CRUISE VACATION BASICS – Booking Your First Cruise

Booking Your First Cruise

The cruising basics below will help you get familiar with a great way to take relaxing yet fun filled cruise vacations with amenities, activities and ambiance to please everyone!

Booking Options

There are many ways to book a cruise: direct from a cruise line; through an online or brick-and-mortar travel agent; or through a third-party website like Expedia, Priceline or Travelocity etc.

• Travel Agent

Most people book their cruise with a travel agent, especially first-time cruisers due to their expertise, no additional fees, access to good deals, emergency support.  The best way to find a good agent is word of mouth but, there are plenty of cruise advice sites & forums with great recommendation and reviews.

• Direct

If you are an experienced cruiser who knows exactly what they want or if you have the time to research, booking direct might be might be a good option.  Almost every cruise line has a direct booking option on its website or by calling its reservations center.

Timing is Key!

If you have a specific cabin, dates, and itinerary in mind, you should try to book it as early as possible. The cruise lines encourage this and usually offer early-booking incentives.  Travel agents also typically advise booking at least six months out for the best cabins during peak travel time. Further, there is more demand on the mass-market ships when school is out so you’ll pay a premium to cruise over the holidays and during spring break.

Off-peak sailings are often the best deals, and if you can handle being on a ship for many days at sea, repositioning cruises — when cruise lines relocate their ships from one region of the world to another to start a new season — are often among the best deals at sea.  If you aren’t picky and just want a cheap getaway, a last-minute deal might be worth waiting for.

Cruise Lines & Types

It is very important to match your personality and tastes to the right cruise line and ship. To the inexperienced eye, all cruise ships might look the same. But there are major differences between the lines and even the ships within the same line.
Carnival calls its vessels, “the Fun Ships,” and that is what they aim to offer guests.  They offer great value for your money and cater to families and fun-lovers of all ages.

Norwegian bills itself as a ”freestyle” cruise line in terms of dining and offers a hybrid cruising experience, mixing traditional elements with a casual fare.

Royal Caribbean targets an active crowd with its innovative onboard activities such as rock climbing walls, surfing simulators, indoor sky diving and an onboard zip-line.

Disney offer family friendly cruises with roomier staterooms and elegance with subtle nods to Disney

Then there are the other niche brands: Azamara Club Cruises keeps its ships in port late to allow passengers to explore the nightlife in places like St. Tropez. Cunard Line tries to give its passengers the feel of being on an early 20th-century ocean liner. Much of the Celebrity Cruises experience is centered around food and wine, while Holland America passengers enjoy a wide range of lecturers and enrichment classes.

Size Matters

The larger the ship, the more there will be to do onboard including restaurants, entertainment, and daily activities. For families, it usually means there will be activities targeted to all age groups. In terms of itinerary, generally the bigger the ship, the bigger and busier the ports it will go to. Only the smallest of ships can call at tiny islands, but 12 huge cruise ships at once can — and do — call in Cozumel, Mexico. Another rule of thumb is that the smaller the ship, the higher the price tag. Small cruise ships are usually in the luxury or adventure segment of the market. Smaller ships are more intimate and you will probably get to know people after a few days, while on the largest ships, you might never cross paths with the same people twice. Small ships usually have a more mature crowd and have very little for children to do. Nightlife and the casino are often afterthoughts.

And So Do Amenities…

Next, think about what ship features are important to you — is it the “wow factors” like a zip-line, surfing simulators, and bowling allies? Or are you more interested in the most extensive spa or the most roaring nightlife and casino at sea? Do you want to try a different cuisine every night, or have the most spaces for your kids to run around? Do you like your entertainment to be Broadway-like or cabaret style? The newest vessels with the most modern amenities will always command major premiums. But if you’re willing to cruise on a vessel only a couple years older, the price will drop significantly. At the same time, cruise lines invest millions of dollars into those old ships, and often give them the most popular amenities from the newest ones.

Cabin Selection

There are several different types of cabins available on each ship but most cabins fall into three categories: inside, outside, and balcony.

• Inside cabins are the ship’s smallest and most basic. They can generally fit up to four people by utilizing bunk beds.
• Outside/Oceanview cabins that have seaside windows and come in different sizes and layouts depending on their location.
• Balcony cabins have attached private balconies. A standard balcony cabin will usually have a table and two chairs on it, while larger suites will have loungers.

Cabin location is also quite important, especially if you are prone to seasickness. The rooms located in the middle of the vessel and lower tend to experience the least amount of motion. Also, keep in mind that on the largest ships the distance from one end to the other is quite far so think about whether you want to be near the elevators, the fitness center, the lido-deck buffet, children’s play areas, etc. If you are traveling with your family, ask about adjoining cabins. Most vessels have cabins that join via an interior door making two cabins feel like a mini-suite. While older ships have fewer of these, the newest ships that cater more to families have introduced more adjoining cabin possibilities.

Guaranteed cabins

If you don’t care about your cabin location, you can get a good deal by taking the “guaranteed cabin” option. Rather than be assigned a specific cabin number, you will get a guaranteed cabin type — oceanview, inside, balcony — but you won’t know where it is until you board the ship. This can save you hundreds of dollars, but you may end up at the bottom, rear of the vessel.

We hope this information helps you find a great cruise vacation.  Please share your cruise experience/tips/suggestions/comments and BON VOYAGE!

Please feel to reach out us with any questions regarding planning your cruise vacation.  We would love to help it make as perfect as possible without charging you any extra fees!

Email us: sarabjit.singh@cruiseplanners.com

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