If you have ever wondered what it is like to experience true luxury at sea and haven’t been able to quite afford a holiday on one of the most luxurious cruise lines you might be interested to know that there are alternatives available that won’t break the bank.

One such facility is The Sanctuary, an exclusive area available on Princess Cruise ships including: Caribbean Princess, Coral Princess, Crown Princess, Dawn Princess, Diamond Princess, Emerald Princess, Golden Princess, Grand Princess, Island Princess, Regal Princess, Royal Princess, Ruby Princess, Sapphire Princess, Sea Princess, Star Princess and Sun Princess.

I was lucky enough to enjoy this luxurious, adults-only facility on board Royal Princess during a recent Mediterranean cruise and what a fantastic, tranquil experience it was. A word of warning though – if you want to experience The sanctuary on board a Princess Cruise it is best to head to the reception area as soon as you get on board as the area tends to sell out very quickly particularly on sea days and particularly in The Caribbean. The cost is quite reasonable at $20 per session for a (morning or afternoon) and teamed with a reasonably priced balcony stateroom (from around £800 in the Med for 7 nights) will give you a taste of luxury cruising at a fraction of the price.

What do you get for you money? Well, first of all the most luxurious sun lounger you can imagine (it’s difficult not to spend all your time asleep) and a very attentive level of service from your Serenity Steward who will take care of drinks orders, provide cold towels and even offer you afternoon tea.

For entertainment you can request an MP3 player and noise cancelling headphones, complete with playlists ranging from rock to serenity (which again tends to leave you in the land of nod after a few minutes).

In the unlikely event that you are still feeling stressed you can enjoy a massage (at extra cost) which can be taken in one of the even more exclusive Private Cabanas that feature beautiful sofas and your very own TV.

When it’s time to eat you can order from a menu created exclusively for The Sanctuary – I ordered prawn skewers and salad which were just right for the time of day and venue and left enough room for the normal food extravaganza available around the ship.

All in all a fantastic treat for just $20 – not bad at all!