For first time cruisers, choosing your first cruise can make or break whether you love this holiday style. If you decide to go down the travel agent route, they’ll give you a list of questions to determine the cruise line, fit for the destination.
But there are many other factors to consider for your first cruise: the cabin, the itinerary, the shore excursions, and even the additional packages.
Lucky for you, we’ve put together a handy guide to ensure your first cruise goes without any hiccups.
As the cruise industry has grown, so have the offerings. There is something to suit everyone’s taste – whether you’re travelling with the kids, grandma, and grandpa, if you’re on a budget, or if you want something super opulent.
Make sure you do your research – whether it be speaking to friends or family members who have cruised or speaking to a travel agent to navigate through the options.
When first time cruisers do their research, make sure you understand the demographics of each cruise line, during the year as well as the itinerary. It comes as no surprise that, for obvious reasons, during the school holidays, you’ll find more kids sailing.
If you are looking for a destination-specific cruise, like if you want to explore the Arctic or Antarctica, then it is also important to pick the right cruise line for your budget, and the differences between each line.
But perhaps if seasickness and the number of people are issues, consider taking a river cruise where you are always close to land and these ships won’t have more than 180 people onboard.
Find out more information in our guide to first-time cruisers.
First Time Cruisers Tips
-
Why saying ‘I do’ on a cruise ship is great value
No wonder they call them the love boats. Saying “I do” onboard cruise ships is becoming a growing trend. There are two reasons behind the boom in brides at sea: Â the incredible value when compared to a land-based celebration; and how could you go past the romance of the ocean? The average price of a…
-
Eat your way through Vietnam and cruise on the AmaLotus
It’s definitely Good Morning Vietnam. Celebrity chef Luke Nguyen is in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), one of Asia’s most electrifying cities, showing us the backyard he came from. Many of his relatives still live in the crowded back streets of Cau Ong Lanh market in District One of Old Saigon. “My dad’s family used…
-
The Conrad Centennial Singapore – a home away from home
Peter Lynch discovers the Conrad Centennial Singapore is like a comfortable easy chair – you just slip into it and relax. What: Conrad Centennial Singapore, 2, Temasek Boulevard, Singapore Why you’d choose it: There are some hotels where you just feel at home right away. The Conrad Centennial Singapore is one of them. A five-minute,…