My top ten tips to finding the perfect cruise

There is a huge variety of choice when it comes to cruising, there really is something for everyone, but all that choice can make finding the right cruise a little overwhelming.  As your travel agent I will help you navigate this choice.

Let’s start by taking a moment to think about the cruise experience and how that might evolve post-COVID.  Most cruise lines have been working with external experts from accredited health organisations to develop science-backed health and safety protocols to get them safely sailing again, as well as working with Governments and local authorities around the world to ensure that cruises can resume sailing and that cruise guests will be welcome at cruise ports around the world.  Each cruise line is different but overall expect social distancing to be introduced throughout your cruise – from staggered embarkation times, to smaller group sizes for onboard entertainment and activities and reduced occupancy for outdoor areas like pools and sunbed decks.  Additionally expect a greater emphasis on using technology to enable a contactless experience – from check-in, to ordering drinks at the bar, to opening the door to your cabin.  Just as we have to wear masks in shops at home, or where it’s not possible to socially distance, it’s probably safe to say that the same will be true on board. MSC Grandiosa was one of the first ships to welcome guests back on board this August and the feedback from their guests was overwhelmingly positive. Shore excursions are working by keeping cruise passengers together in a bubble – the idea being that by keeping passengers together the risk of cross-contamination is low.  So far this seems to be working well and cruising is slowly resuming in Europe.

Ok, so now we feel assured that it’s safe to get back in the water, here are my tried and tested questions to help you determine exactly the right cruise for you.   

Almost any country in the world these days forms part of a cruise itinerary somewhere although of course for some destinations like India or Australia for example you may have an itinerary that is part cruise, part tour.  Even if you only know the broad region, for example the Caribbean, the Mediterranean or Alaska this gives us a starting point to focus on.   Anything is possible and as your travel agent I can create a tailor-made itinerary for you to tick off everything on your wish-list if you want something a little bit different.

If part of the appeal of cruising for you is avoiding the airport and the need to get on a plane then you can immediately whittle down your choices to either a cruise that departs from the UK, or somewhere in Europe that’s easily accessible by train. 

There are lots of destinations that you can explore easily from the UK, from short 2 or 3 night taster cruises, to the Norwegian Fjords, Western Europe, Ireland, the Mediterranean, Russia, France and Belgium. Add to that transatlantic crossings and you can easily explore New York, Boston and Nova Scotia.

Thinking about a cruise in 2021 or 2022?  Click here to find out more and the benefits of booking through me. 

This will hugely influence your choice of itineraries but obviously the shorter the cruise the fewer places you are likely to be able to visit.  Given that your cruise ship is also a world class resort, as well as visiting some beautiful ports of call you’re going to want to spend some quality time enjoying what's on offer on board, so think about how many days at sea you want too.  Days at sea are generally very busy on board, so if there’s an itinerary stop that you’ve visited before or are less keen on then you might want to choose that day to have your own day at sea and enjoy all the ships glorious facilities whilst it’s a little quieter.

Whilst it sounds kind of obvious, think about each of you that’s going.  What do you enjoy doing or not doing?  What would a perfect day at sea be for you? 

Do you like Broadway style shows?  Fine dining and dressing for dinner?  Do you want to learn new skills and hobbies?  Do you want fun activities like waterparks and climbing walls?   Thinking about what you might actually do on board ship and how formal or informal you like things to be should really help to determine which cruise line is likely to suit you best.

So leading on from this, there are many cruise lines to choose from and to make things even more complicated, many have similar facilities but they are all subtly different – for example Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises have a fairly similar offering on paper, but in reality the Royal Caribbean experience is very American – it’s full of fun and obviously brilliant customer service.  The MSC experience on the other hand is served up with Italian flair, with a focus on style and charm in their customer service so it boils down to personal preference.  My advice is to look beyond the itinerary and choose your cruise line and your ship carefully and of course this is something I can help you with. 

Thinking about a cruise in 2021 or 2022?  Click here to find out more and the benefits of booking through me. 

If you’re travelling with school age children then your schedule is likely influenced by school holiday dates, but even so think about your destinations and when the best time to visit might be.  The price hike that is so often the case for holidays during school holiday dates is much less obvious on a cruise holiday, but of course if you’re travelling without children you might prefer to avoid some of these very busy times or opt for an adults only cruise. 

I often get asked, ‘which is the best cabin’ to book?  And there’s no one size fits all answer. It really depends on how much time you plan on spending in your cabin.  If you think you will use your cabin a lot then you might want a little bit more space - a balcony cabin will definitely make the cabin feel more spacious and you might even want to splurge on a suite. If you’re travelling with children then think about whether they are going to be happy sharing a double sofa bed, or whether a sofa that converts into bunk beds will be better, or indeed whether Pullman beds will be better.

Asides from cabin type, there’s the location of the cabin to choose from.  Things to think about are the view, the potential for noise and the potential for motion sickness.  That said, most cruise ships today have such sophisticated stabilisers motion sickness is rarely an issue, but if you’re particularly sensitive to it, then lower deck cabins towards the middle of the ship are likely to be your best bet. 

If you’re choosing an outside cabin or a cabin with a balcony you will be able to see on the ships deck plan whether your view is obstructed in any way.  Of course if you’re right at the front you’ll have a very different view versus being right at the back so if you have a preference choose accordingly.  And then for some cruises choosing port or starboard might be important, for example if your cruise is following the coastline sailing East, then port side will give you a land view.

Then there is noise to consider.  You’re on a huge floating resort with nightclubs, bars and restaurants, thousands of people, immense engines and hundreds of lifts – so there might be some noise, but not as much as perhaps you imagine. 

Cabins are generally a couple of decks below the main restaurants and theatres but you might also get a bit of noise if you’re above mechanical equipment or the engine room.  This can be hard to see on a cruise ship plan but a tell-tale sign would be a large empty area on the deck plan and in that case I would certainly want to check with the cruise line on your behalf to find out more.  Stairs and lifts can be somewhat noisy as there are constantly people coming and going; similarly being very close to crew quarters might occasionally be a little bit noisy too.

Then the last watch out is to ensure that your cabin offers privacy.  Outside cabins that look out onto a promenade deck won’t offer much privacy and you may find yourself keeping your curtains permanently closed to avoid the constant foot traffic going past your window.

lines like Regent Seven Seas include absolutely everything in their price.  And I mean absolutely everything – all the speciality restaurants, premium wines and spirits, gratuities and even shore excursions. 

Usually your cruise price will include your cabin, your main meals in a buffet style restaurant (the equivalent of full board in a hotel), some activities and most of the on-board entertainment.  Gratuities are optional, but are also somewhat expected.  Sometimes this is included in the cruise price, sometimes you pay it on board and sometimes you can choose.
 
Many cruise lines sell specific packages, for example speciality dining and premium drinks packages.  If you’re only likely to have the occasional cocktail then it might not be worth it, but if you’re likely to have a few drinks every day then it almost certainly will work out cheaper to buy a drinks package in advance.  The other cost to consider is WiFi.  WiFi is one of those things that in recent years we’ve come to take for granted.  Most hotels offer it for free, if not in your room, certainly in the common areas.  But WiFi on board ship is a whole lot more complicated, because well, it’s a ship!  So think about what you’re likely to want and for how many devices and build that in to your costs too.  My top tip is to use the ships WiFi when you’re in port as some ships will connect to terrestrial broadband whilst docked, so that’s the time to download or send anything requiring a bit more bandwidth.  

Then of course the last and most obvious additional cost is excursions.  Each cruise line will have a choice of excursions for you at every port of call, although it’s worth saying that in some places you might just want to go and explore under your own steam – there’s no obligation to book any of the packages on offer from the cruise line, but if there’s something you really want to do, it’s advisable to book as soon as you can after your cruise booking is confirmed.  Excursions can soon add up and it’s sometimes difficult to view the excursions on offer (and their prices) before you book the cruise but again here’s where I can help.   It is also possible to book alternative excursions that are designed around your ships itinerary (and often cheaper), but also guarantee to to have you back before the ship blasts it’s horn indicating imminent departure and causing anyone not on board to adopt a pretty swift sprint!

If you want to have the best choice of cabins, ships and itineraries then the earlier you book the better.  Cruise bookings tend to be made much further in advance than other types of holidays, frequently over a year before sailing, but more often 18 months to 2 years in advance.

However, if you’re flexible you can often grab a last-minute bargain, but you’ll have very little choice over the cabin in this instance.

Otherwise, my advice would be to register your interest in a cruise with me and then as soon as there’s a promotion offering discounted fares or extra value I can alert you, as these typically happen several times a year.

So if you are thinking of a cruise for 2021 or 2022, click here for more information and just some of the reasons to let me help find the perfect cruise for you.  Happy Cruising!