THE CRUISE JOURNAL · CRUISE PLANNING
How to Choose the Right Cruise Ship for Your Holiday
Choosing a cruise ship is about much more than finding the newest vessel, the biggest ship or the most attractive fare. The right cruise ship should suit the way you actually want to spend your holiday — from the pace of the itinerary and the atmosphere onboard to dining, entertainment, cabin style, service and the people you are travelling with.
There are now hundreds of cruise ships sailing around the world, and no two offer exactly the same holiday experience. A ship designed around high-energy family entertainment can be completely wrong for someone looking for quiet mornings, elegant dining and longer afternoons ashore. Equally, a beautifully intimate ship may not be the right choice for a family with children who want pools, activities and plenty happening from morning to night.
For travellers planning a cruise from Kenya, there is another layer to the decision. The ship is usually part of a much larger international journey involving flights from Nairobi, an embarkation city, possible visa requirements, pre-cruise accommodation and the timing of the sailing itself. That means choosing well requires looking beyond the photograph of the ship.
The most expensive cruise is not necessarily the best cruise for you. The best choice is the ship whose experience, itinerary and practical details fit the holiday you actually want to have.
Inside this guide
How to choose with confidence
What Makes a Cruise Ship Right for You?
The phrase “best cruise ship” can be misleading. There is no single ship that is best for every traveller because cruising is fundamentally personal. What feels exciting to one person can feel overwhelming to another.
A better question is: what cruise ship is right for the holiday I want?
Start by imagining the holiday itself. Do you want a ship where there is always something happening, or somewhere you can slow down? Are you travelling with children who need activities throughout the day? Are you travelling as a couple and looking for good restaurants, beautiful spaces and time ashore? Do you want a destination-heavy itinerary, or do you actually enjoy having sea days to use the ship as a resort?
Once those preferences are clear, the ship becomes much easier to evaluate.
Start With the Traveller, Not the Ship
One of the most common mistakes in cruise planning is beginning with the ship. A traveller sees a spectacular vessel online and immediately starts comparing cabin prices. An experienced cruise planner works in the opposite direction.
First establish who is travelling, what they enjoy and how they want to spend their time. Then shortlist the ships that naturally fit.
For families
Look at children's and family programming, pools, water attractions, connecting or family accommodation, casual dining, entertainment and the overall energy of the ship. A large resort-style vessel can work particularly well when different generations want different things during the same holiday.
For couples
Consider dining, adult-oriented spaces, service, cabin design, evening atmosphere, destination time and opportunities to enjoy the ship without feeling that every moment revolves around activities.
For multi-generational groups
Flexibility matters. Grandparents, parents and children rarely want identical holidays. A ship with a broad range of dining, entertainment and recreational options can allow everyone to create their own rhythm.
For a quieter escape
Look beyond the headline attractions. Smaller ships, premium experiences and ships with dedicated quieter areas may suit travellers who value space, service and a less frenetic onboard environment.
Does Ship Size Matter?
Absolutely — but bigger does not automatically mean better.
The world's largest cruise ships can feel like floating resorts, with multiple pools, restaurants, entertainment venues, activities and neighbourhood-style public spaces. For families and travellers who enjoy variety, that can be extraordinary.
Smaller ships can offer a different rhythm. They may feel more intimate, place greater emphasis on the destination or make it easier to move around the ship without the scale of a large resort.
There is also a middle ground. Many contemporary ships are large enough to provide extensive facilities while retaining distinct spaces where travellers can retreat from the crowds.
| Ship style | What it can offer | Often suits |
|---|---|---|
| Large resort-style ship | Wide choice of dining, entertainment, pools, activities and family facilities | Families, groups and travellers who enjoy variety |
| Mid-sized ship | A balance of onboard facilities and a more manageable scale | Couples, families and first-time cruisers seeking choice without maximum scale |
| Smaller ship | More intimate surroundings and, depending on the line, a stronger destination-led feel | Couples, experienced cruisers and travellers who value a quieter atmosphere |
| Small luxury / expedition-style ship | More intimate accommodation and highly destination-focused experiences | Travellers prioritising service, access and a more specialised style of cruising |
Ship size should therefore be considered alongside passenger capacity, layout, public spaces, service style and itinerary. Gross tonnage alone tells you very little about how a ship will actually feel.
Think About the Atmosphere You Want Onboard
Two ships can offer similar destinations and very different holidays.
Some cruise lines are deliberately energetic, with entertainment, activities and social spaces designed to keep the day moving. Others lean more heavily towards relaxation, destination immersion, refined dining or a quieter onboard rhythm.
Neither is inherently superior. The question is whether the atmosphere matches you.
Imagine the sea day. You wake up with no port to visit. What would you like to do? Have breakfast, sit quietly with a book and visit the spa? Or would you rather have a choice of pools, activities, shows, sports and restaurants? Your answer can reveal more about the right ship than a promotional photograph ever will.
Choosing the Right Cruise Ship for Families
Family cruising works best when the ship gives everyone something to look forward to.
Parents may care about cabin configuration, dining flexibility and adult spaces. Children may care about pools, water attractions, kids' clubs, entertainment and whether there is enough to do without constantly leaving the ship.
For a family holiday, look carefully at the age range of the children. A ship that is brilliant for teenagers may not be ideal for toddlers, and a ship designed around younger children may not excite older teenagers.
Families should also examine cabin options. Connecting rooms, family suites, sofa beds, balcony restrictions and the maximum number of guests allowed in a particular cabin can all affect the practical experience.
For Disney-focused families, for example, the experience is built around a distinctly Disney approach to cruising. For families who want a much broader resort-style range of activities, Royal Caribbean can be a very different proposition. The important point is not that one is “better” — it is that the experiences are fundamentally different.
Choosing a Cruise Ship for Couples
Couples often make the mistake of choosing a ship based only on the destination. The ship matters because it becomes your hotel, restaurant, entertainment venue and retreat for the duration of the voyage.
Look at the quality and variety of dining, the evening atmosphere, adult-oriented spaces, spa facilities, cabin categories, balcony options and the balance between activity and relaxation.
A couple celebrating a milestone may want an entirely different experience from a young couple looking for a lively holiday. A honeymoon itinerary may prioritise privacy and romantic destinations, while a couple travelling with friends may want nightlife and entertainment.
This is where comparing the ship's personality becomes more useful than simply comparing star ratings.
How to Choose Your First Cruise Ship
First-time cruisers do not necessarily need the newest or largest ship. They need a ship that makes the experience easy to enjoy.
A good first cruise should give you enough variety to discover what you like about cruising without making the experience unnecessarily complicated.
Pay particular attention to the itinerary, number of sea days, embarkation port, cabin location, dining arrangements and the ship's overall atmosphere.
It is also worth considering how much time you want to spend onboard. Some travellers discover that sea days become their favourite part of the holiday. Others prefer an itinerary packed with ports and excursions.
If you are planning your first voyage, our Cruises by Bob Cruise Journal is designed to help you understand the wider cruise-planning process, while our cruise-line guide gives you a starting point for comparing different cruise brands.
Dining and the Onboard Lifestyle
Food can be one of the defining differences between cruise ships.
Do you prefer a flexible dining approach where you can decide when and where to eat? Or do you enjoy a more traditional structure? Are specialty restaurants important to you? Do you care about casual dining, room service, international cuisine, fine dining or dietary flexibility?
Then consider what is included in the fare versus what carries an additional charge. A ship can appear attractively priced while offering a very different onboard experience depending on what you choose to add.
Dining should therefore be part of the ship-selection process — not something you investigate after booking.
Entertainment, Activities and the Way You Spend a Sea Day
Look at the ship's entertainment philosophy rather than simply counting attractions.
A ship may offer Broadway-style productions, live music, comedy, water attractions, sports, children's programmes, nightlife, enrichment, wellness facilities or destination-focused programming.
The important question is which of those things you would actually use.
A traveller who never uses a waterpark does not necessarily benefit from paying a premium for a ship because it has one. Conversely, a family with active children may consider those same facilities a major part of the holiday's value.
Do Not Overlook the Cabin
Once you have found a ship that suits you, cabin selection becomes the next important decision.
An inside cabin, ocean-view cabin, balcony cabin and suite can create noticeably different experiences. But even within the same category, location matters.
Consider proximity to elevators, pools, entertainment venues, restaurants and high-traffic areas. If you are sensitive to movement, cabin location can also matter when thinking about the experience of being at sea.
Balcony cabins can be particularly appealing on scenic itineraries where the view is part of the experience. On the other hand, an inside cabin may make excellent financial sense for travellers who expect to spend most of their time exploring the ship and ports.
“Choose the cabin for the way you travel, not simply for the category name.”
Cruises by Bob · Cruise Planning PrincipleThe Ship Is Important. The Itinerary May Be Even More Important.
One of the biggest cruise-planning mistakes is falling in love with the ship and only then looking at the itinerary.
Reverse the process.
If your dream is to explore Greece, Italy and Croatia, the itinerary should lead the decision. If you are fascinated by Alaska, the ports, scenic cruising and season become critical. If you want a Caribbean holiday with plenty of time onboard, a ship with extensive facilities may become more important.
Pay attention to the number of ports, how long the ship remains in each destination, the number of sea days, overnight calls and the embarkation and disembarkation cities.
For travellers flying from Nairobi, the embarkation city is especially important. A beautiful cruise can become unnecessarily stressful if the international flight, arrival time and port transfer leave no margin for disruption.
This is one reason Cruises by Bob approaches cruise planning as a complete journey rather than treating the cruise reservation as an isolated purchase. The ship, itinerary and travel arrangements need to make sense together.
You can explore our cruise destinations to see how different regions translate into different types of cruise holidays.
Understanding the Difference Between Cruise Lines
Cruise lines have personalities. Their ships may share familiar features, but the overall experience can differ considerably.
| Cruise line | Consider it when you value... | Think about... |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Caribbean | Large-scale entertainment, activities, family appeal and resort-style ships | Ship class matters considerably; the experience can differ substantially across the fleet |
| Norwegian Cruise Line | Flexibility, a relaxed approach and a broad choice of onboard experiences | Different ship classes have distinctly different layouts and personalities |
| MSC Cruises | International atmosphere, contemporary ships and a wide range of European itineraries | Compare ship, cabin experience and fare inclusions carefully |
| Celebrity Cruises | Elevated premium cruising, design, dining and a more sophisticated atmosphere | Suitability for couples and travellers who want refinement without moving fully into ultra-luxury cruising |
| Princess Cruises | Destination-led cruising, traditional cruise strengths and broad itineraries | Ship age, refurbishment and itinerary should all be considered |
| Disney Cruise Line | Disney entertainment, family experiences and highly themed cruising | The experience is specialised and particularly appealing to Disney-loving families |
| Azamara | Smaller-ship cruising and destination immersion | Itinerary and port time can be central to the appeal |
| Celestyal | Destination-focused cruising around Greece and the wider Mediterranean | The ship is part of an itinerary-led experience where the ports are a major attraction |
These are broad positioning points rather than rules. Cruise lines continue to evolve, new ships enter service and individual ships within the same fleet can offer noticeably different experiences.
That is why a proper cruise comparison should happen at ship level and sailing level, not just cruise-line level.
What Kenyan Travellers Should Consider Before Choosing a Ship
For a traveller in Kenya, choosing a cruise ship involves one additional question: how does the cruise fit into the international journey?
Most international cruises booked from Nairobi require travel to the ship's embarkation city. Depending on the itinerary, that could mean Europe, the Middle East, Asia, the Caribbean or another international gateway.
This makes the following details important:
- Flight routing from Nairobi to the embarkation city
- Whether a visa is required for the countries involved
- How early you should arrive before embarkation
- Whether a pre-cruise hotel is sensible
- Transfers between the airport, hotel and cruise port
- The timing of the return flight after disembarkation
- Travel insurance and disruption planning
- The season in which the cruise operates
- The overall cost of the journey, not simply the cruise fare
A cruise specialist in Kenya should therefore be thinking about the holiday from the moment you leave Nairobi, not only from the moment you board the ship.
This is particularly relevant when comparing an attractive cruise fare with the real logistics required to reach the ship. Our Cruises from Kenya guide explains the wider fly-cruise journey, while our cruise fares guide looks at the wider cost considerations.
A beautiful ship is only a good choice if you can get to it comfortably, legally and on time. For Kenyan travellers, the journey to the embarkation port is part of the cruise decision.
The Cruises by Bob Decision Framework
When we help a traveller narrow down cruise options, the most useful approach is not to throw a list of ships at them. It is to reduce the choice logically.
Start with the destination
Decide where you genuinely want to spend your holiday. Mediterranean, Greek Islands, Caribbean, Alaska, Asia, Africa and other regions create very different cruise experiences.
Define the pace
Decide whether you want a port-intensive adventure, a balanced itinerary or plenty of time at sea to enjoy the ship.
Match the ship to the traveller
Families, couples, groups, honeymooners and experienced cruisers can have completely different priorities. The ship should reflect yours.
Compare the onboard experience
Look at dining, entertainment, service, activities, wellness, children's facilities and the overall atmosphere rather than simply counting attractions.
Choose the cabin carefully
Consider category, location, occupancy, balcony preference, accessibility and how much time you expect to spend in the cabin.
Work backwards from Nairobi
Check flights, visa requirements, pre-cruise accommodation, port transfers and return arrangements before declaring a sailing the winner.
Only then compare price
Once two or three suitable options remain, compare the total holiday cost and what each fare actually provides. Price makes more sense after suitability has been established.
This is the difference between searching for a cruise and planning the right cruise.
Cruises by Bob brings this same approach to travellers across Kenya: understanding the traveller first, then matching the cruise line, ship, itinerary, cabin and surrounding travel arrangements to the journey.
Explore Official Cruise-Line Ship Information
Once you have narrowed down your options, it is worth going directly to the cruise line's official website to review current ship information, deck plans, facilities and itineraries. Cruise fleets change, ships are refurbished and new vessels enter service, so official information is always the best place to verify current details.
Official cruise-line resources
These official resources are useful for checking the current fleet. For the bigger decision — which ship and sailing actually makes sense for your holiday — the details need to be considered together rather than in isolation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Choosing a Cruise Ship
Choosing between cruise ships can be surprisingly personal. These are some of the questions that matter most when narrowing down your options.
How do I choose the right cruise ship?
Start with the holiday you want rather than the ship itself. Consider your destination, travel companions, preferred pace, onboard atmosphere, dining, entertainment, cabin preferences and budget. Then compare ships that fit those priorities. For travellers departing from Kenya, also consider flights, visas, hotels and the embarkation port before making your final choice.
Is a bigger cruise ship better?
Not necessarily. Larger ships can provide more restaurants, entertainment, activities and family facilities, while smaller ships may offer a more intimate and destination-focused experience. The better choice depends on what you want from the holiday.
What is the best cruise ship for a first-time cruiser?
There is no universal best ship for a first-time cruiser. A good first cruise is one whose itinerary, atmosphere and onboard facilities match your interests. A ship with a broad choice of dining and activities can be useful for discovering what you enjoy, while a smaller ship may appeal to someone seeking a quieter experience.
What cruise ship is best for families?
The right family ship depends on the ages of the children and the interests of the adults. Families should compare children's programmes, pools, activities, entertainment, cabin configurations, dining choices and the overall atmosphere. The most suitable ship is the one that gives each generation something they genuinely enjoy.
What cruise ship is best for couples?
Couples should look at dining, service, evening atmosphere, adult-oriented spaces, spa facilities, cabin options and the balance between time onboard and time ashore. A romantic holiday may call for a very different ship from a lively celebration with friends.
Should I choose the ship or the itinerary first?
In most cases, the destination and itinerary should be established before becoming attached to a particular ship. If the destination is the main reason for travelling, the ports and sailing schedule should lead the decision. Once the right itineraries are identified, compare the ships operating them.
Does the age of a cruise ship matter?
It can, but age alone does not determine quality. Refurbishments can significantly update an older ship, while a newer ship may have features that are particularly important to certain travellers. Look at the ship's current condition, recent refurbishment history, layout, facilities and overall experience rather than relying only on its launch date.
How should Kenyan travellers choose a cruise ship?
Kenyan travellers should consider the cruise itself alongside the international journey required to reach the ship. Flights from Nairobi, visa requirements, the embarkation city, pre-cruise accommodation, transfers, insurance and the timing of the sailing can all affect whether an otherwise attractive cruise is practical.
Can Cruises by Bob help me choose between cruise ships?
Yes. Cruises by Bob is a Nairobi-based cruise travel agency specialising in international cruise holidays for Kenyan travellers. We can help compare cruise lines, ships, itineraries and cabin options while considering the wider journey from Kenya, including flights, hotels, visa guidance and pre- and post-cruise arrangements where required.
The right cruise is the one that feels right for you.
If you are comparing ships and finding that every option looks good on paper, let us help you narrow the field. Tell Cruises by Bob where you want to go, when you would like to travel and who you are travelling with. We will help you look beyond the brochure and identify the cruise, ship and itinerary that make sense for your journey from Kenya.
Plan Your Cruise from Kenya