1. Occasion



Is your vacation just a normal one? or is it for special cause? If this is a romantic getaway, your preference should be for a cruise that is more suited to adults rather than children.

2. Group

Are you going with all adults,or will there be some children as well? If children are joining in the revelry you should ensure that there are activities for children onboard ship so that they will have a good time too. You will also want to look into childcare facilities.

3. Interests

What things you are interested in? Do you like to shop, explore, or swim? Do you like to watch shows, or would you rather be left to your own devices? That will also help you to decide what type of cruise that you want to go on.

4. Destination

Where would you like to go? Do you have some place tropical in mind, or would you like to go to Alaska and go whale watching? Do you want to spend time scuba diving, snorkeling and windsurfing? Or do you want to take a dog sled ride?

5. Talk to friends and family

Contact all those among your acquaintances who have gone on cruises and find out what their experiences were with the cruise ship of their choice. It is an ideal way to get a good review of their level of service.

6. Browse the Internet

Another handy method to compare different cruise ships is to go on the Internet and read about the experiences that other people have had. Be careful not to make a judgment on the basis of one bad comment but read all of the comments to see if the negative experience was isolated.

7. Talk to travel agents

When you have a couple of cruise ships that you think you might want to choose from, go and talk to a travel agent. But this should be your last step, because travel agents more often give biased opinions.

It is always a good idea to do some research before you choose a cruise ship. That way, you nearly already know what you are getting into, and can have a happy vacation.