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A lot of cruises are now nickel-and-diming every last thing on the ship, so be sure you look at that when you are comparing prices.
I was on NCL a few times in the early aughts, right when they switched over to "Freestyle Cruising", which was nice, because you could eat in the main dining room or eat in any of the specialty restaurants. I'm pretty sure that these days, you have to pay for all of the specialty restaurants. We liked NCL a lot, but my family drank/gambled enough to be VIP's, and the second year we were upgraded to a ridiculous suite, courtesy of the Casino Manager. I also wouldn't comment on quality from ten years ago, because things change.
There are other good ways to watch your budget. A big one is shore excursions. I dive, and I always book with local shops for FAR less than what the cruise line wants to charge me. If you want to snorkel or go river tubing or whatever, always see if you can work with local operators.
The other big one is obviously alcohol. Some ships offer packages, but these are rarely a good deal unless you are a heavy drinker or always want top shelf stuff.
Don't eat ashore. Every tourist place in the tourist stops is exactly the same.
Don't cheap out on tipping, though. NCL has (had?) a system where you don't tip each time you get a drink, which is fine, but then be sure you are paying the recommended service charge at the end of the trip. Heck, tip on the individual drinks sometimes, too, if you get exceptional service. For most of the cruise staff, a dollar here or there means more to you than to them.
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