Did You Hate Your First Cruise? Maybe You Just Picked the Wrong One

Up until recently, I’ve been somewhat skeptical of anyone who told me they went on a cruise once and hated it. The crowds. The lines. The noise.

My response was, “you must not understand how to cruise.” After all, I’ve been on over a dozen cruises and, sure, there are people, but I’ve never dealt with the chaos that these people are describing.

And then I went on a cruise in July.

And then one of our 3 ports got canceled, leaving us with 4 sea days on a 7-night cruise.

And now I get it.

A summer cruise is not for me.

And if that was your experience the first time you cruised, I bet a summer cruise is not for you, either.

If you have gone on a cruise and absolutely hated it, this blog post is for you. I’m not saying you have to give it another shot, but if you do, you should carefully consider when, where, and how long you’re cruising. Because it might not be that you hate cruising itself – it might just be that you picked the wrong cruise in the first place.

Timing Your Cruise

You know how in real estate they say “location, location, location?” In cruising, it’s “timing, timing, timing.” Especially if you are trying to avoid crowds (and if you hated your first cruise, then you probably are.)

The busiest times to cruise by far are any time families are going to be able to travel together. So, summer vacation (basically June, July, and August), spring break, fall break, and Christmas break.

Keep in mind that some of these can vary by location. I was born and raised in Michigan, so I know all too well that Florida is packed with northerners around Easter (usually spring break falls right before or right after it).

Now that I live in Oklahoma, I know that the week of St. Patrick’s Day is going to be spring break for all of Oklahoma and Texas. That’s why when we took a family cruise out of Galveston, we ran into literally everybody we knew (ok, maybe not everyone, but a scary amount, including our neighbor from across the street. We waved at each other as we left our houses, not knowing we were heading to the exact same place.)

Not sure when those random breaks are for wherever you are cruising from? Pay attention to the price. For instance, I got a great deal on an upcoming cruise starting October 18. However, the week before, the price nearly triples, which tells me that it is probably fall break for that part of the country.

The best times to cruise, in my opinion, are from November through April. You’re away from hurricane season and have fewer chances of running into families. Just obviously avoid Thanksgiving week, Christmas week, and New Year’s week, as these are going to be packed with families.

Picking the Right Cruise Line

The more I learn about cruises, the more I realize that every cruise line serves a separate niche. Definitely do some homework, but here is a quick breakdown of some of the major lines and the clientele they serve.

*Author note: If you want to try sailing again without the hassle of looking up every single cruise line, send me an email at theseasuitelife@gmail.com, and I can help you find the perfect fit for you! Or check out my site to see what’s available.

Royal Caribbean – Primarily family focused, though everyone is welcome. You’ll run into kids on any Royal cruise, even a Transatlantic, but there will be far fewer kids if you sail during shoulder season.

Celebrity – Sort of like Royal Caribbean’s savvy older cousin. Kids are allowed, but this is not where they typically hang out. You’ll find far fewer kids, even if you travel during busy season.

Virgin Voyages – Only 18+, which makes it great if you want to avoid kids altogether. It does seem to cater to more of a “party” crowd, but this is just my impression. My son and his friends, for instance will be taking a Virgin cruise to celebrate their high school graduation as their first unsupervised trip.

Viking – This caters to a non-kid crowd and seems to be more for older folks, or at least those who can afford a higher price tag.

Princess – While I have not yet sailed on Princess, this seems like another version of Royal, from what I can tell. Definitely family friendly.

Disney – I mean, do you have to ask? If you don’t want to be around kids, don’t sail Disney. Ever.

Cunard – This one allows kids over 1, but it has so many dress code rules that I imagine it’s not swarming with misbehaving children. If you are the type of person who wants to dress for dinner, and be around others who dress for dinner, this is your cruise line. (Let me know how you like it, because I really want to sail with them sometime!)

Carnival – An interesting combination of family friendly and party heavy. If you know you want to relax in peace and quiet on your cruise, Carnival probably isn’t your cruise line.

MSC – A budget-friendly option for families and solo cruisers.

Norwegian – This is kind of a cross between Royal and Carnival, although their itineraries tend to have more ports, so it can be a good option if you are looking to spend less time on the ship and more time on shore.

Quick summary – if you want to avoid kids/families, then look for a cruise line that does not specifically cater to them. Virgin Voyages is so far the only cruise line that only allows people 18 and over. Cunard, Viking, and Celebrity are also good choices, although you may still run into some kids and families.

Where to Sail

Your cruise itinerary will tell you a lot about what type of other passengers you can expect.

For instance, your classic Mexico and Caribbean itineraries will likely be packed with all kinds of people, including multigenerational families. These are relatively inexpensive and have a big variety of options for people of all ages, from toddlers to grandparents.

I haven’t done an Alaskan cruise yet, but from what I have seen, the same is pretty true. If you want to sail Alaska without a ton of families, really take a look at the cruise line itself. Alaska has gone from a “once in a lifetime” trip to just another option instead of the Caribbean. The mystique is gone.

If you want to get a different experience altogether, look for a repositioning cruise. These cruises are a lot less popular among the masses, and you’ll likely end up hanging out with more experienced cruisers who understand cruising etiquette and also know better than to drink obnoxious amounts of alcohol.

My favorite cruises have been repositioning cruises. I did one from Los Angeles to Vancouver, with stops in Astoria, Oregon and Victoria, BC. This cruise came from the Panama Canal, so I was with a lot of people who did a back-to-back (B2B) cruise. It was by far the most chill crowd I’ve experienced on a cruise – the ultimate in relaxation. However, the downside was that there were fewer activities on board, and it was a smaller ship (Serenade of the Seas), which has a lot fewer amenities than other cruises.

My other favorite cruise was a Transatlantic from New York to Barcelona. I was on Odyssey of the Seas, which is probably my second favorite ship (Quantum has my whole heart). Not many people want to take their kids on a cruise with 6 straight sea days (though there were some). I never felt like the kids were taking over. The cruise also was not full, so there was never a need to rush to get a seat at a show or a long line to stand in for anything.

I haven’t done a strictly European cruise and, honestly, I don’t think I want to. It looks hot and crowded. I’d much rather sail on a TA during shoulder season, and I am really excited about my Transpacific cruise coming up in 2027!

Another good option if you want to get away from the crowds is a river cruise. These are more expensive, but that is largely because they have a much smaller capacity. Look at Viking for European river cruises or American Cruise Line for US-based river cruises.

Bottom line here – if you pick a basic itinerary, you’ll end up with a lot of first-time cruisers and families. Look for something more out-of-the-box if you want to sail with a more experienced cruising crowd.

How Long to Sail

I’ve noticed that different lengths of sailing tend to bring out different types of cruisers. While this is by no means a hard and fast rule, here is what I’ve seen.

3-night cruises: These are party cruises, especially if they are over a weekend. Expect to be surrounded by bachelorette parties and people looking for a good time. If that is your speed, you will have a blast. If not, pay for the extra night. You’ll have an entirely different experience on a 4-night cruise.

4-night and 5-night cruises: I’ve met a lot of other remote workers on 4-night cruises, especially if they fall during the week. I’ve done the Monday-Friday Ensenada and Catalina Island cruise a few times out of San Pedro, and it was full of remote workers both times. There were still some families and partiers, but I didn’t feel the same frenzy on these sailings as I do on 7-nights. There are a ton of regulars here and not a lot of first-timers.

7-night cruises: From my experience, these are the sweet spot for families. I might be biased since I’ve only taken this length of cruise with my family. But so far, the pattern seems to hold. You’ll run into a LOT of first-time cruisers.

10+ night cruises: Now you’re getting into the out-of-the-box itineraries where the first-time cruisers and families will drop off and you’ll start to be around more experienced cruisers.

In my opinion, a 4- or 5-night cruise is ideal for your first time or your second attempt.

If at First You Don’t Succeed … Try A Different Cruise!

Every cruise is different, so if you hated your first one, you might have a completely different experience the second time. Take all of these things into account, and for real, reach out if you want help picking a cruise. The cruising industry has gotten very crowded lately, which is great for giving you options, but it can make choosing the right cruise feel overwhelming.

Have you tried cruising a second time? How’d it go? Let me know here or on Instagram @the.seasuite.

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