New to Cruise

Angela Marshall on 10 August 2018
Last month I went on my first ship visit on the MSC Magnifica in Southampton. It was a very informative day involving some training on the MSC routes and fleet, a tour of the ship’s lounges, restaurants, pools, spa area and cabins followed by a well-earned lunch.

I signed up for my ship visit after a cruise training evening in Greenwich. I have only been on one cruise before, many years ago with Carnival from Miami to Bahamas, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from today’s cruises. I am keen to expand my cruise product knowledge and experience more ships.

The cruise experience varies dramatically depending on the ship and style of cruising you opt for. Holidays including a cruise are increasing in popularity as cruise lines become more inventive with their facilities and services on board and ashore. Because cruises are generally all-inclusive, it’s a fantastic way to budget for a family holiday and for the adventurous types who love exploring lots of places on a trip, this way you only need to unpack once! There really is a cruise ship and itinerary for everyone.

Firstly, think about whether the ship or the destinations are most important to you.

Some clients recently returned from a Norwegian Fjords cruise. The Fjords had been on their bucket list for a while, so I helped them to find the best itinerary and a ship to suit their style and budget.

How long do you want to go for? For your first ever cruise, you might not want to risk spending 14 days at sea. Luckily plenty of cruise lines now offer two to five-night itineraries, for example Cunard’s city break cruises departing from Southampton and heading to Hamburg, Amsterdam, Bruges and more.

What kind of atmosphere would suit you? Some cruises still have the formal dress codes which are strictly adhered to, so if you don’t want to do the whole black-tie/cocktail dress thing then steer away from those. Many others have a ‘Captain’s Night’, which is still smart but not as formal or strict, so you can enjoy getting dressed up but don’t have to worry too much.

What about where you sleep? Think about how much time you’ll be spending in your cabin, and whether you will find it good value for money to have the top- grade ocean view and balcony or whether you’d rather spend your time elsewhere and go for a budget inside cabin.

And what you like to eat? Think whether you would be happy with set dining times or prefer to eat whenever you want. Do you prefer a fine dining experience on your holiday or the all you can eat buffet? A few operators offer drinks packages and often the earlier you book, the better the deal you get so the drinks packages might be included for free.

Keeping busy on board. Norwegian/MSC/Disney and Royal Caribbean ships are family-focused and have lots of fun things on board including ice skating, rock climbing and water parks to name a few. If it’s just the two of you then perhaps look at Celebrity Cruises or Holland America.

So, you’ve decided you want to try a cruise. You might know exactly where you want to go and what kind of ship you want to sail on, or you might have no idea where to begin. Whether it’s a boutique river cruise, 2 weeks sailing the Caribbean on a family-friendly adventure or something further afield and more obscure, that’s where I come in to match your perfect cruise to you.

If you’d like copy of our new Voyage magazine to inspire you, please get in touch.