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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Best in Antarctica
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Read Reviews from First-Time Cruisers
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Diamond and Sapphire Princess cruise review
I love the Princess Cruises package especially on the larger ships, which provide the most venues across the ship for almost all activities be it dining, entertainment, swimming and deck activities.
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Dawn Princess New Zealand cruise review
I would highly recommend this ship. You could be assured of a very relaxing and wonderful cruise experience. The ship was well designed although an older one but this seems to be in its favour as there was more living space.
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Golden Princess New Zealand cruise review
Overall I felt that the cruise on the Golden Princess offers excellent value for money. The staff are exemplary and the standard of service in all departments is highly professional. Cabin was spacious and well appointed.
