New to Cruising

First cruise

Looking to go on your first cruise? Last year around 11 million people enjoyed a holiday at sea making cruising the travel industry’s brightest star. So let us be your cruise guide and explain what to expect during your cruise. Cruising offers incredible value when compared to land-based holidays with one fare including your cabin, meals and all of your on board activities and entertainment. You will also get to see a whole host of wonderful destinations on one itinerary, waking up to a new port of call almost every day whilst only having to unpack once.

Cruise guide

If it’s your first cruise then it is important to know that cruises are suitable for everyone - singles, couples, families and honeymooners alike. With us as your cruise guide you can choose from facility-packed superliners where the action never stops, to small, relaxing ships where the on board atmosphere is similar to that of a private club. Activities and Kid’s Clubs on board are tailored to various age groups and mostly included in the price.

Who are Cruises for?

Cruises are suitable for everyone - singles, couples, families and honeymooners alike. You can choose from facility-packed superliners where the action never stops, to small, relaxing ships where the onboard atmosphere is similar to that of a private club. Activities and Kid’s Clubs onboard are tailored to various age groups and mostly included in the price.

Types of Cruises

There are a number of different cruise holiday types to choose from for your first cruise. There are fly-cruises which include flying abroad to meet up with your ship in its embarkation port or if you don’t like flying, more and more cruise lines are now basing ships in UK ports such as Southampton, Dover and Harwich and sailing to such destinations as the Mediterranean, Baltics, Norwegian Fjords and Caribbean.

Additionally a number of cruise lines offer short break cruises, which are ideal for people who are new to cruising to test the water and with us as your cruise guide, we just know that you’ll want to go again and again. Cruise and Stay holidays offer the best of both worlds, combining your cruise with a beach or city stay ashore.

Cruise Durations

Cruises vary in duration from 2 night short breaks to 7-14 night holidays to ultra-long 100 night or more world voyages.

Incredible Value

Cruising is great value and is relatively inexpensive compared to other types of holidays. One price usually includes accommodation, 24-hour meals and snacks, nightly entertainment and most onboard activities, plus flights and transfers where applicable.

Multiple Destinations

There is such an exciting and wide choice of ships and itineraries available with over 300 ships, 1800 ports of call and an unbelievable array of places to see around the globe. You’ll visit new destinations almost every day of your cruise, and best of all, you’ll only have to unpack once as you take your hotel room with you!

Cruise Ships

There is a enormous range of cruise ships to choose from to suit all requirements - from large superliners carrying up to 4,000 passengers to small more intimate yacht-like cruisers carrying just 200 privileged guests. Onboard you’ll find an amazing range of facilities and amenities from state-of-the-art fitness centres and spas to nightly entertainment and casinos plus an incredible range of formal and casual dining venues. With the latest influx of ships, revolutionary innovations include such novelties as grass lawns, rock-climbing walls, ice rinks and surf simulators.

Dress Code

The dress code onboard really depends on the cruise line that you choose to cruise with. The daytime dress code is always casual ie. swimwear, sundresses, shorts, t-shirts, however, evening dress codes vary. Most cruise lines assign daily evening dress codes, which are usually one of three styles - Casual, Informal or Formal and generally applies in restaurants and most public rooms from 6pm onwards. Basically, formal means tuxedos and cocktail dresses, Informal means an open shirt and trousers for men and dresses for ladies whilst Casual means more or less anything goes, within reason. If you would rather not dress up you can always dine in one of the alternative dining venues where the dress code does not apply. With modern trends towards more casual cruising some cruise lines are abandoning dress codes completely to give you a more freestyle cruising experience.

Your Accommodation

Accommodation prices are charged according to the cabin size and its location on the ship. For instance, the higher the deck, the more you will generally pay. Inside cabins are the cheapest and with no window or view. Outside cabins have either a porthole window or a large picture window whilst Balcony cabins offer window doors which open out onto your own veranda. All have en-suite facilities and are serviced daily. The highest grade of accommodation onboard is a Suite. They’re incredibly spacious and offer the ultimate indulgence and often include your very own personal butler.

Dining

Although a growing number of cruise lines are now offering open seat dining, meaning you can turn up to eat when you like, most cruise ships have a main restaurant with fixed early and late sittings where you’ll be seated with fellow passengers each night. Many ships also have speciality restaurants with menus often designed by celebrity chefs such as Marco Pierre White, Gary Rhodes and James Martin, but there may be an additional charge for these venues.

Shore Excursions

The cruise lines organise a selection of optional excursions at each port of call. They have been specifically designed to enrich your time fully whilst in port so often are the best way to see the destinations you visit. In addition you will get a tour guide, transfers if required, and you can relax in the knowledge that they’ll get you back to the ship on time, whereas if you choose to go ashore on your own and are late back to the ship, it won’t wait, and you will have to find your own way to the next port.

Currency on board

Cash is never used onboard cruise ships. When you first check-in you will be issued with a Ship ID swipe card which you will require to embark and disembark the ship in each port of call, and use for all your onboard purchases which will be charged to your cabin/stateroom to pay at the end of the cruise.

Tips & Gratuities

Some ships will included your tips in the fare, whilst others will charge you a compulsory service fee. Some cruise lines still expect you to tip your cabin steward and restaurant waiter on the last night, but the cruise line will tell you if this is the case.