15 Summer Cruises That Won't Break The Bank

A cruise vacation can be considered an adventure because you are, for the most part, stranded on a ship at sea, or ocean, for days with no way of getting home. But if you are a constant adrenaline-seeker and a traveler, then you'll be happy to know that many cruise quests offer activities that will get your excitement level through the roof, without breaking the bank.

The 4-night Catalina & Baja Mexico cruise onboard Carnival Imagination will cost you between $269 ($67 per night per person) and $459 depending on when exactly you're leaving in July or August. The ship departs from Long Beach in Los Angeles. It will stop at Avalon, Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico. Aboard you have access to a spa, waterparks, adult retreats, nightclub and karaoke.

You can island hop your way through the romantic Greek Isles, explore the gleaming channels around the Mediterranean and visit the beautiful city of Venice for $889, or about $125 per night per person with the Norwegian Jade ship Aug. 20-27. Cross the canals of Venice in a gondola and explore the caves of Paleokastritsa in Corfu when off the ship. Onboard, lounge poolside with a cocktail, play poker at the ship's award-winning casino, play tennis or basketball, and enjoy a hot tub.

You can travel from Miami to Nassau, Cape Canaveral and back to Florida with the MSC Divina cruise for $279 per person with a departure date on July 2. There is a real stone piazza, a lavish casino and a Broadway-size Pantheon Theatre for an incredible onboard experience. Enjoy the beautiful infinity pool that extends seamlessly out to sea. You also have access to a spa, fitness center, shops and 14 entertainment facilities.

This week-long trip, if from June 25 to July 2 will cost you $499. All dates in July cost $699, which is still a good deal considering you'll get to go snorkeling and sip tropical drinks in Miami, Florida, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Tortola, British Virgin Islands, and Nassau, Bahamas on Norwegian's newest ship, the Escape. It has many Broadway entertainment options, including musicals and cabarets, 25 restaurants, 21 bars and lounges, including a wine bar, a comedy club, aqua parks, casino, a sports complex, and even a nursery.

You will be traveling on Holland America Noordam ship, leaving from Vancouver on Aug. 6 and arriving in Whitehorse for $630. Along the way you will stop by Tracy Arm, a fjord in Alaska, Juneau where Joe Juneau and Dick Harris discovered gold, setting off frenzy in 1880, Skagway for a stroll along the adoringly renovated frontier-era storefronts and saloons. The ship has a B.B. King All-Star band directly from Beale Street, a thermal suite, hydro pool, a gym, an art gallery and a spa.

Visit Europe's most famous locations on this 7-night cruise that will cost you $649, or $92 per night per person, if you take it at the end of June or through July. You'll explore Savona (Genoa), Italy, Barcelona, Spain, Ibiza and Palma De Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Palermo, Sicily, and Naples in Italy. Onboard you'll enjoy exotic cocktails, cigar bars, lounges, live music, a dance club, casino, spa, gym, lots of pools and entertainment shows. 

For those of you who want to spend more time away on a cruise, without having to declare bankruptcy, the 14-night British Isles may be a good option. It's $1,299 or about $90 per night per person. You leave from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and visit multiple locations in Ireland, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Belgium. You'll be on the Celebrity Silhouette cruise ship. You'll have plenty to do for the two weeks at sea, enjoying the wine bars, lounges, night club, piano bar, Las Vegas-style productions, sports courts, pools, hot tubs and casinos, to name a few.

How about going to England on a boat? Leave New York for nine nights from Aug. 9-18 on board Queen Mary 2. You'll enjoy the spectacular trip across the Atlantic Ocean to Southampton, then on to charming Hamburg for $849, or about $95 per person per night. A 6-hour flight to London in the summer is more expensive.

See and immerse yourself in an ageless culture in some of the most historic cities along the Mediterranean Sea aboard on an extraordinary 12-day vacation on the Norwegian Spirit cruise ship. You leave from Venice, Italy and arrive at Barcelona, Spain. Along the way, you'll stop at Dubrovnik, Croatia, Kotor, Montenegro, Athens (Piraeus) and Mykonos in Greece, and Naples, Rome and Florence in Italy. All of these places, plus amazing experiences on board, will cost $849, or $70 per person per night, if you leave on Aug. 25.

Take this cruise July 4-11 and you'll only spend $50 a night per person, or a total of $349. Depart Seward for some of Alaska's most scenic destinations -Hubbard Glacier or Ketchikan. You'll get to see humpback whales, porpoise and sea lions in the waters surrounding Icy Strait Point. Enjoy a traditional salmon bake in Juneau and the adventure of dog sledding in Skagway. If you choose to take this cruise in July or August, the price goes up to $399.

You'll be leaving from Baltimore, Maryland onboard the Grandeur of the Seas. The sail dates are either July 7 for the price of $797, or $88 per night per person, or July 21. With the 9-night Bermuda and Bahamas cruise you'll visit King's Wharf, Nassau and CocoCay. The ship has 11 decks, six pools and whirlpools, and eight bars and lounges.

You can cruise through the Dominican Republic for seven day for as little as $249, or $36 per night per person if you go on the trip at the end of June or early July onboard Fathom Adonia. You leave from Miami, spend days at sea and at Amber Cove before you come back to Florida. The package also includes shipboard accommodations, ocean transportation, lots of fun entertainment and daily activities, onboard meals and some beverages.

The Carnival Sunshine cruise will take you from New York to Saint John and back for as little as $279, or just about $70 a night per person if you leave on June 21, the first day of summer. The prices go up after that. Onboard you can enjoy a Havana bar, a pub, standup comedy performances, Dr. Seuss's timeless stories for kids, waterparks with fast rides and hundreds of feet of spiraling awesomeness, and a spa.

The 11-night Greece/Turkey/Malta cruise aboard Celebrity Constellation is $999, or $91 per person per night. The only dates available are Aug. 7-11. Entertainment on board the ship includes lots of inside and pool bars, live music, night club, teen spots for video games, casino, spa, sports center, whirlpools, solarium pool, karaoke, dance classes, to name a few. 

If you are willing to wait and take the cruise leaving on Sept. 18, which is still technically summer, you can pay as little as $399, or $66 per night per person. If you want to go in June or July, the price is between $680 and $710. The Carnival Splendor is leaving from Miami. Ports of call include Ocho Rios, Jamaica, George Town, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel, Mexico. Activities onboard Carnival Splendor include clubbing, standup comedy, twister waterslides, game shows, kids performances and a seaside theatre.