An Expert's Guide to Cruise Holidays

Flight Centre’s Steven McLean has been to 34 countries, and his all-time favourite way to travel is by ship. There are many different ways to cruise; here Steve shares all there is to know about sightseeing by boat, deck lounging and more...

Types of cruise

There are three main types of cruise: river cruises, which are usually on small, intimate vessels designed to manoeuvre along the rivers of the world; ocean cruises, like the ones listed on this page; and expedition cruises, which are more destination-led and include trips to Antarctica, the Arctic and the Norwegian Fjords. A fly-cruise is when you need to fly to a destination to board the ship.

Things to do

Most cruises offer amazing excursions in port; on an Alaska cruise you could add a tour of Denali National Park & Preserve and Mount McKinley. You can usually pre-book your excursions from three months before departure.

Eating and drinking

Be prepared to gain a few pounds! The food is incredible, from à la carte fine dining to snack shacks. It’s essential to know that not all restaurants are included in the price of your cruise; some speciality restaurants have a cover charge and need to be pre-booked.

Different cruise ships

Pick the correct kind of cruise line for you, and then the correct type of ship. Each brand will have various ships, and they can differ a lot. We’re here to help you make the right decision. If there’s somewhere you particularly love and you want to do something bespoke, just ask one of our Experts to help. For example, a holiday to the west coast of Canada could be tailored to include a cruise and a Rocky Mountaineer train Journey.

How to choose your cruise

Consider what you want to experience and get out of the cruise: it’s definitely not a one-cruise-fits-all type of holiday. Are you going to experience the ship, or do you want your Journey to be destination-led? And who do you want to share it with? Then think about what you want included in the initial cost.

Start planning your cruise holiday with a little help from our Travel Experts – make an appointment and they'll be able to tailor make your trip.

Written by Flight Centre UK

At Flight Centre we are long-haul, tailor-made holiday specialists offering amazing travel experiences. Our lovely humans Travel Consultants have a real can-do attitude, and are passionate about sharing their stories and travel news with you on our blog!

* 0800 calls are free for landlines and mobiles. 0333 calls are included within inclusive minutes package on mobiles, otherwise standard rates apply. 0844/0845 calls are 7p/pm plus your local carrier charge. Prices are per person twin share, correct as at the date of publication, subject to change and may be higher/unavailable for certain dates. Airfares are economy on specified airlines from London, unless otherwise stated. For full booking conditions visit Booking Conditions. Some of the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. But ATOL protection does not apply to all holiday and travel services listed on this website. We will provide you with information on the protection that applies in the case of each holiday and travel service offered before you make your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected. If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but not all the parts of your trip are listed on it, those parts not listed will not be ATOL protected. Please see our booking conditions for information, or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.caa.co.uk.

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An Expert's Guide to Cruise Holidays

Types of cruise

Things to do

Eating and drinking

Different cruise ships

How to choose your cruise

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