First Time Cruising? Start Here.

Booking your first cruise can feel like a lot — muster drills, tender ports, drinks packages, dress codes, all the little unwritten rules nobody explains upfront. The good news: it’s a lot simpler once someone actually walks you through it.

Our friends at The Velvet Notebook have put together exactly that — a genuinely brilliant, honest, first-timer’s guide to cruising: what to sort out before you sail, what to expect on embarkation day, and how to actually enjoy your time onboard and ashore. If this is your first cruise (or you’re helping someone plan theirs), it’s well worth ten minutes of your time.

Once you’ve picked your cruise line and dates, come back and let us do the price-hunting for you — we track live prices across the major lines so you can spot a genuine bargain before you book.