Fancy going on a cruise but not sure where to start? Well, with our beginners guide to cruises, you’ll be sailing off into the sunset in no time!
Read on to find out what to expect, what’s included and how to bag a great deal on your first cruise adventure.
Coming up in this guide
Cruises: The Basics
- What is a cruise?
- What are the different types of cruise?
- Where can you go on a cruise?
- What facilities can you find on board?
- What’s included in a cruise package?
- Are cruises family friendly?
- Can you go on an adults-only cruise?
- Can you go on a solo cruise?
Booking a Cruise
- How much does a cruise cost?
- What hidden extra costs could there be?
- How to book a cruise
– The different companies
– Third party agents - How to save money on a cruise
Final Thoughts
Cruises: The Basics
What is a cruise?
Generally speaking, a cruise is a holiday where you stay on board a ship and visit different destinations throughout your journey. As well as being the place where you sleep and eat, the ship also has a range of activities and entertainment for you to enjoy on board. When the ship docks, you can get off and explore or choose to stay on the ship and enjoy the facilities.
Of course, the specifics of your cruise will change based on where you go, when you go, what company you book with, what type of ship you go on and what budget you have to spend! But we’ll get to all of that shortly…
What are the different types of cruise?
There are loads of different types of cruises – they come in all shapes and sizes! Here’s the three main categories:
Ocean cruise
Ocean cruise ships are the ones we typically imagine when we think about a cruise. Some of them are HUGE!!! On an ocean cruise you can travel to a bunch of different islands or countries, and they might involve an ocean crossing too. Exactly how huge are they?! Well currently the largest ocean cruise ship is Royal Caribbean’s ‘Wonder of the Seas’ and it can hold over 7000 passengers! Although generally ocean cruise ships will hold anything upwards of 2000 guests.
These ships are built for long voyages and all kinds of weather, and have loads of entertainment and activity options. However, you can also find shorter cruise trips on these too.
River cruise
On a river cruise you might see a lot of one country, or pass through a number of countries as you go. River cruise ships aren’t massive since they need to be small enough to get along rivers and under bridges – generally you’ll get anywhere between 50 and 250 passengers on board. These ships won’t have endless facilities due to their size, but they’ll have things like a restaurant, bar, lounge, sun deck and maybe even a sauna or Jacuzzi too!
Themed cruise
Some cruises will also have a topic or theme. You might have heard of Disney Cruises, where there’ll be characters and shows on board and you can even stop at Disney’s very own Caribbean island! Or there’s adventure cruises, where you do dedicated activities and learn from experts on board, or music-themed cruises that have live performances. There’s even nudist options for those of you who fancy a cruise sans clothes!!
Where can you go on a cruise?
There are cruise options all over the world, but you don’t even have to leave the UK – there are even options to holiday hotspots like the south coast of England, the Scilly Isles and the Channel Islands, or Scottish islands like the Outer Hebrides or the Shetland Isles.
Some popular places to go on an ocean cruise include the Mediterranean, the Norwegian Fjords and the Caribbean. For these cruises, you might start the cruise from the UK at a port like Southampton, or you might need to book flights to where the cruise starts and finishes.
However, there are options you may not have even realised such as cruising between New York and Atlantic Canada, or even up to Iceland!
If you opt for a river cruise, then well-loved routes include rivers like the Danube through Central and Eastern Europe, and further afield the Ganges through India or the Nile through Egypt.
What facilities can you find on board?
Little or large, a big plus of a cruise ship is that there will be a range of facilities on board to keep everyone entertained. Obviously, it depends on what you book but these are the areas you may expect to see on your cruise ship.
Your cabin
This is the room where you’ll sleep, and is sometimes called a stateroom - which sounds a bit grand! Like hotel rooms, there are a few options, like twins, doubles or suites. You can choose from various sizes and different locations on the ship, for example you might want a room on a specific deck, or with a sea view.
Restaurants & bars
Ocean cruise ships often have lots of different dining options on board – you’ll be able to try different cuisines and choose from buffet or a la carte spots. Some ships even have posh fine dining! On a smaller river cruise ship you’ll probably have just one dining space.
Activities
The sky is the limit when it comes to activities. Some ships have swimming pools, climbing walls, VR experiences… even go-kart tracks, escape rooms and zip lines! It’s not just active pursuits either, you can do cookery classes, craft workshops or language classes. Again, it’s the ocean liners that have the most choice, as a river cruise ship doesn’t have the same sort of space for too many activities.
Fitness
You may find lots of types of fitness classes, from yoga and barre to spin and Peloton, plus mini golf, running tracks, even full-sized basketball or tennis courts!
Wellness
Get your relaxation fix with things like meditation and tai chi classes, spas, saunas, hot tubs and treatments.
Entertainment
There are some really cool entertainment options, like full-on Broadway shows, as well as cinemas and even ice skating.
What’s included in a cruise package?
What’s included in your cruise package will depend on the operator you book with and the ship you sail on. Generally they offer a basic fare that includes your cabin and meals, and some basic drinks and amenities. Then they’ll have other fares to choose from where you can pay more to get more things included.
As a rough guide, here’s what you can expect to see in included in a basic fare.
Basic fare package
Cabin
Your cabin is your floating hotel room and will typically include the same basics that a regular hotel room includes, like an ensuite, TV, fridge/ minibar and tea and coffee facilities.
Meals
You’ll generally get a range of dining options included, from buffet-style to a la carte, in the main restaurant, bar and cafe areas of the ship. You may get a dining time assigned to you, or you might need to make reservations.
Beverages
You’ll get basic beverages – water, tea and coffee – included. Sometimes you’ll also get soft drinks, or even alcoholic drinks – which might be restricted to mealtimes.
Activities and entertainment
Cruise ships will offer a huge range of activities and entertainment options. Some will be included as standard, like swimming pools, gyms, sports like tennis or basketball, evening shows, movies and live music.
Services
Basic services like housekeeping may be included.
Premium fare package
If you want more than the basic cruise package, you may need to pay extra for certain elements, upgrade to a more premium level of package or simply book with a more luxury cruise operator.
Here some of the extras you might want to enjoy.
A fancy cabin
Things like a sea view or a suite could cost you extra. These can come with some perks like dressing gowns or laundry vouchers.
Premium drinks
This could include speciality coffees (like a cappuccino), soft drinks like juices and some or all alcoholic drinks.
Premium dining
It’s likely that not all dining venues on board will be included in a basic package, some will cost extra, particularly fine dining options. Also if you want to dine when you choose rather than be allocated a meal time, you might have to pay for it.
Wifi
A lot of the time Wifi is not included, and if it is, it won’t necessarily be high speed enough to upload a TikTok or FaceTime the folks back home. This is an area that can really add up in cost!
Premium activities
Some activities may cost you extra – things like classes for sports or cooking, or experiences like zip lining and escape rooms.
Premium services
Additional services that come with an extra price tag include things like laundry, kids club or spa treatments.
Shore excursions
These are the tours or visits you might want to do when you dock, like visiting a historic site, doing a food or wine tasting or taking a snorkelling or boat trip. Cruise companies will typically offer organised excursions for people on the ship that you can pay extra to join. They have the added benefit of being organised alongside the ship’s schedule, so you don’t have to worry about calculating how much time you need to complete the activity and get back to the ship before it departs.
Tips
On many cruises, tips are not included but they are calculated for you to pay which can be quite the surprise when you think you’ve already paid up! However, some cruises do include these in their packages so it’s one less thing to worry about.
Are cruises family friendly?
Cruises are a solid option if you’re searching for a family friendly holiday. There are so many activities and facilities on board that kids of all ages will find things they enjoy, from swimming pools and playgrounds to video game tournaments and art classes. Plenty of dining options mean that even the fussiest of eaters are catered for, and lots of ships have kids clubs if you want to take advantage of that and enjoy some kid-free time! Well-rated cruise operators for family-friendly trips include MSC, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and, of course, Disney.
Another plus is that because you’re on a cruise, your travel to each destination is taken care of, and you don’t spend a long time in any one place. This can be great for kids because you aren’t having to chivvy everyone into a car or onto a train to get somewhere. And stopping at different places for short periods of time will help to keep them interested.
Can you go on an adults-only cruise?
Yep, you can travel on an adults only cruise. Virgin Voyages and Viking are two companies that only offer cruises for guests aged 18 and over.
If you just want to be sure of the opportunity for some adults-only time, you could opt for a cruise that keeps some areas just for adults, like a spa or certain lounges and sun decks – like Serenity on Carnival ships.
Can you go on a solo cruise?
Solo cruising is absolutely a thing, in fact it’s getting more and more popular with lots of cruises realising they need to cater for the solo traveller crowd. However, it’s important to understand the different options you have when it comes to doing this sort of trip on your own.
Double occupancy
You get the whole cabin, but you’re paying the same price as 2 people.
Single supplement
You pay for yourself and then a fee on top. This varies – it could be around 50% of what you pay for yourself, but it could be more, or less.
Single cabins
More and more, cruises have single cabins. You can get single rooms on Norwegian, P&O and Virgin Voyages, to name a few. Sometimes you’ll even get some perks, like the Studio Lounge on Norwegian which is an exclusive lounge that only solo travellers can access, so you can chill out and meet like-minded cruisers.
However, the main thing to point out here is that not one of these is the cheapest or best option, it completely depends on the cruise you’re booking .We’ve seen plenty of circumstances where an entire cabin to yourself is cheaper than a single cabin. Make it make sense!
Therefore, it’s best to look at the total cost and work out the cost per day to be able to compare.
Booking a Cruise
How much does a cruise cost?
It will really depend on what’s included, however hopefully this will give you a good idea of the sort of thing you can nab for your budget.
Under £50 a day
If you’re on a serious budget, you can score a cruise for as low as a few hundred pounds. For example, right now you can book a cruise with Costa Cruises to the Mediterranean departing at the end of November from just £289pp – that’s just £36 per day!
Now what other holiday will get you your accommodation, transport and meals for less than £50 a day?! You’ll sail for 8 days and make stops in Italy, Sicily, Tunisia, Spain and France, which is an incredible number of stops for the price. Your cabin, full board meals and port taxes are included in this basic fare, so you will need to add on drinks and any excursions, but it’s still amazing value.
Under £125 a day
If you’re looking for a summer holiday with a difference, why not cruise from Portsmouth to Iceland, taking in Amsterdam and the Shetlands Islands along the way? This cruise is with Virgin Voyages for 10 nights in August 2024, and prices start at £1,201 per person, which is £100 per day. This rate includes dining, soft drinks, gratuities, WiFi, onboard entertainment and fitness classes.
Under £200 a day
Set sail from Southampton for the Caribbean on a 15 night cruise with P&O cruises in October 2025. Get bougie in a mini suite with a sea view and balcony, £500 on-board spending credit, priority dining and your flight back to London for £2,679 per person, which is £167.50 per day. This fare also includes meals, tea and coffee, gratuities, entertainment, some gym classes and transfers.
£250+ a day
Now if you’ve got cash to splash, then there are some amazing bucket-list cruises with world class entertainment, dreamy accommodation and incredible dining.
You can sail from Hong Kong to Tokyo with Silversea cruises for an eye-popping £5,800 per person, which is £414 per day. This includes flights and transfers, all meals and drinks – including drinks like Champagne – 24/7 butler service, one shore excursion a day, and a pre- or post-cruise hotel stay if you need it
If I won the lottery (yes really, it’s a lotta money!) I’d book a two-bedroom suite on a cruise with Norwegian. For a 9-day Mediterranean cruise to Italy, France and Greece it’s a whopping £16,351 per person (£1,817 per day). It has amazing sea views, a hot tub, private butler and exclusive sun deck access – heaven!
What hidden extra costs could there be?
Gauging the overall price of a cruise can be tricky, because some things will be included in your basic fare and others will be extra. This will vary from provider to provider, so if you’re comparing the costs of a similar cruise with two different companies, be aware they might not include the same things.
Most cruise companies operate tiers or packages, so you pay a basic fare for… well the basics… or a higher fare that includes certain extras and privileges.
When you’re browsing cruise packages, check whether or not the things listed below are included in the price you’re paying, or if you’ll need to upgrade or pay extra to account for them.
Port fees and taxes
These go towards the maintenance and infrastructure of the ports where you dock. It’s a cost that is passed on to passengers and will generally be itemised for you, but check if it’s included in your fee or added on as an extra
Gratuities for onboard staff
Some operators account for these in your fee and pass them directly on to the staff
Beverages
You might need to buy a beverage package to enjoy all the drinks you want, as even soft drinks like juices or speciality coffees aren’t necessarily included. If your fare includes alcohol, you may still need to pay more for premium alcoholic drinks, like cocktails
Premium dining
Some dining spots will cost extra to visit, or you might need to pay if you want flexibility over when you dine in the restaurants that are included in your fare
Wifi
To get useful wifi speeds that allow you to actually make a call or upload a video, you’ll generally need to pay extra as it’s not included as standard
Activities
This will vary a lot from provider to provider, if the facilities onboard are a big draw for you, just check what is and isn’t included
Services
Again this will vary, but typically things like spa treatments will be an extra cost
Flights & transfers
If you have to travel to get to the cruise departure point, remember to consider how you’ll get there
Shore excursions
This isn’t so much a hidden cost, but one to remember as you’ll want to explore the destinations you stop at. If you prefer to do this on organised tours, remember to account for this cost when budgeting for your trip
How to Book a Cruise
Direct with the cruise operator
There are various cruise companies to choose from, here are some of the ones most popular with UK travellers.
Third party agents
Just like any other holiday you can use a travel agent to book a cruise. This option can give you some extra peace of mind, especially if you haven’t done a cruise before. Some agents will offer special deals or extras, and they can also help you with either end of your trip, for example if you need help getting to and from your cruise’s points of departure and arrival.
Remember to check the credentials of the agency you book with to ensure your money is protected.
Some agents to look at are:
How to save money on a cruise
Even if there are a lot of different elements to a cruise that all add up, you can still make choices when you book to keep things as affordable as possible.
Cabin type
Some cabins will be cheaper than others – choose an interior cabin (without a sea view) or one in a less-popular location to make the price more affordable. With so much to do on board, you probably won’t want to spend too much time in your room anyway!
Destination
If you want to sail from the UK, then closer destinations will involve less sailing time and can be cheaper, like Denmark or Norway.
Package
Think about how much you want to spend on board. You could opt for a basic package and then have some treat meals or activities when you’re on shore, rather than spending a load more on a premium package.
Overall cost
If you’re comparing the cost of a cruise to another type of holiday, remember to compare your costs properly. A cruise has the benefit of being your accommodation, food and transport in one, plus you get to visit multiple destinations in one trip, so it can end up being a pretty cost-effective way to travel.
Our Final Thoughts on Cruises
If you’re still weighing up whether or not a cruise is for you, then you might want to consider the points below – we’ve summed up some pros and cons to help you decide.
What are the perks of cruising?
Destination and travel sorted
The places you visit and how you get to them is all sorted for you, so you don’t have to spend any time planning that part of your trip
Clear grasp of costs
The cost of your cruise will typically include your accommodation, transport and meals, so it’s a good way to know upfront exactly what you’re spending
Bang for your buck
As we touched on above, you’re getting your accommodation, meals and transport rolled into one on a cruise, so it can wind up cheaper than doing all those bits separately
Maximise annual leave
If you want to visit multiple countries and you don’t have loads of annual leave, then a cruise to several destinations means you can squeeze multiple country visits into one holiday
What are the compromises of cruising?
Cruising isn’t for everyone, and that’s OK! Some things keep people on the fence, only you can say if they’re deal breakers for you!
Sociability
If you’re sociable and you love making holiday pals, then cruises are dreamy, but if you’re someone who prefers to keep themselves to themselves, and likes to go where other tourists aren’t, then you’d probably prefer a different type of holiday!
Getting to know destinations
You’ll only spend a few hours wherever you dock, so this isn’t the way to truly get under the skin of a place, more a good way to see lots of places if you’re pushed for time (or budget!)
Sea legs
Not everyone is built for a cruise! If you get motion sickness, then it won’t be for you.
Sustainability
In an era of more conscious travel, cruises tend to get a bad rep for being environmentally unfriendly. A lot of cruise companies are working to improve this, for example by redesigning ships, operating hybrid ships and even banning the buffet! There’s also a criticism that cruise ships flood destinations with high levels of short-term tourists that don’t always spend with local businesses. Of course on an individual level you can counter this by being respectful and buying meals and souvenirs locally.
Use Our Beginners Guide to Cruises To Set Sail on Your Next Trip
We hope our tips for first-time cruisers help you figure out where to set sail on your next holiday! Remember there are loads of types of cruises that suit a range of budgets, and all cruises are priced differently, so make sure you check what is and isn’t included before you hit book. And if you know someone who you think would love a cruise, why not share this beginners guide to cruises with them?!
