Never been on a cruise before? I'm sure you're excited to get underway, but working closely with your travel agent and taking a few minutes to prepare for your maiden voyage will help you select the perfect destination, cruiseline and even the best ship to match your needs.
Obviously, who you are taking on your cruise vacation, and how much you are willing to spend will impact your optimal destinations. Although most cruiselines are family friendly, such as
Royal Caribbean and the Disney Cruiseline, longer cruises to exotic locations may not make the best family vacations. And
Mediterranean Cruises and other cruises where air travel is required before you can set sail will require a much bigger budget. It's often a good idea to try to book the flight with the cruise line you are vacationing with. Costs such as transfer from the airport to the ship can be costly if booked separately.
Another consideration should be the time of year you wish to travel. For example,
Alaska Cruises are perfect in the late fall, but that may not be the best time of year to travel to the Caribbean. The type of cabin you require should be a significant consideration. Often, people will book the cheapest cabin possible, preferring to save their money for shopping, and shore excursions. However, you should keep in mind that if you've never sailed before, you will probably be quite surprised by exactly how small the cheapest cabin are. On the other hand, cabin room is a quite a premium, and even the most expensive cabins will still be a bit on the cramped side. For those that may experience sea sickness, one thing to remember when booking is that in general, cabins around mid ship in the lower levels generally tend to provide a smoother ride during rough seas.
So next time you decide to take to the seas for your vacation, make sure you've asking yourselves these questions and have yourself a bon voyage!
