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
Cruise Basics
How cruises work from the start: what a fare covers, how ship size shapes a trip, and how cruising compares with other holidays before you book.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.