- Select a destination (e.g., Alaska or Greece) or a region of the globe you want to “try on” without committing an entire vacation to (e.g., the Mediterranean or Western Caribbean). A cruise is a great opportunity to experience a location in order to decide if you want to return for a longer stay. Visit sites such as CruiseCritic.com and the cruise line websites to read reviews on cruise ports, excursions, ship sizes, ship’s amenities, and so on.
- Determine the number of days (e.g., 5-days or 7-days) for the preferred duration of the cruise. If you are unsure how you will do on the ocean for a week, consider taking a shorter cruise. If you want to cruise longer than a week, some people will book back-to-back weeks on the same ship, but with two different weekly itineraries.
- Select the departure date(s) that will work for you. Many cruise itineraries depart on Saturday or Sunday, allowing for travel time to the port of call. Cruises are often more expensive during high seasons (e.g., natural school and holiday breaks) and less expensive in the off seasons. By researching the departure and itinerary dates online, you can also review the base prices of the various cabin configurations. This is helpful for when you communicate with your local travel agent or work directly through the cruise company’s website.
- Review the itineraries for the days you have selected and consider how many days you will be at sea and the number of ports of call. Some 7-day cruises are in port 5 or 6 of the scheduled days and only 1-2 days at sea, while others visit 3-4 ports and are at sea another 3-4. We have cruised both schedules and would recommend either.
5. Connect with a travel professional to help you with the final booking. We prefer to go through local travel agents, but have also booked through the cruise line’s websites. Similarly, we have purchased air and hotel through the travel agent and also through Southwest (love them and their free baggage allowances) and Expedia. Both tactics have worked well. One tip that we would offer is to arrive the afternoon or evening before the departure date of the cruise. We know of other travelers who have missed their day-of-departure flights due to snow storms and traffic jams. Another suggestion we would make is to purchase the early boarding option (and to prepay the gratuities) – Carnival calls it “Faster to the Fun” and most cruise lines have something similar for a fee. Do some research and read reviews of other passengers who have opted in for a rapid entry. Either way, the cruise lines have made embarkation fairly simple and smooth. 
BONUS – If you have plans to combine a theme park vacation with a cruise and have never cruised before, we recommend enjoying the theme parks before sailing. We have cruised first and then disembarked to drive to the theme parks for the second portion of the vacation and found that motion sickness has a tendency to develop when we still feel like the world is rocking from side to side. If you are cruising first, check with your healthcare professional to see if anti-motion sickness medications (e.g., Dramamine) or other treatments (e.g., sea bands or essential oils) might be helpful. Above all – have an amazing trip!
We hope that these tips provide some guidance for first-time cruisers and that veteran cruisers are able to take away some ideas to consider. Regardless of the type of cruise vacation you book, we wish you many memorable walks both on the ship and in port! Happy Walking!