Are you a beginner to cruise vacations?  Here is a your one stop shop for all information on learning how to book your first cruise.  There are many ways to book a cruise and you might be overwhelmed with the abundance of information on the internet, brochures and newspaper advertisements.  Rest be assured, by the time you’re doing resting this article, you will have a great enough understanding of what to do when booking your cruise package.

First off, what kind of cruise are you looking for?  Are you looking for something relaxing or are you looking for adventure and a high energy environment? You must figure out what exactly you’re looking for before selecting your cruise.  There are many various types of cruises available and at least one of them can harbor the majority of your needs and desires.  That being said, the second task that you should do is select a cruise travel agent.

Now, most of you will want to try and book a vacation by yourself but this is not the time to book a vacation independently.   Land vacations are quite different from cruise vacation packages and more thought needs to be put into your bookings.  I personally, use travel agents to book all my cruises as I know they will actually save me money in the long run.  Cruising is not like booking airfare, there are so many other incidences that could occur and travel agents are definitely worth their coin when you’re in a pickle.

Internet companies cannot provide you with the customer service that a travel agent can.  For example, say you booked your travels online.  Let’s say you are looking for all inclusive Caribbean cruises.  Typically, you have to put down ten to twenty percent of your deposit at booking and the rest 45-60 days before departure.  What if  you found a better deal in between that time?  Is it likely that the internet company will refund your package and allow you to get the cheaper package?  That is a very unlikely scenario as internet companies are not that flexible.  Travel agents on the other hand, can rearrange things so that you can get a better package or a least an upgrade.  Remember, they are trying to help you out so that you will continue to use their services.  Also, internet companies usually buy packages in bulk and do not work directly with the cruise line.  Travel agents work directly with cruise line and have access to information that an Internet company would not have.  Travel agents are more knowledgeable about cruising and it’s easier to ask them questions and get in contact with them if anything did happen to occur.  Internet companies cannot and will not provide this service.  So it’s still up to you to decide if you want to save a couple books and not have the flexibility and customer service that you would receive if you booked through a travel agent.

The basics of having a good cruise is selecting the right cruise agent.  Cruise agents can save you hundreds of dollars, if not thousands.  You will need an expert on cruises to get the right cruise for you.  First, how should you select a cruise agent?

Has your cruise agent been on more than a dozen cruises on multiple cruise lines?  This is a sign that your agent is experienced in his field.  Also, a good cruise agent will not accept the first price offered by a cruise line and can answer virtually any questions that you have about each cruise.  If they have not been on a cruise before, be wary.  This is like asking advice about the best steak from a person that doesn’t eat meat.

There are three ways to make a reservations: you can book directly with the cruise line, go through a cruise agent, or book on the Internet.  Personally, I would go with a cruise agent, but to each their own (especially for your first time booking).  After your first time and once you become experienced with cruising, then you can venture off and start booking your own cruises.  However,  some cruise lines might be able to cut you a better price on a cabin and have additional information that some internet companies can not provide.  Also, a cruise agent will be available most of the time to answer your questions and can accommodate special requests, something an internet company cannot do.  You can even book your next cruise once you’re on the cruise ship.  Typically, booking on the cruise ship itself is worth the time as they can provide the most-up-to date information and provide special deals that you might not find anywhere else.

Here are some questions you should ask your cruise agent:

1.  How many cruises have you personally been on?

2.  Why you are special compared to other agents?

3.  How can you provide me with a better package than other agents?

4.  What cruise line do you work with on a regular basis?

5.  How much experience and how many years have you been working in this industry?

6.  Ask for clients names of whom they agent has worked for in the past

6.  Are you accredited or have a master cruise counselor designation from the Cruise Line Industry Association?

If they cannot confidently answer these questions, then it’s advisable to seek help elsewhere.  So where can you find these cruise agents?  Have your friends gone a cruise before?  Ask your more experienced friends about how they booked their trips.  Word of mouth is  a great way to find an agent.  Having a friendly relationship is very important as you will be dealing with this person more than just one time.  If they are pushy and insist on pushing only one type of cruise on you, this means that they are going for the sale rather than your personal interest.  Cruise agents work on commissions and if they keep asking you to purchase one cruise line without giving you a variety, it means that they are going for a high commission, not your personal benefit.  To work your way around this, ask your agent to provide you with three other cruise lines that provide the same packages, if he is unwilling to do so, move on to another agent.

Be specific and firm about how much money you want to spend and what type of cruise you want to go on.  Make sure you know what you want before you go in to the office.  You need to be responsible and do a little research before talking with an agent.  Once you’ve found the perfect agent, you will want to keep going back to him or her.  Write them a note and thank them for booking the best cruise vacations for you.

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The cruise vacations tips series is a series of random tips to answer beginning cruisers questions about cruising and all elements of the trip.  How many times on a trip do you ask yourself or someone, “how do we blah blah blah?” or “I should have brought blah blah blah on this trip!”.  You can benefit from these posts by reading and taking notes on items that you should bring on your cruise vacations.  Also, there is information in here that will help you save money and time during your travels.  Making sure that you have the best cruise vacation depends on great research, an honest travel agent and your personal preferences.  Cruise lines have personality just like you do.  Some cruises target the affluent and more sophisticated types while other cruises are more for middle class America.  Thing main point is that there is something for everyone and the best way to get the most out of your cruise is to find one that fits your personality.

If it’s your first time at sea, make sure you’re not sea sick.  If so, maybe cruising is the best idea for you.  Also, it’s good to “test out the waters” on your first cruise and go for a short duration cruise.  If you have kids, make sure there’s a child daycare program so you can actually have a vacation and relax a bit.

Millions have experienced the joys of cruising and millions more will enjoy within 2009.  There are plenty of on-board and off board activities for anything that you can imagine and it will take a very experienced traveler a lot of proper time management to fit in all the activities that they want to do.  If you are a beginner, it’s going to be that much harder for you to plan as you have no idea what you’re doing.  The key is to become as familiar as possible with all amenities and research all aspect of each cruise line that you want to go on.  For example, if you’re single and ready to mingle, you probably don’t wan to go on a family oriented Disney cruise vacation.  You’d probably want to check out the Royal Caribbean as there are more singles and people ready to party and participate in singles activities.

The first thing you’ll need to do is a little research.  Prepare for a cruise ship and plan ahead.  The more planning that you do ahead of time, the more enjoyable and less stressful it’ll be on your cruise.  First off, think of the reason why you’re going on this trip.  Do you want to go on a cruise ship or did one of your friends push you to go on this trip. What kind of trip do you want?  Are you planning on relaxing or do you want to jam in as many activities as possible?  What is your budget on this trip?  Remember that there are many additional shore excursions that you can participate in and all of these excursions are not free.  Make sure to factor in gratuities, drinks, taxes and spending money when budgeting your cruise.  Also, if you buy just the sailing part of the trip, make sure to factor in airfare, transportation to the port and lodging before you get on the trip.

Another word about budgeting.  Make sure to check the cruise lines website or the travel centers website to determine how much each shore excursion costs and how many excursions are available.  This will help you factor in how much more you will have to pay for your trip.  Throw in an additional $100 for “emergency” expenses just in case you become sick or need additional taxi fare money to get back to the ship.  Do you have your passport ready?  All international cruises require passports and won’t allow you on the vessel unless you are equipped with one.  If you are a frequent traveler or cruiser, it might be recommended to check into travel insurance.  Also, look at the cruise line or vacation centers cancellation policy and budget this into your total trip package.

Now, with all of these things factored in, you can start looking at the fun part of the trip!