How to Select a Large or Small Cruise Ship

Depending on your travel preferences, budget, and destination, it's a good idea to evaluate what size cruise ship you would like to enjoy for your cruise vacation. Smaller cruise ships will offer a cozy feel, and you'll get to meet and socialize with almost everyone on board. These are great for group trips and family excursions since you'll be able to spend lots of quality time together. Larger cruise ships are great for couples and singles because they let you enjoy a full-fledged hotel-style experience; you'll still get to meet people, but there's plenty of room onboard for concerts, casinos, restaurants and other activities.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Select Your Favorite Features

1. Pull together brochures, posters and other tangible materials about each cruise line.
2. Visit the cruise line's Web site for details on the different fleet sizes available.
3. Take notes. Jot down three to four highlights of each cruise line.
4. Distinguish between the size and focus of each ship.
5. Identify the small boutique ships. These are great for exotic itineraries and intimate atmospheres.
6. Look at the mid-size ships, a good match for first time cruisers because they are casual with a "resort" feel.
7. Find the resort extra large ships. These offer round-the-clock entertainment and a resort-style atmosphere.
8. Consider the extra extra large resort ships, which offer complete dance clubs, swimming pools, miniature golf and fine dining.
9. Identify the premium and luxury ships. These have anything and everything, and are akin to luxury hotels in service and amenities with plenty of activities onboard.

Identify Activities You Want

10. List the activities you want to enjoy during your vacation.
11. Prioritize what is most important to you during the cruise.
12. Keep in mind that most small ships focus on the docking destination for the highlights of the trip. Larger ships focus on the onboard entertainment.
13. Match up your choices with each cruise line's offerings.

Traveling Alone or with a Group?

14. Determine how many people you are vacationing with.
15. Learn about each cruise line's policy on booking rooms at the same time. Find out if you can book rooms close together, or if you will need to settle for "random" placement.
16. Know that it will be easier to find your vacation-mates on a smaller ship.
17. Match up your preferences with each style of ship.

Think About Space

18. Learn about your cruise ship's statesman rooms and cabins. These can vary in size, amenities and features considerably by cruise line.
19. If you are traveling with a group, find out how many passengers the room can accommodate. Smaller ships will have limited space, while larger ships will offer many amenities and accommodate more than four passengers.

Make Your Selection!

20. Review your notes about each cruise line.
21. Prioritize your needs, activities and group sizes.
22. Book your selected cruise!

Tips & Warnings

• Visit customer recommendation Web sites such as TripAdvisor for firsthand reviews on your selected cruise line.
• Prioritizing your goals of the vacation and balancing your budget are critical elements during your selection process.
• Identify your ship's cabin sizes by requesting floor plans and maps during your research.

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