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
-
Top reasons your kids should go on a cruise holiday
Holidaying with kids is no mean task and many Australian families are planning their cruise itineraries to match their kids’ school holidays. Cruising with kids provides unrestricted family time and great educational opportunities to learn about geography, travel, culture and of course the ship. Here are Cruise Passenger’s top reasons why a cruise experience is…
-
The great Australian bite: Australia’s best cruises for foodies
They are calling it the other great Australian bite… food and wine are among the hottest tourist experiences thanks to the country’s clean and green reputation. Now homeported cruise ships are tapping in to their guests’ desire to know where their food comes from, and even to meet the farmers, fishermen and producers. Companies such…
-
Six of the best shore excursion innovations
For today’s cruise passenger, shore excursions can be just as important as the onboard facilities. Shore programs are now seen as a way to entice new passengers onboard as well as encourage repeat bookings from passengers looking for something different on a favourite route. Here are six of the latest developments in shore excursions 1.…