This is a simple step-by-step guide to help you better understand the industry and to find a cruise that is perfect for you. And equally importantly, give you insights into which ones you should avoid.
This guide will be continually updated. You can jump ahead at any time and this menu will be repeated at the bottom of each post.
Cruiselines: Royal Caribbean - Celebrity - Azamara
Cruiselines: Carnival - P&O - Costa - Princess - Cunard - Seabourn - Holland Am
Cruiselines: NCL Corp - Regent - Oceania
Crusielines: Ponant, Windstar, Paul Gauguin - MSC - Disney
Cruiselines: Stars - Cabins - Budgets
Cruise seasons - where, and when not to cruise
The cheapest cruise may not be the best value
Drink Packages
Sea sickness
Gratuities
Best ever cruise tip
Packing
Step one. Understanding the different brands.
Have a guess ...
How many cruise lines are there?
How many cruise ships?
How many people cruise each year?
How many people work on ships?
How much is the cruise industry worth each year?
Globally and in Australia?
What about how many deep-sea cruise ports are there?
Cruising is the largest growth industry in the world ...
It transpires that there are more than 50 major cruise lines and 323 cruise ships operating in the world today – that is 23 fewer than 2019.
Back then in 2019 there were 29.7 million cruise passengers.
The industry employs 1.8 million people around the world and generated $154 billion globally and $5.2 billion within Australia.
There are 2,219 cruise ports. 587 of these are river ports and 1,632 are ocean ports.
Let's get down to it.
To find the right cruise for you, first, you need to understand the way the industry is structured and how each of the lines targets a specific segment of the market. This is the first step to making sense of the bewildering range of ships and voyages on offer and it will greatly reduce the cruises you should start to shortlist
The big three
There are three main corporations that own/manage the most well-known and largest cruise lines. These corporations have created brands that target different segments of the market, from budget no frills operations, to those that appeal to the middle of the market, right up to boutique six-star lines and those that operate in the exclusive and expensive expedition space.
This is where it gets confusing as the two biggest corporate players, Carnival and Royal Caribbean not only operate over a dozen separate lines between them, but they also operate as stand-alone brands under their corporate namesake.
Here is a list of the main operators and lines
Carnival Corporation
Carnival Cruise Line
Costa Cruises
Princess Cruises
AIDA Cruises
Holland America Line
P&O Cruises
P&O Cruises Australia
Cunard Line
Seabourn Cruise Line
Royal Caribbean Group
Royal Caribbean International
Celebrity Cruises
Silversea Cruises
Azamara
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings
Norwegian Cruise Line
Oceania Cruises
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Ponant
Ponant
Paula Gaugain
TUI Cruises
TUI Cruises
Marella Cruises
Hapag-Lloyd
Independent or stand-alone cruise lines
MSC Cruises
Disney Cruise Line
Viking Cruises
Hurtigruten
Virgin Voyages
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines
Celestyal Cruises
Paradise Cruise Line
Phoenix Reisen
Saga Cruises
Windstar Cruises
Lindblad Expeditions
Quark Expeditions
American Cruise Lines
Star Clippers
Voyages to Antiquity
SeaDream Yacht Club
Blount Small Ship Adventures
Hebridean Island Cruises
Grand Circle Cruise Line
Mistake number one.
As I said above, it really is a bewildering choice. That is if you go in blind, as most people do who are new to cruising do.
Many will simply look for ALL cruise lines operating from a specific port between a certain date window and often times the price is the first thing they look at when shortlisting.
Before you start looking at ports or dates or prices or itineraries or indeed anything, you need to fully understand:
What is it you want from a cruise
What you don't want
The specific segment and demographic each cruise line targets
Which line can best provide what you want
And conversely which line is more likely to give you what you don't want
Get this right and your search will not only be much quicker, but it will also ensure you don't end up on the wrong ship.
Mistake number 2
People often say to me, it's my first cruise, it's really cheap and how bad can it be. I'll just do a short quick one to see if I like it.
If you take anything away from this, know this. Your first cruise is the most important you will ever do.
Mistake number 3
Far too often people go in blind and book a cruise that their partner is either open-minded or skeptical about and they book a short cheap cruise, just in case they don't like it.
Invariably what happens is that they have a horrible time and their partner will get off the ship and say, never again. And if that happens your cruising days are over. End of story.
Don't be that person.
I'm not saying you have to spend a lot of money on your first cruise. You just that you have to find the right one for you.
That's what I'll be sharing with you here in the coming days, my insights and recommendations about which cruise lines should be on your personal shortlist, and which ones shouldn't.
I'll break them all down as being preferred for different segments such as couples, families, retirees, singles, and honeymooners all broken down by budget and different age demographics.
If you read my next few blog posts, you will come away with the confidence to know exactly what you are looking for, but just as importantly how to find that perfect cruise at a price that is just right for you.
Captain James
The next post in this series Cruiselines: Royal Caribbean - Celebrity - Azamara
Step by step guide to find your perfect cruise - Jump ahead ...
FAB Last Minute and Interline Cruises