Top 10 Cruise Destinations For First Timers
Do not worry as that is the situation we have all found ourselves in as there is simply so much choice in the cruise world when it comes to cruising, from the line your choose to the ship and from the destinations to the length of cruise- and lots more besides.
On the plus side of things is the fact that on this page we bring you a great list of what we believe are the best destinations for those embarking on their first ever cruise but the on the negative side of things is that fact that whilst these are great starting points, what will really make a cruise holiday perfect for you and your family is really down to your own preferences.
So whilst we cannot state that this list will make the process a breeze, we are sure that it will give lots to think about and will make it easier to choose your first cruise destination.
Of course these are just our general selections and whilst a great starting point, the perfect choice will come down to things such as your budget, your travel experience and what you want from a holiday.
Our Top 10 Cruise Destinations For First Timers
Portugal
Whilst it may seem somewhat surprising that Portugal sits a top of this list, it really should not be as it is a country that matches many of the points that we feel are important to include in any choice of a first cruise destination.
If you are setting off on your first cruise, you are yet to know if you actually enjoy cruising or not as whilst so many of us are hooked on cruising from the first day of our first cruise, for some it can be a daunting experience that leaves them longing for dry land.
In truth, the majority fit somewhere in the middle and whilst many will grow into ardent cruisers over their first few cruises, some will be one and done and that is why we feel it is so important to start off a cruise that is long enough for you to enjoy all that cruising has to offer but short enough for not to worry about been trapped onboard.
That also goes for sea days as whilst many enjoy back to back days of enjoying life onboard, for some they can be simply a means to an end in getting to great destinations and until you try it, you will not know where you fall.
Cruises to Portugal can be enjoyed directly from the United Kingdom ,which takes away the stress of flying, and trips there and back can be enjoyed on a 7-10 night getaway, with normally only a maximum of 1 full sea day at a time needed.
When visiting Portugal, you can also enjoy sunbathing on the top decks of your ship without it usually getting overwhelming hot and there are beach option upon arrival for those who do not want to enjoy all that such great ports as Lisbon and Porto have to offer.
Another major plus for Portugal is the fact that there is a huge range of cruise ships that head there from a number of lines, which allows you to choose the type of ship you feel you will like the most and also the line that best suits your style of holiday.
From big all action ships to smaller more relaxed ones and from unpretentious cruise lines to premium lines, the choice is yours when cruising to Portugal.
Other aspects that are in the favour of Portugal is also the fact that due to that aforementioned competition, you can go when you want to go and normally for the budget that you have.
Lastly, a cruise for many is all about the destination and that is also to the benefit of Portugal with fantastic cities such as Porto and Lisbon waiting to be explored upon arrival and great stopping off ports such as Bilbao and La Rochelle waiting for you on your way to and from the country.
Norwegian Fjords
The Norwegian Fjords is only knocked off of top spot due to some people not enjoying ‘cold weather’ cruising as much as to warmer destinations and whilst you will be relying on a heat wave to be able to sunbath, cruising in the Norwegian Fjords is about so much more than that.
Instead of sitting on your balcony or on the top deck and soaking up the sun, the Fjords are all about sitting or standing with your camera in hand waiting to see what come along next.
From waterfalls to glaciers, from whales to sea eagles and from small remote villages to bustling towns- a cruise along one of Norway’s great fjords is ideal for those who love nature, the natural beauty of stunning landscapes and who enjoy the changing scenery that comes from cruising down Fjords or up and down a coast rather than out at sea for day after day.
One of the great attributes of Norway is the great choice of cruise lines and cruise ships that head their throughout the summer and also the great choice of itineraries that are on offer.
Cruises can be enjoyed from 7 nights up to around 16 nights on average, with some itineraries heading further north and into the arctic circle to take advantage of the 24 hours of daylight on offer but for a regular cruise sticking to the Fjord lands, you will only need 1 day at sea to get to Norway and 1 on the way back, which gives you enough time to settle in and take advantage of what is on offer on your chosen ship but you are never far from land and from exploring the many great towns, villages and attractions awaiting.
Northern Spain
Many of us have visited Spain on holiday but whilst many head to the south coast for getaways on the Costas or head for the Balearic or Canary Islands, far to few of us miss out on the northern coast of Spain.
The great news is that it is easy to visit the region on a cruise from the United Kingdom and it is well worth visiting.
One of the highlights of a cruise to the top coast of Spain is the beautiful city of Bilbao which is known for its culture and Basque heritage but there are lots of other must visit ports of call that all have something different on offer including Santander, Gijon, A Coruna and Vigo.
There is lots of options for cruising to the north of Spain with a number of cruise line sand plenty of different ships offering trips that head their all year long.
There is also lots of options in terms of the length of the holiday, with cruises starting at 7 nights and upping to 10, 14 and even 21 nights with some continuing on to the likes of the Canaries, the Mediterranean and even further afield such as transatlantic trips and to the Aegean Sea.
Western Med
Whilst definitions change from one cruise line to the next for what the Western Med entails, the majority include the countries of Gibraltar, Spain (including the Balearic Islands), France (including Corsica), Monaco and Italy (including Sicily).
That allows for lots of fantastic cruise ports of call including Cartagena, Valencia, Nice, Monte Carlo and Naples but it also includes the ports of Barcelona and Civitavecchia (Rome).
Those 2 latter ports not only make for great stopping off ports on a cruise around the region, with many cruise lines offering a range of itineraries that start and end in the UK but they also are embarkations ports that allow you to start or end your holiday in the Western Med.
That takes away the sea days needed to get their on a NoFly cruise but it also allow you to mix and match you holiday by adding a few das before or after your cruise enjoy all that Barcelona or Rome has to offer.
You can even start in Rome and end in Barcelona (or vice versa) and stay for a few days in both and it is that flexibility and variety that makes the Western Med so popular for many as is the great choice of port variety of ports of call and the sunny weather that awaits holidaymakers.
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is known for its natural beauty and for its easy going way of life but it is also home to fantastic towns and cities and the great news from a cruising point of views is that all of the capital cities of the region can be easily visited on a cruise holiday.
For those not wanting to fly, there is a wide choice of cruise lines and cruise ships that visit Scandinavia for much of the year with Oslo (Norway), Stockholm (Sweden), Helsinki (Finland) and Copenhagen (Denmark) all featuring heavily on itineraries of Scandinavia and the Baltics but aside from those great ports of call, the regions has lots more to offer and great stopping off opportunities in Germany, France, and Belgium.
The region can be reached from the UK on a cruise of 7, 10 or 14 nights and you can also set sail from easy to reach ports such as Warnemunde, Hamburg and Amsterdam or you can star tor end your trip with a land getaway from most of the main port sin Scandinavia with Copenhagen and Stockholm offering the most options.
Northern Europe
If you are not sure if cruising is right for you or not and that is something that has put you off from booking so far, or if your spouse or travel partner is unsure, a trip to Northern Europe could be right for you.
Not only are there a number of great choices available, including the likes of Oslo, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Zeebrugge (Bruges) and Le Havre (Paris) easily reached from a number of UK ports of departure but the closeness of most ports means that there is only a limited time cruising.
Cruises to the best northern ports of Europe allow for long days of exploring on shore and can are perfect for those short on time and/or budget.
Canary Islands
If your regular holiday consists of heading away for a week or 2 of sun, sea, and sand, why change your habits just because you are experiencing a cruise for the first time?
Choosing to cruise to the Canary Islands allow you to relax and soak up the sun on the top decks and thanks to the relatively small port of calls you visit, you are never far from a beach for shore days.
If course you can also explore the great capital cities of the Canary Islands and you can also experience great stopping off ports on the Iberian Peninsula.
The main reason the Canaries feature as low on this list as they do is the fact that you do need a few more sea days that the choices above and with many cruise lines offering the majority of trips through the winter, the weather en-route can often not be the calmest.
Baltic Sea
A cruise to the Baltic Sea allows for a lots of variety and whilst that is great for regular cruisers, if you are heading out on your first ever cruise it can be a great way to find out just what you like, and don’t like, from a cruise holiday.
The majority of cruises to the Baltics take 14 nights and offer an overnight stay in St Petersburg, so you get to experience a couple of days of back to back cruising and an overnight in port on the same trip but what makes this regions and out is the contrasts of the port son offer.
From the beautiful and relaxed ports of Scandinavia to the historic cities of the Baltics to the bustling cites of Germany and Poland to the small island getaway of Gotland, the Baltics have it all on offer and you even get to experience cruising under the highly impressive Oresund bridge/tunnel that links Copenhagen to Malmo in Sweden.
Iceland
Known as the land of ice and fire, Iceland is all about the unique landscapes on offer but with only a limited road network and with no railways, the best way to explore the island of Iceland is by sea and of course the best way to do that, in our opinion, is on a cruise holiday.
From the beautiful capital of Reykjavik to the fjords in the north and from the remote western towns to the incredible uninhabited islands around the coast- a cruise around Iceland is always a memorable experience.
These cruises are ideal for nature lovers with plenty of sea birds, whales and dolphins almost always spotted whilst on your ship whilst land excursions are all about seeing the many volcanoes, geysers and glaciers found throughout the country.
The main reason for Iceland featuring low on this list is the couple of back to back sea days in the North Atlantic needed to reach the country but that can of course be avoided by starting your cruise from Reykjavik main cruise terminal which offers a growing number of cruises every year.
British Isles
If you, or part of your travelling party, are really not sure about a cruise or if you are not experienced when it comes to travelling at all and would like to ease into it, why not enjoy a cruise around the British Isles.
We often forget just how fantastic the culture, the natural beauty, and the cosmopolitan cities we have right here in Britain and many of us never take the time to take it all in.
From incredible cities including Liverpool, Newcastle, and Belfast to the beauty of the Scottish Highlands and from the small fishing villages of Cornwall to the remote islands atop of Scotland- there is lots of variety right on our doorstep and lots of choice when it comes to cruise lines and cruise ships offering a week or 2 cruises around the British Isles that often also call into Dublin, France and/or the Channel Islands.
