Where do you want to go? Do you want a tropical setting? A European cruise for two? Or sightseeing with friends in Alaska? With so many wonderful destinations to choose from, you may already be planning your second, third or forth cruise.
To help you decide, look at the itinerary and shore excursions of each cruise line you are considering and make a list of sites and activities you would like to do.
Then compare.
As mentioned previously, check the ships itinerary carefully; especially the time spent in each port of call.
Ships arrival and departure times can vary from ship to ship depending on its itinerary.
For example, some ships leave Cabo at 1pm while others will leave at 5pm.
And some ships arrive in Mykonos at 11am and others at 7am.
If there is a certain place you have your heart set on seeing, it would be a shame to only have a five hour visit because the ship arrives late in the day or departs early.
Another point to note is, the weather.
The shiny glossy pictures you see in advertisements might look nice, but if you do not like cold weather, perhaps Alaska or Norway might not be your cup of tea.
Or if you do not like high humidity, cruising the Caribbean or Mediterranean during summer could have you spending most of your time indoors where it is nice and cool from the ships air conditioning.
These simple tips are often overlooked by many cruisers.
Therefore, when deciding where to go, keep in mind the weather or season for the part of the world you are interested in visiting.