12 Tips for Planning a Cruise for the First Time

Cruising is an exceptionally popular way to travel and it’s becoming even more so. If you’ve yet to experience the magic for yourself, but you’re intrigued, you might be considering booking your first cruise soon.

However, you can’t just book your first cruise vacation at random and then simply show up and expect to have an amazing time.

You need to do some proper planning to ensure your first cruise is the best it can be. So, I’m bringing my years of experience to give you 12 tips for planning your perfect cruise as a first-timer.

1. Research, Research, Research  

You can’t do enough research when planning a first cruise, honestly. This is a brand-new travel experience for you after all, so you need to have an idea of your options and what you’re in for.

Read up on various different cruise lines and what you can expect with each. For example, Carnival Cruise Line offers a more affordable cruise experience and a family-friendly vibe.

Meanwhile, Virgin Voyages offers a young, hip, adults-only appeal. Viking Cruises, in contrast, is also adults-only, but is preferred by older travelers.

Other cruise lines, like Lindblad Expeditions, focus on active adventures in far-flung destinations. Some really excel at top-tier onboard activities and entertainment, as is the case with Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line.

When you’ve identified a cruise line you might want to cruise with, check out where that line sails and what kinds of ships sail to their various different destinations. Does the cruise line actively visit places you want to go, whether that’s the Bahamas or Bermuda?

And is it important for you to sail on a newer, larger ship with lots of bells and whistles versus an older, smaller and more modest ship? These are preferences to think about well in advance of booking.

2. Pick Your Embarkation Port

Once you’ve got a clear idea of what various cruise lines are an option for you, where they sail, where you’d like to sail to and what kind of ship you’d like to sail on, based on your research, it’s time to pick your preferred departure port.

You may have a popular cruise ship port in your city — for example if you live in New York City, Miami or Seattle — however most of the United States is not situated near a cruise hub.

If there’s no cruise ship port within easy driving distance for you, look at ports that you can fly to. Consider where it’ll be cheapest and most convenient to fly, as well as the cruise lines and itineraries that disembark from that port.

Even if you live near a cruise port, you may still fly to another one, just to catch a certain cruise itinerary. For example, if you have your heart set on cruising the Mediterranean or to Mexico, you’re not going to cruise out of Seattle.

Likewise, if you have your heart set on cruising to Alaska, you’re not going to cruise out of Fort Lauderdale. 

3. Set a Budget

Once you have a general (no worries — it doesn’t have to be set in stone just yet!) idea of where you’d like to cruise from, the type of cruise lines you’d like to cruise with and the kind of itinerary you’d prefer, it’s time to set a budget.

The cost of a cruise can vary wildly. You can pay less than a thousand dollars for some cruises, but then you can pay tens of thousands of dollars for others. 

Set a budget that feels most comfortable to you. Keep in mind that, beyond your basic cruise fare, you’ll also need to anticipate other expenses that will arise during your cruise.

Unless you’re booking with an all-inclusive luxury cruise line with lots of perks, you’ll have to pay extra for add-ons like specialty dining experiences, drink packages, internet access and shore excursions, among other costs. 

Do note that it is possible to not cruise with an all-inclusive cruise line and still keep your costs very low, but it will mean limiting your experiences.

You may not have as good of a time on your cruise if you’re watching your fellow cruisers cheers-ing at the bar or going off on scuba diving tours, while you’re sitting on the sidelines to save a few bucks.

4. Begin Shopping Around

With a budget handy and a loose idea of what kind of cruise you’d like to go on, it’s time to start shopping around for the best deal. 

You can hire a travel agent to do the shopping around for you, but it’s not difficult to find cruise deals on your own, either. Cruise lines run sales throughout the year and you can find a lot of savings during what’s known as “wave season,” January through March, when cruise fares are generally at their lowest. 

Plus, the more in advance of your travel dates you book, the likelier you are to get a good deal. The other alternative is to wait to book a cruise last-minute; however, while you may get a cheap deal this way, you might not get the most desirable cruise itinerary or cabin.

While you can book a cruise directly with the cruise line, there are also a variety of travel providers and platforms that can help you compare and contrast various cruises from various cruise lines.

This may be the preferable option if you’ve never cruised before, as you can choose many options at once. Look at popular providers like Cruises.com, Expedia, CruiseDirect.com, Booking.com, or Costco Travel (if you’re a Costco member).

5. Research (again)

Once you’ve found a potential booking option, it’s time for a little more research. Do a little digging into the ship to ensure that it does offer everything you want. Even newer ships from the same cruise line can differ in key ways. 

For example, Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas is quite different from Wonder of the Seas. While there might be a little overlap in venues, Icon of the Seas is overall more family-friendly than Wonder of the Seas. 

After you’re sure that the specific cruise ship you’re considering booking offers the elements that are most important to you — whether that’s a large number of restaurants, family-friendly amenities, a big waterpark, etc. — research the cabin options to determine which is best for your needs. 

For some cruisers, like those traveling with just one or two other people, an interior cabin will offer enough room and an attractive price. Just realize that interior cabins can be a little lackluster and dingy on older ships.

As such, look for actual photos of the type of cabin you’re thinking about booking, on the specific ship that you’re thinking about booking. You can usually find these on either the cruise line’s website or on cruiser forums.

Worth Reading: What NOT to Do When Choosing Your Cruise Cabins

Look beyond the cabin’s furnishings, space and amenities to also consider its location on the ship. You can find individual cabins laid out on cruise ship deck maps, available on the cruise line’s website.

If you suspect you’ll get seasick, you’ll want a cabin with a horizon view (so an ocean view or balcony cabin), toward the middle of the ship.

If you want a quieter cabin around less foot traffic, you’ll want to avoid cabins near stairwells and elevators, or cabins near public venues. 

6. Book Your Cruise and Set Up Your Online Account

Once you feel confident that your chosen ship, itinerary and cabin are all a good fit for you as a traveler and first-time cruiser, book your cruise! 

While you’re at it, go ahead and set up an online account with the cruise line, and then download the cruise line’s app.

You’ll use this app and your online account for things like booking restaurant reservations or shore itineraries ahead of time. This is where you can also keep track of your spending during the cruise. 

You may additionally want to consider buying travel insurance. It’s typically a minimal fee, but it can really save you some cash if you end up needing to cancel your cruise due to poor weather.

For example, if the weather’s nice at the cruise port but you can’t get out of your hometown due to a snowstorm, the cruise line isn’t going to have much sympathy for you, illness, or other unforeseeable incidents.

7. Research (yes, yet again!)

Once you’ve booked your cruise, the work isn’t over! In fact, it’s just begun. 

Now, it’s time to research further into the various ports of call on your cruise itinerary. You’ll want to know the best things to do in each port and what kind of weather you can expect for the time of year you’re cruising there.

Basically, approach researching each like you would researching any destination that you plan on visiting for vacation.

If you plan on doing more exploring than simply showing up to the cruise line-offered excursion, this research will be invaluable.

In fact, after doing a little bit of digging, you may just find that you don’t want to take any formal excursions at all during certain stops. You may prefer to plan out your activities on your own.

8. Connect With the Cruising Community

Cruisers are a friendly bunch and they’re more than happy to help a first-timer out with any questions or tips they might need.

After you’ve booked your cruise (or even before!), find some cruiser forums or social media groups and see what information you can glean. Cruise Hive’s Cruise Boards are often a good alternative to get more help for cruise planning.

Your fellow cruisers may be able to advise you on what activities to book, what you can expect on your specific ship and more.

You may even find other cruisers who are going on the exact same cruise as you, and you can make plans to meet up with them during your vacation!

9. Make Your Advance Bookings

There are certain things you’ll want to book for your cruise about 90–120 days ahead of your sailing date, via your online account or the cruise line’s app.

Read Also: Must-Know Things About The Carnival Hub App

Making reservations for dining, theater shows, excursions and more, in advance, will ensure you get to enjoy these experiences without possibly missing out due to overbooking. Certain experiences definitely fill up quickly and trust me, it happens a lot!

10. Plan to Pack Appropriately, Including Acquiring Any Necessary Travel Documents

You’ll want to pack appropriately for your cruise, based on what you discovered over the course of all your oh-so-valuable research. 

Pack the right clothes for the weather in your destinations. Pack clothes that will suit your cruise line’s dress codes, if they have them for the main dining room and specialty restaurants, or if you plan on attending one of the main dining room’s “formal nights.”

Read Also: What Items Do You Need to Pack for a Family Cruise?

Keep in mind that you will hand over your primary luggage when checking in for your cruise, and then it will be delivered to your stateroom later.

This can be hours after you board the ship, though, so consider bringing a smaller bag that you can keep on your person (kind of like a carry-on bag versus your checked luggage when you fly).

Keep any important, must-haves in this bag, but also nice-to-haves, like your swimsuit in case you want to hop in the pool as soon as possible! 

As you pack, make a note to check out your cruise line’s list of prohibited items. Many cruise lines do not allow you to bring certain items on board, and these items can range from drones to inflatable pool toys. If you do try to bring prohibited items on board, they may be confiscated.

You may need certain travel documents based on your cruise and where you plan on cruising. Most cruises will require a passport. If you need these, plan plenty of time to get them ahead of your cruise.

12. Arrive at Your Embarkation Port with Plenty of Time to Spare and Complete Online Check-In

A few days before your cruise, complete the online check-in process. This will require completing a few forms that provide info about your party and it’s not too time-intensive. 

Lastly, plan to arrive at your embarkation port with plenty of time to spare. This means absolutely do not fly into the port city on the same day that your cruise leaves (and likewise, don’t plan to fly home on the day of your disembarkation).

Worth Reading: How Early Can You Board a Cruise Ship?

If your flight is delayed or canceled for some reason, you’ll miss the cruise. At best, you’ll be rushing from the airport to the port in a frenzy. 

To be safe, arrive in the port city the day or night before your cruise embarks. Most cruises embark in the morning, so plan to stay overnight in a nearby hotel. You may find that your hotel even offers free shuttle service to the cruise port!