The founder of easyJet, Stelios Haji-Ioannou, has launched his latest venture – the easyCruise line – offering cabins from ?25 a night per person on a no-frills cruise liner running along the French and Italian Riviera.
EasyCruiseOne comes complete with orange ceilings and orange bathrooms, and has a capacity of 170 passengers.
A standard twin cabin covers 10sq m (107.6sq ft) while the minimal facilities onboard include a sports bar, cocktail bar – with hot tub – and a coffee shop.
Unlike more traditional cruising, the liner ports in the afternoon and evening, in order to encourage passengers to have fun ashore, and then sets sail for the next destination in the early hours of the following morning.
Flexible, one-week itineraries allow passengers to embark and disembark at any port en route, providing there is a minimum stay on board of two nights.
Marketed as a chance to "Party in St Tropez, wake up in Monte Carlo", the 88-metre, 4,077-ton passenger ship had a rough maiden voyage from Cannes on 7 May, ending up docking at Toulon following Force 8 gales.
Undeterred, Stelios Haji-Ioannou believes his new venture will be a success: "I want to attract a younger, more independent type of person to cruising. We're aiming for people in their 20s-40s, though there is no maximum age if people are young at heart." Details: www.easyCruise.com
