6 Frustrating Things About Booking a Cruise (and How We Fixed Them)

Cruising is an unbelievably customizable vacation. With nearly endless combinations of itineraries, lines, and ships, everyone can find a cruise to match his or her interests — and budget.

The downside to all of these choices? What should be a simple process can become a nightmare of research if you don’t have a good plan of attack. Toward that end, we nailed down the most difficult parts of finding a cruise and came up with a way to make every one of them a bit easier.

1. Choosing a Destination

You can sail to the Mediterranean (clockwise from top left), the Caribbean, Alaska, and even Asia. - Photos by Shutterstock

The Problem: OK, so maybe having the choice of where to cruise is a good problem to have, but that doesn't make the decision any easier. While tropical beaches are a safe bet for first-time cruisers, heading south isn’t the only option. If you’re not looking for beach days, cruising is a great way soak up European culture or immerse yourself in untouched Alaskan nature.

The Solution: We’ve laid out the pros and cons of every cruise itinerary. You can also take our quiz to find out where you should take your next cruise, and our comprehensive Cruise Genius vacation planner will offer you several itineraries based on what you want to do in port. 

2. Selecting a Line

Most lines have their own unique features, like Celebrity's Lawn Club Grill which boasts a half-acre of real grass. - Photo by Celebrity Cruises

The Problem: There are close to 20 major cruise lines sailing out of the U.S. alone. No two lines are exactly alike, and choosing the right one can make or break your vacation. Sail with the wrong line, and you can find yourself on a ship filled with screaming children when you wanted peace and quiet, or on a ship with seniors when you wanted to party. 

The Solution: Use this chart to compare every major cruise line. Still can’t decide? We have a quiz that will help you find the best cruise line based on your personality and interests. 

3. Picking a Ship and Sailing

Every ship is a different experience. - Photo by Brand X Pictures / Thinkstock

The Problem: By this time, you should have a destination, a potential cruise line or two, and a good idea of when you want to take your cruise. You’re almost done, right? Not even close. Bigger lines have dozens of ships, and while their newer vessels may be state-of-the-art, their older ships might be run-down and in desperate need of refurbishments. Plus, each ship has a different itinerary and embarkation ports.

The Solution: For custom search results, punch your desired criteria (line, departure port, date) into our cruise search tool. Clicking on a cruise will give you a wealth of reviews — which you can sort by passenger type like couple, family, etc. — plus ratings, tips, photos, and prices.  

4. Choosing a Cabin 

Cruise ship cabins are typically between 100 and 200 square feet, so even a tiny bit of extra room can make a difference. - Photo by Disney Cruise Line

The Problem: Newer cruise ships have close to 40 different cabin categories. No, that’s not a typo. While there is a significant amount of overlap between categories, all of them have slightly different layouts, square footage, and amenities. To make the decision even more difficult, the pictures provided by the lines are often taken at the most flattering angle possible with a wide-angle lens. Oh, and did we mention that some cabins have terrible locations, like near the crew quarters or underneath a dance floor?

The Solution: Start by reading our Step-by-Step Guide to Picking a Cruise Ship Cabin. Then head to the Cruiseline.com web page of the ship you plan to book and click on "Cabins". It will bring you to a page like this where we break down all of the available cabins by size and amenities. If you know the type or number of the cabin you plan to book, you can even filter our reviews to see if there’s one from a cruiser who stayed in that specific room. Best of all, we have a constantly growing database of user-submitted cabin photos so you can see what the rooms actually look like. 

5. Price Fluctuations

Cruise prices can change overnight. - Photo by Cruiseline.com

The Problem: You’ve finally narrowed down your options to a couple of cruises. Now you can take a deep breath and — wait, did the prices change since the last time you checked? Yes, they probably did. Cruise fares can fluctuate at a moment’s notice, especially as the sail date draws closer.

The Solution: Sign up for Cruiseline.com’s price alerts. You can track the prices of multiple cruises, and we’ll even send you an email if a cruise drops below your preferred price — only if you’d like us to, of course.

6. Booking Shore Excursions

From kayaking and snorkeling to hiking and zip-lining, there's an excursion for every taste and activity level. - Photo by Royal Caribbean International

The Problem: Sure, you can spend every day lounging on the nearest beach, but that doesn't make for great photos or stories. Most ships are only in port for about eight hours, so don’t expect to line up several activities. In addition to all of the excursions offered through the cruise line, there are countless independent vendors you can book through. 

The Solution: Head to our excursions page, enter the cruise you’ll be sailing on, and we’ll give you the best excursions available, from wine tasting to scuba diving.