Cruises are more expensive than ever. But a deal isn't impossible — if you have restraint

Carnival's latest 5,245-guest Firenze is great for budget cruises, so long as you're okay with the mediocre food and abundance of potential upcharges.

Brittany Chang/Business Insider

• Cheap cruises are increasingly difficult to find as cruise lines raise prices.
• Operators are also increasingly outfitting their ships with pay-to-play amenities.
• The combination of higher fares and increased onboard spending is making budget cruises a relic of the past.

In the next few years, you could turn to the youth and say, "When I was your age, budget cruises were still a thing."

Cruise giants Carnival Corp and Royal Caribbean Group are having a windfall year, with both companies reporting sky-high onboard spending, prices, and demand in their second-quarter 2024 earnings report.

It's a sign that the vacation-at-sea industry is doing better than ever. But this news might not be so welcome if you're a fan of cheap cruises.

Budget cruises are so 2022

Cruises were ultra-cheap in 2022 as the vacation-at-sea industry began recovering from a halt in operations amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brittany Chang/Business Insider

Cheap cruise aggregator Cruise Sheet shows fewer than 630 itineraries listed at $100 or less a day from July through December.

Not bad, right? Well, let's go back in time.

The year was 2022. Cruise lines were just beginning to reactivate their fleets after a tumultuous pause in operations amid the COVID-19 pandemic (remember that?).

To entice travelers back, these companies started releasing a flurry of heavily discounted itineraries.

From July 2022 through the end of that year, there were about 2,000 sailings for under $100 a day, Tynan Smith, the founder of Cruise Sheet, told Business Insider at the time — a stark contrast to today's limited options.

That's not to say ultra-affordable cruises don't exist anymore

Tyanan Smith, founder of cheap cruise aggregator Cruise Sheet, told Business Insider in 2022 that 45 cruises were being sold for a maximum of $50 a day from July 2022 through the end of that year. Now, according to data from Cruise Sheet's website, there's only one through the end of this year.

Brittany Chang/Business Insider

A handful of 2024 itineraries from more premium cruise lines like Princess, Celebrity, and Holland America are still being sold at an inexpensive rate of $80 a day or less. You can also try smaller companies like Margaritaville at Sea, the cheapest of which runs at $25 a night (although it won't be of the aforementioned companies' quality or caliber).

For the most part, if you want to pay that little but don't want to hunt for a deal, you're better off sticking with Carnival Cruise Line.

The popular company has about 155 sailings for under $80 a day through 2024, mostly on older ships, according to Cruise Sheet's website. That's more than Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Norwegian, Princess, and Holland America combined.

Success — looks like you just found yourself some pretty affordable itineraries!

Just be sure to temper your spending once onboard. Otherwise, your $80-a-day vacation could quickly become $160 a day.

Your budget vacation might not be so budget-friendly once onboard

Mass-market cruise lines have increasingly added pricey pay-to-play amenities to their new ships. For example, Carnival's latest Firenze has a free buffet with upcharged chicken wings.

Brittany Chang/Business Insider

Cruises are often lauded as an economical vacation choice compared to hotels and flights.

But budget accordingly if you want drinks, excursions, fancier restaurants, WiFi, or even some onboard attractions — they'll all have fees on mass-market cruise lines like Carnival and Royal Caribbean ships.

Take Carnival Conquest, for example. The 22-year-old vessel is scheduled for many of the cruise line's cheapest-per-day itineraries this year.

The ship has seven complimentary dining venues and five with fees — the latter not including upcharges for lobsters and steaks at the otherwise free dining room.

Carnival Conquest has an upcharged coffee shop, sushi takeout option, and steakhouse.

Carnival Cruise Line

And while its mini-golf course, shows, and waterslide are free, you'll have to pay extra for the arcade games or to participate in the "Build-A-Bear Workshop at Sea" or "Deal or No Deal" programs.

The same goes for WiFi, a necessity for travelers who want to live-post vacation snaps on their Instagram stories.

Thankfully, Carnival Corp just finished outfitting its ships with Starlink this year — which Josh Weinstein, president and CEO of Carnival Corp, called "another revenue uplift opportunity" in a call with analysts in late June.

Carnival Firenze has plenty of free amenities, including a mini-golf course and ropes course.

Brittany Chang/Business Insider

The cruise line's drinks package alone starts at $70.74 per person and day. A dinner at its steakhouse adds another $50 for that day, while WiFi for social media websites starts at $15.30 daily.

And before you know it, if you don't have restraint, your ultra-inexpensive cruise could quickly double in cost — all while you're still stuck in an inside cabin.

With all these opportunities to spend big, it's no wonder both Carnival Corp and Royal Caribbean Group have reported a spike in onboard spending in the first two quarters of 2024 compared to the same period last year.

So, yes, it's still possible to find an ultra-cheap cruise. Just get ready to hunt for it or go with Carnival — and monitor your spending on the ship, or else all your efforts will be for nothing.

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