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
-
10 ways to cruise yourself slim
So you want to cruise your heart out and come back without piling on the pounds? Well yes, it’s not a dream – you can do it. These 10 tips from the authors of a new book – Cruise Yourself Slim – will help you avoid the fat trap that leads most people to gain…
-
Top five ways to avoid Norovirus on a cruise
The recent outbreak of Norovirus aboard the Diamond Princess in Sydney has once again stirred a debate about health concerns during a cruise vacation. There have been a couple of gastro-related incidents on leading cruise liners in the last few years like P&O’s Pacific Eden, Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas, and Dawn Princess all…
-
Dare to compare: 4 of the best cruise bundles
We’re the first to admit, cruise pricing can be confusing. There’s the base rate that will include your cabin, most meals and some activities. But then you’ll have to add an additional $15-20 per person per day for gratuities, the cost of shore excursions, alcohol, some activities and fancy restaurants. Suddenly, that per day rate…
