New To Cruising

Never cruised before?Wonder what all the fuss is about?
Well, wonder no more this is the perfect place to start. Even if you don’t know the pointy bit from the blunt end, we can provide all the inside info you need to be confident in making the right choice and ensure a blissful first cruise.

The first thing to know is that a cruise is always the right choice, simply because there is such a wide-ranging variety, you can always find the right size, ambience and location to suit your own tastes perfectly.

You will travel in supreme style; you need pack and unpack only once; everything you need is laid on with almost effortless ease; you will enjoy an ever-changing vista of different scenery and ports of call; and you benefit from the mystique, magic and romance that modern cruising has inherited from its golden heritage.

No other holiday type offers the combination of modern creature comforts, top quality service, almost constant dining opportunities many of them of the very finest kind and fabulous entertainment.

There are mega-ships with a mind-boggling array of on board amenities, including rock-climbing walls, golf simulators, 10-pin bowling alleys and ice-skating rinks; and there are small, exclusive, boutique-style ships where you will feel the most pampered soul alive. And just about everything in between.

You can visit the high spots of the Mediterranean, Northern Europe and the Caribbean in your ‘mobile resort’, and you can venture to more exotic destinations, like Alaska, Hawaii, the Amazon, Indian Ocean, Australasia and the Far East.

Watch whales leap, flying fish soar and dolphins frolic all from the deck of your chosen cruise ship. Or just chill out on the ultimate luxury of your stateroom’s private balcony, watching the horizon roll by and the silky wake recede into the distance.

For, more than anything else, cruising offers the kind of luxurious holidaymaking you would struggle to find anywhere else, and with far greater convenience and value for money.

Read on to discover our Beginners’ Guide to all that the wide world of cruising has in store...

What kind of cruise should I look for?

Well, what kind of holidays do you enjoy? Are you a true luxury-lover or are you happy to enjoy the more informal kind of convivial, party style resorts? Do you want non-stop action and entertainment or quiet, lazy days in which to chill out and recharge your batteries? Are you looking for a cultural experience, epic scenery or just blissful beaches and water-sports?

They are ALL on offer, and ready to provide the perfect tonic to everyday, landside cares and worries. For, being on a cruise is all about taking you away from the norm and providing an environment of wonderfully stylish relaxation, be it up-tempo or laid back.

There are state-of-the-art Spas and fitness facilities; magnificent theatres with unique, high-energy stage productions; Las Vegas-style casinos; Martini Bars and Champagne Lounges; throbbing discos and elegant dance classes; bridge competitions and quiz nights; entertaining lecture programmes and even educational lessons.

You just need to take your pick from the huge menu of choice which modern cruising lays out for its pampered customers.

Where should I go?

Well, where would you like to go? There are ships sailing to pretty much every maritime destination in the world and there is a veritable A-Z of ports of call, from Alaska to Zanzibar.

The main cruise regions are the Western and Eastern Mediterranean; the year-round sun of the Caribbean; the Baltic Sea and Norwegian fjords; and the Canaries and Madeira.

Then there are regular cruises along the US East Coast, around New England and Canada; the Mexican Riviera; the US West Coast, from San Francisco up to Vancouver and on to Seward in Alaska; the vast reaches of the Pacific Ocean; South America and the amazing Chilean fjords; the Middle East, Red Sea and Suez; and even the polar extremes, from the Arctic Circle to stunning Antarctica.

Your cruise destination is probably your most important choice, so make sure you give it plenty of thought, then weigh up all your options of the cruise lines sailing in the areas you are most interested in.

Our Cruise Consultants at The Cruise Line are experts in all the regions on offer and can advise you exactly of what each one entails and the various range of attractions therein.

And don’t forget you do not need to limit your horizons to ocean-going voyages there is also a huge variety of river cruises to pick from, including the main rivers of Europe, The Nile, China and the Far East and the mighty Mississippi in the USA.

Who should I cruise with?

Good question, and this is where you should seek the most advice and information on the vast array of options waiting to tempt you.

At the last count, there were some 50 mainstream cruise companies all vying for attention, plus another half dozen or so specialising in river voyages. They can put together a fleet of around 200 ships, varying from boutique-style 4,000-tonners carrying just 50 guests to the vast mega-ships of 160,000 tons and 4,000 passengers.

They also vary from the all-American atmosphere of Carnival Cruises and Royal Caribbean International, to the Italian ambience of Mediterranean Shipping Cruises, the German influences of Peter Deilmann Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, and the more conventional British approach of P&O Cruises, Fred. Olsen Cruises, Thomson Cruises, Ocean Village and Island Cruises.

You also need to decide if you are looking for the more energetic style, with plenty of onboard choice, as provided by the bigger ships, or if you want the quieter, more refined approach of the smaller vessels, which tend to do things in more style and feature the true deluxe touch.

This is also where the expert knowledge of The Cruise Line staff comes into play, proving an in-depth breakdown of the choice and advising which line might be the right match for you.

You can also seek out other sources of information to help do your ‘homework’ and take advantage of the great online resources to refine your selection.

Europe’s top magazine on the subject is World of Cruising, which is published quarterly and can also be viewed at www.worldofcruisingmagazine.com. Editor Simon Veness has also written a cruise guide in the Brit’s Guide series called Choosing A Cruise, which is available in most bookshops, plus at www.amazon.co.uk. The best annual guide to cruising is produced by American expert Steven B Stern, who also writes for World of Cruising - called Stern’s Guide to the Cruise Vacation, which is available from www.pelicanpub.com.

Here at The Cruise Line, our experts can also be asked questions in person on the discussion boards of www.cruiselineforum.co.uk, an invaluable resource for everything to do with cruising.

Or simply pick up the phone and call us on 0800 008 6677, and any of our Cruise Consultants will be happy to advise on any aspect of your cruise choice.

How do I choose my cruise accommodation?

This is another important question, as it raises the main difference with selecting a hotel. There is a lot more to choosing your cabin (or stateroom, or suite, as many cruise companies call them) on board a ship, and you need to be aware in advance of this variation in terminology.

While it may, at first glance, seem a rather bewildering choice (and some of the cruise lines don’t help themselves in this aspect by making it seem like an advanced lesson in algebra! Just another reason to stick with the specialist advice of The Cruise Line), the main things to keep in mind are as follows:

Inside or outside: cruise ship accommodation divides, in its most basic form, into two types, outside cabins, i.e. rooms with an outside view, and inside ones, i.e. cabins which have no window or sea view. This is simply a function of the way large ships are built, to use the available internal space. Inside cabins are always cheaper than outside ones and are usually just as comfortable, using clever lighting and mirrors to avoid any feeling of claustrophobia. If the lack of an outside view might bother you, though, make sure you select an outside stateroom.

Balcony or no balcony: if you have selected an outside cabin, your next choice concerns whether to go for the luxury or your own private balcony (or verandah) or not. This often provides a wonderful extra dimension to your voyage (unless you are cruising in wet or cold areas), affording the chance to enjoy the view on your own terms, perhaps with a morning tea or coffee, a pre-dinner drink or even main course dining a deux, a splendid additional possibility on some ships.

Suite or penthouse: while most cabins and staterooms vary very little in terms of their size and facilities, you can move up in terms of onboard accommodations by opting for a suite or penthouse, which provides much more space and amenities. Most will have a separate living room as well as a bedroom, and some feature kitchen and dining facilities. The most elaborate offer additional features such as a grand piano, balcony Jacuzzi, high-tech entertainment centres and wet bars. The more luxurious lines also offer butler service with their top-range accommodations.

How do I understand cruise-speak?

Thankfully, the days of ‘Port Out, Starboard Home’ (or ‘POSH’), bows, sterns, fo’c’sles and poop decks (!) are long gone, but there are still a few terms which are unique to the cruise world and which may catch out the unwary.

We have already mentioned the idea of ‘inside’ and ‘outside’ cabins, but cruise lines also still talk in terms of 'embarkation' and ‘disembarkation’ for the acts of getting on and off ship (and you need to pay attention to the former you don’t want to miss the ship when it sails!).

Your ‘ports of call’ are obviously the different places you visit along the way and, at each one, there will be a range of Shore Excursions to choose from, from gentle bus tours of the port or city to more active pursuits like wind-surfing, kayaking, off-road driving and horse-riding.

In the larger ships, you might also still find the traditional style of Two-Sitting Dining times for evening dinner. This means you will be asked your choice of an early or later time for dinner (usually around 6pm or 8.30pm), and this will be your set time for the main meal each day.

In many instances, you will also find you have set dining companions for the duration of your cruise, as many dining rooms have tables for 4, 6, 8 and even 10, which means that tables for 2 are not always available.

However, this rather formal idea has been largely replaced on the more deluxe cruise ships by an open-seating policy, while even the larger ships now cater for more relaxed dining by providing a huge range of restaurant choice.

In fact, this is one of the greatest advances in cruise style in recent years as the likes of NCL (Norwegian Cruise Line), Princess, Cunard, Celebrity and others have all introduced a variation of flexible dining which allows their guests to choose exactly where they would like to dine, when and with whom.

A good example is NCL’s Freestyle system, which offers guests the choice of up to 10 restaurants on their newest ships, from large, themed dining rooms to small, intimate French boutiques, Italian restaurants and even Japanese Teppanyaki rooms and sushi bars. There is also no fixed dress code, so the old ideas of having to wear jacket and tie are long gone here (although there are still other lines which require formal dress at times).

But isn’t cruising still rather old-fashioned?

After all that we’ve told you so far?! OK, we understand that many first-timers to cruising are still put off by a lot of the old myths and misconceptions, but there really is absolutely no reason to think cruising isn’t for you these days.

No, it isn’t in any way boring or dull - the range of onboard entertainment these days is quite breathtaking, from full Broadway-style stage shows to classical music recitations, and ice-skating exhibitions to open-air movies on massive video screens. Some of the larger ships have more facilities than you will find in many towns.

No, it isn’t just for the elderly and retired - the days when cruising was the preserve of the oldest age group are long gone, as it now attracts the widest possible audience, from young families, couples on honeymoon, singles and those looking to spend their kids’ inheritance!

No, it isn’t at all confining - with a great range of ports of call, multiple options for drinking and dining, superb facilities like big-name Spas, casinos and even snooker tables (specially designed to cater for a ship’s movement), there is never any reason to think a cruise won’t be as exciting as you want to make it.

And no, it isn’t even especially expensive in many instances, as there are cruises to suit all budgets, with some of the mass market cruise lines often working out far better value than a comparable traditional holiday at a beach resort (and more fun, too). Of course, you can go totally upmarket in which case, the six-star lines can offer all the true luxury you will find at the best land-based resorts, and usually more besides.

Can you categorise the cruise types?

OK, fair enough. We have made various mention of ‘small’ or ‘large’ cruise ships, the ‘deluxe’ and ‘party-style’ variety, and the more mainstream and boutique types, so it’s only fair we should conclude our quick Newcomers Guide to Cruising by providing a rough guide to some of the aforementioned types.

Big Ships these are all vessels of 70,000-plus tons, and which feature the widest range of onboard facilities and amenities, with a more resort-style and atmosphere. They include Carnival Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Cunard Line, Costa Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, NCL (Norwegian Cruise Line), P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean and the newest ships of Holland America Line.

Small Ships these are more in the 5,000-50,000-ton range, with fewer facilities but a higher degree of service, more luxurious accommodations and the finest food. They include African Safari Club, American Safari Cruises, Bora Bora Cruises, Hebridean International Cruises, Peter Deilmann Cruises, Majestic America Lines, North Star Cruises, Oceania Cruises, Orion Expedition Cruises, Regent Seven Seas, ResidenSea, Seabourn Cruise Line, SeaDream Yacht Club, Silversea Cruises and Windstar Cruises, plus two ships of Princess Cruises.

American Ships the following lines all primarily cater for US customers and feature a notably American onboard style; American Safari Cruises, Azamara Cruises, Carnival, Celebrity, Clipper Cruise Line, Crystal, Disney, Holland America Line, Majestic America Line, NCL, Oceania Cruises, Princess, Regent Seven Seas, Royal Caribbean, Seabourn, SeaDream, Star Clippers and Windstar.

European Ships the following have either a British or Continental flavour: African Safari Club, Costa Cruises (in the Mediterranean; more American elsewhere), easyCruise, Peter Deilmann, Explorer Cruises, Fred. Olsen Cruise Line, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Hebridean International, Hurtigruten (Norwegian Coastal Voyage), Island Cruises, MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Cruises), Ocean Village, P&O Cruises, Saga Cruises, Silversea Cruises, Swan Hellenic, Thomson Cruises.

River Cruises this selection all specialise in river cruises in various parts of the world: Amadeus Waterways, Peter Deilmann Cruises, European Waterways, Uniworld, Majestic America Line, Orient Express Cruises and Viking River Cruises.

Deluxe Cruises the true, six-star luxury style is offered by only a handful of operators: Amadeus Waterways, Crystal Cruises, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Peter Deilmann Cruises, Hebridean International, Regent Seven Seas, ResidenSea, Seabourn, SeaDream and Silversea.

Boutique Cruises these encompass smaller, individual ships which offer more distinctive cruises although not necessarily in the six-star range: African Safari Club, Azamara Cruises, Clipper Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Bora Bora Cruises, Saga Cruises, Star Clippers, Swan Hellenic and Windstar Cruises.

Adventure Cruises this final group all feature a distinctive adventuring style which offers the ‘something different’ factor and don’t readily fit into any rating category: Abercrombie & Kent, Clipper Cruise Line, Discovery World Cruises, Explorer Cruises, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Hurtigruten (Norwegian Coastal Voyage), Indian Ocean Cruises, Lindblad Expeditions, Orion Expedition Cruises, North Star Cruises, St Helena Cruises and Noble Caledonia.