringing your grand total to to around $4600 for the entire trip (plus all the money you’ll spend at the christmas markets!)

Small Ship or Expedition Cruises

Hurtigruten - West Fjords to the Arctic Capital

Departure Date: Various (Summer/Fall 2025)

Starting Price: $1,500 per person (double occupancy, without meals)

Hurtigurten offers shorter cruise options that make these small ship adventures more affordable. Their West Fjords to the Arctic Capital cruise makes a whopping twenty-two stops, ensuring you can make the most of your journey. Sail to stunnig fjords, stop at UNESCO sites, and be in awe of the natural wonders surrounding you. Hurtigruten often has last-minute discounts, so if you stay open you may find even cheaper options. When I looked, I was able to find a sailing for two for $3,000 not including meals. Cabins are cozy but comfortable, and they do have meal add-on options, for an extra $560 per person, as well as half-board options for less. Keep in mind airfare to get to and from ports of this Norwegian based cruise will be pricier than other destinations.

Celestyal Cruises - Greece and Italy

Departure Date: Various (Spring–Fall)

Starting Price: $400 per person

Celestyal offers intimate, cultural-rich voyages that rival more expensive lines. Their 3- to 5-day Greek Islands itineraries start around $400 per person and visit beloved destinations like Mykonos, Santorini, and Crete. The pricing typically includes meals, select shore excursions, and even drink packages, which are rare for budget cruises. Ships are smaller, which means fewer crowds and quicker disembarkation in port.

The Caribbean - Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay

Caribbean cruises offer year-round deals, with competitive pricing because of the vast number of cruises that are offered. Pleasant weather all year-round means there isn’t a rush to take a cruise when the weather is best, like Alaskan cruises. Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay cruise starts at less than $500 per person for a three night cruise starting and ending in Miami, hitting CocoCay and Nassau in the Bahamas. The price includes all meals, non alcoholic beverages, pools, kids clubs, entertainment and more. Flights to Miami are affordable from all over the US, making this an excellent budget choice for anyone wanting to cruise on a budget.

The Mediterranean

Cruises in the Mediterranean offer port-rich itineraries, with good shoulder-season rates to make for an affordable vacation. We love Holland America’s 10-Day Adriatic Allure cruise, which starts in Athens and hits some of the top destinations like Istanbul, Crete, Mykonos, and Corfu- and you disembark in Venice. Kids can sail for free, making this a perfect option for budget-minded families.

Alaska

Alaska’s shoulder season falls in May and late August/September, and cruises are extremely affordable during these times. Holland America’s 7-Day Inside Passage cruise starts in Vancouver and stops in Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan before returning to Vancouver. The cruise-only fares start at just $799 per person, with options to add on food, drinks, and shore excursions.

Asia

Asian cruises often have fewer crowds, and their cruise offerings have been growing in recent years. The Princess Cruises 13-Day Circle Japan Fall Foliage cruise has fares starting under $2,000, and let’s you experience Japan’s beautiful foliage around the island. With flights pretty expensive to Tokyo from most of the U.S., this is definitely only affordable for those who live on the West coast, although sometimes there are deals on flights to Tokyo from other parts of the country.

Affordable Repositioning Cruises

A repositioning cruise is a one-way voyage that occures when a cruise line moves a ship from one region to another, at the end of a season. For example, a ship might relocate from the Caribbean to Europe in spring, or from Alaska to the Caribbean in the fall. Rather than make the journey with an empty ship, they sell cabins, usually at a discounted rate. Several websites allow you to serach for repositioning cruises, like VacationsToGo.com, CruiseCritic, Cruises.com, and iCruise.com. You can also use filters like: "One-way" or “Transatlantic” / “Panama Canal” / “Pacific Coastal, or try putting "Crossing" or “Repositioning” in the itinerary name.

MSC Seaside – 19-Night Transatlantic from Barcelona to Miami

This amazing 19-night cruise begins on October 28, 2025 starts at just $839 per person, with stops in Valencia, Morocco, Barbados, Greneda, St. Maarten, and Puerto Rico. The base fare includes all meals, non-alcoholic beverages, kids club, entertainment, pools, and kids sail free with certain fare classes. For two adults, I found a fare for $1,678 total. One-way fares to Barcelona are extremely cheap, less than $200 from the East Coast, and just over $200 from LA, and you can get from Miami to anywhere in the U.S. for super cheap.

Book Early vs. Last-Minute Pros and Cons

Booking a cruise well in advance (often 6–12 months out) gives you the best selection of cabins, especially if you want a balcony or a specific location on the ship. Cruise lines often offer early-booking incentives like onboard credit or free upgrades. Plus, payment plans make budgeting easier.

However, if you're flexible with your dates and destinations, last-minute bookings (typically 30–60 days before sailing) can yield deep discounts as cruise lines scramble to fill empty cabins. The downside? Fewer choices for cabin location and flight prices may be higher or harder to coordinate.

Bundle Airfare

Many cruise lines and third-party booking sites offer air-inclusive packages, especially for international sailings. These can save hundreds of dollars compared to booking flights separately. Look for promotions like “Fly Free” or “Reduced Airfare” when booking.

Use Loyalty Programs or Travel Agents

Frequent cruisers should take full advantage of cruise line loyalty programs, which offer perks like discounts, free onboard Wi-Fi, priority boarding, and more.

Also consider using a cruise-specialized travel agent. Many agents have access to unpublished rates, exclusive perks (like onboard credits or specialty dining), and can help navigate promotions or rebooking options if prices drop.

Travel During Off-peak or Shoulder Seasons

Shoulder seasons means fewer crowds, cooler weather, and discounted fares. Here are popular destinations with shoulder seasons:

Caribbean: Late August through early December

Alaska: May and September

Mediterranean: March through early June, and late September through November

While I could only inform you about cruises I could find at the time of publication, many cruise lines offer big deals throughout the year; in particular Princess, Celebrity, Carnival, MSC and Costa. Not only will they offer deep discounts, but they often have added perks like free WiFi, Kids Sail Free, bundled deals, and balcony upgrades. The best way to stay in the loop about any deals that come along is to find cruises you are interested in, follow the cruise line on social media, sign up for their newsletter, and sign up for alerts from aggregator sites like Cruise Critic, Vacations To Go, and Cruise.com.