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
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Top 10 Reasons to take a River Cruise
Planes, trains and automobiles…they’re all a hassle compared with stress-free, scenic river cruising – wherever you go. There are a lot of advantages to river cruising for experienced ocean cruisers and newcomers alike. Here are 10 of the most compelling.
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What to pack for a cruise
Like packing for any holiday, packing for a cruise can be daunting. But getting the right mix of items for all your port calls, themed nights, and even time zones, and judge how much storage space you’ll have in your cabin needn’t be a hassle with these packing tips.
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Top tips to save you money when booking a cruise
Most travellers are loyal to a travel agent or have a particular website they like to use when booking a cruise ship holiday. But there are ways to save money regardless of how you like to book. Here, we look at some of them.
