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An all-inclusive cruise can make budgeting for your holiday much easier, but cruise lines have very different ideas about what ‘all-inclusive’ actually means.
Some include little more than your meals and entertainment, while others cover drinks, tips, WiFi, flights and even shore excursions. And for British cruisers, there are a few options that offer particularly good value or make the whole holiday much easier.
I’ve compared 6 of the best options for Brits, from affordable cruise lines where you can add an all-inclusive package to luxury lines where almost everything is covered.
1. Marella Cruises
Marella Cruises, a British cruise line, takes the crown for the best all-inclusive value for Brits.
From regional flights to British-friendly amenities, Marella ensures that UK passengers enjoy a seamless and relaxed cruise experience.
With flights available from a range of regional UK airports, getting to your ship can be straightforward when you book a fly-cruise package.
Their standard All Inclusive cruise fare includes:
- Drinks: Enjoy a wide range of drinks, from beer and wine to spirits and soft drinks, served from 10 AM until 2 AM each day.
- Tips: No need to worry about gratuities as they are covered in the fare.
- Flights & Transfers: All your flights and transfers are arranged by Marella, making the journey smooth and hassle-free.
- Port Fees & Taxes: These are included in the fare.
What’s not included:
- WiFi: Available for a small fee, it’s cheaper than many other cruise lines.
- Premium Drinks: You can upgrade to Premium All Inclusive for a wider choice of premium spirits, cocktails, wines, beers, soft drinks and speciality coffees.
- Shore Excursions, Laundry & Spa: You’ll pay for these individually.
What makes Marella especially great for Brits is the home comforts provided onboard. You’ll find well known brands such as Tiptree jams and Yorkshire Tea, favourite tipples such as Gordon’s Gin and proper back bacon. Plus, your whole trip – from flights and back again – can be organised from the comfort of your sofa with one easy booking.
Plus, for those looking for a more relaxed, family-friendly experience, Marella offers plenty of entertainment and onboard options.
Here’s a video I made about the things I particularly enjoyed on my recent Marella cruise…
If you want a genuine all-inclusive experience without breaking the bank, and you want to enjoy some fantastic cruise itineraries while you do, then Marella Cruises is a standout choice.
Browse Marella Cruises’ deals here!
2. Saga Cruises
Saga Cruises is a cruise line for British passengers over the age of 50 who are looking for a luxury experience with a laid-back atmosphere.
Its small-ship cruises focus on relaxation and attention to detail, making it a good choice for mature travellers.
However, while it’s the British cruise line that includes the most in your fare as standard, those fares can be pretty high in comparison to cruise lines like Marella.
Included, you’ll get:
- All-Inclusive Drinks: Wines, beers, cocktails, premium spirits, mixers and soft drinks are included.
- Shore Excursions: An excursion is included in every port, with additional optional tours available.
- Speciality Dining: All restaurants are included, including speciality dining.
- Domestic Transfers: A nationwide return chauffeur service from your home to the port is included, with other travel options available.
- Travel Insurance & WiFi: Travel insurance and additional cancellation cover are included subject to medical screening, along with complimentary Starlink WiFi.
- Room Service & Gratuities: 24-hour room service and onboard gratuities are also included.
What’s not included:
- Optional Shore Excursions & Spa Treatments: Additional excursions and spa treatments cost extra, although access to the hydrotherapy pool, infrared sauna and steam room is included.
Saga also offers a peaceful cruising environment with no children on board, ensuring that passengers can truly unwind.
For Brits, the added bonus of UK-based transfers and the fact that all cruises sail from the UK makes this a good option for anyone looking for a hassle-free, all-inclusive getaway.
Just be prepared to pay a premium for it.
3. P&O Cruises
By default, P&O Cruises is not a fully all-inclusive cruise line, but it now offers optional packages that allow you to create a much more inclusive experience. That’s why it still earns a place on this list, particularly for British travellers.
P&O Cruises is firmly geared towards the UK market, with familiar touches such as British pubs, afternoon tea and onboard spending in pound sterling. Many sailings depart from Southampton, while fly-cruise holidays are also available with flights and transfers included. If you’re comparing P&O with a cruise line like Marella, it’s important to check exactly what’s included in the headline price.
What’s Included by Default
- Accommodation, Meals & Entertainment: All standard services, including meals and entertainment, are included in the cruise fare.
- Gratuities – these are included in your cruise fare
Optional All-Inclusive Upgrades
On cruises of five nights or longer, P&O Cruises offers optional all-inclusive packages that bundle several popular extras into one upfront cost. Depending on the package chosen, these can include:
- A drinks package
- WiFi access
- Speciality dining credit
On P&O fly-cruise holidays, flights and transfers between the airport and ship are included in the fare.
What’s Not Included
- Shore excursions
- Spa and beauty treatments
- Laundry services
- Premium dining beyond any included credit
P&O’s British style, food and entertainment are a major draw for UK guests, and the ability to add an all-inclusive package makes it much easier to budget in advance. However, it’s still important to compare like-for-like when weighing it up against fully all-inclusive cruise lines, as some extras remain optional rather than included as standard.
4. Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines
Fred. Olsen Cruises is another UK-based option for those looking for a classic British cruise experience. Fred. Olsen prides itself on its warm, welcoming atmosphere and smaller, more intimate ships, and tends to be popular with an older crowd – though families are welcome too.
Again, Fred. Olsen is not all-inclusive as standard, but you can tailor your cruise package.
What’s included by default:
- Accommodation, Meals & Entertainment: Full-board dining, entertainment and onboard activities are included.
- Selected Drinks: Freedom Fare guests get selected house beer, wine and draught soft drinks with lunch and dinner.
- Gratuities: These are now included in the cruise fare.
- Flights and Transfers: On fly-cruise holidays, flights and transfers between the airport and ship are included.
Optional upgrades:
- Drinks: You can upgrade to a Premium Drinks Package for a wider selection of drinks throughout your cruise.
- WiFi: WiFi packages are available at an additional cost.
Not included:
- Speciality Dining: Some speciality dining venues cost extra.Fred. Olsen’s drinks package is relatively inexpensive when compared to those offered by P&O Cruises, but the overall fares are higher, and typically higher than a Marella cruise fare which already includes your drinks.
- Shore Excursions, Laundry & Spa: These cost extra.
It’s an attractive option for many still, but it may not offer the best value when put side-by-side against other all-inclusive British cruise lines.
5. MSC Cruises
MSC Cruises is not a British cruise line, but it does offer cruises from the UK. If you want a cheap cruise deal then it’s often a good choice, as fares can be quite low and you can add on drinks packages and WiFi at an affordable rate.
However, make sure you always read the reviews, especially those from British cruisers, to check that you’ll be happy with the quality of the service, dining and entertainment onboard, especially as it isn’t tailored to a British market.
What’s included:
- Accommodation, Meals & Entertainment: Standard accommodation, meals in included venues and most entertainment are included.
- Tips: Hotel service charges/gratuities are included in the cruise fare.
All-inclusive upgrades:
- Drinks: MSC offers several drinks packages, including alcoholic and alcohol-free options.
- WiFi: WiFi packages are available to add to your booking.
Not included:
- Flights and transfers: These aren’t included with standard Cruise Only fares, although MSC offers Fly & Cruise packages that include the cruise, flights and transfers.
- Shore Excursions, Laundry & Spa: If you want these, you’ll pay for them individually.
I wanted to include a ‘cheap’ cruise option as a useful comparison, especially with several MSC sailings available from the UK. However, you need to be careful because the costs quickly add up once you start tailoring your cruise into an all-inclusive one.
6. Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Just like I wanted to add in MSC as a cheap comparison option, I also wanted to explain what the most inclusive cruise line looks like – and that’s Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
For those who want an ultra-luxury experience, Regent Seven Seas Cruises offers one of the most comprehensive all-inclusive packages in the world. However, this comes at a premium price, so it’s best suited for those looking to splurge.
And it’s not aimed at Brits, again, but a global cruise audience.
What’s included:
- Unlimited Drinks: Premium beverages, fine wines, cocktails, speciality coffees and more are included.
- Shore Excursions: Unlimited shore excursions are included.
- Gratuities: These are included in the fare.
- WiFi & Room Service: Unlimited WiFi and 24-hour in-suite dining are included.
- Speciality Dining: All speciality restaurants are included at no extra cost.
- Laundry: Valet laundry service is included.
- Spa Facilities: Access to spa facilities is included, although treatments cost extra.
Available with the Ultimate All-Inclusive Fare:
- Flights & Transfers: Round-trip flights and transfers between the airport and ship are included, along with a private chauffeur credit.
What’s not included:
- Spa Treatments: These cost extra.
Regent’s service is second to none, and for Brits looking for a true luxury experience, this line is the epitome of luxury cruising.
But you will definitely pay for it. A standard cruise with Regent Seven Seas could cost 3-5x as much as a Marella cruise which includes drinks, for example.
The Best All-Inclusive Cruise Option for Brits Is…
For an affordable all-inclusive cruise aimed specifically at British travellers, Marella Cruises is hard to beat. Drinks and tips are included as standard, while fly-cruise packages can include your flights and transfers too.
There are plenty of familiar British touches onboard, from Yorkshire Tea and proper back bacon to tea and coffee-making facilities in your cabin. And with flights available from regional UK airports, Marella makes the whole holiday straightforward to organise.
The biggest advantage, though, is knowing that many of the costs you’d pay extra for with other mainstream cruise lines are already covered. You can still spend more on things like premium drinks, WiFi, speciality dining and excursions, but you don’t need to add lots of extras to enjoy your cruise.
Saga and Regent include even more, but at a much higher price, while P&O Cruises, Fred. Olsen and MSC let you add extras to create a more inclusive package.
For British cruisers who want a good balance between what’s included and what they’ll pay, Marella remains my top choice.
As this article was aimed at Brits, I’m surprised Ambassador wasn’t included as they have so many cruises leaving from British ports.
We are going on our first cruise ever and it is with Ambassador, we chose it because it meant no flying and we are going from a port that isn’t a long journey to get to.
They also had an offer of buy one get one free and a free drinks package on offer.
They always seem to have lots of offers, so if this is a success , we will hopefully be booking again.
I’m really looking forward to it
What about Ambassador Cruise line, much better value for money than any of the others. A British shipping line and excellent value
I appreciate the article, but it’s hard to not consider the bias with Marella Cruises being considered the best when the post is sponsored by Tui who own Marella Cruises; no?