First Time Cruising

Gone are the days when holidaying onboard a cruise liner would be the choice of an elderly aunt. If you haven't been on a cruise ship since the 1970s, you might as well have not been on one at all! The environment on board is so different from what it was 20 or 30 years ago!

A cruise is now the smart holiday choice for anyone who wants the most exciting, best value holiday, in the best places, with the best people! Forget about sitting on deck in the rain under a blanket, you'll probably be boarding your ship in the calm Caribbean waters in tropical heat! Forget about the only entertainment being an organised deck games that involves throwing a bit of rope around, you're more likely to be on the nine hole golf course (yes, a golf course on a ship) tackling the climbing wall, learning kick-boxing, or sharpening your Yoga.

Whether it's just you travelling or several generations of your family, the smart money is on cruising. Gone is the stress of finding somewhere to eat several times a day, managing your budget accordingly, and spending your holiday on a trial and error learning curve of unknown local restaurants and bars. Life on board not only has all that covered - it's included in the price of your holiday! And that doesn't mean free fish and chips every day, it means fantastic gourmet meals the like of which would cost more than the whole cruise itself if you at like that at home every day!

The food on board is fantastic; the waiters become your friends and quickly learn what you need. You don't have to be in the same place at the same time every day though and it's not just main meals that are covered, all your snacks throughout the day are too! Worried about all that extra intake taking its toll on your waste line? Get to the stat-of-the-art gym, or take one of the classes. Don't worry about the extra expense, as there won't be any!

Choosing to take yourself and your family on a cruise these days is a no turning back decision. You'll look at the alternatives next time you plan a holiday and NOTHING compares, and we haven't even got to the excitement and wonder of being at sea and waking up at different exciting and exotic locations on some days either!

Where do cruises go from and where do they go to?

Heading off for the Caribbean will involve flying to one of the popular US ports, such as Miami. Spending at least a day there acclimatising yourself is a good idea, but the humidity of the city is quickly blown away as soon as your ship starts moving, and that hot and heavy weather that seems so unbearable when you step of the aircraft all of a sudden makes much more sense. You'll feel sorry for the land lubbers and wonder why you never went cruising before!

However, you don't have to travel further than any of our own ports. There are Mediterranean cruises you can take a train to and join in Southampton! Or if you're feeling adventurous and exotic, explore the Hawaiian Islands, departing from Honolulu and ending up in the Pacific Northwest, Vancouver perhaps.

Few parts of the world are unexplored by cruise ships, and some parts of the world are best accessed by sea too! The icebergs of Alaska, the Panama Canal, or the excitement of an Atlantic crossing. Cruising isn't just travelling to somewhere and then when you arrive you all of a sudden have to make sure everyone remembers they are 'on holiday', cruising is travelling in style, your holiday beginning the instant you step on board!

Cruises provide amazing value, but are there any hidden costs?

• All the cruise lines Ocean-Cruise brings to you are FULL BOARD in the truest sense of the phrase! Soft drinks are included, but alcohol with your meal or in a bar is a reasonably priced extra. There are casinos on board you might want to explore as they're less intimidating than their UK counterparts, you'll need money for these, and there are charges for some shore excursions as these are generally run by local operators.
• People often talk about the extra expense of gratuities or tipping, that can be a 'hidden cost' on the end of your total cruise cost. With Ocean-Cruise all such tips or gratuities are included so you cruise cost is absolutely transparent, with nothing hidden!
• The deals Ocean-Cruise has with major airlines also mean hidden costs are a thing of the past, with the taxes and relevant surcharges that when not included in initial quotes can prove to be nasty surprises when the final bill comes. All our prices have those taxes and surcharges included from day one.

Explore Ocean-Cruise's Flexi Cruise Holiday options and learn how you can save even more money!

Okay! I want to go on a cruise! Is two days long enough? Or should I book the full three weeks?

Ocean-Cruise knows how to help you get the best value for money AND have the best holiday! Talk to one of our cruise experts today and we'll help you plan. For instance, it might be best for you and your family to have a short cruise as part of your theme park based Florida holiday, or perhaps you need a short UK break and a two day taster trip is the best thing. Alternatively you can treat yourselves and get away from life's stresses and strains for three weeks or more.

Deck plans, itineraries, cabins, anchors; it's all so complicated!

It can all be a bit confusing, especially when you aren't familiar with cruise ships. However, it's not as hard as it looks and on modern cruise ships there aren't really many 'mistakes' to make. There're a huge range of costs for the same cruise, with some cabins costing over 20 times another. The higher grade cabin you have the higher up on the ship it will be, and cabins vary from small, but perfectly formed, rooms for two with no portholes, to huge suites with floor to ceiling windows, balconies, grand pianos, and personal butlers! Hence that massive range of costs. You'll have a great holiday whatever cabin you chose.

Talk to our cruise experts today about how to get the best value by picking the right cabin for you and your family, they'll talk you through everything, but the basics are:

• An inside cabin is like a standard hotel room and offers great value for money
• An outside cabin will have a window and something to look at in the morning for those brief moments you actually spend in the cabin!
• Larger suites with private balconies offer more space and luxury. With Ocean-Cruise FREE upgrades are sometimes available, so speak to your Ocean-Cruise expert today!

There are ten of us! We don't want to be on top of each other all the time. What about the children?

A big family to take? Don't worry! Cruises offer smashing discounts for third, fourth or more travellers and you won't necessarily be paying twice as much if you need more than one cabin.

For families with children cruises are now the best way of holidaying by far. Kid's activities and clubs are not an after thought here; they generally run (although different cruise lines have different facilities) from 9 o'clock in the morning to 10 o'clock at night! And don't forget, that's ALL included!

Want some time to yourselves in complete confidence your children are safe and having fun? You're going on a cruise!

Don't have children, but are worried about being surrounded by kids all the time? No worries! There are bars, casinos, activities and shows that children aren't allowed in, and many public lounges exclude children after 9:30.

What if I get bored? Is there much to do on a cruise ship? How long does it stop for?

Most modern cruise ships offer more high quality facilities and entertainment than many popular holiday resorts. From blackjack and poker in the casinos, to West End quality live shows in the theatres, from showings of the latest films in state-of-the-art surround sound cinemas (we're not talking airline movies here - modern onboard cinemas are probably better than the nearest cinema to where you live!) to classes and courses to take in everything from the history of the locations you'll be visiting to art education, then there are party nights, dancing in clubs or to live big bands. Even just sitting on deck watching flying fish or dolphins team along with the ship as it makes its way to your next destination, to where you're busily planning your day's excursion is great fun.

Becoming bored is the only thing about cruising that actually requires some effort to achieve!

Most itineraries offer stops for at least half a day. Sometimes you might stop for a night or even two at special destinations. View the different itineraries of Ocean-Cruise cruises or speak to our experts, who'll help you choose the right cruise for you.

But I am sure to get seasick!

Nonsense! The rolling (side to side motion) and pitching (up and down motion) are greatly reduced by the latest computer-controlled stabilisers these days, so the chances off being seasick even for the most sensitive of travellers is low. Also, the Caribbean is, for most of the time, calmer than the lake in Hyde Park, with any severe weather being spotted when it's still thousands of miles away and the ship, where possible, simply changes course and avoids it! Try doing THAT in Tenerife!

Can we really afford it?

The days of cruising being just the wealthy are over. Choosing to cruise is now the smartest choice to make your holiday money go further. You can spend as much or as little as you like. Choose from fun ships offering value for money, or spend telephone numbers to ensure you have a suite the size of the average three bedroom house complete with piano and butler, even your own chef! Your cruise advisor is happy to guide you through the best options available.

Ocean-Cruise's latest offers and typical prices for our Flexi Cruise holidays are here.

Whatever cruise related questions you might have call our Ocean-Cruise cruising experts NOW on 0800 008 6232 - we love talking about cruising! The call is FREE and we're waiting to hear from you NOW on 0800 008 6232