Navigate: Accessible Adventures

If you’re eager to book your first ever cruise holiday but that upfront cost has left you wondering about the true value and whether you really are getting a better deal when compared to a normal land-based holiday, then you’ll be happily surprised by our findings… We’ve taken a deep-dive into the costs – it’s high time to debunk the myths around cruises being an expensive form of travel by taking a closer look at how you can benefit from a cruise line’s inclusions. 

Cruise ships are often referred to as ’floating cities’ and when you consider the vast array of amenities available onboard, it’s easy to understand why. These self-contained ships have incredible features such as full-sized water parks – whereas back on land, a family of four (two adults and two children under 12) could spend £48 to £400 on visiting a water park on holiday. 

On Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), you can access entire rope courses, which could cost £70 to £160 for a family day trip to GoApe. Meanwhile NCL or Royal Caribbean’s roller coasters could cost a family of four up to £150 for theme park tickets at Alton Towers. Ice skaters could face costs of around £53 per family if not travelling with Royal Caribbean, whilst a helicopter ride could set you back nearly £600 – but with Quark Expeditions this is part of the package. 



With Azamara Cruises, you can enjoy exclusive showings such as La Traviata opera, whilst Cunard has a partnership with the Royal Shakespeare Company and Royal Caribbean provides West-End entertainment such as Grease The Musical. These top-tier performances would normally cost anywhere between £320 to a staggering £1,080 for a family of four. 

If thrill seeking isn’t for you, and you find your entertainment through more grounded experiences, you are not ignored. Cruise lines such as Fred. Olsen provide art classes, while Explora Journeys offer a range of yoga lessons. You can do all of these without having to worry about what your kids are doing, as they can get involved in the kid’s clubs that are available on most cruise lines. These are experiences that may be overlooked or difficult to find on traditional land holidays, but nothing shouts relaxation like art and yoga – the feeling of zen is elevated when gaining it doesn’t require you to reach further into your pockets.



With Azamara, Quark Expeditions or any river cruise line, shore expeditions are a central part of the offerings. These sometimes include wine tastings, hiking, kayaking and visits to castles! The range of locations you get to visit is unrivalled by land holidays, and if you did want these experiences on a classic holiday, the extra cost for travel and activities would definitely add up. Experiencing the spectrum of culture all in one trip truly brings out the hidden value of cruise holidays.

It might be easy to scoff at the price of cruises whilst you’re sitting at the all-inclusive buffet on holiday – but cruises turn their culinary offering into a journey in its own right, with celebrity chefs onboard P&O Cruises and unique dining experiences such as Caviar in the Surf with Seabourn, where you can dine on iced champagne and caviar at a surfboard bar on a white-sand beach. Taking pride in their Norwegian cuisine, Hurtigruten provides culinary demonstrations and food tastings to encourage passengers to try new things. Plus, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, Cunard and Oceania Cruises all serve a complimentary afternoon tea – once you add up the costs of meals like this for a family, it could very easily clock up well over £1,000 on land.

When you consider all this on top of the added bonus of waking up in a new destination every day – it simply can’t be matched by a land holiday. With all cruise lines competing to give the best experience, you’re sure to be spoilt no matter which trip you take. We can provide more information on the best cruises to give you a value packed cruise holiday that is sure to tick all the boxes!