• Taking a cruise could be your cheapest vacation option amid a summer of expensive and chaotic travel.

• There are currently 45 cruises sailing for $50 a day or less through 2022.

• Cruise Sheet has seen a 17% drop in average cruise fares compared to the same time in 2019.

Vacationing this summer has already shaped up to be “hellish” and expensive. Airlines have canceled thousands of flights, gas prices have soared to record highs, and some hotel rates have climbed past pre-pandemic levels.

But amid these skyrocketing prices, chaotic travel stories, and inflation, there’s one glimmer of hope for budget travelers still looking for a relaxing getaway this year: cruises, many of which are sailing for under $100 a day.

A flurry of last-minute vacations at such discounted rates probably sounds too good to be true. And during most other circumstances, it is. Travelers often book their cruise trips at least a year in advance. But this time last year, the cruise industry and eager cruise goers were still battling continually changing restrictions and sailing protocols amid COVID-19.

In the last few months as travel and vaccine restrictions have eased, many cruise lines have begun increasing guest capacity and bringing their fleets back into operation for 2022 sailings. And because these companies haven’t had the “normal amount of time” to sell cabins, cruise lines are now discounting their itineraries to entice travelers, Tynan Smith, the founder of cheap cruise aggregator Cruise Sheet, told Insider.

Cruise Sheet has seen a 17% drop in average cruise fares from June 1 to July 13 compared to the same time in 2019. “These aren’t the absolute lowest prices I’ve seen, but there are [now] more low prices than I’ve ever seen,” Smith said, noting that he’s come across