There are lots of things to consider when choosing a cruise holiday, from the ship you sail on to the destinations that you visit but something that can often get overlooked is choosing the right cruise line.

If you are new to cruising, that can often be down to the fact that people tend to think that all cruise lines are alike but aside from operating cruise ships, the differences can be actually quite vast and can really make or break your experience whilst away on holiday.

If you prefer peace and quiet on holiday, you don’t want to be on a party boat and if you want lots to do whilst at sea, you don’t want to choose a more traditional cruise line with smaller and older ships.

If you are travelling as a family who all have different things they enjoy doing, you will likely want a resort style holiday whilst if you are looking for an adventure to remember forever, you will maybe want to choose an expedition cruise line.

Despite all offering the same base product, a cruise holiday, every line adds their own twist on things to create a unique experience that some love, some hate and some, well their just glad to be on a cruise ship whatever!

With so many different lines, offering so many different styles of cruising, just how do you decide on which to cruise with?

That is what we try to answer in this list as we look at what we believe to be the top 10 tips for choosing the right cruise line.

Our Top 10 Tips for Choosing the Right Cruise Line

Reputation Matters

This is arguably the most important thing as the reputation of the line really does matter as past performance is a key indicator of future performance.

If a line has a reputation for missing ports, for polluting where they sail or for a poor onboard experience, the chances are that that will be your experience as well.

There are plenty of places online, including ourselves, where you can read honest reviews from actual cruisers.

Whilst every line will have their issues from time to time, you will easily see a pattern of behaviour emerge from looking over reviews.

Solo Traveller Concerns

If you are travelling by yourself, you will often find it quite shocking as to how much extra cruise lines will charge you.

It is often the case that your fee will simply be double the per-person cost of what it would be for 2 people sharing a room, but thankfully there are now several lines that will offer either no extra costs for those sailing alone or only a small solo cruisers supplement.

Some lines offer special rooms designed for solo travellers and some go even further and offer areas of the ship only the use of solo travellers that includes lounges and restaurants.

It really does pay to see what a line can offer those sailing alone as not only could you get a much better experience, but you could also save a vast sum of money.

Technology Can Be Key

Some people love to escape from the trappings of been stuck to technology, such as mobile phones and laptops, whilst on holiday but it is something that so many of us are guilty of doing.

If staying connected is a big plus for you, make sure you sail with a line that offers fast connections and an always on option, as a lot of lines limit what you can do and even how long you be connected for.

It isn’t just about been able to access the internet however, as a number of lines offer technology that can really advance your holiday including been able to order drinks from your phone, to be delivered to you no matter where you are on a ship (great for those with mobility issues), or the chance to be able to track where other passengers are on the ship, which is ideal for those travelling with kids or elderly relatives.

Loyalty Rewarded?

Most cruise lines have a loyalty programme and whilst the rewards offered have gotten less and less over time, if you have built up a high level on these programmes for one line, it may make you want to stick with that same line.

If you find yourself having sailed on every ship you want to on that line and visited everywhere of interest that they offer, you can often match your loyalty level on another line.

That is because most cruise lines are part of the same family as other lines that are owned by the same parent company, with companies such as the Carnival Corporation operating 9 lines and over 90 ships dominating the market.

If your loyalty rewards are an important part of choosing your cruise for you, check to see if other lines will match your reward status and you may find that there are other lines available to you.

Language Barrier

Most cruise lines will operate with English as the only onboard language although things such as your dailies and safety information will often be made available in several different languages.

Depending on where you sail, such as the Med for example, some lines will also make key announcements in local languages such as Spanish and Italian or if there are many passengers who speak a language, they will make announcements in that language.

Some lines, such as AIDA and Mein Schiff have German as there main or only language onboard, so if the language barrier is a concern for you, make sure your cruise line has a language you understand as the main onboard language.

Go All In Or Not

Just as the onboard experience varies from one line to the next, the way you put together your holiday can vary between the different lines as well.

Some cruisers like to plan their holidays and take the time needed to find flights, book transfers to cruise ports, choose pre or post cruise hotels, choose drink packages and decide on wi-fi options and pick any excursions you want to take- alongside everything else that goes into a cruise trip.

Some people just want to book a cruise and have everything sorted for them and there are several lines that allow you to do just that by offering an all-inclusive style, with most lines offering some sort of hybrid option.

Knowing how much you want to do yourself and how much you expect the line to do will help you find the right line to cruise with.

Kids Clubs & Childcare

If you are sailing with children, there will be times when you want to all be together but there will be times when the adults and the kids want to do their own things and the great news is that most cruise lines understand that.

Some lines offer very basic facilities such as babysitting whilst some will have full programmes of activities, split across different age ranges that will entertain all kids throughout a sea day.

Knowing what level of service you will need and finding the line that offers it before booking could really make the difference to your getaway.

Onboard Currency

In the main, the onboard currency of a cruise ship will be in US Dollars, especially if you are cruising on a mainstream line.

That isn’t an issue for most cruisers, even for those living outside of the US, but for some it can be an issue.

Maybe you are on an tight budget and not knowing the exact price of your onboard spend is a big issue or maybe you are just not that confident in been able to make the conversion in your head before making a purchase- whatever the reasons, some prefer to use their own currency onboard if possible and that will restrict the line you can sail with.

Lines such as P&O Cruises and the Ambassador cruise line have sterling as their onboard currency and some lines will offer flexibility based on the region the ship is based in with the likes of MSC offering Euros, Sterling or Dollars as the onboard currency depending on where the ship is based.

Understand The Dress Code

This is something that is a huge deal breaker for some cruisers and simply just doesn’t matter for other but for most, like us, it is somewhere in the middle.

We do prefer a more relaxed approach to dress codes as we like to do what we want on holiday and sometimes we want to simply get back onboard, head to the buffet and stay out on deck all night to take in the views and look us for wildlife and on those days, we don’t want to be getting dressed up.

We also really don’t want to be taking a suit and tie and getting dressed up like it’s a funeral when we are on holiday, but we certainly don’t mind putting in some effort, especially on a seaday.

Some cruisers prefer to just stay in their favourite jeans and t-shirt the whole time onboard whilst some look forward to getting dressed up to the nines.

Each cruise line has their own expectations for guests and you need to understand them if it could be an issue that affects your holiday.

Ignore Marketing Spiel

I’m sure this isn’t something that needs to be said to most people, but it can be easy to get swept up in the marketing that you see for any product you buy, but that can be absolutely the case when it comes to picking a cruise line as they use specific language and imagery to sell us there vision of the line and not what can often be actually experienced.