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Champagne and caviar on balcony of cruise ship.
11 June, 20193 minute read

Rob Stapley's top cruising tips

Senior Product Manager Rob Stapley is responsible for Titan’s ocean cruise itineraries and he has been lucky enough to visit many of our cruise holiday destinations. Below, he offers his tips for first-time cruisers.

Choosing the right ship

There is such a wide choice of cruise holidays out there, each offering different experiences and inclusions, so it’s important that you select the ship that best suits your needs. After deciding which region you want to visit and when you want to travel, ask yourself what you want to get out of your cruise holiday.

Do you want:

  • The finest dining experiences and luxurious accommodation?

  • The chance to dress up in the evenings?

  • To learn more about the destination you are visiting, with expert guest speakers?

  • State-of-the-art facilities on board?

  • More time spent in port, perhaps including overnight stops?

  • Smaller, more intimate ships?

  • Larger ships with a wide range of facilities and choice of cabins?

  • The ease of sailing from a UK port?

  • To travel exclusively in the company of fellow Titan travellers on a specially chartered vessel?

  • There are lots of questions to ask, and our sales team at Titan are here to help you make the choice that is right for you.

Where to go?

Our river cruise partners offer a range of holidays to suit every budget, from comfortable 3* vessels to the ultimate in luxury with Uniworld’s boutique-style river ships.

We have many exclusive Titan departures, meaning your fellow guests will be like-minded travellers on an itinerary that has been specially tailored for Titan.

We find that many first-time ocean cruisers choose to take one of our Canadian Rockies and Alaska Cruise holidays, combining seven nights touring through the majestic Rocky Mountains to Vancouver (perhaps including the superb Rocky Mountaineer train), followed by a seven-night cruise to Alaska, a truly remarkable destination and a haven for all kinds of wildlife.

We have something to suit all tastes in our huge collection of inspiring ocean cruises, visiting many of the world’s most rewarding and exciting destinations, including the Panama Canal, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands, the Norwegian fjords, South East Asia, New Zealand, South America, Iceland, Greenland and even Antarctica, the ultimate cruise destination!

Top Tips for First-Time Cruisers

  1. Firstly, choose your destination, how long you want to travel for (and when) and of course work out your budget.

  2. Next, choose the ship that best suits your tastes and needs. The size of the ship is important and will affect your experience on board. Generally, the larger the ship, the more facilities and activities, which means that the ship becomes the focus of the holiday as much as the destinations visited.

  3. On ocean ships, you can choose whether you want an inside cabin, which will offer an attractive price, but won’t have a view, or a more expensive outside cabin which will have an ocean view. A balcony cabin gives you that extra bit of private space to relax, while if you suffer from motion sickness, then select a cabin in the middle of the ship where you will experience less movement.

  4. On board larger ships, you will have a choice of meal times, so to get the table size of your choice and minimise any queues in buffet restaurants, choose one of the quieter times to eat rather than following the crowds. Similarly, you could also choose to stay on board ship whilst others disembark at a port, meaning that the ship is much quieter and there are often some great discounts available at the spa and other venues.

  5. Keep in mind that you will need to budget for extra-cost items, such as shore excursions, drinks (unless they are included), meals in any ‘specialty’ dining venue, spa treatments and other incidentals.

  6. And finally, research your ports of call in advance and decide if you want to take one of the ship’s organised excursions, or explore independently. There are lots of useful reviews of ports available on the internet to help you decide how to spend your time, and of course, our experienced sales team here at Titan are always ready to help with your queries!

Are you  a cruise connoisseur and think Rob has missed something? Let us know on our Facebook page!

Image of blog author Rob Stapley

Rob has been with Titan for 15 years, and over that time he has experienced a variety of roles in the product team, covering Canada, Northern Europe and River Cruising, while he is currently responsible for Titan’s Ocean Cruise itineraries.

Rob | About the author
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Our award-winning collection of holidays covers all seven continents, with carefully planned itineraries ranging from rail journeys and river cruises, to small-group adventures and trips exclusively for solo travellers.

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Feel free to amend or extend your travel plans, up until final payment, and enjoy free time on your tour with us too.