Planning a Perfect Cruise Honeymoon or Holiday With Me

Why Choose a Cruise Holiday?

A cruise is essentially a floating hotel. You unpack once, settle in, and wake up somewhere new most days. You’ve got:

• multiple restaurants and bars on your doorstep
• sea views all day, every day
• pool days, spa time and sunset drinks
• shows, live music and that buzz in the evenings

If you like a mix of doing a lot and doing very little, a cruise is just perfect!

Choosing the Right Cruise 

This is where cruise planning really matters. Not all ships or cruise lines are the same, so I always start with a few simple things:

• whether it’s a honeymoon, family holiday, group trip or a solo trip
• if there is anything in particular you want to see or do
• how much you want to see and do
• what kind of atmosphere you want

I’ve been lucky enough to sail on ships like Norwegian Breakaway, Symphony of the Seas, Odyssey of the Seas and Allure of the Seas and in summer 2025 I'll be on the brand new Legend of the Seas by Royal Caribbean. I've been on ships from Celebrity Cruises to Silversea. I’m always a big fan of newer ships that come out with their innovative design and unique features every time.

Food, Drinks & Onboard Life

Food is a huge part of any trip for me and it’s one of the reasons I rate cruises so highly. From Royal Caribbean to Celebrity Cruises to Explora Journeys: the quality is consistently excellent there’s loads of choice included and the specialty restaurants are well worth it.

Everything from casual bites to high end dining, and the service is always spot on.

Drinks packages are often included or can be added on when booking and I can guide you for the right package for you.

Onboard life can be as full-on or as chilled as you like, pool days, spa time, a wander around the ship, a show in the evening or just a glass of wine watching the sunset.

For families, it’s ideal. Brilliant kids clubs, loads to do and a bit of downtime for everyone.

If you want variety without constantly packing and unpacking, it’s just a brilliant way to travel.

Cruises Honeymoons

For a honeymoon, I’d usually guide you towards something a bit more adult-focused.

Virgin Voyages is fully adults-only and has a really fun, modern feel.

Celebrity is another great option if you want something a bit more adult orientated and stylish.

That said, I wouldn’t rule out fun ships like MSC, Royal Caribbean or NCL at all. You can easily create your own space on board: adults-only areas like the Solarium quieter pools and restaurants spa days and slower sea days. You can make it as chilled or as lively as you want.

Cruises for Families (and Familymoons / Multi Generational Holidays)

If you’re travelling with kids, cruises are hard to beat. As a mother of two, having a young family is one of the big reasons I choose a cruise - as we get both time for adults and kids. The kids clubs are genuinely excellent really well run, loads of activities and best of all completely guilt-free (I can't tear my two away!)

It means you can have proper downtime as well, dinners, drinks, even just a quiet hour by the pool, knowing they’re having a great time too.

For a familymoon, it works so well and for a multi generational holiday, they can't be beat.

Cruises for Solo Travellers

Cruises are a really great option if you’re travelling solo.

They’re social if you want them to be, but you never feel like you have to make plans or fill your time. Everything is there, dining, entertainment, excursions, so it feels very easy and safe to navigate on your own.

Some ships now offer:

• solo cabins (so you’re not paying full single supplements)
• hosted meet-ups for solo travellers
• communal dining options if you feel like being social

Or you can do the opposite and keep things completely to yourself, slow mornings, spa time, reading by the pool and early nights. It’s a really nice balance and one of the easiest ways to travel solo without it feeling overwhelming!

Where Can You Cruise?

Pretty much anywhere there is water! Some of the most popular itineraries I plan:

• Caribbean cruises for easy island hopping
• Mediterranean routes around Italy, Greece and Spain
• Greek Islands sailings in summer
• Alaska and Norwegian fjords for stunning scenery

And there are even more cruises you could consider:

• Asia and Australia cruises
• River cruises on the Danube, Rhine, Seine and Mekong to name a few
• Arctic or Antarctic expedition cruises

Where to Combine with a Cruise

Cruises can be an easy-peasy standalone holiday or honeymoon but we can create a longer trip. A few of my go-to combinations:

• Barcelona, Rome or Athens before a Mediterranean cruise
• Miami or New York or really any U.S City before a Caribbean cruise
• Dubai before a Middle East cruise
• Las Vegas or California with a Pacific Ocean or Mexico cruise

Feedback from a recent Cruise holiday booking:

"Karen was extremely helpful with her experience and as this was a joint gift she was very patient with our delays in response and reinvestigating best deals to suit our budget. Her knowledge, experience and effort was invaluable!! Would recommend her 1000%"

Planning Your Cruise

Cruises can look simple on the surface, but there’s a lot behind the scenes

Ports can be busy when multiple ships are in and some ships can feel crowded if they’re not the right fit. That’s why choosing the right ship and itinerary makes such a difference and I'm here to help:

• picking the right ship (this is the big one)
• choosing the right cabin and location
• understanding what’s included and what’s worth upgrading
• making sure the itinerary actually suits how you like to travel

I’ll help you find the cruise that fits you, not just what looks good online!

Here at Travel Counsellors we're a proud partner of CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association) and ECN (Expedition Cruise Network) and work with the top Ocean, River and Expedition cruise companies.

Ready to start planning your dream cruise honeymoon or cruise holiday?

• Submit an enquiry
• Book in a chat
• Email me