How to Choose a Cruise Line and Cruise

All cruise lines are different. Some offer structured dinners, while others advertise themselves as freestyle cruises. Some cruises are family friendly and affordable while others are pricey and exclusive. It's important to choose a cruise line that works for you because otherwise you will not be happy with your vacation choice. So, choose wisely, and select a cruise line that works for you.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. First, only research cruises within your price range. We all may want to take a Crystal Cruise, but those cruises are significantly more expensive than a Carnival, Princess or Norwegian cruise.

2. Decide where you want your cruise ship to depart from, and where you'd like to go. Certain cruise lines leave from certain seaports, so if you want to skip the airplane flight and leave from somewhere close to home, research what cruise lines leave from near your location.
   
   Most cruise line websites have search features where you can search by month, destination and port. This is the best way to determine whether a cruise line even has a cruise with the specifications that you are looking for.

3. Decide whether you are looking for an upscale cruise or a fun cruise. For upscale cruises, research Crystal Cruises and Silversea Cruises. For fun cruises, try Carnival, Princess, Royal Carribbean or Norwegian.

4. If you are bringing children on the cruise, make sure it is kid friendly. Many cruise lines offer events for kids and teens. Or, you can choose a child themed cruise like a Disney cruise, which are sure to please children (and adults) of all ages.

5. Are you interested in a structured cruise or a freestyle one? Most cruise lines are relatively structured: choose your dinner time, eat then, and schedule other events around that. However, cruise lines like Norwegian feature freestyle cruising, which allows you to choose when you eat.

6. Think about amenities. Do you need a great spa? Fun excursions? Whatever your preference, you'll find the cruise for you, but it may take some research.

7. Consider a theme cruise, if that is your style. With this, you won't get to choose your cruise line (since the theme will have already chosen that), but you're likely to meet others with similar interests to your own. Cruises like this include music cruises and lifestyle cruises.

8. Think about days on the boat versus days spent docked at ports. If you want a lot of adventure, choose a ship that has a lot of days docked. For a relaxing cruise, consider a cruise that spends more days at sea.

Resources

• About.com - Cruise Info

[jenng]

on 6/21/2009 Great article 5*