How do we choose your cruise? 3 starter questions

By Cruise specialist Franki

As a cruise specialist, I’ll take a three-pronged approach to finding the right cruise for you. Together, you and I will consider where you want to go, where your passions lie, and whether you have any requirements when it comes to your ship. Your ideal cruise lies at the intersection of all these questions, but what’s most helpful to think about is this: how do you want your cruise to feel? This question will help me dive into the nitty-gritty, narrowing down which cruise partner and which ship will suit you best.

1. Where in the world would you like to go?

When you first start thinking about a cruise, approach it like any land-based trip: ask yourself where in the world really captures your imagination. Because almost every destination can be explored via a cruise, and your answer lets me start thinking about how I can weave together your cruise with your land arrangements.

Personally, I find the variety of ships I work with really exciting (I’m a cruise specialist for a reason). You could find yourself exploring far-flung archipelagos of French Polynesia on a hybrid cargo and cruise vessel, or sailing the Caribbean on a five-masted square-rigger. You could gaze out at polar landscapes from the deck of a high-tech icebreaker or from your private veranda, sipping on a freshly brewed coffee hand-delivered by your personal butler.

2. What are your passions?

I love finding out which aspect of a destination really excites you. For example, if you’re especially interested in food and wine, I might suggest a cruise of Portugal’s Douro region, stopping at port houses and vineyards, or this cruise from Bali to Bangkok, which includes the chance to really delve into Indonesia’s street-food scene. I also know which, among all our cruise partners, go above and beyond in terms of their on-board dining, cookery classes, and wine tasting.

Some of the best wildlife experiences can be found on the water. The Galapagos Islands, by dint of their geography, are best explored by sea, and are a fulfilling experience even if you’re short on time — this trip, which includes a stay in Costa Rica, brings you face to face with everything from marine iguanas to flamingos in only four days. I can also complement humpback whale-watching on a cruise of Alaska’s Inside Passage with a stay at a bear-watching lodge in the Canadian wilderness.

Looking to gaze upon raw wilderness? Some ocean cruises, like this epic voyage that rounds Cape Horn and sees you sail among the glacier-lined fjords of Tierra del Fuego, offer an immersion in some of the world’s most remotest places.

But, they’re not all confined to cold climates — I’m a fan of exploring Hawaii via a small-ship adventure cruise, which allows you to dock in out-of-the-way bays and gives you access to some of the most biodiverse snorkeling spots.

Sometimes cruises unashamedly lend themselves to pure relaxation, and if you’re truly looking to unwind, I’d suggest one headed for the Caribbean. I’ve sailed on a Caribbean cruise that visited some beautifully unspoiled, lesser-visited corners like Tortola and Virgin Gorda, in the British Virgin Islands, where the emphasis really is on enjoying the sands, rainforest, and swimming.

Cruises can equally be culturally immersive, like this river cruise of West Bengal. It allows you to connect with the heart of this region of India, as you spend a peaceful succession of days exploring terracotta temples, mango orchards, and mosques by rickshaw, and watch the landscape unspool by from the top deck. For a cruise that’s equal parts intrepid and also culturally rich, there’s this voyage of Australia’s remote Kimberley region, a splintered stretch of Outback coast where you’ll find some of the country’s rarest and most beguiling Indigenous rock art.

3. How do you want to feel on your cruise?

This is where we can really tease out what you’d like from your ship. A good place to start is service levels and what you’re looking to experience on board. As cruise specialists, we like working with ships that cater for many different styles of cruising, and that deliver exceptional on-board experience.

Service

Being on board a larger ship makes me think of that line from The Great Gatsby: “I like large parties. They’re so intimate.” On the larger ships we’ve hand-picked, you’ll find that there are plenty of nooks and crannies, from libraries to coffee lounges and bars, where you can find a quiet corner.

Service on these ships can be extremely bespoke, too: some ships have staterooms that come with your own butler who’ll serve you drinks on your veranda, so you needn’t always be out and about on deck. This kind of service is a white table-clothed, white-gloved affair — ideal if you’d like to lean into the old-world romance of cruising, and fancy some classic, 1920s-style glamour.

If you’re looking at an itinerary with lots of sea days, larger ships can be advantageous, as they offer all kinds of on-board experiences beyond the spa, swimming pools, and gym. These range from art classes to cooking demonstrations to shuffleboard games and cocktail-making, as well as guest speaker lectures and talks relevant to the destinations you’re visiting. Afternoon tea is often served on sea days, too (a particular highlight for me).

Then there are ships that still deliver a high level of service but that don’t provide, say, the extra attention to detail that a personal butler can deliver. These ships are often a little more relaxed in their on-board feel, and sometimes livelier, with lots of entertainment options, from stand-up comedy to late-night bars with live music and Broadway-standard performances.

Dining experiences

Consider how casual you’d like to be on board, vis-à-vis dining: sometimes black tie or formalwear, or long trousers, are de rigeur in à la carte restaurants (though not usually every night). At the other end of the scale, on a small-ship adventure cruise in the Galapagos Islands, for example, you might eat at a long communal table with all the other passengers (of which there might be as few as 20), in shorts and a T-shirt. Both bring their own pleasures.

The larger and medium-sized cruises we’ve chosen to work with always offer a variety of dining options, with usually at least one buffet-style restaurant. There are also usually at least a couple of specialty restaurants, such as trattorias or steakhouses.

Ambience & atmosphere

Cruising is innately sociable in a way that staying in hotels — with new guests coming and going every day — isn’t. You’re bonded to the other passengers by your shared voyage, and I’ve found that cruises are very inclusive, with events and meet-ups arranged for LGBTQ+ and solo passengers. There’s a sort of easy-going cruise etiquette, I’ve found, too — most people are happy to chat, but if you’d prefer to do your own thing, people respect that.

A word on families — you’ll find that there are more facilities for children on larger ships, though I’ve found that young babies in nappies can be tricky to accommodate as they’re often not permitted to swim unless they’re toilet-trained. Older, energetic children would particularly enjoy a small-ship adventure cruise (see below).

Small ship cruises

The smallest ships we offer have more functional or smaller staterooms or cabins, sometimes without any outdoor space, and fewer bells and whistles like roomy spas. However, smaller ships bring their own rewards — they can dock in smaller, ports that larger ships can’t access, and expedition cruises take this one step further, journeying to quite literally the ends of the Earth, taking you to places you couldn’t access any other way. Smaller ships also often offer adventurous activities that you can do from the ship’s swim platform, like kayaking and snorkeling.

Evening activities will be more low-key, such as a local singer-songwriter or storyteller, or even something linked to the destinations you’re visiting (on one Hawaiian cruise, for example, there’s an on-board tattooist, and I’ve been on a Caribbean cruise that had a local steel band play). These smaller ships can be a great option for people on solo trips as they foster a very laid-back and family-like atmosphere on board. Forming close-knit friendships with your fellow passengers are the norm.

There are certain ships — square-rigged, five-masted sailing ships — that are almost a category in themselves, and will appeal to sailing enthusiasts. On these you can, if you wish, join in with the day-to-day sailing of the ship, and work alongside the crew. There are still plenty of luxurious touches though, including underwater bars and spas, plunge pools, fine dining, and champagne served on deck when the sails are first raised. There are also several places to hole yourself away, should you desire more privacy — I recommend kicking back in the nets under the bowsprit.