The Ultimate Guide for First Time Cruisers

First time cruisers

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

  • Croatia and Viking

    Cruise deals: A South Pacific sailing from $59 per person, per day

    There are still many deals to be had for 2021/22 cruises, and we find the best of the latest bunch. Cruise & Maritime Voyages has launched their ‘Buy One Get One Sale’ for their 2021 European Cruise Collection. Norwegian Cruise Lines is offering pre-paid gratuities on top of five other free perks. Meanwhile, Cunard’s Annual…

  • Stockholm Sweden

    Sail from late 2021 – cruise deals starting from $91 per person, per night

    This week we find some of the best deals for cruises departing in late 2021. The lines continue to reveal new deals to bring cruisers onboard and there is plenty to choose from. Save up to $1,900 per couple on select Viking ocean cruises and enjoy their Risk-Free Guarantee which has been extended for another…

  • Kangaroo Island

    Premium and luxury cruise deals from $108 per person, per night

    There are still plenty of 2021/22 cruise deals to be had and this week we find some of the best from premium and luxury lines. Oceania Cruises and Holland America Line are offering extras like free drinks and dining packages and free internet on top of discounted cruise fares. Holland America Line transatlantic sailing is…

Popular Destinations

  • Destination: Caribbean – Barbados

    Another of the Caribbean’s former British colonies, Barbados gained independence in 1966 and is often popularly known as Little England. Located on the eastern side of Caribbean, Barbados has gorgeous sandy beaches as a the vibrant culture of the Bajan community. It’s the place for water sports, hiking nature trails and bike rides. Harisson’s Cave…

  • Destination: Caribbean – Bahamas

    The Bahamas is an archipelago of nearly 700 islands and more than 2,000 coral reefs. Less than 200 kilometres off the coast Florida, it’s one of the most-visited Caribbean nations and a popular spot for short cruises. The Bahamas was under British rule until 1973 and there is still a strong cultural link. The capital, Nassau, is…

  • Destination: Caribbean – Aruba

    Aruba sits just 18 miles off the northern coast of Venezuela and is one of the six islands that make up the Dutch Caribbean. Unlike many of its sister Caribbean islands, Aruba has an arid climate with virtually no rainy season and the trade winds keep the high temperatures pleasant. With the Atlantic Ocean on one side…

Recommended Cruise Lines for First-Time Cruisers

Read Reviews from First-Time Cruisers