6 of the best value luxury cruises in Europe and beyond for 2025

A luxury cruise might not be the first option that comes to mind when planning a budget-friendly holiday. But once you start doing the maths — and factor in everything that’s included — you might be surprised by how affordable a high-end getaway at sea can actually be. From entertainment and fine dining to off-board excursions, a luxury voyage can even offer better value for money than an all-inclusive resort.

Not to mention you get to explore multiple destinations in one trip. Metro has rounded up six of the best luxury cruises on offer so you can set sail, without your finances sinking. APT & Travelmarvel is currently offering a Worldwide New Year Sale, giving travellers the chance to save on select voyages when booking before February 28. Customers can save £1,000 on the ‘Magnificent Europe’ river cruise – a 15-day journey from Budapest to Amsterdam taking in 14 cities – now priced at £4,795 (down from £5,795).

The fare includes home-to-airport transfers, return flights, 41 onboard meals, beverages and accommodation aboard one of APT’s newest ‘ultra-luxury ships’. Highlights include a private cocktail reception at Namedy Castle in the Rhine Valley, an exclusive performance at the Liechtenstein City Palace in Vienna, and a lunch set to the music from The Sound of Music in celebration of the movie’s 60th anniversary in 2025.

Those looking for an even cheaper deal can enjoy the eight-day ‘Highlights of the Danube’ river cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam, which costs from £1,695 per person. This cruise includes return flights, seven nights of accommodation, sightseeing, 20 meals and soft drinks, beer and local wine and dinner on board. Cunard Cruises has voyages for less than £1,000. The luxurious cruise line has a fleet of four ships, travelling to worldwide destinations including the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Caribbean, Asia, Australia and South America.

There’s a seven-night wine-themed cruise travelling from Southampton to Portugal and onto Spain for £899 per person. Setting sail in March, it includes an overnight stay in Lisbon. Cunard also offers ‘late sailing offers’, which reward last-minute and spontaneous travellers. For example, a seven-night Mediterranean cruise departing April 13 starts at £599 per person. The journey takes travellers from Southampton to Vigo, Barcelona and onto Rome and includes a room with a balcony.

Travel influencer and cruise ship worker @cass_stefanie is originally from Cape Town, South Africa, but has travelled to six continents and more than 46 countries during her career on cruise ships. She recently took to TikTok to share some cruise ship secrets, including a rather fruity codeword. ‘We use the term “banana” on a cruise ship when someone’s getting into trouble,’ Cass explained.

‘For example if you’re doing something like walking down the I-95 [the main corridor that joins the back of the ship with the front] with your AirPods in, we’ll stop you and be like “listen, don’t let anyone see you because you’re going to get a banana.”’. It’s believed that the codeword banana came about due to a superstition. Back in the 1700s, trade ships carrying produce in the Caribbean and Spain started to disappear at sea.

As legend has it, bananas would be the only thing found floating among the wreckages. This ultra-luxury cruise line offers an all-inclusive experience and travels around all seven continents. With a fleet of six yacht-like ships, the cruise line is known for its personalised and intimate services. Seabourn’s ships have the capacity for just 260 to 600 passengers, allowing access to smaller and more exclusive ports, and offering an almost 1:1 ratio of passenger to crew.

Although exclusive, prices for some voyages might not be as high as you’d expect. The cruise line also has a ‘Sail of the Year’ offering until February 18. These include up to 15% savings on select journeys and up to $1,000 shipboard credit per suite. Currently, there’s a seven-day Mediterranean cruise around Morocco and Spain’s southern coast, departing April 9 for £3,700 per person. The all-inclusive voyage includes accommodation, and guests can enjoy complimentary fine wines, premium spirits and dining in any of the ship’s restaurants.

Azmara brands itself as a ‘luxurious boutique hotel at sea’. It includes more in its fares than many other cruise lines, such as gratuities, select beverages and excursions. However, all-inclusive alcohol is not included. The fleet has four ships each accommodating up to 702 guests, which again allows access to smaller, intimate destinations that larger ships cannot reach. The least-expensive booking we found online was a nine-night ‘France intensive voyage’ for £1,669 per person, sailing on April 2, 2025.