Cruise Basics
A beginner's guide to your first cruise
A first-time cruiser's map of how a cruise trip fits together, from choosing a route, ship and cabin to understanding the costs and booking the details.
The collection
All articles
Browse the full article collection by subject.
Cruise Basics
Booking a cruise: which decisions to make first
A step-by-step order for making cruise booking decisions, starting with budget and dates, then route, ship and cabin, so each choice narrows the next one sensibly.
Packing and Preparation
Carry-on essentials for embarkation day
What to keep in your carry-on for embarkation day, including documents, medication, a change of clothes and chargers, because checked bags often arrive hours later.
Shore Excursions
Checklist before going ashore at a cruise port
A checklist to run through before you leave the ship at a port, covering documents, local money, the all-aboard time and the contact details to carry with you.
Cabins and Staterooms
Choosing a cabin category: inside, outside, balcony or suite
Inside, outside, balcony and suite cabins differ in natural light, private outdoor space, floor area and price. Match the category to how much time you will spend in the room.
Shore Excursions
Choosing a shore excursion that fits your pace
How to match a shore excursion to your pace by reading activity ratings, distance, terrain, heat and group size before you book a tour at a cruise port.
Choosing Itineraries
Choosing ports of call that match your interests
Start with the activities you care about, then check each port's distance from the pier, its opening hours and whether its main attractions are within reach on foot.
Cruise Basics
Common mistakes when booking a cruise
The most common cruise booking errors, including comparing headline fares, overlooking travel to the port, choosing a cabin by its name and forgetting costs that appear later.
Cabins and Staterooms
Common mistakes when picking a stateroom
Avoid the most common stateroom mistakes: blocked views, rooms beside busy service areas, guessed room sizes and guarantee fares that leave the room to chance.
Packing and Preparation
Common packing mistakes on a cruise
The common packing mistakes on a cruise, including overpacking, forgetting chargers, choosing unsuitable shoes, bringing too many formal outfits and packing restricted items.
Cruise Basics
Comparing a cruise with a land-based holiday
A practical comparison of cruise and land-based vacations on cost, pace, logistics and flexibility, with a simple test to see which style fits how you travel.
Cruise Budgeting
Deciding whether a drink package is worth buying
A drink package pays off only when your real drinking covers its daily price. Learn how to estimate your drinks, compare per-drink prices and check the terms before buying.
Life on Board
Dining times and seating on a cruise explained
Learn how fixed and flexible dining work on a cruise ship, how to choose between them and how to ask for a change to your dining time or table.
Life on Board
Dress codes on a cruise: what to plan for
Learn the common cruise dress code categories, where to find a sailing's formal nights before you pack, and how to plan outfits for evenings, port days and cool indoor areas.
Life on Board
Getting around a large cruise ship without wasting time
Move around a big cruise ship faster by learning the deck layout, choosing the right elevator or stairs, reading signs and avoiding the busiest times.
Cabins and Staterooms
Getting good cabin value without sacrificing location
Save on a cruise cabin without giving up a good spot by setting location priorities first, choosing the best-placed room in the cheapest suitable category and checking the booking terms.
Cruise Budgeting
Gratuities on a cruise and when to plan for them
Learn how cruise gratuities are usually added, when you can change or pay them in advance, and when cash tips for tours or drivers are worth planning for.
Choosing Itineraries
How long should a first cruise be?
For most first-time cruisers, five to seven nights gives a fair test of cruising. Shorter sailings suit a trial run, while longer ones fit travelers who already know they like ships.
Shore Excursions
How much time you really have in port
The time in the port schedule is not the time you can spend ashore. Subtract clearance delays, the trip from the pier and your own margin before all-aboard to find your window.
Life on Board
How the daily schedule works on a cruise ship
A typical sea day follows a daily program, announcements and a few fixed events. Learn how to read the schedule and build a routine that leaves time to rest.
Choosing Itineraries
How to judge whether a cruise route suits you
A practical way to tell whether a cruise route fits you, weighing trip length, pace, season, region and ports against your must-haves and dealbreakers.
Cabins and Staterooms
How to read a cruise ship deck plan
Reading a deck plan means starting with the legend, finding the bow and stern, decoding deck and cabin numbers and judging a room's shape and window.
Life on Board
Internet access and phone use at sea
Learn the three ways phones connect at sea, why the ship's own mobile network can cost the most, and which offline steps to take before you sail.
Packing and Preparation
Packing checklist for a cruise
A category by category packing checklist for a cruise covering clothing, toiletries, electronics, a day bag and cabin items, with notes on what to check first.
Packing and Preparation
Packing light for a cruise with several ports
How to pack light for a cruise with several ports by building a mix-and-match wardrobe, layering for changing weather and carrying one dependable day bag.
Shore Excursions
Planning a full day ashore without rushing back
Plan a full day in port by working backward from your return time, dividing the day into timed blocks and keeping a buffer for delays and transport problems.
Cabins and Staterooms
Questions to ask about accessible cabins before booking
Before booking an accessible cabin, confirm the measurements, bathroom features, port and tender arrangements and get every answer from the cruise line in writing.
Choosing Itineraries
Sea days or port days: how to find the right balance
How sea days and port days shape a cruise, who sea-heavy and port-heavy itineraries suit best and a simple way to find the balance that fits your energy and interests.
Choosing Itineraries
Seasonal changes in a cruise route
How the time of year changes a cruise route, covering regional weather, storm seasons, crowds at popular ports and shoulder periods with milder conditions and fewer visitors.
Cruise Budgeting
Setting a cruise budget before you book
Set a cruise budget as a total for the whole trip. Build a worksheet of fixed costs, estimate daily variable costs and add a contingency before you commit to a sailing.
Cruise Basics
Ship size: what it changes about a cruise
How ship size changes crowds, onboard venues, the ports a ship can reach, the feel of the sea and the kind of trip each size suits best.
Shore Excursions
Ship tours or exploring on your own: which suits you
Compare ship tours with exploring on your own on return guarantees, cost, pace and planning effort, so you can choose the right option for each port you visit.
Life on Board
Shipboard manners for first-time cruisers
Learn the everyday manners that keep shared cruise spaces pleasant, from sensible dress and lines to buffet habits, dining room conduct and quiet zones.
Shore Excursions
Tender ports and docking: what each means for your day
What a tender port means for your day, covering tender tickets, boarding queues, the last tender and sea conditions, and how tendering differs from docking at a pier.
Cruise Budgeting
The extra costs that add up on a cruise
Cruise fares leave out onboard purchases, port-day spending and payment costs. Learn where these costs appear and how to estimate them before you sail.
Packing and Preparation
Travel documents and paperwork for a cruise
Which travel documents a cruise usually needs, how to check passport validity and visa rules, how closed-loop trips differ, and how to keep copies of your papers safe.
Cruise Basics
What a cruise fare includes and what it leaves out
A practical guide to what a cruise fare typically covers, the charges usually added separately, and how to compare quoted prices with the real total you pay.
Choosing Itineraries
When an overnight port stay is worth choosing
An overnight port stay adds evening time ashore and a quieter harbor after day visitors leave, but it replaces a sea day or a port call. Learn how to judge whether it is worth it.
Cabins and Staterooms
Where to position a cabin to limit motion and noise
Midship cabins on lower or middle decks feel the least motion. Learn how engine areas, public venues and crew spaces affect noise, and what to check on the deck plan.
Cruise Budgeting
Working out the true cost of two cruises
Compare two cruises on total cost, not fare alone. Put both prices on the same basis, list what each leaves out and compare the cost per night before you choose.