Cruise ship 'cabin trick' to slash cost of cruise holidays

A cruise is a wonderful way to travel if you're keen to cram in several destinations at once and it comes with the added bonus of allowing you to in style.

are nothing if not luxurious and most come packed with a whole array of extra amenities to keep you entertained as you sail from port to port. The only slight drawback of a is the size of the cabin during your stay. While this isn't a huge issue in the grand scheme of things, as you'll more than likely spend hardly any time in your cabin as you'll be busy most of the day, it can be a bit of a squeeze if you're travelling with family or friends.

Standard cabins typically feature two single beds or one double, with little extra space for a travel cot if you have children, or any kind of sofa bed for adults.

While it's possible to upgrade your accommodation to a suite for a bit of extra space, this will often come with significant extra expense - and depending on the suite you pick, sometimes not that much more space.

But there is a nifty way around this issue in the form of connecting cabins. These rooms are available on most major cruise lines and come across a variety of grades, so you don't have to fork out for a lavish suite just to get one.

Connecting cabins are usually indicated with a symbol on a cruise ship's deck plan and feature a set of inner doors that you can open, allowing you to share the space of two rooms.

This option will generally be less expensive than paying for a larger suite and most shops will have the option of booking a connecting balcony room, or an inside connecting room, with the latter being the cheaper of the two.

Cruise Critic explains: "For less money than a comparably-sized suite, two oceanview or balcony connecting cabins offer separate living space, double the storage space, twice as many bathrooms, and a lot more space to spread out and relax by day and night.

"Having that storage space - and double bathrooms - is a huge win for families with little kids. Rather than cramming four people into one room with little-to-no space to move around, two connecting cabins offer twice the floor space to move around in, plus double-bathrooms and closets to ensure that everyone's things get hung up and put away, and prevent that queue for the stateroom bathroom during the morning and evening rush.

"Much like having a large hotel room, two connecting cabins offer convenience and space for a fraction of the cost of a full-blown suite."

An important thing to bear in mind before booking a connecting cabin is that you may have to pay two deposits - one for each room - and families should also be aware that you can't have a child registered to their own room, so you'll need to book each room under an adult name.