If you think cruise holidays are expensive and boring, think again. With the global economic downturn biting and a simultaneous upswing in capacity, cruise lines are slashing prices and offering special deals like never before.

According to industry experts, it’s a buyer’s market. “This year has definitely seen a great drop in prices,” says Eimear Martin, a senior travel consultant with CruiseHolidays.ie.

Furthermore, cruise itineraries are more diverse than ever and appeal to a much broader demographic than they used to. This year, 13.4 million passengers worldwide are expected to climb aboard for a cruise, up from 13 million last year and 12.6 million in 2007, according to the Cruise Lines International Association.

“There is a huge move towards cruising in Ireland,” says Hugh Staunton, marketing manager at Trailfinders. “We set up our specialist cruise department two years ago to cater to increased demand. We started with two full-time consultants and now we have six. Our figures have tripled in the last 12 months alone. People like that cruises are all-inclusive, or at least full board, so you are not going to overspend while you are away. It helps you to budget.”

In addition to cutting prices, cruise lines are also throwing sweeteners into the mix to entice would-be passengers to set sail. Typical offers at the moment include two-for-one pricing, cabin upgrades, free excursions and family packages where children sail free.

“Many cruise lines are offering over-55s specials and some have free child places,” says Martin. “Many of the ships are offering onboard credits to spend onboard and some have even offered free flights to departure ports in the UK.”

Before booking a cruise, it's worth doing some research to figure out what sort of cruise you would enjoy. Would you prefer a small ship with 700 or 800 passengers and a low crew-to-passenger ratio or would you enjoy the wider range of facilities offered by a huge ship that can carry 3,000 passengers or more?

The level of formality can differ greatly between ships. Some still request that formal wear is donned in the evening, while the dress code on others is nothing more than ‘resort casual’. There is also an endless variety of itineraries, excursions and on-board entertainment and activities.

Among the best websites providing impartial information on cruise lines, ships, itineraries and shore excursions are ChoosingCruising.co.uk and CruiseShipGuide.com. It’s also worth checking out the cruise travellers’ bible, The Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising (BerlitzCruising.com), which is updated annually.

There are also plenty of websites where you can read reviews from others who have taken to the seas. Among the most useful of these are CruiseReviews.com, CruiseCritic.com, ReviewThatCruise.com and CruiseOpinion.com.

Even though quoted cruise prices are at their lowest level for years, bargain hunters should consider waiting until the last minute to get an even better deal. “If a cruise ship is leaving in a week and there are empty cabins, the cruise line will drop prices just to fill those cabins,” says Staunton.

However, before snapping up a rock-bottom rate, request a breakdown of all additional costs. The airfares to and from Ireland may not be included in the price and extras such as excursions can really inflate the bill. Bear in mind that it is often possible to arrange a cheaper excursion when you arrive on shore.

Only luxury lines such as Silversea include alcoholic drinks and tips in their rates. Others charge for drinks and may add a 15% to 18% service charge to bar bills in addition to levying a daily tip for crew of €5 to €10. Furthermore, some lines charge a fee to eat in a premium restaurant onboard rather than partaking of the buffet in the main restaurant. On Carnival ships, this is $30 (€24) a head.

Sample deals
These deals are through CruiseHolidays.ie (full board, flights included)
€469pps Four-night European cruise and two nights in Amsterdam, Cunard
€699pps Week-long Mediterranean cruise, Norwegian Cruise Lines
€959pps Week-long Mexican Riviera cruise and one night in Los Angeles, Royal Caribbean