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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Read Reviews from First-Time Cruisers
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A memorable holiday aboard Carnival Spirit
The service provided by all Carnival Spirit staff was excellent. The shows and entertainment were excellent from the hypnotist through to the comedy acts and the band on the pool deck.
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Oceania Marina Mediterranean cruise review
The Oceania Marina Eastern Mediterranean cruise was our first experience. Marina cabins are that much larger to take away the squeeze feel. We tried all of the restaurants and all excelled in their theme cusine.
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Legend of the Seas Asia cruise review
Everything was first class on Legend of the Seas from the start to the end. I have already booked to go with this cruise liner later this year
