How to Book a Cruise for the First Time: Don't Make My Mistake
A few years ago, I booked a Celebrity cruise through Europe for my family because of what I'd heard about the cruise line. I never stopped to think about who was actually coming with me. My kids and their partners, all in their early twenties, were on board, and while it was a great itinerary, there wasn't as much on the ship for them to do as I'd hoped.
I've been cruising for decades and I'm a professional travel advisor, and I still got it wrong. If you're booking your first cruise, here's what I'd want you to know before you click Book: how to choose the right cruise for your group, where to book it, what happens after you do, and one timing mistake that can cost you real money.
Key Takeaways
Start with who's going and what they want to do, not with a cruise line's reputation.
Ask everyone three questions: what do you want to do on a sea day, in the evening, and in port?
You can book directly, through an online travel site, or with a travel advisor. Each has tradeoffs, and you don't need an advisor for every cruise.
Know your deposit and final payment dates. Cancellation terms usually get stricter at final payment, and they vary by cruise line.
Names on your booking must match your passports exactly.
Decide on packages and specialty dining early. Discounts shrink as your sailing date gets closer.
After you book: think about travel insurance, check your passports and entry requirements, and arrive a day early.
Start With the Experience, Not the Cruise Line
When people start planning a first cruise, they usually start with a name. Someone mentioned a cruise line, or they saw a ship online or on YouTube, and that becomes the starting point. That's exactly what I did on my European cruise.
I believed that the cruise line had the best reputation for that destination, and that was enough. Then I was on the ship with my kids and realized I hadn't asked the question that mattered most: what did the people traveling with me actually want to do?
Now I believe that after your budget, the most important thing is what you want to experience, and what the people traveling with you want to experience. Before you pick a ship, ask everyone going:
What do you want to do on a sea day? What kinds of activities?
What do you want to do in the evenings?
What do you want to do when you're in port?
Those answers will tell you more than any cruise ship or cruise line ranking.
If you're a couple who wants some quiet, that's a different answer than a family with teenagers, or adult kids like mine, who would have wanted a lot more going on in the evenings. The cruise I booked was perfect for my husband and me. It just wasn't the right fit for everyone in the group.
Once you know what everyone wants, then work on the rest: your budget, your destination, and your cabin. If you're still deciding on a cabin, I have a guide on how to choose a cruise cabin.
Where to Book Your Cruise
You have three main options: book directly with the cruise line, use an online travel site, or work with a travel advisor.
Booking directly works well if you know exactly which ship, sailing and cabin you want, and you're comfortable managing everything yourself.
An online travel site can be a quick way to compare options.
A travel advisor is where I'll be honest with you: I'm one, so of course I think advisors are helpful, but you don't need one for every cruise. If you're booking a simple, short sailing and you know exactly what you want, you may be fine on your own.
Where I think an advisor helps most is when you're not sure which cruise line or ship fits your group, when you're booking something more complex (like a group with several cabins), or when you want someone to keep an eye on your booking and be your advocate.
Most travel advisors belong to an agency that has direct relationships with cruise lines, and cruise lines can offer certain perks, discounts and amenities through those relationships that they don't offer the general public. The more business an agency brings to the cruise line, the better those perks tend to be, so advisors who belong to large agencies often have access to more. Those perks aren't available on every sailing or every ship. If you do decide to use an advisor, ask whether they're affiliated with a larger agency, and ask what they'll actually offer for your booking.
I belong to a large consortium agency, and other well-known names also sell cruises, such as Costco, AAA and American Express. I'm not recommending one over another. I'm just pointing out that the options aren't limited to your local agent.
I cover this in more detail in my post on booking direct vs. using a travel advisor.
Whichever route you choose, make sure you know who you're booking with and what they'll do if something changes. With an online travel site, find out who you contact if something goes wrong. With a travel advisor, that's your advisor. With the cruise line, it's the cruise line.
What Happens After You Book
Once you've booked, you'll usually put down a deposit and have a final payment date. If your sailing is close, those can be the same day. If there's time, they're usually two separate dates.
The final payment date matters because it's also when your cancellation terms typically get stricter. These terms vary by cruise line, so read the ones for your booking.
The other thing to check is that the names on your booking match your passports exactly. If your passport has a middle name, use your middle name on the booking. It's a simple thing, and it's much easier to fix before you sail than at the airport.
The Timing Mistake That Cost Me Money
On my recent Royal Caribbean cruise, my first time sailing with them, I saw discounts of around 30-40% on drink packages, dining packages and other extras when I first booked and downloaded the app. As my sailing date got closer, those discounts shrank. By the time I decided I did want a package, I had missed out on the biggest discounts.
I also waited on a dining reservation because I'd read that The Key, one of Royal Caribbean's packages, offered a discount if I waited until I was on the ship. There turned out to be a bigger discount earlier. I talk about both of these in my Royal Caribbean mistakes post.
This isn't unique to Royal Caribbean. On Princess, in my experience, packages were discounted until about three or four days before sailing, then went to full price. Even onboard they were available, just at full price.
The details differ by cruise line, but the lesson is the same:
If you think you'll want a package, a specialty dining reservation (dining not included in your fare), or spa treatments, decide soon after you book.
Check your cruise line's app or website to see what discounts are available.
Don't buy things you won't use. Compare the package price to how much you'd realistically use it. One of the most common mistakes is assuming you need a drink package and then finding you don't drink that much on the cruise.
If you're unsure whether a package is worth it, there are plenty of videos for specific cruise lines that break down the costs, and a travel professional can help too.
What to Do After You Book
1. Think about travel insurance. If you have to cancel or something happens before your trip, a cruise can be a big expense to lose. I use a travel insurance company called Faye. Faye link (This is an affiliate link. I may earn a commission if you use it, at no extra cost to you.)
2. Check your passports. In general, you want your passport valid for at least six months after you get home, so if you return January 1st, make sure it's valid until at least June. Requirements vary by country and cruise line, so confirm them for your itinerary.
3. Look up entry requirements for every country you'll visit. For most itineraries that's simply a passport, but some destinations require a visa or an entry authorization. Your cruise line will usually point you to general guidance, but you're responsible for bringing the right documents, and your cruise line may not tell you specifics.
4. Arrive at least a day early. If you're flying to your departure port, give yourself at least a day, more if it's a city you'd like to explore. A flight delay or cancellation is a common reason people miss the boat, and the ship won't wait. If you're driving, leave extra time for traffic or car trouble.
I go into more detail on this in my first Caribbean cruise post.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you book a cruise for the first time?
Start by deciding what you and the people traveling with you want from the trip, including activities on sea days, in the evenings and in port. Then choose your budget, destination and cabin. You can book directly with the cruise line, through an online travel site, or with a travel advisor. After booking, note your deposit and final payment dates, make sure the names match your passports, and decide early on any packages or reservations.
Should I book a cruise directly or use a travel advisor?
Both can work. Booking directly makes sense if you know exactly which ship, sailing and cabin you want and you're comfortable managing your own booking. An advisor can help most when you're unsure which cruise fits your group, you're booking something more complex, or you want someone to keep an eye on your reservation. Perks and discounts through an advisor aren't available on every sailing, so ask what they'll actually offer for yours.
How far in advance should you book a cruise?
The sooner you book, the more options you generally have for cabins and sailing dates. Booking early also gives you time to take advantage of package and dining discounts, which can shrink as your sailing date gets closer. On my Royal Caribbean cruise, the biggest discounts were available right after I booked. If you're booking closer to sailing, expect your deposit and final payment dates to be close together or the same day.
What happens after you book a cruise?
You'll usually pay a deposit, then a final payment by a set date. Cancellation terms typically get stricter at final payment and vary by cruise line, so read the ones for your booking. Make sure the names on your reservation match your passports exactly. Then check for discounts on packages and specialty dining, consider travel insurance, confirm your passport and entry requirements, and plan to arrive at your departure port at least a day early.
What mistakes do first-time cruisers make when booking?
The ones I see most often, and made myself, are choosing a cruise line based on reputation instead of what your group wants to do, and waiting too long to buy packages or make dining reservations, after the biggest discounts have shrunk. Other common ones include buying packages you won't use, not matching names to passports, and not leaving enough time to get to the port before the ship sails.
Ready to Plan Your First Cruise?
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