How to Book Your First Cruise

For the two decades before 2020, we took between one and five cruises a year. Obviously, we haven't cruised for the past year, and probably won't real soon. But I am waiting anxiously for the vaccine to get widespread coverage so we can book another one. If you are looking to book your first one, this article will help.

I remember our first cruise. It was in the early ’90s, and my only knowledge of cruising was The Love Boat. It didn’t seem like something I would enjoy. But my wife wanted to try one and brought home some brochures. I looked through them with her, and, to be honest, I was impressed. It looked like it might be a very cool thing to do.

So we went out to book a cruise.

We stopped by some small strip-center travel agency, walked in, and told the lady, we wanted a cruise. We showed her our brochure, gave her the ship and itinerary we wanted, asked her to book it. She turned to the price page, showed us how much it cost, and asked if that was okay.

Sure, we said. Book it.

And she did. Looking back, I have to wonder, did she lock the door and do a little dance after we left? She had just sold a completely undiscounted, rack rate, full-price on a 7-day cruise. Probably never done that before or since.

Now, twenty-five years and sixty-plus cruises later, I think we’ve learned a thing or two about cruising. So this will be the first of what I hope to be a long series of articles about cruises, ships, itineraries, ports, and anything else related to the cruising lifestyle. I hope you’ll come along for the ride.

Should You Even Consider A Cruise?

Obviously, we like them, but that doesn’t mean they are right for everyone. There are a few things you need to think about before you book your first cruise. Most of these are misconceptions but are worth noting before you choose a cruise.

Seasickness — You don’t want to spend the week in your cabin with the heaves. My wife gets seasick, and she has never had more than a slight problem. Sometimes, she wears a patch. Sometimes, she takes motion sickness pills. Mostly, she is just fine. But if you just can’t stand to be on the water, well, why are you reading this article?

Claustrophobia — I’m really selling it, aren’t I? Some people don’t want to cruise because they are afraid that it is claustrophobic. It is anything but. The only advice I would give you is never to book an inside cabin. But if your claustrophobia, or agoraphobia, for that matter, is severe, cruising may not be for you.

Rigid Schedules — Nope. Doesn’t happen. I know cruisers that sit down with the calendar and plan every second of every day. Others sleep in, wander to the pool, and never move. You can do a lot or nothing. It’s up to you. You can eat on a schedule if you want to, but there are no longer rigid agendas on when to eat. Don’t get me wrong. There are schedules. If Bingo is at three, and you want to play Bingo, then you have to show up at three. Or not. Up to you.

Formal Dress — Not this either. Do you want to put on a tux or evening dress for dinner? Then that is perfectly acceptable, and no one will care. But you don’t have to, even on what was formerly known as formal night. They’ve renamed them, so they don’t sound quite so stiff. If you want to go casual, think Denny’s rather than Burger King, and you will be fine.

Booking Your First Cruise

When we booked our first cruise, the Internet was still mostly for geeks like me, the first web browser had just been invented, and there were less than 1,000 websites.

And none of them sold cruises.

In today’s world, you can do anything online and often should. From researching cruises and itineraries to reading fantastic articles like this one, to actually booking and paying for the cruise can all be online.

But hold up a minute, Captain.

There are still times when actual humans can be useful. I know, I don’t like it either, but read on just a bit.

Sure, research the destinations, ports, and cruise ships online. You need to at least narrow down, if not select, your ideal cruise. This would be a good time to talk about cruise lines. You’ve heard all the stories, and probably have ideas about some of the different cruise lines.

For the most part, those ideas are wrong.

After dozens of cruises on half a dozen different lines, I can tell you this. 80% of the experience is the same on all of them. And the other 20% has more to do with the crew than the cruise line. Carnival isn’t always a party boat, and Holland America isn’t always older people. So think more about where you want to go and other variables than just about the ship. If you want to play it safe, choose Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, NCL, or Princess.

Once you have most everything decided, you can, of course, find a site, including the cruise ship’s website and book it online.

But wait. There’s more.

Before you do that, I want you to talk to a cruise-only travel agent.

But wait. There’s more.

Before you do that, I want you to go to visit two more websites.

• Cruise Compete
• Cruise Fish

You should visit both of these sites before ever cruise you take. Every one. Cruise Compete is free, and there is a nominal charge for Cruise Fish. They both do similar things, but slightly differently.

In Cruise Compete, you enter your cruise information. It will send this out to dozens of cruise agents who will then bid on your trip. Don’t get too excited. Prices are pretty much fixed, but there are things they can do to save you money. Larger agencies will buy group space on popular cruises at a discount and will pass that discount on to you. Don’t worry, this in no way obligates you to be part of any group. The other things they can offer are perks and amenities. This can be above and beyond the perks already provided by the cruise line. For instance, maybe the cruise line gives you $100 shipboard credit. The agent may match that or go even higher. We have sailed with totals exceeding $500 in shipboard credit. (More about this in a future article. Stay tuned.)

Cruise Fish monitors your cruise and will give you an alert if there is a price drop. Your agent should, and probably will follow this, but a safety net is always useful. This is another reason to use an agent. It’s much easier to get them to get you that new price than to have to wrangle with an operator at the cruise line.

If you use Cruise Compete, then you want to use the agent that gave you the best deal with one caveat. Make sure they have a good reputation. Almost all of them are fine but do some homework. This brings us to one more website I want you to use, favorite, star, underline, and bookmark.

Cruise Critic

This is the end-all, do all, final word, and best source of information. They not only have accumulated a wealth of information, but their forums are full of people just like you. You can find almost anything, and if you can’t, just ask. In fact, you will likely meet people who either just went on the same cruise you went on and can answer questions or will be on the same sailing as you. This can be very useful, and we will talk about that in the aforementioned future article. Anyway, vet your agent on that site.

If you didn’t use Cruise Compete, the two agencies we use about 90% of the time are Crucon and Cruises and More.

Now that you have a cruise and a travel agent, spend some time on the phone with them. They are very knowledgeable. They will walk you through everything and not only help you get the best deal but the best cabin. Do you want to be safe from seasickness, then a cabin in the middle down low is best. Do you want to be steps away from the action or the food, then you want something higher up. Are you traveling with kids, they can help you pick the right cabin. Are you going with friends you want to spend a lot of time with, they can find you a connecting room, perhaps even one that works as a mini-suite.

Do your research, find an itinerary, and talk to a reputable agent. Booking your first cruise will take some time. But the more time you spend now, the more you are going to enjoy your first sailing. After that, each one gets a little easier.

If you enjoyed this article, please consider dropping me a tip below. I need to book my first cruise in over a year! Thanks for reading.