Selecting the right cruise line and the right ship

The most important thing to decide when booking your first cruise line is to make sure you select the right cruise line as well as the right ship as this can make or break your first cruise.

There are a vast array of choices with cruise lines catering for different needs.

• Family orientated cruise lines with fantastic facilities for children and families.
  • Royal Caribbean International, MSC Cruises, P & O Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Disney Cruise Line
• Adult only cruise lines
  • Ambassador Cruise Line (offers limited family cruises during school holidays), Virgin Voyages, P&O Cruises (2 adult only ships), Marella Cruises  (1 adult only ship)
• Mainstream cruise lines (Multiple ships in the fleet that offer something for everyone)
  • Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, P & O Cruises
• Premium cruise lines with an emphasis on dining and immersive experiences at sea and in port 
  • Celebrity Cruises, Princess Cruises, Holland America, Cunard Cruise Line, Virgin Voyages
• Luxury cruise lines offering a personalised and impeccable service
  • Azamara, Explora Journeys, Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn Cruise Line
• Expedition cruise lines offering itineraries to remote locations around the World
  • Celebrity Cruises (Celebrity Flora), Hapag Lloyd, Hurtigruten, Quark Expeditions, Silversea (Silver Ray)

Selecting the itinerary and duration of your cruise

There are multiple itineraries embarking from numerous ports all over the world from 2 nights party cruises to world cruises that last over 100 nights.

Cruising from the UK is a good choice for many living in the UK and the main cruise port is Southampton which offers cruises from most of the major cruise lines around the world.  Some of the most popular itineraries from Southampton include the Norwegian Fjords, Baltic and Scandinavia, Northern Europe, Spain & Portugal, the Canary Islands and the Mediterranean.  There are also itineraries to the Caribbean at certain times of the year.  Other cruise ports in the UK include London Tilbury, Dover, Portsmouth, Liverpool, Bristol, Newcastle and Belfast.  One of the major benefits of sailing from the UK is that there is no hassle of travelling through airports or restrictions on baggage.

Choosing your cabin

Choosing the correct cabin is also important when booking your first cruise.  Inside cabins are usually the cheapest, followed by Ocean View, Balcony Cabins and then Suites. 

• Inside cabins are ideal if you are on a budget and don't mind no natural light.
• Oceanview cabins are better if you feel like you may be clostrophic in an inside cabin.  These are usually lower down on the ship and have the benefit of letting natural light into your cabin
• Balcony cabins are great for the summer months and also on itineraries that offer fabulous views such as Alaska or the Norwegian Fjords.  The price of these can be double what you are paying for an inside cabin depending on the itinerary.
• Suites - these offer additional space.

It is also a good idea to check the deck plans of your ship to check where your cabin is located in comparison to public areas.  For example, the deck below the buffet or swimming pool is one to avoid as you may here noise early in the mornings while you are still trying to sleep, or cabins close to areas that stay open late at night if you are an early bird.

Booking early

Generally cruises go on sale 2 years or more in advance and it is at this stage where you can get the best prices as well as choosing your cabin in your preferred location on the ship.  Other times to book are around 3 months before the cruise as this is the time when final balances need to be paid and other guests may decide to cancel.  Cruise lines also offer promotions at other times of the year such as Easter, Black Friday and January.

Research the cruise line & ship

Check out the FAQ's on the cruise lines website before you board is a great idea.  Different cruise lines have different etiquette such as what you should wear during the evenings.   Also, checking the deck plan to familiarise yourself with the ship before you sail can save time on your first day and make getting around and locating the areas that you are likely to frequent the most a lot easier.  

Before our cruise, we check out where our cabin is in relation to the kids club, swimming pools, buffet and main dinning room.

Research the ports of call

Researching the ports on your itinerary before you leave will ensure you make the most of your time in port when you arrive.  You can also compare the cost of the tours offered by the cruise line with that offered by the local companies in port.  But please remember that the tours offered by the cruiseline guarantees that you won't miss the ship due to unforeseen circumstances.  The cruise ship will always wait for their own organised excursion to get back before sailing to the next port. This is not the case if you have organised the excursion yourself!

Ensure you are back on the ship before the "all onboard time"

Always check the "all on board" sign when disembarking from the ship when in port and aim to arrive back in plenty of time.  Also, ensure your watch is set to the ships time, which can vary when you are cruising through different time zones.  The ship will not wait if you are late back, and you will need to make your own arrangements to get to the next port of call to catch the ship up.

We always aim to be back on board at least an hour before the "all on board" time.

Travel Insurance and correct documentation

Always ensure that you have travel insurance when booking your cruise and also ensure that you have up to date documents such as passports and visas.  If for any reason you fall ill on the cruise ship, the medical expenses can become very expensive.  Also, if your documents are not up to date, then you will be refused entry on to the ship on embarkation day resulting in a loss of your cruise fare.

Day bag for embarkation day

Always pack a day bag for embarkation day which contains all of your documents for boarding, medications that you may need as well as a change of clothes for the evening dining as well as your swimsuit if you would like to use the pool when boarding.  

When arriving to the cruise port, your main luggage will be taken by the luggage handlers at the cruise terminal.  These should be tagged with your name and cabin number.  You will then go through the embarkation procees before boarding your ship.  Your luggage will then go through security before arriving at your cabin a few hours after you board.  

It is always best to take a change of clothes for the evening dining as you may have a late afternoon boarding and an early dinning time, so your main luggage may not turn up in time.  

We have cruised 9 times and have never had an issue with suitcases not arriving on the ship, although had to miss dinner once with the suitcases not arriving until after our early dinning time.  Another occasion we had a suitcase held as it contained a travel iron which is a banned item on a cruise ship.