Are World Cruises Even Vaguely Affordable?

What comes to mind when you think of cruises? Jaunts to Bermuda for the weekend? A leisurely trip around the Caribbean Islands? A sun-drenched visit to the islands of the South Pacific? A voyage through the Panama Canal? A chance to visit the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea? Destinations more exotic?

Well, you can see all these ports and more by taking an around the world cruise.

I know what you're thinking: who the heck can afford a world cruise?

These trips definitely are more expensive than one-week cruises or most vacations you've probably taken. But they're a lot longer too. According to this post on world cruises, the trips last between 100 and 115 days. That's over 3 months at sea. Though long trips like that are frequented by retired folks (okay, wealthy retired folks), it's not entirely inconceivable that one of us ordinary working stiffs could take one. It may be harder to get away for that long than to afford the trip, but I'll leave the getting-away part up to you to figure out. Let's get into the ways that world cruises can be affordable to those who don't fall into the category of the ultra-rich.

How to Save Money on World Cruises

1. Go for the inside cabin.

The prices for world cruises can run anywhere from $50,000 to $200,000. Yikes, that isn't affordable in most of our books. However, since the wealthy folks who book these cruises can afford the best, they're less likely to opt for inside cabins (rooms without a view). If you're willing to book an inside cabin (and I sure would be for a chance to sail around the world and see dozens of different countries), you can find great deals, even on the luxury ships. If you look around online or talk to travel agents, you can find prices as low as $120 a day. Sure, that's still $12,000 for a ticket, but that's a lot better than $50,000 or more, right? Plus, remember, this is a vacation for over 3 months, so that's a pretty darned good deal.

2. Try cruising on a freighter.

If you love the idea of seeing the world, but don't care about the entertainment and hoity-toity extras of the big cruise ships, then perhaps a trip on a freighter is the way to go. Sure you have to wander past stacks of cargo on your way to the bathroom, but prices can be $90 a day or lower, and there won't be any crowds. When you travel on a freighter, it's just the crew and up to 12 passengers including yourself. Also freighters often visit the gritty real-world ports rather than all the touristy destinations, so it can be a great way to get a feel for what a country is really like.

3. Just book part of a world cruise.

World cruises visit a lot of neat ports, places you might have a hard time finding a regular cruise to. But if you can't afford the whole cruise--or can't get 3 months off of work--then you can book a segment. These 10 day to 2 week trips take place during the ship's cruise around the world. Just see the ports you really want to see, and then get back home to your real life with money left to spare. As you can see, cruising around the world isn't exactly for the impoverished, but I hope I've shown you that it may be more affordable than you realized.