How To Budget For A Marella Cruise

This is a sponsored post for Marella Cruises.

Whenever you book a cruise, you need to consider your budget. You want to make sure you don’t overspend, but at the same time, you also don’t want to make sacrifices and end up with a cruise that you aren’t happy with.

Budgeting for a Marella cruise holiday is a little different to most cruise lines, for two main reasons – there’s so much included in the fare you pay, and you’ll be booking your flight and cruise together at once, which means there are more decisions you might want to make upfront.

Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about budgeting for a Marella cruise.

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All fares include flights, overseas transfers, drinks, tips and more!

1. Book with a low deposit

Just like with pretty much every cruise line, you rarely need to pay for your whole cruise when you book it.

Instead, you can secure your booking with a deposit, and then spread the cost of your holiday up to your final payment date.

The only difference is when you’re booking something that’s very last-minute – by which point you may already be past the final payment date – you’ll need to pay for the whole cruise at once.

But for most people, you’ll have a few months at least in which you can spread your payments out, and the great thing about Marella is that many cruises will have a low deposit option – typically £100 per person.

That means you can book that dream holiday now without a big outlay, and start getting excited.

2. Work out which cabin type fits you best

Next step is to decide which cabin type you want to book. There’s a range of options available no matter the ship you’re looking to sail on, including Inside cabins if you’re looking for the cheapest options, Outside cabins if you want some natural sunlight, and Balcony cabins if you want to really make the most of the view.

Want to treat yourself? Check out the suite options – these are the most spacious accommodation options and are fantastic for relaxing in, plus they come with Marella’s Premier Service, letting you enjoy a breakfast in bed on your cruise and a free pressing service too.

Budgeting for your cabin choice depends on how much you’re looking to spend overall – some people like to book a suite and really splash out, while others would rather book the cheapest option possible and put the difference towards another cruise. It’s up to you what works best.

3. Decide whether you want to go Premium All Inclusive

One of the great perks of booking with Marella is the fact that it’s already an all-inclusive cruise line.

Not only do you get your cruise accommodation, your food in several dining venues, and your entertainment, but unlike other cruise lines, you’ll also get your flights, tips, and a great range of drinks included as standard too.

That being said, there is the option to upgrade even further and go for a Premium All Inclusive fare, which nets you all the following:

Soft drink cans (fountain soft drinks are already included)
Upgraded cocktails
Premium spirits
Premium Lavazza coffee

The cost to upgrade is relatively low so if you’re someone who’s inclined to enjoy more premium drinks then it may be worth budgeting for that additional fee.

Many people will enjoy the free house spirits and wines, beers and ciders, fountain soft drinks and the cocktail range that you get with the standard all-inclusive fare, but it’s up to you.

4. Budget for your flights

Flights are always included in the advertised price for a Marella cruise, but there may be some adjustments you want to make that may add on a small additional cost, so it’s important to be aware of that.

Marella’s fantastic as it lets you choose regional airports to fly from, with options all over the country (though it depends on your itinerary). Changing to an airport nearer you might change the flight cost, but that’s often better than having to travel further and potentially book a hotel the night before you fly.

You also have the option of selecting your seats on the flight and upgrading to a more premium seat, if you want the extra comfort.

5. Plan your luggage

A small thing to think about, but it’s one that you may need to budget for. Each passenger on your cruise booking will have a 10kg cabin bag and a 20kg hold bag included, but you might be someone who loves to come extra-prepared.

If that’s true for you, then you may want to upgrade to add additional bags, or change to a 23kg bag. It’s not always available, but it’s something to think about when budgeting for your cruise.

6. Think about excursions

The one cost that you won’t typically think about at the point of booking, but that you might want to set aside budget for when you’re paying off the cruise, is excursions.

A lot of the destinations you visit with Marella won’t need excursions to make them worthwhile. You can get off the ship freely and go exploring, with beaches to enjoy, cities to explore and more.

However, Marella’s excursions programme is super-exciting, packed with lots of activities that you may not want to miss out on. Once you’ve booked, you’ll be able to manage your cruise via ‘Cruise Control’ on Marella’s website and you can browse the options available, so you can get an idea of which ones you like and get them booked.

You might be happy just spending the time on the ship, but definitely check out your options, as there are some experiences you may regret missing out on!

7. Consider any extras you might need

With the bulk of the big decisions made, there might just be a few more extras to think about paying for that you hadn’t considered. If you’re driving a long way to the airport, you might prefer a hotel stay the night before to make your break more relaxed. And you may want to add on airport parking too, for total convenience.

Also, think about whether you may want WiFi on your cruise. It’s a lot cheaper with Marella than it is with other cruise lines, and you don’t need to commit to paying for the entire cruise either, but it’s just something to think about.

Final word

Really, there’s not a lot that you need to budget for with your Marella cruise once you’ve settled on the itinerary and cabin you want to book.

It’s one of the real benefits of choosing this cruise line – everything that you need to enjoy your cruise is covered in the main fare, without a lot of big extras to then pay for on top.

Sure, there are a few optional extras you might want, but you can absolutely enjoy a complete cruise experience with Marella without paying a penny more than the cruise fare if you wish – and not many cruise lines can say that!