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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How and when to cruise kid-free
Cruise lines are offering more options for passengers who need a respite and a kid-free holiday. From adult-only vessels to private areas just for the oldies, there are many options for passenger these days. We’ve compiled a list of adult-only lines as well as some of the options on ships with children. We’ve found some…
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See Alaska’s remote wilderness onboard Holland America’s Westerdam
The remoteness of Alaska’s wilderness is the major drawcard for cruisers. A seven-day cruise with Holland America Line aboard the newly refurbished Westerdam is one of the best ways to see the highlights of the wild country. The voyage, which departs from Vancouver, first sails through Alaska’s picturesque Inside Passage. This spectacular network of protected waterways is…
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How to ring in the New Year on a cruise
Countdown to the New Year on a cruise with your friends and family. Cruise lines go above and beyond to entertain guests. Lines like Royal Caribbean, Princess Cruises and Norwegian Cruise line offer food, fun and frivolity including parties, entertainment and plenty of bubbles to ring in the new year. There are special New Year’s…
Popular Destinations
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Turkish Delight – Popular ports in Turkey
Ancient temples, bazaars and amphitheatres, key military and archeological sites, yacht-studded bays and wonderful food and wine: Turkey has much to reward the curious visitor.
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Antarctica
Further moves to keep passenger numbers in check and protect the environment mean this spectacular but vulnerable continent can be experienced only by a fortunate few.
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Sea to Sky – Sites of the Winter Olympics
As Canada settles down after the 2010 Winter Olympics in British Columbia we have a look at the sites of Winter Olympics around the world, for a side-trip on your next cruise.
