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.
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Popular Destinations
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Eden
Eden is one of the prettiest coastal townships on the NSW south coast. Apart from the annual migration of southern right and humpback whale from May to November, Eden has a busy fishing harbour, a lively dining scene and some magnificent colonial architecture. Surrounded by high cliffs and natural bushland, the town is also a…
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Dunedin
Located at the base of the stunning Otago Peninsula, Dunedin is celebrated for its Victorian and Edwardian architecture, creative vibe, passion for rugby and its emerging dining scene. Given its strong British ancestry the city has a tradition of making full-flavoured beers, while the large student population gives the place an arty, slightly alternative edge.…
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Darwin
Australia’s most northerly city is an exotic mixture of Aboriginal, European and South-East Asian influences. The result is a modern, cosmopolitan and fast-changing tropical outpost which still carries vestiges of its colonial past. While travellers have traditionally transited through Darwin en route to places such as Kakadu, the Kimberley, Litchfield National Park and the Tiwi…
Recommended Cruise Lines for First-Time Cruisers
Read Reviews from First-Time Cruisers
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Dawn Princess cruise review
Loved the life on the Dawn Princess. Our first cruise to celebrate my 60th birthday, a far more memorable option than a party at home. I was presented with a beautiful little cake the day of my birthday, staff sang to me and treated me like royalty.
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Golden Princess cruise review
We sailed on Golden Princess in a mini suite. It was the first time we had been in such a large cabin but we thought that being a 31 day cruise it was worth it and it was.
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Sea Princess cruise review
The service, food and entertainment on the Sea Princess was as good and often better than we have enjoyed on our numerous cruises during the past 20 years.
