Cruising for Beginners: Choosing the right cruise.

Cruising changed dramatically after COVID. Companies are trying to recover lost profits after 2 dismal years by trying to cash in on the growing and very lucrative baby boomer market. This group, between 60-80 are the largest and fastest growing sector in the travel industry and are spending the children’s inheritance to a tune of $200,000 billion a year globally. The family and couples’ holiday market is still there but the bourgeoning new market is definitely the ‘frequent floaters’ who cruise multiple times are year, some even living on ships.

So, how do you know which cruise line is best suited to your needs? With over 300 ships at sea every day, carrying over 500,000 passengers there is an ever-increasing array of cruise options.  First thing is to know is that the vast majority of cruises are owned by one of 3 companies:

1.     Carnival: Carnival, Princess, Holland America, Seaborne, Costa, P&O, Aida, Cunard

2.     Royal Caribbean: Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Silver seas

3.     Norwegian: NCL, Reagent, Oceania

These 3 companies operate different cruise lines, under different names to provide different styles of cruises for different tastes and budgets. The cruise ‘product’ is constantly evolving as the companies respond to new markets and of course a desire to increase profits.

There are many blogs out there from ‘frequent floaters’ who spend their lives jumping from one cruise ship to another. I guess we had become sort of ‘frequent floaters’. With around 400 sea days and 200 ports over 30 cruises we are not the most cruised by any means (a couple on a recent cruise had 1000 nights on Princess alone). I started in 2025 as a Destination Presenter with Celebrity Cruises so my experience shifted again. I do my research and if you are a cruise ‘virgin’, I might have some information on how to work out where to start.

However, do remember that there are pros and cons for every ship and every voyage is different so a first experience may not mean all ships in that fleet are the same. Our first Princess was amazing! Great food, ports, cabin, activity schedule and

entertainment team. It ticked all the boxes. After 14 nights through the Panama Canal, we stayed on the ship for an extra 7 nights around the Caribbean. That 7 nights turned out to be the worst cruise we’ve had and had it been our first Princess,

we would not have cruised with them again. It turned into an American 7-day party ship. The menu changed and the entertainment team swapped over. The ports were less interesting, our cabin had problems, you never saw the officers, the weather was bad and all in all it was a VERY different experience. So, be careful of anyone who gives you an absolute on any cruise line or ship. It just isn’t possible.

STEP 1: WORK OUT YOUR BUDGET

Budget is the big one for many people and our first priority.  How much are you willing to spend? The rest really unfolds from there. The vast range of prices and last-minute deals make cruises not just affordable, but sometimes the cheapest way to travel. We have crossed the Pacific for 24 days for just a little more than 2 x one-way airfares. Daily prices range from as little as $50 pp/day to up to $2000pp/day. It’s hard to say which lines are consistently the cheapest as there are so many deals being done by the cruise lines and travel agents, also many fleets have some top end ships in their fleet, but you can make a few generalisations.

Main stream Cheaper End: P&O, Carnival, MSC, Costa

Mainstream Mid: Celebrity, Princess, NCL, Royal Caribbean

Premium: Holland America, Azamara, Disney, Hurtigruten, Cunard

Luxury: Silver Seas, Regent Seven Seas, Ponant, Seabourn, Virgin, Viking, Abercrombie & Kent, Oceania, Windstar,

STEP2: WORK OUT THE TYPE OF CRUISE YOU WANT TO GO ON.

Your budget may be a determiner here- but there are lots of options in each of these 5 categories of cruises.

I would like to suggest that there are basically 5 categories or types of cruises:

1.     Mainstream (ones most of us use). These are called mainstream because they are the big one in the cruise market. Lots of ships, lots of features, entertainment, serving popular routes, reaching both the holiday and retired market. Multiple pools spread the passengers out, food is mass produced except for speciality dining and a number of items are extras. There can be lines at events, tenders (boats to get off the ship in port) and the buffet.

2.     Premium: Similar to the mainstream just a bit more refined. Slightly better facilities, dining, a bit more adult only and lounge spaces, longer trips and a few more nice additions in cabins.

3.     Luxury: Ranging from mega yachts to small cruise ships these are for the lucky few. There is lots of space, international chefs, personal service and are all inclusive. Trips are longer, the crowd is older and there are few children.

4.     River cruises: A rapidly growing area of cruising mostly for older couples. There isn’t the entertainment of the mainstream cruises and spaces are smaller. Guided excursions and drinks are included. Good if you get seasick.

5.     Speciality: These include things like tall ships and polar expeditions. They are small (under 200) and usually have programs run by experts (biologists, photographers etc) shared by like minded guests. They have more basic facilities.

As you can see, each of these types of cruises have different features that will suit different tastes. In the beginning it’s a bit of trial and error to find the line that suits you. It seems that after a few different cruises most people tend to find a cruise line that work better for them, and they start to book more often on that one line. As that line becomes more familiar and they build up loyalty points frequent cruises tend to tend to have found a favourite.

STEP 3: DECIDE WHAT FEATURES YOU WANT

Once you know your budget and the type of cruise that suits you, it’s time to consider some of the details. This includes:

ROUTES AND ITINERARIES

Most lines follow similar routes and seasonal patterns. These are usually the ones that are most cost effective and popular for their market. Some ships also have a ‘home base’. As we use cruises mostly to get from A to B, the end point rather than the ports is our next consideration. A new or favourite port along the way is a bonus. Other people like cruise lines that circle back to the same port. We love sea days but for some people too many sea days is also a consideration.

Some fleets seem to cater for the shorter vacation market whilst others tend to have more longer trips including circumnavigations. Other cruise lines are specialists in one area or offer more unusual routes. These tend to be the more expensive ones. Below is a big generalisation (as most lines do some longer repositioning cruises) about the type of routes mostly covered.

Some cruise ports are tricky with poor access, expensive visas or security issues so be aware of this upfront. You need to do your homework on the ports if you plan to get off, so you know what to expect to avoid disappointment. Some ports are in the middle of no-where and at times there are few taxis (at a reasonable price) at the dock. Some of the main attractions are often far away (The Great Wall of China is 6 hrs drive form Tianjin port).

There are a number of websites with port information. I draw information from a few:

https://www.whatsinport.com  What’s in Port

http://cruiseportwiki.com Cruise Port Wiki

https://cruisecrocodile.com Cruise Crocodile

https://www.cruisecritic.com Cruise Critic

https://cruiseweb.com Cruise web

https://shorebee.com Shore Bee

VISAS

Visas can be confusing and time consuming so sometimes we opt not to take a cruise that requires visas. There is often contradictory information and cruise lines do not accept any liability if you do not have the right visa- even if they told you the wrong thing! Sometimes they even avoid giving you any information at all. Occasionally you will not be allowed to board the ship if you do not have a visa- and saying you do not intend to get off doesn’t usually work as countries want to get your money even if you enter their waters. On a cruise that included China, 150 people were denied boarding and had to fly over China at their own expense as they could not enter Chinese waters without a visa. On a cruise that included India and one to Saudi we were all told we MUST have the $100 visa for a 4 hr stop over- only to discover that was incorrect.

SHIP SIZE

For some people size does matter. We are not lovers of big ships so tend towards cruise companies with smaller ships. Big ships seem to have more tenders which can be VERY slow. We find them to feel too busy and daunting. Some people love the facilities on the large ships, but it is a long way from one end to another! Most lines have a mixture of ships, but some tend towards the larger new ships. The sail boats, river cruises and specialist ships are often much smaller and usually at the luxury end of the market.

Here are examples and a few favourites:

Super Small- less than 500

Smaller ship- 500- 1500 guests: Azamara, Holland America

Medium ships- 1500-3000 guests: Princess (Ruby), Holland America (Westerdam)

Larger ships- over 3000: MSC (Davinia), Princess (Crown), NCL (Pearl), Celebrity (Reflection, Solstice)

FACILITIES

There is no doubt that what-ever your definition of comfort you will find a ship that meets most of your needs. Whatever line the cabin levels have the same basic facilities and the cabin crew and wait staff are usually Asian with a smattering of those from the Caribbean, Africa, and Eastern Europe. Whilst ships are basically the same, there may be some deal breakers for you.

We like a laundry, steam room, sauna, quiet lounge and adult spa and pool area, casual eating on the deck, a big airy gym, a circle walking track, and a library with puzzles and a book swap. Not all ships have these as standard, so we check that out before we book. None would stop us from booking, but we do like to know what to expect before we arrive.

---

💸 Extras and Add‑Ons

Extras are becoming a major issue on mainstream cruise lines. Many companies now rely heavily on “onboard revenue enhancement” — a polite way of saying they want passengers to spend more money once they’re on the ship. We personally prefer more inclusive cruises and don’t love paying extra for things we consider “basics,” but every traveller is different.

What mainstream cruise lines consider included

• Accommodation

• Basic dining options

• Limited non‑alcoholic drinks (tea, coffee, juice at breakfast, sometimes lemonade or flavoured water)

• Entertainment and activities

• Pools and general facilities

What they often consider extras

• Alcoholic drinks

• Wi‑Fi

• Private deck areas

• Specialty restaurants

• Spa and salon services

• Personal trainers

• Shore excursions

• Laundry

• Some room‑service menus

• On‑demand movies

• Coffee‑shop food

• Ice cream, pizza, burgers on deck (on some lines)

• Steam room and sauna

• Afternoon tea

• Bottled water, juices, barista coffee

The claim is that you pay less for the base fare — but this isn’t always true. A “cheap” cruise can become expensive if everything you want is an add‑on. The key is knowing what to expect before you book.

Premium and luxury lines tend to be far more inclusive, which is why many travellers eventually gravitate toward them.

---

💵 Gratuities

Gratuities (or “service charges”) are another major add‑on. These are usually US$12–18 per person per day, automatically added to your onboard account — on top of the service charge added to every bar purchase.

This system is based on the American tipping model and varies widely between cruise lines.

How gratuities currently work (based on recent experience)

• Included in fare: Azamara, Crystal

• Automatic but removable on request: Princess, Carnival, Norwegian, MSC, Oceania, Costa, Celebrity

• Hard to remove: Royal Caribbean (with conditions), Holland America

• Discretionary: Viking

You can still opt out on most ships, but you may need to speak to a supervisor. Some lines discourage it.

Important for Australian cruises

Ships that start and end in Australia cannot add automatic gratuities due to industrial laws requiring staff to be paid Australian minimum wage while in Australian waters.

Also note: some travel agents include gratuities in the fare without making it obvious — always check.

Tipping directly

We prefer to tip staff directly, but on many ships, crew are required to hand in personal tips to be pooled. This system is changing constantly.

---

🍷 Drinks Policies

Every cruise line has different rules about what you can bring onboard. On Embarkation many allow:

• One bottle of wine per person

• A small number of soft‑drink cans

Always check the fine print.

Most lines offer:

• Alcohol packages

• Soft‑drink packages

• Coffee packages

Prices are similar across fleets. Some lines unofficially allow sharing; others are strict. Many offer happy hours, tasting nights, or wine‑bottle storage.

We always bring a hot/cold water bottle to refill in the buffet.

---

🍽️ Food

Food varies enormously between cruise lines and is often the biggest difference between mainstream, premium, and luxury.

What to expect

• Multiple dining rooms (usually open for dinner, sometimes lunch and breakfast)

• A buffet with set opening hours

• Casual eateries (pizza, burgers, cafés)

• Specialty restaurants with surcharges (US$10–100 per person)

• Room service (free or paid depending on the line)

Menus often reflect the ship’s heritage — Costa leans Italian, Cunard British — but all lines offer international options.

Dining style matters too:

• Set dining: Same table, same people, early or late sitting. Great for meeting people.

• Open dining: Turn up anytime; sit alone or share.

• Buffet: Popular for breakfast and lunch; can be crowded at peak times.

Most ships now use a dining app, with mixed success.

Our personal food-quality impressions

• Limited quality: P&O, Carnival, MSC, Costa

• Average: NCL

• Above average: Princess, Holland America, Celebrity

---

🎁 Loyalty Programs & Promotions

Loyalty programs

After a few cruises, loyalty perks can influence your choice. But as more people qualify, benefits are shrinking. On one Princess cruise, nearly half the passengers were Platinum — some with over 3,000 nights!

Programs within the same parent company often transfer (e.g., Carnival → Princess → Cunard).

Shareholder benefits

If you own 100 shares of Carnival Corporation, or Royal Carribbean you receive onboard credit on every cruise (around):

• US$50 for short cruises

• Up to US$250 for 14+ nights

We’ve received over US$1,000 in onboard credit this way.

Promotions

You’ll meet people who claim they paid $100, got free drinks, or received huge upgrades. These deals exist — usually targeted at gamblers, shoppers, or specific demographics — but they’re unpredictable. If you ever discover the secret, let me know!

---

🧭 Administration & Customer Service

How well a ship is run can make or break a cruise. Good leadership, clear systems, and adequate staffing prevent many common frustrations.

Some lines give ships more autonomy; others blame “Head Office” for delays. Running a cruise ship is incredibly complex, so things will go wrong — what matters is how the crew responds.

Our experience with organisation

• Less efficient: MSC

• More efficient: Princess, Celebrity and Holland America

 🎭 Activities and On‑Board Events

Activities can be the deciding factor for some travellers, but for us they sit at the bottom of the priority list. We join in when something appeals and happily do our own thing when it doesn’t. Some cruises we’re at every trivia session, game show, and craft class; other cruises we barely attend a thing. This is one of the most personal aspects of choosing a cruise line.

We enjoy:

• Informational sessions

• Quality destination talks that aren’t just sales pitches

• Evening shows and comedy clubs

• Occasional game shows

• Trivia

• Health or beauty seminars

Every cruise line has its own “style.” Carnival, for example, is known for its comedy clubs — a feature other lines are now copying. You can usually see the daily program once you’re onboard, but not always before you book.

---

🌍 Main Language Onboard

Language isn’t a deal‑breaker for us, but it does shape the feel of a cruise. All ships have English‑speaking staff, but on European lines English may not be the primary language. Announcements and entertainment may be delivered in several languages, which some people love and others find distracting.

Entertainment can also be affected — a comedian in Spanish or Italian may not land the same way for English speakers. Staff are generally encouraged to speak English, but some lines allow crew to speak in their home languages among themselves. Again, some guests enjoy the multicultural atmosphere; others find it less comfortable.

---

🌊 A Final Word

Cruising is wonderfully varied, and there truly is a ship for everyone. Finding the right one takes a little research, a little trial and error, and sometimes a bit of luck. Every ship, every itinerary, and every sailing is different — and that’s part of the adventure. There is usually a Facebook group set up for each cruise by en enterprising guest (I bet they were school teachers) and I find these useful..

Good luck finding the cruise that fits you best. I hope to see you out there on the high seas one day. And if you come across any great websites or resources, send them my way — I’d love to add them for future travellers.