A bargain hunter got on a luxury two-day cruise - paying tenner a night. Robbie Watson, 29, travels around the world by looking for cheap deals, often doing daytrips to Europe.
He boarded MSC Virtuosa with his partner on Saturday and enjoyed 48 hours of entertainment, pools, sunshine, and food. They even got upgraded to a deluxe balcony room, and had access to a buffet 20 hours a day, as well as whirlpools and hot tubs - costing £40.46 for two people which ordinarily would have cost £300.
The couple got off at Ocean Terminal, Greenock, before hopping on a £17 flight at Glasgow Airport. The giant 18-deck ship can carry up to 6,334 passengers across its 2,400 cabins, but had around 4,000 occupancy as it was term time.
The deal was promoted by My Kind of Cruise a week before the trip. Robbie, who works as a building consultant, said: "It genuinely costs less than staying at home.
"The room was like a 4* Hilton hotel but it was cheaper than most youth hostels. We paid £60 for a drinks package per day including cocktails, beer, wine and Prosecco.
"We paid for a cabin with no windows but got upgraded - the receptionist said she had never heard of such a good deal. I use things like Google Flights as well but this came from a third party who probably booked cabins but couldn't allocate them.
"It's cheaper than staying at home - you'd be lucky to get dinner and a drink in London for £20 and then there's train tickets too. Heating costs about £4, we would probably spend £100 per person on a weekend. I still can't believe it - people have said I was spreading 'fake news'.
"I found that the agent was selling a two-night segment of a longer 14-night cruise at £20 per person for an interior cabin. I had been looking at this cruise previously but it was priced at £149 per person, so this deal cemented it."
In 2015 Robbie bagged a £4 return flight from London to Copenhagen - which cost less than a bus ticket into Luton, Beds, where he lives. He also went on a two-night cruise from Southampton to Hamburg earlier this year and flew back from the German city.
Robbie said: "Sunsets are better at sea. It's great as you wake up in a different country. There were loads of water slides and no kids as it was term time.
"The cabin gets cleaned twice a day, it's better than a hotel. I thought they were for old people and a liability for catching something, and first went on a cruise after the pandemic.
"They clean constantly and there's loads of hand sanitiser on board. It works out a tenner a night and is comparable to the Hilton.
"I love doing daytrips and have been to Italy, Paris, Amsterdam, and flown back, but my partner finds it too stressful."
Robbie describes himself as an 'amateur influencer' and said he has inspired others to try cruises.
He added: "You can do so much in a weekend if you plan it right."
