A cruise can be an all-encompassing vacation. Onboard a cruise ship, you’ll have absolutely everything you need to relax, indulge, and enjoy yourself – from pools to shore excursions to exquisite meals to stage shows and so much more. And if you search online, you can easily find a wide selection of different kinds of cruises to take.
But choosing and booking a cruise can be confusing. How do you know which cruise is the best for your next vacation? Search online today to begin comparing different cruises, cruise lines, and cruise destinations.
If you’re wondering what steps to take to book the perfect cruise, check out these tips.
Pick Your Cruise Line
One of the first choices you need to make in booking a cruise vacation is which cruise line you’ll travel on. Each cruise line is unique, and each offers different destination choices, onboard dining and entertainment, and even a different vibe for your vacation.
You’ll want to consider the different cruise lines and what their style or vacation approach is like. Do you want to take a family vacation with young kids? Are you a retiree looking to see the world? Is your primary goal to indulge in dining and luxury? There’s a cruise line for each of these needs.
The following are a few different kinds of cruise lines and the companies that fit within each category.
Contemporary Cruise Lines
Contemporary cruise lines are ideal for young adults and families. These cruise lines are huge, with some of the world’s largest ships in their fleets. And they provide a wide array of amenities, entertainment choices, and on- and off-ship activities.
Popular contemporary cruise lines include lines like Carnival, Aida, and P & O Cruises.
Upscale Contemporary Cruise Lines
Like contemporary cruise lines, upscale contemporary cruise lines offer a ton of different amenities, activities, and things to enjoy while out at sea. The cruise ships are large and designed to have a little something for everyone. However, upscale contemporary cruise lines also feature finer amenities and more little luxuries in everything from the food onboard to the individual cabins.
Upscale contemporary cruise lines are a great choice for families, teens, kids, and any travelers who want to enjoy plenty of activities while on vacation. Popular cruise lines within this category include Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, and Viking Ocean Cruises.
Premium Cruise Lines
Premium cruise lines cater to travelers who are looking for specific vacation destinations or specific kinds of cruises. These ships are large, but not as large as contemporary vessels, and they tend to offer more luxurious accommodations, dining, and service. These cruises also include unique amenities and activities, like fine dining, wine and spa activities, and sophisticated experiences.
Popular premium cruise lines include Celebrity, Disney, Holland America, and Princess.
River Cruises
River cruises don’t hit the open seas – instead, they travel down the world’s rivers and stop at cities. You can dock at port and walk right into town on a river cruise. The ships are smaller and can accommodate between 30 and 200 passengers, and you can visit less common destinations. River cruises are excellent for anyone who wants a sophisticated cruise, seasoned travelers, and those who want to be immersed in the ports they visit.
Ultra-Premium Cruise Lines
Also called luxury cruise lines, ultra-premium cruise lines offer the best of the best you can get at sea. These smaller cruise ships are more intimate, and they offer unique vacation destinations and travel itineraries. They tend to travel to less popular ports and cater solely to passengers who want exceptional service and the utmost in luxury while on vacation. They are some of the most expensive cruises available. Ultra-premium cruises are best for adults, seasoned travelers, and those who want a vacation focused on premium attention to detail.
Popular cruise lines that fall into this category include Cunard Line, Oceania, and Windstar.
Do Research Before Picking Your Cabin
After you decide where you want to travel and which cruise line you’d like to go with, it’s time to think about your accommodations.
Everyone gets a cabin or stateroom on a cruise ship. However, just like a hotel, different rooms on different floors of the ship come with different advantages and disadvantages. Some rooms will put you far from the activity onboard, some include outdoor spaces like balconies, and some are bigger than others. So, in order to choose the right room for your needs, you’ll need to do some research.
A single cruise ship can have as many as 37 different kinds of cabins onboard. There are three main categories, however: inside, outside, and balcony.
Inside cabins are the smallest, most basic kind of room. They have room for up to four people, and they’re on the lowest levels of the ship. They typically don’t include windows. But these are also often the most affordable rooms onboard.
Outside cabins, which can also be called oceanview cabins, have windows that look out at sea. They can come in different sizes and layouts, and they may have room for more passengers. These cabins are often located in the ship’s middle floors.
Balcony cabins are the largest, most spacious cabins on any ship. They feature a balcony that you can sit or stand on, more space for passengers, and roomier quarters. They often include couches and other lounge furniture. Some balcony cabins are also suites, which are luxurious and even larger in size. These, of course, are often the most expensive.
Decide How You’d Like to Book Your Cruise
Once you’ve picked a type of cruise, stateroom, and cruise line you want to travel with, it’s time to actually start the process of booking your cruise. And there are a number of different ways you can do this.
You can book a cruise on your own or enlist professional help. You can complete the process online or in-person. You can book your cruise early or late. It’s entirely up to you. Each booking method offers different benefits and disadvantages, and you can learn more about those below.
Book With a Travel Agent
Travel agents are experts at booking cruise vacations. They know the ins and outs of the cruise industry, which means they offer a wealth of valuable expertise – and a travel agent can be particularly helpful for first-time cruise travelers. A travel agent can help you find the perfect cruise and will give you access to deals only available to these agents. They’ll even help you troubleshoot anything that goes wrong with your vacation. However, some travel agents only work with certain cruise lines or companies. They may want to sell you on certain cruises for their own benefits.
Book Directly With a Cruise Line
Once you’ve picked the cruise line you want to sail with, you can actually handle the booking process yourself directly with that company. You can either call the cruise line or use their website to directly book your cruise itinerary, your shore excursions, and your cabin. This is an easy way to book your vacation, and you’ll be able to take advantage of deals cruise lines offer online. However, if you’re new to cruising, it can be confusing.
Book Via an Online Travel Site
Discount travel sites offer cruises online, and they make it very easy to book a cruise yourself. You can browse different cruise lines, cruise itineraries, and cruise lengths. And these travel sites often offer exclusive deals and discounts if you book with them. However, it’s important to know that while you might save money, you may miss out on a good stateroom, packages offered by the cruise lines, and even additional discounts or savings.
Search Online for Discounts and Deals
Lastly, before you make things official and go through with booking a cruise, take the time to search online for discounts and deals. It’s possible to score a deal like a $299 cruise or a luxury cruise vacation for 75 percent off – but you need to search for these incredible savings to find them.
Many cruise lines offer their latest discounts, deals, and package offers online. So, search online to see what your favorite cruise line is offering. These deals can change often, particularly as sailing dates draw closer. If you keep searching for discounts, you can jump on the best deals you find.
You should also search for and monitor pricing after booking your cruise. Cruise prices will change before you sail, so it’s in your best interest to keep searching for and comparing deals. And if you find your same cruise for a lower price while searching online, you could get some money back.