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Why Go?
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 High-energy party vibe in a "floating hostel" context
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Budget prices -- as low as $20 per night
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No sea days, so new port every day
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Docks at mid-day, leave early a.m. -- guests experience port nightlife
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Exotic Eastern Mediterranean calls avoided by larger ships
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easyCruiseOne Review
Editor's Note: easyCruiseOne, the ship that launched the whole easyCruise venture, is up for sale. The ship will complete its summer programme in the Greek islands, but is expected to leave the fleet by October of this year.
It's tempting to think of easyCruiseOne, the aptly named first ship in the U.K.-based easyCruise fleet, in terms of what it doesn't have. Cruisers used to traveling on the latest, greatest "biggest ship ever" may be shocked to find no theater, no pool, no casino -- all features that are taken for granted on traditional cruise ships.
But easyCruiseOne isn't a traditional cruise ship -- and to most of the passengers onboard, that's the chief attraction. The line instead offers cheap, no-frills transportation to popular destinations like the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, appealing to cruisers who'd rather not pay for the big-ship extras when they could be eating local food and seeing the sights in port. If that means the ship itself takes a back seat -- well, that's the whole point.
The ultra-budget ship ironically started its life as a luxury vessel, as part of now-defunct Renaissance Cruises. But the decks where wealthy guests once dined in well-dressed elegance are now splashed with "easy" orange (the trademark color of the cruise line's parent company, easyGroup) and populated by 20- and 30-year budget travelers noshing on pizza and burgers. The roomy oceanview staterooms have been transformed into tiny, spartan cabins where passengers spend little time except to sleep -- they're too busy sightseeing and exploring the nightlife in port (the ship sails in the wee hours of the morning and arrives at its next destination by lunchtime).
If you do choose to stay onboard, you'll find the ship clean and functional, with everything you need -- a restaurant, a small duty-free shop selling necessities, a cocktail bar -- and nothing you don't. Think of it as cruising stripped to its bare essentials, with a stripped-down price tag to match (we've heard of folks shelling out as little as $4 per cabin, per day, though you're more likely to pay in the $60 - $100 range for high-season Caribbean and Mediterranean sailings). Do note, however, that food, drinks and even housekeeping are not included in the cruise fare.
With just 170 passengers on the ship, the onboard atmosphere is relaxed and informal, and friendships develop quickly among passengers and crew alike. It helps that easyCruise seems to draw an intriguing range of passengers -- unpretentious, independent travelers of all ages who often have great stories to tell. Who needs organized activities? Late-night conversations in the bar with some fascinating fellow passengers kept us entertained for hours.
Read Complete easyCruiseOne Review
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easyCruise Ships: easyCruise Life • easyCruiseOne
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