All Aboard - A Beginner's Guide to Cruising

Popularity in travelling by cruise ship has significantly risen over the last decade and it's easy to see why - with the advanced facilities on board you have everything you need whilst being able to visit various places over such a short space of time. However, when booking a cruise trip it can become difficult to decide on what one to book as there is now an abundance of different cruises and routes available.

This handy guide will help you make the best decision when booking your next cruise trip!

STEP ONE - DESTINATION

This is the first thing I always think about before booking any trip... Where would I like to go?

Generally when it comes to booking a cruise you are spoiled for choice in terms of destinations - as you can basically travel anywhere in the world by cruise ship now, you can view some of these routes and a few of the countries you may visit within them below:

Mediterranean - Italy, Spain, France, Gibraltar, Croatia, Greece and many more!

Caribbean - Jamaica, Haiti, Barbados, Mexico, St Lucia, Honduras, Grand Cayman, Aruba, Puerto Rico, etc.

Asia - Hong Kong, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia.

Many routes are also integrated, meaning you could embark on an Asian cruise and also spend a few nights in Australia and New Zealand. It's important to look at each cruise route and destination points as you may expect to travel somewhere which isn't included in the itinerary. For example, there are specific Western and Eastern Med routes where you won't get to experience all the places stated above. It's important to take the weather into account when booking your trip at that time of year, as well as different events which may take place in your destinations.

STEP TWO - CRUISE LINER

There are an abundance of different cruise liners in which you may choose to travel with:

- Royal Caribbean
- Princess
- MSC
- Disney
- P&O
- Iglu
... and many more!

The best way to choose what line you would like to travel on is by determining what you really want from your trip. If you are looking for a fun family holiday filled with exciting activities on board then I would recommend booking Royal Caribbean or Disney, and having a look at the amenities on board to choose what is best for you. If you are maybe travelling with a partner or a group of adults I would recommend booking with Princess or MSC as these ships aren't as busy and don't have as much children's activities available as the others do. By having a look and comparing different websites you will be able to tell what liner meets your needs, I will leave some links at the end of the blog for you to have a look!

STEP THREE - CRUISE SHIP 

Once you have picked your destination and cruise line, the next stage is picking what specific cruise you would like to go on! There is an ever-growing list of new cruise ships being introduced so it is important you understand what one you should book. By carrying out the first two-steps above, this will help make the decision a little easier for you. On many websites, by choosing a destination first it will show you what specific cruise ships embark on that route and when they do so - also including the length of trip and itinerary for that trip.

An important factor to consider during this process is the size of the ship. Royal Caribbean currently obtain the biggest cruise ships in the world, with 'Symphony of the Seas' holding the title of the largest in 2019, and 'Harmony of the Seas' following in close second.

Again, it is important to cater the decision to your own wants and needs of the trip. As much as the larger ships have the most things to do on them and are the most technologically advanced, the downside of this is that they will generally be more crowded, louder and have longer queues when embarking and disembarking at port of calls.

'Symphony of the Seas'

STEP FOUR - PACKAGES 

When booking a cruise holiday, there are often many package deals available. It is important that you understand what these include and the extra costs which you may have to account for. For example, the ship may depart from somewhere overseas, meaning you may require a flight to get there.

If this is the case I would suggest that you ensure you have enough time between arriving in the place and boarding the cruise. The most sensible way of doing this is by arriving in the place the ship leaves from at least a day early and spending a night there in accommodation. This will help make the journey more relaxed as you won't be panicking due to the unreliability of flight delays and traffic, etc. This will also mean you will get the opportunity to explore an extra place.

Most companies will offer package deals in conjunction with the cruise line, meaning you can purchase the deal and it will include flights, accommodation, cruise and transfer prices. However, if you are booking through a package deal, make sure you know exactly what is included as some companies can differentiate the contents of the specific deal.


STEP FIVE - BOOK AND ENJOY! 

Have a look at some of the links below for some great cruise holidays:

Royal Caribbean Website
Cruise 1st Website
Planet Cruise Website
MSC Cruises Website
Princess Website

Thank you for reading my guide to cruising, hopefully you found it helpful for booking your next cruise trip!


Bon Voyage!