FIND YOUR CRUISE
Search live cruise availability, compare sailings and find the right itinerary for you.
Why BOOK A CRUISE WITH CAPTAIN JACK?
Cruise pricing can be surprisingly complicated once you factor in cabin grades, packages, flights, transfers, onboard spend and the differences between ships and cruise lines.
Captain Jack helps cut through that by comparing the wider value of each sailing, looking at the route, ship, cabin options and total trip cost, rather than simply chasing the lowest headline fare.
We also help with more complex cruise travel, including longer itineraries, multi-cruise trips, pre- and post-cruise stays, flights, transfers and unusual routes.
Search cruises using our cruise search tool or send us a custom enquiry below.
CRUISE VALUE CALCULATOR
Use the Cruise Value Calculator to see how good a cruise deal really is once the fare, extras, itinerary, cabin and travel costs are taken into account.
You can also adjust the value settings to reflect what matters most to you and see how the score changes.
Travel Trove Scoring System
How good is your cruise deal?
Enter the real cost of the cruise, then adjust the value settings if your priorities are different from ours.
The score is a value guide, not a verdict on whether you personally will enjoy the ship or itinerary.
Your value settings
These start with Travel Trove's standard weighting. Move them to reflect what matters to you. Scores update immediately.
Score weighting
Weights are automatically normalised, so they do not have to add up to 100.
Good-value cost benchmarks
The nightly price we treat as a strong benchmark for each cruise-line tier.
The Travel Trove Scoring System
About the TTSS
What is the Travel Trove Scoring System?
The Travel Trove Scoring System, or TTSS, is our way of assessing the real value of a cruise beyond the headline fare.
A cheap cruise is not always a good-value cruise, and a more expensive cruise is not automatically poor value. TTSS looks at a wider mix of factors including the cruise price, cost per night, cabin, itinerary, cruise line, travel costs, sea days and optional extras.
What is a Travel Trove Score?
The Travel Trove Score, or TTS, is the final score produced by the TTSS.
Scores are shown out of 100, with a higher score generally representing stronger overall value.
Is the Travel Trove Score just based on price?
No. Price matters, particularly the true cost per night, but TTSS also considers itinerary quality, cabin value, travel practicality, cruise-line tier and sea-day balance.
Is TTSS an independent cruise review score?
No. TTSS is Travel Trove’s own value-scoring methodology, designed to compare cruise offers consistently.
Does a high TTSS guarantee I will enjoy the cruise?
No. TTSS measures value based on what Captain Jack and his team consider ‘good value’. Personal preference, ship atmosphere, entertainment style and your own travel needs still matter.
Understanding the Scores
What is the Overall TTS?
The Overall TTS is the main Travel Trove Score and gives a general view of the cruise’s overall value.
What is the Solo TTS?
The Solo TTS looks at the cruise from the perspective of a solo traveller and factors in the solo supplement.
What is the No Drinks TTS?
The No Drinks TTS recalculates the value without including a drinks package.
What is the No Wi-Fi TTS?
The No Wi-Fi TTS recalculates the value without including the cost of a Wi-Fi package.
What is the No Extras TTS?
The No Extras TTS recalculates the cruise without including either drinks or Wi-Fi packages.
Why can the No Extras score be higher than the Overall score?
Because removing optional extras lowers the overall trip cost.
This can make a cruise much better value for travellers who do not need those extras.
Are drinks and Wi-Fi treated as penalties?
No. They are simply included in the relevant cost scenario.
The score shows how the cruise performs depending on the way you actually travel.
Value Factors
What is the Itinerary Score?
The Itinerary Score assesses the quality of the route.
It can consider things such as port quality, destination variety, route balance, sea days and how interesting we believe the overall journey is.
What is Cabin Value?
Cabin Value looks at how much value the cabin type adds relative to the price.
For example, a balcony cabin offered at a very low fare may score particularly well vs an interior cabin offered at a higher price.
This does not mean that lower grades of cabins are inherently bad, just that, comparably through the cruise line’s own cabin grading system, the type of cabin varies based on value.
What is Travel Cost Band?
The Travel Cost Band estimates how expensive and inconvenient it may be to reach the embarkation port and return from the final port.
This can ultimately vary based on your specific starting and ending location. That’s why we’ve provided a simpler grading system.
The bands are:
- Very Low
- Low
- Medium
- High
- Very High
Does Travel Cost Band use an exact flight price?
No. Airfares and transport prices change constantly, as well as differ based on route. So, TTSS uses a broader cost category rather than relying on a temporary fare.
What are sea days and why do they affect the score?
Sea days are days when the ship does not visit a port.
They only carry a relatively light negative weighting in our system because a larger percentage of travellers prefer more port-intensive itineraries.
You can adjust this score weighting in the settings if you don’t consider this a negative.
Are sea days always bad?
No. They are simply part of the overall value and itinerary balance.
Deal Categories
What is a Crown Jewel?
A Crown Jewel is our standout pick from the deals we are reviewing.
It is the deal we believe offers the strongest overall proposition when value, itinerary, cabin/accommodation and practicality are considered together.
What is a Diamond Deal?
A Diamond Deal is a deal we believe represents strong overall value and is worthy of serious consideration.
What is a Diamond in the Rough?
A Diamond in the Rough is a deal that may not score as highly overall, but has something interesting about it that makes it worth a closer look.
That may be unusually good inclusions, a particular route, stronger value for a specific type of traveller or a much better alternative score.
Is a Diamond in the Rough a bad deal?
No. It simply means the headline score does not tell the whole story.
Why Scores Change
Why can a lower-scoring cruise still be recommended?
Because some cruises have particular strengths that matter more to certain travellers than the overall score suggests.
That is why we include written commentary alongside the score.
Can two cruises with the same score be very different?
Yes.
One may be cheap with an average itinerary, while another may cost more but offer a much better cabin and route.
Why can the score change when the cruise price changes?
Because cost per night is a major part of the scoring system.
Cruise pricing is dynamic, so value can change quickly.
Can a cruise become a Crown Jewel later?
Yes.
A price drop, cabin upgrade or promotional package can significantly improve the value.
Are TTSS scores permanent?
No.
They reflect the pricing, inclusions and information available at the time the cruise was assessed.
How Cruise Value Is Calculated
What does “true cost” mean?
True cost is our estimate of what the cruise actually costs once the relevant extras are included.
Depending on the scenario, this can include the cruise fare, Wi-Fi, drinks and other associated costs.
What is true cost per night?
True cost per night is the estimated total cost divided by the number of cruise nights.
This makes cruises of different lengths much easier to compare.
Why does cost per night matter so much?
Because the headline fare alone can be misleading.
A £500pp seven-night cruise and a £900pp fourteen-night cruise can look very different once you calculate the cost per person, per night.
Does a lower cost per night always mean a better cruise?
No. Cost per night is only one part of TTSS.
A slightly more expensive cruise may offer a much better itinerary, cabin, level of inclusion or cruise product.
Why do different cruise line types have different value expectations?
Because £100 per night means something very different on a mass-market cruise compared with a luxury sailing.
TTSS uses different benchmark levels for each cruise line tier, so they are judged more fairly.
What benchmark levels do you use?
Our current reference points are approximately:
- Mass Market: £75pp per night
- Premium: £100pp per night
- Luxury: £250pp per night
- Ultra-Luxury: £400pp per night
These are value benchmarks rather than fixed price limits and may fluctuate based on comparable market rates.
Solo Travel
What is a solo supplement?
Cruise lines generally base the cost of a cabin on two people occupying it. Lines therefore often charge a solo supplement as an additional amount a traveller may pay when occupying a cabin designed or priced for two people.
How does TTSS treat solo supplements?
Lower solo supplements improve the Solo TTS, while very high supplements reduce it.
Why can a cruise have a good Overall TTS but a poor Solo TTS?
Because the general fare may be excellent while the solo pricing is much less competitive.
Cruise Terminology
What is Cruise Line Type?
Our ‘Cruise Line Type’ groups cruise brands into broad tiers:
- Mass Market
- Premium
- Luxury
- Ultra-Luxury
This allows TTSS to judge value relative to the type of cruise being offered.
What does “included dining” mean?
Included dining refers to food venues covered by the cruise fare.
What is speciality dining?
Speciality dining usually refers to additional or more premium onboard restaurants.
Depending on the cruise line, these may be included, partially included or charged separately.
What does “service charge” or “gratuities” mean?
These are daily charges or tips associated with onboard service.
Some cruise lines include them in the fare, while others charge them separately.
Because of the divisive and cultural nature of gratuities and tipping, we have purposely excluded this as an option in our TTSS.
Therefore, the scores are independently calculated from gratuities and tips.
What does “repositioning cruise” mean?
A repositioning cruise is a sailing used to move a ship from one cruising region to another.
These cruises are often longer, include more sea days and can offer very strong value.
Using the Cruise Value Calculator
What is the Cruise Value Calculator for?
The Cruise Value Calculator lets you test the real value of a cruise using the same core factors we use within TTSS.
You can also change the value settings to reflect what matters most to you personally.
Can I change the weighting myself?
Yes.
You can adjust the importance of cost per night, itinerary, cabin value, travel practicality, cruise-line tier, sea-day balance and solo supplement.
Why would I change the weighting?
Because value is personal.
A solo traveller, family, remote worker or luxury traveller may judge the same cruise very differently.
Does changing the weighting change the official Travel Trove Score?
No.
The standard TTS uses the Travel Trove default weighting. Your calculator result becomes your own personalised value score.
Can I score a cruise I found somewhere else?
Yes.
You can use the calculator on any cruise deal you find.
Can I compare two cruises?
Yes.
Run both cruises using the same assumptions and settings for the fairest comparison.
Common Abbreviations
What does TTSS mean?
Travel Trove Scoring System
What does TTS mean?
Travel Trove Score
What does pp mean?
Per person
What does pppn mean?
Per person, per night
What does double occupancy mean?
The advertised fare assumes two people are sharing the same cabin
What does solo supplement mean?
The additional cost a solo traveller may pay when occupying a cabin alone
