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Booking your first cruise
Where do I start when booking a cruise?
Personally, I would start by picking a couple of cruiselines which you like the look of.
Don't worry yet about where you're going to go or which cruise ship you'll sail on, as there are several large cruise lines which travel all over the world and have a large fleet of ships.
Each cruiseline has its own personality and target market - you really don't want to spend your holiday surrounded by children on your honeymoon. Equally, you don't want to end up trying to occupy three bored children on a cruiseline aimed at adults.
Don't worry yet about where you're going to go or which cruise ship you'll sail on, as there are several large cruise lines which travel all over the world and have a large fleet of ships.
Each cruiseline has its own personality and target market - you really don't want to spend your holiday surrounded by children on your honeymoon. Equally, you don't want to end up trying to occupy three bored children on a cruiseline aimed at adults.
So, which is the best cruise line?
Everyone's got their own favourites, but based on awards and reviews, my shortlist for cruises from the UK looks like this:
Best mid-priced cruise lines for kids and families
Best cruise lines for older couples on a mid-price budget
Best mid-priced cruise lines for younger couples
Best luxury/higher priced cruise lines
Best mid-priced cruise lines for kids and families
- P&O Cruises (Best Family Cruise Line at the British Travel Awards 2017 and 2018) - popular all rounder
- Royal Caribbean International (Best Family Cruise Line at the Wave Awards 2019) - non-stop entertainment
- Marella Cruises - previously called Thomson, lots for young kids
Best cruise lines for older couples on a mid-price budget
- Saga Cruises (Which? 2nd Best Cruise Line in 2018, Best Value at Wave Awards 2019) - good reviews and plenty of awards
- Fred. Olsen Cruises (Which? 2018 - 4th Best Cruise Line) - traditional, popular with 60+, good value
- P&O Cruises - (Globe Travel Awards 2018 - Favourite Ocean Cruise Company) - stick with the adults' only cruise ships
Best mid-priced cruise lines for younger couples
- Celebrity Cruises (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the best large ship category at the Cruisers Choice Awards 2017) - hotel chic
- Hurtigruten (Which? - 3rd best cruise line 2018) - adventurous routes and destinations
Best luxury/higher priced cruise lines
- All rounder - Cunard (British Travel Awards 2017 - 2nd Best Luxury Cruise Line) - traditional luxury
- Adults - Oceania (Which? 2018 - Best Cruise Line) - aimed at adults, outstanding cuisine
- Families - Disney Cruise Line (Best Cruise Line for Families at Cruise International Awards 2017, Highest rated in the Large Ships category according to Conde Nast Traveler reader awards 2021) - themed cruises for families
OK, I've picked a cruise line. Now what?
After you've picked a cruise line or two, it's time to narrow down your options.
If you're travelling from the UK you need to decide if you're willing to fly or not. No-fly cruises are available from Southampton, Dover and other UK ports and there's loads of choice. For example, P&O had more than 250 no-fly cruises on offer when I checked.
If you've got a week or 10 days then options will usually include a round trip covering the Mediterranean, Scandinavia or the British Isles on a no-fly cruise.
If you've got two weeks or longer then you can set sail for the Caribbean, the Americas or even Australia. Bear in mind you'll spend a huge amount of time at sea, rather than stopping regularly to break up the journey.
Alternatively you can book a cruise which includes a one-way or return flight. Obviously this opens up many more possibilities and avoids a relatively long time at sea at the start of the holiday if you're travelling from Southampton to the Mediterranean.
You also need to take into account the cruise ships on offer. Some large cruise lines have more than 20 cruise ships but they vary in size, onboard facilities and reviews.
Some people have a favourite cruise ship and then see where it's heading, whilst other people prioritise destination first.
The best site I've found for reviews of individual cruise ships is CruiseCritic.
If you're travelling from the UK you need to decide if you're willing to fly or not. No-fly cruises are available from Southampton, Dover and other UK ports and there's loads of choice. For example, P&O had more than 250 no-fly cruises on offer when I checked.
If you've got a week or 10 days then options will usually include a round trip covering the Mediterranean, Scandinavia or the British Isles on a no-fly cruise.
If you've got two weeks or longer then you can set sail for the Caribbean, the Americas or even Australia. Bear in mind you'll spend a huge amount of time at sea, rather than stopping regularly to break up the journey.
Alternatively you can book a cruise which includes a one-way or return flight. Obviously this opens up many more possibilities and avoids a relatively long time at sea at the start of the holiday if you're travelling from Southampton to the Mediterranean.
You also need to take into account the cruise ships on offer. Some large cruise lines have more than 20 cruise ships but they vary in size, onboard facilities and reviews.
Some people have a favourite cruise ship and then see where it's heading, whilst other people prioritise destination first.
The best site I've found for reviews of individual cruise ships is CruiseCritic.
What types of cruise ship cabin are on offer?
On most cruise ships, your options are:
You'll notice that there are big variations in how much an upgrade costs. For example, I've seen some Princess Cruises where upgrading from an interior stateroom to an outside stateroom is only £100 per person per week. On the other hand, I found a Celebrity Cruises 14 day cruise which cost almost twice the price for an outside stateroom.
- interior stateroom - cabin without a window. A cheap option which is OK if you just plan to use the room as somewhere to sleep.
- outside stateroom - cabin with a window. Usually a bit more expensive with further price variations depending on the view and location on the ship.
- balcony - cabin with a private outside deck. Good for dining in your cabin, but less necessary if it's freezing cold outside.
- suite - larger cabin with more facilities. Most expensive option. Generally just a larger version of the balcony cabins with a seating area, but some have a lot of fancy extras.
You'll notice that there are big variations in how much an upgrade costs. For example, I've seen some Princess Cruises where upgrading from an interior stateroom to an outside stateroom is only £100 per person per week. On the other hand, I found a Celebrity Cruises 14 day cruise which cost almost twice the price for an outside stateroom.
The Best Cruises Guide Dont-Blame-Us-Disclaimer: facilities, onboard activities and prices were correct when we checked, but things change all the time so please check details direct with cruise lines. Bear in mind that some cruise lines are more 'inclusive' than others, so will add extra charges later. We just looked for the basic price, which usually includes food but doesn't include alcoholic drinks or excursions (although there are exceptions).