Choosing the right cruise.

Wanting to go on a cruise holiday, but not sure what to know before booking?  Here are my top cruise tips to help you choose the best cruise holiday.

Different cruise ships/lines are targeted at different types of people. You may not feel very comfortable surrounded by a rowdy bunch of ‘booze cruisers’ who think ‘formal’ means turning their baseball caps around; you may not fit in with an elderly crowd hooked on Jigsaw puzzles and napkin folding?   It is important that you pick a cruise line/ship which offers an experience that you would feel comfortable with. I have found a cheap 4-day cruise during a bank holiday weekend will attract a totally different clientele to a normal 7-night cruise.

It is also essential that you pick an itinerary with interesting ports of call, however with all of the new innovations being added to each new ship the idea of the ship being the destination is becoming reality for many cruisers. Too many sea days can become boring especially if the weather is not good. We always find a good mix of port and sea days makes the holiday that much more enjoyable.

The average cruise ship cabin is not as spacious as the average hotel room. However, even the cheapest/smallest cabins onboard modern ships are perfectly adequate in term of space for two adults and even a family of 4.  Admittedly, in some of the older ships, you may not be able to bend over in the shower to pick up the soap. The shower curtain may well stick to your back like Superman’s cape! Until recently we have always shared our cabin but now since the children are almost adult size we have booked 2 inside cabins for our next cruise in 2020. This way not only do we get the extra space but a second bathroom.

Some ships still have traditional dining where you are assigned to a table for the length of the cruise. Therefore you will probably be sharing a table with complete strangers, heaven forbid! Now, of course, the ‘strangers’ might well be ‘friends’ that you do not know yet. Fortunately, there are 4 of us so we tend to get a table for 4. On a Mediterranean cruise, we seldom eat in the more formal dining room. We prefer to enjoy the pool, especially after a long hot day in a port, then have a nice casual meal at the buffet.

So you see there is a LOT to consider when choosing a cruise, especially for novice cruisers. The key is to let the experts help you select the right holiday and at www.cruise.co.uk, our experienced staff have collectively experienced hundreds of cruises right around the world. Our team is trained to match each client to the right ship so that you enjoy exactly the type of cruise holiday you want, expect and deserve. Cruising is our passion and we know our ships and all their different personalities and it’s our mission to ensure you end up on the ship and the cruise that provide memories you’ll always cherish.