Cruises can offer a stress-free vacation, even if you are a first-time solo traveller.
However, there are many things to consider when booking a cruise for the first time. To ensure that you have the best time possible and create travel memories that will linger for many years to come, you will need to do your homework.
So how do you go about planning a cruise for the first time? Faced with a sea of choices (ahem!), it can seem like an overwhelming task.
As I have clocked up over half a dozen cruises, I can help you make the right decision. Stick around for the top ten factors to consider.
How to Plan a Cruise for the First Time
I’m going to walk you through the decisions you need to make when planning a cruise for the first time to make sure that the experience is everything you dream it will be.
But before starting to plan your cruise, consider this. Will you be able to handle living on a cruise ship? And if you are a solo traveller, will it feel weird cruising alone?
Cruising is a little like Marmite. Some people are evangelical about it; others hate it.
Depending on the itinerary, there can be days at sea at a stretch. How will you cope with that?
Will you be able to navigate the waters of onboard etiquette, which varies between cruise operators? And how will you manage your days in port?
Cruising isn’t for everyone, but it is often a case that you will never know if you don’t try it.
Ready to book your first cruise? Let’s set sail.
1. Plan how long you want to cruise for
Cruises come in all sizes, from a few days to a whopping 274 nights, courtesy of a round-the-world jaunt with Royal Caribbean.
When taking that first voyage into the unknown, a two-week cruise can be a bit of a gamble. For most rookie cruisers, a six or seven-day cruise is just about right, offering two or three ports to give you a sense of what it’s all about.
The alternative is to dip your toe in the water, so to speak, and take a two or three-day cruise as a taster.
For example, from Southampton on England’s south coast, you can hop across the channel to Zeebrugge (for Bruges) or Le Havre (for Paris). Or from Piraeus, near Athens, Celestyal has a menu of short itineraries.
2. Define your cruising style: ship or destination.
There is a style of cruising to fit most travel tribes and you need to choose the right one for you.
Also, ask yourself this question: Is a well-appointed ship important to you or is it all about the destinations?
3. Research your cruise line
Choosing your cruise line is a little like choosing your perfect partner.
In a sea of choice (!), you have to pick your perfect match, deciding if your personalities match and if he/she will meet your expectations. Each cruise line has its own character and you will need to do a little research to decide which will be the right fit for you.
For example, for a very European feel, try MSC ( did an Adriatic Sea cruise with them). If a West-End / Broadway show is what you are looking for on board, then you won’t go far wrong with Royal Caribbean or NCL. For a good time with a touch of class, look towards Celebrity.
Think also about the age group that you want to travel with.
There are no hard and fast rules, but a longer cruise in term-time is likely to attract older passengers, as are lines such as Fred Olsen and Saga. Conversely, sailings during school holidays will be packed with holidaying families.
If you want to avoid kids, travel during term time or choose an adult-only ship.
The younger party crowd gravitate towards Carnival and Costa.
4. Decide on your cruising budget
Except for a lucky few, budget is important when you book your first cruise.
A recent analysis has put the daily cost of cruising at $259, of which $179 is the ticket price and $80 is onboard spend. However, as many factors affect the cost of cruising, I would take this estimate with a liberal pinch of salt.
Let’s take a look at some of these variables.
Cruise line
Like hotels, you pay for the level of luxury and service you want.
Roughly speaking, at the budget end of the spectrum you have MSC, Carnival & Costa; mid-range cruise lines include P&O, Princess, and Cunard; Seabourne, Crystal and Regent Seven Seas are luxury cruise lines.
Cabin type
Unsurprisingly suites are more expensive than interior cabins. You will also pay a premium for an unobstructed view, a larger cabin and that cabin’s location (deck and position).
Cabin occupancy
This is an important consideration for solo travellers as most operators charge per cabin not per person.
Some cruise lines offer single cabins (e.g. NCL, P&O, Cunard, Fred Olsen, Saga, Cruise & Maritime) or discounts for single occupancy (e.g. NCL). However, it is still not a level playing field with solo cabin fares 125 – 160% greater than the per-passenger rate when sharing a cabin.
Season
If the seasonal demand is higher you will pay more. For example, Mediterranean cruises in the summer are more expensive than the same itinerary in spring or autumn when the weather is less predictable.
Repositioning cruises, when ships move from one area to another (e.g. the Caribbean to the Mediterranean), can be good value although they involve more days at sea.
Itinerary
Ports charge cruise lines to park up. Therefore, the longer or more port-intensive a cruise, the more expensive your fare is likely to be.
Government fees will also vary according to the itinerary.
5. Look carefully at the cruise itinerary
When you are planning your first cruise, think about how many ports are included in the itinerary and how many days at sea there are.
Restless by nature, I find days at sea difficult. However, my veteran cruiser friend relishes them and adores repositioning cruises for that reason.
It’s horses for courses.
Ultimately, for me, it’s all about the balance between exploring new destinations and having a spot of R&R. My ideal one-week itinerary would be four ports and three days at sea.
What might yours be?
6. Research your cruise destinations
When you start to book your first cruise, being clued up on your destinations is important. Ask yourself the following questions:
Where does the ship berth?
In an ideal world, you will be able to jump off the ship and be right in the thick of things. And this is the case for many ports.
On my cruise of the Norwegian fjords, all four ports were in the centre of town. This meant I could walk off the ship and explore at my own pace. Perfect!
However, this is not the case with all ports of call. For instance, if you take a cruise on the Western Mediterranean, the port for Rome is Civitavecchia, which is around 80km northwest of the city.
The issue with attractions being relatively inaccessible from cruise ports is that it can hamper your ability to visit them independently.
Let’s take Rome again as an example; you can travel into the city by train from Civitavecchia but this journey takes up to 80 minutes. Also, you are at the mercy of disruptions to the public transport system.
As an independent explorer, if you miss the departure time of the ship, you have to make your own way to the next port. Harsh but true.
This brings me to the subject of shore excursions offered by the cruise line.
These are expensive, but if your return is delayed you are guaranteed that the ship will wait for you. For some people, that peace of mind outweighs the cost.
Bear in mind that independent operators also offer excursions from cruise ships, which can be a cheaper option. When I visited St. Petersburg on a Baltic Sea cruise, I was delighted with the two-day excursion provided by Alla Tours.
Cruise lines or the port authority often provide shuttle buses (sometimes free) to the centre of town or nearby beaches. Unsurprisingly, many cruise lines don’t advertise this service and it pays to do a bit of research yourself.
How many tenders are included?
If a ship is too big to dock or the water isn’t deep enough, it has to anchor in the harbour and passengers are ferried to shore in smaller boats. This is what is meant by a tender port. Looking at a cruise’s itinerary should tell you how many tender ports there are.
Apart from delays incurred waiting to board a tender boat, a tender port should not be an issue for most people. However, they may be less suitable if you have restricted mobility.
Are any of the ports of call a must-see for you?
If this is the case, manage your expectations. Cruise lines cannot guarantee that they will dock at the advertised ports and may have to change their itinerary due to operational reasons or weather conditions.
This has happened to me twice.
On my first cruise to the Western Caribbean, Belize was omitted from the itinerary as the tender was too dangerous in the stormy conditions.
Then in 2018, the harbour in Santander was not deep enough to accommodate P&O’s Ventura, and this port was dumped in favour of Bilbao. I was delighted because I wanted to visit the Guggenheim Museum; many of my fellow passengers were not so thrilled.
7. Choose your cabin carefully
When choosing a cruise ship cabin, you pay for what you get.
The most cost-effective option is an inside cabin, which will be smaller and has no natural light. If you are only using your cabin to sleep and get changed this may suit you.
The next step up is an outside cabin, which may be bigger than an inside cabin and will have a porthole or window to allow in natural light.
I usually opt for a balcony cabin which is generally larger and has a private balcony with views out over the sea.
For me, the big plusses here are fresh air and the sound of the sea. And let’s not forget being able to sip a cheeky G&T, or have your breakfast coffee & croissants, in the comfort of your balcony.
Top of the tree are suites, which usually have a separate living area from the bedroom.
Suites are much larger than the standard cabins but not all will have a balcony, favouring a floor-to-ceiling window. Levels of service are also higher, with some cruise operators providing a butler.
For solo travellers, cruise lines are increasingly offering single cabins. However, you need to do your homework to determine if these will work out much cheaper than booking single occupancy of a regular cabin.
When planning your first cruise, it pays to look at your itinerary and consider how long you are likely to be in your cabin. If your itinerary is close to a port each day, you won’t get much opportunity to enjoy the benefits of your private balcony or suite.
The type of cabin is not the sole consideration. Think also about where you would like to be on the ship – fore, aft or midship –and on which deck. Examine cruise ship maps before booking to weed out duff cabins.
You don’t want to be opposite the ship’s launderettes, near service areas, right next to the lifts, near the ship’s bars or underneath the public decks (unless you like to hear the constant scraping of furniture above you).
Also worth considering are any perks that you might get from a stateroom category upgrade.
For example, Concierge Class on Celebrity gives you extra benefits including priority embarkation and disembarkation, upgraded toiletries and a personalised concierge service.
8. Consider a specialist cruise booking agent
Choosing a cabin can be exhausting and it is one area where a specialist cruise agent can be worth their weight in gold.
They can often offer exclusive perks such as upgrades, drinks packages or extra onboard credit. If you are cruising for the first time, their knowledge of ships, itineraries and cabins often surpasses anything you will glean from trawling the internet.
An independent traveller by nature, I initially resisted doing this and finally caved in and used an agent when booking a Baltic Sea cruise. I never looked back.
9. Consider a package deal
Consider what would happen if you missed your cruise departure because your flight was cancelled or delayed. This can happen and I will share a couple of true stories.
Several Canadian families embarking on a cruise from Hong Kong missed their departure as their flight from Toronto was delayed. They had to fly from Hong Kong to Hanoi and hire a mini-bus to take them to Halong Bay, the ship’s next port of call.
Then there was the British guy whose transatlantic flight to Rio was grounded because of the volcanic ash cloud from Iceland. Arriving later than planned in Brazil, he had to make his own way to catch up with the ship in Santos.
When booking a cruise, I would consider a package deal with the cruise and flight bundled together.
If you book your flight separately and these arrangements fall through, it is your responsibility to make your way to the ship’s next port of call or forfeit your cruise. With a package deal, most cruise lines offer assistance if your flight is cancelled or delayed. Also, if the ship has scheduling changes or delays, the cruise line is more likely to offer assistance.
The alternative is to check if your travel insurance will cover you if your travel arrangements fall through. Or give yourself some wiggle room and plan to fly in at least a day early.
10. Book your cruise early
Finally, when booking a cruise it is the case that the early bird catches the worm. If you play your cards right, cruising can represent luxury travel for less.
You usually get the best deals by booking early and popular sailings sell out quickly. To get the cabin of your choice on the sailing of your choice it is not uncommon to book 18 – 24 months in advance.
Also, some operators, especially those at the high end, will entice early bookers with additional perks such as extra onboard credit, free flights or onboard packages.
Ready to plan your first cruise?
Planning a cruise can seem daunting. But if you take it one step at a time and follow these tips, you’ll be sailing into the horizon sooner than you think.
For further tips and inspiration, take a look at my favourite cruises:
- Western Mediterranean Cruise: Essential Tips, Ports & NCL Epic Review
- Baltic Capitals Cruise on Celebrity Silhouette: Review, Port Guides & Essential Tips
- Norwegian Fjords Cruise: Essential Tips, Review & Port Guides
- Highlights of a Western Caribbean Cruise
- The Ultimate Greek Islands & Adriatic Cruise Guide (on MSC Sinfonia)
Finally, to get you into the mood to book your first cruise, take a look at these fabulous movies set on cruise ships.
Happy sailing!
PS. If you’ve found this guide helpful, Pin it to read later!
About Bridget
Bridget Coleman has been a passionate traveller for more than 30 years. She has visited 70+ countries, most as a solo traveller.
Articles on this site reflect her first-hand experiences.
To get in touch, email her at hello@theflashpacker.net or follow her on social media.
I need help l to book a ceuise to Mauritius from Durban . I would also need quatation, we are 10 adult pensioners my email nkelekr@gmail.com phone 0827151530. And the quatation to Portuguese island and Port Elizabeth I want to comapare prizes thanks
Good morning. I think that there has been a misunderstanding. The Flashpacker is not a cruise booking agent. Suggest that you try a local agent or online, cruisedirect.com for example. Good luck!