First Cruise Guide: How to Choose, Book and Board With Confidence

Ships have personalities, and the ship shapes your trip more than the ports do. Large resort ships offer water slides, shows and kids’ clubs; premium ships are quieter, with better dining; luxury and small ships trade amenities for space, service and smaller harbors. Our luxury cruise lines guide explains the tiers.

Then choose a region with calm seas and easy logistics for a first sailing. The Caribbean, Alaska’s Inside Passage and Europe’s rivers are forgiving starters. If you love cities more than sea days, compare a river cruise vs. ocean cruise.

Cabins come in four broad types, and location on the ship matters as much as category.

On mainstream ships, your fare covers the cabin, main dining room, buffet, most entertainment, pools and kids’ clubs. Common extras are drinks, specialty restaurants, Wi-Fi, daily gratuities, spa treatments and shore excursions; taxes and port fees are sometimes listed separately.

Premium and luxury lines include progressively more, and some include nearly everything. Compare the total cost of the trip you want, not the headline fare.

Complete online check-in in advance and arrive at your assigned boarding time. Pack a carry-on with medications, documents, a swimsuit and a change of clothes, since checked bags can take until late afternoon to reach your cabin.

Every guest must take part in a safety briefing before or shortly after sailing; many lines now let you watch the video on your phone or TV and then check in at your muster station. Book specialty dining and spa times on the first afternoon. Above all, fly in the day before: if your flight is late, the ship won’t wait.

Choose a larger ship or a calm region, book a midship cabin on a low deck, and get fresh air and a view of the horizon if you feel queasy. Ask your doctor about remedies before you go.

Wash your hands often, especially before meals, and stay hydrated in hot ports. Ships calling at US ports are inspected under the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program.

A first cruise involves choices that are hard to judge from a website: which ship suits you, which cabin to avoid, which fare type is worth it and which excursions to book early. Gigi walks you through those, books the pre-cruise hotel and helps you choose travel insurance.

On Virtuoso partner sailings, amenities often include shipboard credit or a shore experience, and they vary by sailing. Before you leave, run through our cruise packing list.