HELP!!! First time taking a cruise. How to decide which cruise is best?

I would like to take a cruise May 2019. It would be a family vacation celebrating my wedding anniversary, sister's high school graduation, and my 32nd birthday all bundled up in one big celebration. I want to find a cruise that will be fun for all of us including my kids 2yrs old and 10yrs old. Where do I start? Any suggestions on planning, destinations, or cruise lines.

I would like to take a cruise May 2019. It would be a family vacation celebrating my wedding anniversary, sister's high school graduation, and my 32nd birthday all bundled up in one big celebration. I want to find a cruise that will be fun for all of us including my kids 2yrs old and 10yrs old. Where do I start? Any suggestions on planning, destinations, or cruise lines.

My suggestion is to pick a location where the group wants to see such as the ports and itinerary.Then from there review the cruise lines that have entertainment options that will meet the need of all going. I would suggest sitting down with a Travel Agent that can help steer you to what may work for your group.

Especially for your first cruise they can help you with all of the details that you may not know.

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Close you eyes and picture what you expect/hope to be doing on a cruise. then come back and tell us what those dreams are. Then we can help you find your dream. Do you envision your youngest using the kids club? then at 2 years, Carnival is your choice. Some Royal Caribbean ships have a nursery with child care for those under 3, but there is a fee. What kind of vacations do you usually take? Do you envision doing things on the ship as a family? Most ships do not have activities planned that involve children and adults (other than Disney). If you must have a swim/splash area for the 2 y/o, Disney or Royal will be your choice. Most ships do not have a pool/splash area for non-potty trained children, and swim diapers are not allowed. EM

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

You didn't say if you wanted beaches, etc., like the Caribbean. If so, May will have very few ships sailing the Caribbean as most have left for other places.

Alaska is great -- beautiful scenery -- lots of ships there.

The Med and Baltic are great -- lots of ships there.

Do you want to sail on a big ship or a small ship?

If you live in the US, taking a cruise out of Florida might be the easiest option. If you want to celebrate with kids, the RCCL Oasis class ships are among the best choices just in terms of the incredible opportunities for things too do onboard. These ships include Oasis, Allure, Symphony and Harmony. I would probably choose Harmony of the Seas sailing out of Port Canaveral for a 7 day cruise either Eastern or Western Caribbean - both are good itineraries. The reason I'm recommending this ship is because it is one of the largest ships in the world but it never feels crowded. Onboard there is so much to do: rock wall climbing, zip line, flow riders, water park, mini golf, sports court, ice skating, merry go round, children's water park, adults only solarium. There are a huge number of restaurants, many free and some cost extra. There is a great kids club and a tot's nursery that does for fee sitting. Then there is the entertainment: ice skating show, acrobats, high diving show, broadway musical, comedy club. You will honestly be spoilt for choice as there is so much to see and do onboard you cannot do it all in a week. I recommend flying in to your port of departure the day before your cruise so any possible airline delays will not put your cruise at risk. Have a wonderful time!

I would start by brainstorming what you are looking for in a cruise. First things to consider is the length of the cruise and where you want to go. Are you looking for lots of ports, beaches, history, architecture, different cultures, etc.

Once you have some ideas on location, I would compile a list of your onboard preferences - big ship/small ship, kids clubs, game shows, activities, quality of meals, etc

Finally you budget, which should include all costs, as remember the mainstream lines are rife with additional costs.

Once you have this information, I suggest visiting a local Travel Agent that specialises in cruises.

To me, the least important, for a first cruise, is the itinerary.

I suggest, pick the dates. Pick a port that is convenient.

Then look are cruises that fit. And look at the ships and activities. Some people like the floating amusement parks. Others (us) prefer just the ship and cruising.

But any of the mass market lines will be reasonable for you.

I do suggest you avoid the the 3 and 4 days cruises, as they tend to be more party groups. The longer cruises tend to be more mellow.

I would start by determining whether the port you sail from makes a difference. Driving, flying, time of year?

Then I would determine what lines sail from that port, keeping in mind Carnival, NCL, and Royal Caribbean MIGHT offer the best options for families.

Then I would visit a travel agent.

Happy sailing.

There is no "best cruise" but I would advise you pick a shorter one to see if you like it and you'll learn more about what you like and don't like and then will be more equipped to decide what future cruises you want to go on. If you're driving distance to a port, pick one from there and pick dates that work for you best. That will make the stakes lower.

If you have to fly, make sure to check flight costs before booking your cruise. I have a cruise booked that embarks the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I discovered that the flight that Friday is so expensive that we are better off flying out a whole week earlier and booked another cruise for that week!

I recently cruised with a large group of friends. I picked a 4-day from a port we could drive to so that the over all cost was lower, we didnt have to deal with flying, and those with limited vacation days only had to use 3 days.

I cant advise better without knowing where you all live, when you want to go, or where you're interested in going. (For the record, I'm not a travel agent, I just like event planning!)

I disagree. Many short cruises end up being booze/party cruises and may turn you away from cruising, with the longer cruises are not like that.

But I do suggest a cruise with a mix of sea and port days, to see what you like. I found I really like sea days.