You may remember we mentioned the Old Dominion Line campaign from 1908, offering a short sea trip to Norfolk and Old Point for $14 or Richmond and Washington DC for $15, in The Golden Age of Travel.

Well, how would you like to cruise at those prices today?

It sounds crazy but it's true. This winter you could be cruising Barbados and The Caribbean for less than the price of a winter coat.

Cruising on a budget is not new; it proved very successful in the Mediterranean, during the summer - with stops in Nice (Fridays), Cannes (Saturdays), St Tropez (Sundays), Monaco (Mondays), Genoa (Tuesdays), Portofino (Wednesdays) and San Remo, via Imperia (Thursdays).

Budget cruises are aimed at the younger crowd who prefer to spend time ashore, enjoying the destination's attractions and its nightlife, rather than being shepherded back on board in time for the evening meal and a waltz while the crew haul anchor.

easyCruiseOne
The budget cruiser, easyCruiseOne, was launched in May 2005 by Stelios Haji-Ioannou (or Stelios); the entrepreneur behind the low-cost airline, easyJet.

The cruise ship has 75 double cabins, seven quad cabins, four suites and carries a total of 170 passengers and 54 crew.

On board there is a Sports Bar with restaurant and evening DJ, a Café Ritazza, an on-deck bar with hot tub (no swimming pool), a shop and a gym.

Rooms are basic and painted in the bright, trademark tangerine-orange of the easyGroup. Travelling light is advised as there's not a lot of storage space in the rooms, some with bunk beds.

On an easyCruise the staff will only clean your room if you pay extra, so keep it tidy yourself!

Prices will fluctuate depending on demand, so if you want to see The Caribbean at a fraction of normal cruise costs, then you're advised to book early and be flexible with your cruise departure dates.

Cruise passengers can join an easyCruise where and when they want, subject to a two night minimum, fourteen night maximum stay. With much more independence than conventional cruise lines offer, easyCruise attracts a genuinely young crowd.

Seven-day rolling itinerary for easyCruiseOne in The Caribbean this winter:

Saturday: Barbados - one night in port on-board ship.

Sunday: Barbados - all day on the island departing in the evening.

Monday: St Vincent.

Tuesday: Martinique.

Wednesday: The Grenadines.

Thursday: Grenada.

Friday: St Lucia.

If you would like to Cruise in The Caribbean for Less Than the Price of a Winter Coat, visit easyCruise.com for more details.

Any maybe you'd like to tell us about your budget cruise experiences when you get back.

Technorati: Caribbean, Cruises