The Best Cruise Ships For First Time Cruisers…

If you have never been on a cruise before, trying to find the right ship can be like navigating a minefield. Everyone has different wants and needs on a cruise and there are hundreds of different ships to choose from. But there is definitely a ship for everyone, so we’ve given you some ideas to help you along your way…

Best For Families

Mickey Mouse – Castaway Cay

Almost all of the major cruise lines cater to families in some shape or form – offering kids clubs and the like – but some just edge it over others in terms of the facilities they have to help make your family holiday run that little bit smoother.

Whilst most cruise line’s don’t really cater for small babies and toddlers, both Disney Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean offer a nursery service (extra charges may apply) – which means adults get some free time too. Disney Cruise Line have a dedicated water play area for under 3’s and the staterooms are designed with families in mind, with split bath / shower options. For slightly older children and teenagers, Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean have exclusive spaces for them, featuring things like a teenager casino, a DJ party and their own ‘clubs’. Royal Caribbean also offer ‘My Family Dining’ – which means you can go as a family for dinner and then your kids will be collected and taken to their activity club for the evening, meaning you can enjoy the rest of your meal and some time after in peace.

Best For Adults

Dining on Regent Seven Seas

Whilst there are a couple of cruise lines that offer dedicated, adults only ships, there are several others that are a higher-end product and therefore you are unlikely to find many children on board.

P&O Cruises have three exclusively adults only ships – the Oriana, the Adonia and the Arcadia, so when you are travelling in the height of summer and want to avoid legions of children, these are your best bet. Cruise & Maritime Voyages ship the Marco Polo is also adults only and generally caters to a more mature crowd than P&O – it’s also a much smaller ship. Luxury cruise companies like Seabourn, Silversea, Regent Seven Seas and Oceania (the later two offering no dedicated childrens facilities at all) tend to have less children sailing on board, especially out of the main holiday seasons. However, a wide variety of ships – even Disney – offer adults only dining or ship retreats, you will find most Spas are off-limits to children, so you can relax somewhere child-free with most companies.

Best For The Health Conscious

Celebrity Cruises’ Persian Garden

 

If you are an avid cruiser you will know that the food is a big draw for many people when choosing a cruise – some polls even show that cruisers can gain on average a pound a day when cruising. For some, this prospect can sound truly horrifying but don’t let that put you off cruising, as there are plenty of options for those who take their health and fitness seriously.

Celebrity Cruises offer Aqua Class staterooms on their Solstice class ships. If you book one of these staterooms you not only do you get free and unlimited access to the spa, Persian Gardens, but you also have access to Blu – a restaurant exclusively for Aqua Class guests – where you can choose your clean-eating meals from a specially designed menu. On the cruise ships that also offer Canyon Ranch Spa’s on board – Cunard, Regent Seven Seas and Oceania – you can also find dining options with the health conscious in mind, as well as personalised fitness programs and classes. All cruise lines offer some kind of fitness facilities, even if it’s just a running track around the deck. Some Royal Caribbean state of the art gyms even carry a boxing ring and don’t forget the climbing walls and flo-riders. Who said fitness has to be boring?

Best For Single Passengers

Studio Lounge on Norwegian Getaway

The downside for travelling solo is that often you are charged double occupancy in order to sail, however – more and more cruise line’s are beginning to accommodate those that want to cruise solo, with studio cabins and exclusive areas for singles.

Norwegian Cruise Line offer studio cabins with no extra supplement on the Epic, Breakaway, Getaway and the new Escape (launching in November). All feature a flat screen TV, full-size bed and private bathroom. But the best bit is the exclusive lounge – a dedicated area for all studio-guests, holding pre-dinner social gatherings. P&O Cruises also offer studios on several of it’s ships, including new ship Britannia, likewise on Royal Caribbean’s latest ships, Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas. Some other companies, whilst not catering for singles with specially designed cabins, often have programs geared towards solo travellers and can offer reduced or no single supplements from time to time, so it’s best to look out for promotions. Fred Olsen and Holland America are good options to look out for.

Best For Culture and Wildlife

Azamara Azamazing Evening at Ephesus

Some people might argue that with cruising, you’re aren’t in port long enough to truly immerse yourself in your surrounding, however, there are cruise line’s out there that offer the best of both worlds and even take you to places only accessible by sea.

Celebrity Cruises have a 98 guest mega-yacht, The Xpedition, which can take you to discover the the beautiful Galapagos, one of the last pristine environments in the world and home to an abundance of wildlife and natural beauty, where you can see sealions, turtles and dragon iguanas in their natural habitats. The Xpedition also visits the Antarctic too. If you want to spend more time in port, Azamara Club Cruises is a great option, it offers plenty of overnight stays and night touring as well as Azamazing Evenings – think hillside tenor concerts or red-carpet events to the local ballet –  the chance to experience local culture in a truly unique way.