As extra vacationers than ever contemplate taking a cruise trip in 2025, a preferred journey TV host trusted by tens of millions of viewers gives some useful suggestions for first-time cruisers.
Samantha Brown, a 25-year journey trade veteran and two-time Emmy Award-winning host of PBS’s “Samantha Brown’s Locations to Love,” says vacationers ought to do one key factor earlier than reserving their first cruise.
Associated: Royal Caribbean passenger offers useful suggestions for in style exercise
This necessary first step will assist enhance the reserving course of and cruising expertise for first-time cruisers. Not doing it might make cruise planning a headache and even lead you to decide on the unsuitable cruise for you.
It’s straightforward to get misplaced within the sea of cruise selections out there nowadays. With so many alternative cruise strains and ships to contemplate, you want a approach to slim down your choices to search out the appropriate cruise on your trip fashion.
Brown shared some options for a way to try this in a latest interview with Parade.
Join the Come Cruise With Me e-newsletter to save cash in your subsequent (or your first) cruise.
Samantha Brown says first-time cruisers ought to ask themselves three questions
To find out the appropriate sort of cruise for you, Brown recommends that vacationers ask themselves questions like these:
- Are you in search of a finances cruise or luxurious cruise expertise?
- Would you like a kid-friendly cruise or an adults-only getaway? Or perhaps a cruise geared towards seniors? Or one for singles?
- What issues extra to you: the onboard expertise or cultural experiences within the locations the ship visits?
For households, Brown suggests contemplating cruise ships with loads of water actions that youngsters are inclined to get pleasure from. With its give attention to family-friendly leisure, Disney Cruise Line can also be a preferred possibility for household cruises. However, these all for kid-free cruises could wish to take a look at Virgin Voyages because it gives adults-only cruise holidays.
Associated: Virgin Voyages shares cruise rip-off warning
Brown tells Parade that brief cruises and easy itineraries are perfect for first-time cruisers to get a really feel for cruising earlier than committing to an extended voyage. She recommends three- to four-day cruises in the event you’re driving to the departure port. Nonetheless, in the event you’re flying, she suggests seven-day voyages so you’ll be able to benefit from the journey.
The journey professional additionally recommends utilizing a journey agent who focuses on cruises to streamline the reserving course of and provide help to discover one of the best cruise costs.
With regards to selecting a cabin, Brown says you need to go for a balcony cabin if it suits in your finances. When you’re fearful about seasickness, she recommends deciding on a cabin situated in the midst of the ship because it’s thought-about probably the most steady space the place you’ll really feel much less movement of the ocean.
Brown has suggestions for cruise actions too
With regards to planning cruise ship actions, Brown suggests reserving spa remedies and specialty eating restaurant reservations on sea days throughout your cruise. Though you’ll have extra time for these experiences on days spent at sea, they’ll even be extra in demand then. Sea days additionally supply cruisers extra time to benefit from the ship’s exhibits, video games, and different actions.
For port days, she advises cruisers to be nicely ready for any shore excursions they e-book. Cruise passengers taking part in shore excursions ought to plan forward by holding in thoughts the vacation spot’s climate, bodily necessities of the exercise, and size of the tour.
Associated: Do ports of name matter on a Caribbean cruise?
Cruise vacationers all for a luxurious voyage the place they will take part in shore excursions alongside Brown may additionally be all for a particular Mediterranean cruise wealthy in “Locations to Love” crusing aboard Oceania Cruises latest ship Allura this summer time. The posh cruise ship launches in mid-July and one among its first sailings will supply an additional enriching expertise for passengers by a singular partnership with Brown.
Departing on Aug. 5, 2025 to sail from Monte Carlo to Athens, the 10-day Mediterranean Attract voyage hosted by Brown gives Oceania Cruises passengers the chance to hitch the journey icon to discover sought-after locations in Italy, Greece and Turkey. The specialty cruise will embody enriching onboard programming that includes Brown, destination-themed dinners and cultural immersions.
