What’s the difference between spending $1,000 on a cruise and $10,000 on a cruise? In many ways the experience can be like night and day.
The cool thing about cruising is that it’s open to everyone. You want to sail cheap? You can, for as little as a few hundred bucks. But if you want to go big, cruise lines will offer you every chance possible to spend as much as you want.
So what can you expect if you sail on a cruise within a modest $1,000 budget versus one costing ten times as much? I’ve seen it, and I’ll show you exactly what you can expect.
Your Cruise Line or Style of Sailing
Let’s start with who you sail if you’re spending $1,000 versus $10,000. On a $1,000 budget, you do have a surprising number of line options. You can sail on the big names like Carnival, MSC, Royal Caribbean, NCL, and more.
That said, you’re going to have to be creative about sailing. It’s most likely going to be in a bare-bones room and on a shorter trip. There may be times of year — like the summer — that you have to avoid to keep things cheaper. In short, you can do it but expect some hurdles.
$10,000 for a cruise? Your options are virtually limitless. First off, those same lines like Royal Caribbean or Norwegian you can still sail buy in a very, very different style. You’ll get practically the best of everything — including your own special areas of the ship off limits to others — and I’ll show you exactly what I’m talking about in a moment.
But with that sort of cash, you also get to open up your cruise options to just about every single cruise line, including the high-end luxury brands like SilverSea, Regent Seven Seas, Oceania, and more. These lines simply take cruising to another level like going from a Hampton Inn to a Four Seasons.
The Major Cabin Difference
If you’re spending a grand on a cruise, then it’s likely your cabin is going to be… adequate. Certainly nothing fancy, but you should expect something clean and comfortable. If you’re on a shorter cruise, then you may even be able to snag a balcony, although you’re likely to be in an interior or an oceanview cabin.
To be honest, I’ve never really had an issue with an interior cabin on shorter cruises. You spend so much of your time out and about in port and exploring the ship that the room isn’t a big draw. On longer trips, however, the math changes. I feel you want at least a balcony, but if you see what ten grand gets you on a cruise, you might feel underwhelmed with that.
Cruise lines want to have options across all ends of the scale. And the high-end are jaw-dropping rooms most people never see. I’m talking multi-story apartments, your own private hot tub on the balcony, views that literally rival the captain’s, and things like pianos in the cabin that you’d never even dream of being in a regular room.
Now to be fair, some of these rooms will go for more than $10,000 on a traditional 7-day sailing. But you’re definitely in the ballpark and that money opens up some of the most impressive rooms you’ve ever seen on a cruise ship.
Exclusive Spaces for Big Spenders
Keeping in line with your room, the difference between $1,000 and $10,000 extends far past just where you’ll stay. If you’re sailing a mega line like Royal Caribbean or NCL or MSC, then it’s likely you have a room that’s better than what others on the ship have, but it also has exclusive spaces that most passengers don’t get to enjoy.
Cruise lines are trying to step up the value offered with their most expensive rooms. So they’ve introduced a concept known as a resort within a resort. It’s a way that the fancy rooms can give the exclusivity of a small ship, but the passengers still get the experience of sailing a large ship with tons to do.
These spaces like NCL’s The Haven or MSC’s Yacht Club or The Retreat on Celebrity or suite-only spots on Royal Caribbean can offer some respites that other passengers never see.
Imagine private pool areas set aside only for these rooms. Or exclusive restaurants that other passengers don’t get to eat at. Or lounges only for these guests spending serious money, and it’s all hidden behind doors that are accessed only with the right type of keycard.
Itineraries That Can Be “Bucket List” Items
There’s a lot of value in cruising. If you play your cards right, you can actually sail for a long time for not much money. You will have to be strategic with your scheduling and maybe sail some offbeat trips.
For example, Royal Caribbean offers a 14-night transatlantic cruise for around a grand. It takes you from Florida to Spain with stops in the Azores, and all around Spain before ending in Barcelona. Now it is a repositioning cruise, so you will have to find — and pay — for your own way back.
But honestly most of the time, a $1,000 budget would hamper you a lot. With a $10,000 budget, your options are nearly unlimited.
First off, you can get on any mass market cruise for nearly any length of time, outside of maybe around-the-world cruises. And then you can add in the luxury lines and what they offer. For $10,000, you’ve got some ridiculous options.
How about a trip from Buenos Aires to Santiago Chile aboard SilverSea? It’s an 18-day, four country tour of one of the most beautiful areas of the planet and prices start well below ten grand per person.
Or if you want something closer to home, two people can sail on Celebrity Beyond to Tortola, Antigua, and the Bahamas for a week. And they get to do it in a 500-square foot suites in the ship’s Retreat area. There, you get drinks and wi-fi included and special access to your own sundeck reserved only for these guests staying in this area.
Included Perks Instead of “Nickeled and Dimed”
When you spend upwards of $10,000 on a cruise versus a $1,000, you might think it would entitle you to some extras that most people don’t see. Well, you’d be absolutely right.
Most people that have sailed know that for average passengers cruise lines love to nickel and dime you. Drinks are extra, many meals are extra, wi-fi is extra, room service is extra.
When you spend big bucks though, the cruise line is more than happy to include more with your fare. Spend a ton and get a nicer room, a nicer line, or stay in one of the exclusive “ship within a ship” spots and you’ll notice you get a lot more included.
It starts even boarding the ship. You may have your own separate line to board, or entrance to the terminal, or even a lounge that’s only for people staying in the nicest cabins. So you don’t have to even mingle with the “common” passengers when getting on the ship.
Places like The Retreat on Celebrity and MSC’s Yacht Club are all-inclusive. So you get drink packages and wi-fi included. Room service is normally included. You can see reserved seating in the theater.
And in addition, some rooms go even further for those spending big bucks. MSC’s Yacht Club that I mentioned features butlers during your cruise, as do others.
Public Spaces Are Actually the Same
Now I think it’s clear that there’s a lot of difference between the experience when you spend a grand on a cruise versus ten grand. What’s actually surprising is how much can be the same. Despite paying ten times as much, your experience — at least outside the cabin — has a lot of similarities.
A good example of this is in the public spaces. Yes, spend a lot and you’re likely getting access to private spots that other passengers don’t. But that’s only a fraction of the ship. Most of the time, those paying either $1,000or $10,000 are going to experience the same ship. They will have nearly all the same restaurants, the same main pool, theater, shops, casino, and spa.
Now there will be a difference if you’re sailing a mass market line for cheap when you compare yourself to a high-end line where people spend thousands more. But if you’re on the same ship spending a little compared to someone spending a lot, you’re actually going to be going to most of the same places around the ship.
Ports of Call? Many Trips Offer the Same no Matter What You Pay
Speaking of going to the same places, another thing to keep in mind if you’re thinking of spending huge money on a cruise is that you’ll be visiting the same ports whether you spend $1,000 or $10,000.
Now, a little disclaimer. If you’re going for those bucket-list cruises that sail to Antarctica or Iceland, then you’re going to pay more for your cruise and yes, you’re going to get to see places that you don’t see for a thousand dollars.
But if you’re upgrading your experience on a ship sailing a typical cruise — like a 7-day trip to the Caribbean — then no matter how much you pay or don’t pay, you’re still going to visit the same ports everyone else does.
In this case, paying up for the cruise is really the equivalent of a first-class plane ticket. You’ll be treated better and have a more comfortable time, but first-class and coach are going to the exact same spots.
Entertainment May Actually Be Better if You Spend Less
Finally, there’s one area where those spending less on a cruise — at least in some cases — are actually likely going to benefit and no, I’m not talking about just saving money.
Let’s say you spend ten grand and go on a super fancy, luxury line. That’s great, and you’re likely going to have the trip of a lifetime.
But when it comes to entertainment on the ship, it’s going to be very different from what you get on the mass market lines.
Entertainment on cruises — especially the biggest and newest ships — has become world class. And with the size and design of the theaters they do things that just aren’t possible on smaller ships. That’s not to say the entertainment is bad on the more luxurious lines — far from it. But if you want the wow factor, then the mass market lines, where you can sail for more reasonable prices can offer that.
I am doing a 60 day cruise from Vancouver to French Polynesia in September. In researching the excursions available, I find there is little to nothing on offer for the handicapped. Based on your experience, can you recommend anything that would be suitable for an electric scooter ?
thanks
That’s a tough one. There should be someone on the ship at the shore excursions desk that can offer some insight. The cruise lines have staff dedicated solely to answering these sorts of questions!