ARE YOU A NEVER-CRUISER? THESE ARE THE BEST BOAT TRIPS FOR YOUR FIRST TIME

There’s a first time for everything, and cruising is no exception.

If the idea of a crowded mega-cruise seems daunting, don’t worry – there are many shorter and more intimate options that can ease you into what will become your favourite way to see the world.

Whether you’re seeking exclusive luxury or travelling on a budget, from cruising the Mediterranean to floating down the Danube, whether you’d prefer a short distance to the sights or a cruise so family-friendly and catered for, you won’t want to get off.

Metro’s Cruise editor Richard Mellor has curated the best voyages for cruise newbies. So, go get your sea legs. 

Best for toe-dippers: Go Dutch

There’s a reassuring familiarity to P&O Cruises’ classy, contemporary ships for Britons: prices are in pounds and restaurants serve much-loved classics.

The brand offers three or four-night mini-cruises ready for people keen to give holidays at sea a trial run. Departing from Southampton with no flights required, you might visit Guernsey, Normandy or Amsterdam; trips to the Dutch city involve an overnight stay, so you’ll have time to explore it, plus a full day at sea while coming home to sample Ventura’s spa, sports facilities and theatre shows.

Four nights from £479pp, full board, departing Sep 10, P&O Cruises.

Best for the easily-overwhelmed: Portuguese sailing

If the idea of a cruise ship carrying 3,000 gives you palpitations, don’t worry. There are plenty of smaller options out there — albeit many of them are, by nature of their luxury and high staff-to-guest ratio, pricey.

Rather more affordable, however, are VentureSail’s traditional sailboat trips; and these truly are small-sized, with fewer than 60 passengers. Try an autumnal journey on Blue Clipper, a traditional tall ship, along the Algarve coast of Portugal and into Andalusia in Spain.

The planned stops include classical Cadiz, and in between you can sit and relax as 
the sails billow — or, if desired, help out crewing.

Seven nights from £2,305pp, full board, departing Sep 26, Venture Sail Holidays.

Best for families: Slides and surf simulators

Be it the longest water slide at sea, zip lines, acrobatic shows or baby splash zones, Royal Caribbean International’s ships are a dream for kids of all ages – especially those behemoth vessels in its Oasis and Icon classes.

Spas await for frazzled parents, with age-split kids clubs available. A pro tip is to 
stay on board during a port day to enjoy shorter queues and much more quiet.

The line sails around the world but – living up to the name – 
its winter Caribbean voyages, such as 
a Fort Lauderdale round-trip visiting the Bahamas and Jamaica, are especially popular.

Six nights from £668pp for a family of four, full board, departing Dec 22, Royal Caribbean.

Best for convenience: La Coruna

In order to find room for big boats, the majority of cruise ports are, naturally, quite far from the centre of their designated destination. There are some handy exceptions, though, where most attractions are in (realistic) walking distance.

In Europe, those include Antwerp, Barcelona and La Coruna. Although most cruise-ship visitors to La Coruna immediately head off on excursions to Santiago de Compostela and its pilgrimage cathedral, two beaches and an alluring old town encourage staying put.

Combine the city with foodie Bilbao and cider-loving Gijon on a jaunt along Spain’s north coast with Fred Olsen and its classy Bolette before returning to Liverpool.

Seven nights from £999pp, full board, departing Oct 20, Fred Olsen Cruises.

Best on a budget: Join the Carnival

Carnival offers great-value fares across its 22 ships and itineraries to five continents.

The American line, which has more of a millennial feel than most, includes an excellent variety of food (including fried chicken inspired by basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal) in its basic fare, while its additional-cost drinks package is one of the best out there by dint of encompassing coffee and milkshakes.

Typically economical is a jaunt from Civitavecchia, near Rome, to Greek islands and Turkish beach towns.

Seven nights from £808pp, full board, departing Oct 18, 2025,
Carnival.

Best for river-goers: Down the Danube

Classy river-cruising promises smaller vessels – most host between 150 and 200 guests – more frequent ports and, usually, pretty much everything included in its rates. While the industry has a reputation for fustiness, some brands are decidedly innovative.

AmaWaterways, for instance, has introduced more spacious ships, lots of activity 
options and creative excursions (with more of them complimentary than most rivals).

Glorious scenery and big-name cities makes the Danube river a sensible bet for novices. Try the jaunt from Nuremberg to Budapest via Vienna.

Seven nights from £2,793pp, full board, including flights, weekly departures from Apr 16, Ama Waterways.

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