Expert Tips For Booking Your First Cruise

As part of our ‘Everything you need to know about cruising’ series, we take a look at how to book your first cruise.

We’re not here to frighten you, but there’s little about cruising that isn’t daunting for first-timers.

There’s a dizzying assortment of cruise lines, itineraries and destinations for one thing, and a whole lot of industry jargon that might as well be Aramaic for those who’ve yet to acquire their sea legs.

This isn’t to say you shouldn’t book a cruise almost immediately, only that a considered approach is required to match your expectations with the right vessel for you. Not quite sure how to go about that?

We’ve got the pros and cons of every which way to book a cruise, and between the two of us, we’re feeling pretty confident we can help you swipe right on the trip of a lifetime.

Booking on a cruise deals website

Is it a good idea to book your first cruise through a deals website? Probably not.

As far as heart-stopping moments go, stumbling across a ‘sail for 18 nights and pay only for three’ deal on a daily deals site is up there with finding a suitcase stuffed with cash on the side of the road.

If it sounds too good to be true, it almost certainly is, says Carl Frier, managing director Australasia, Cruise 1st, who advises first-time cruisers to avert their eyes and keep walking.

the ship of Celebrity Edge — Experience your first-ever cruise with Celebrity Cruises.

“One of the biggest mistakes first-timers can make with these sites is that they see a ‘sail three nights for the price of a bag of chips’ and think it’s an excellent way to dip their toes in the world of cruising, but they’re often the worst experience on a ship you could ever have," he explains.

“Often, these cheap deals attract those keen to get on the piss – hen nights, buck’s nights and every other kind of night you can think of – and if this is your first experience of cruising, you may end up with a distorted view of what cruising really is."

Another thing to note is that many of these sites purchase whole blocks of cabins – the good, the bad and the downright uncomfortable – so that while you might think you’re getting a good deal initially, there’s every chance you could end up sharing a wall with the engine room or having your balcony view obstructed by a great big life raft.

This isn’t to say the deals advertised through these sites can’t be of great value or have their place in the market, but they’re a far better bet for those who are either experienced cruisers or at the very least, those who have sailed with the advertised ship before and are therefore familiar with the ship’s layout, amenities, pros and cons.

the iconic suite facing the sea onboard Celebrity Edge — Take in panoramic views of the sea from the Celebrity Edge Iconic Suite.

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

Booking direct with a cruise line

Should I book my first cruise direct with a cruise line? Certainly but pick up the phone.

It might make sense to want to book through a cruise line’s website after you hear good things about one of its ships (after all, the advertised deals are often some of the best you’ll see), but in a world where there are in excess of 30 different cabin types, are you able to work out which one will be right for you and your family?

Are you across jargon such as ‘guaranteed stateroom’ or ‘starboard’ and do you have in-depth knowledge of hurricane seasons and school holiday periods across the globe?

Armchair cruising wizard or not, you’ll also have to factor in time and effort spent organising the extras that go hand-in-hand with a cruise yourself, says Emma Mumford, former marketing and communications manager, Cruiseco.

“This means you’ll need to work out what flights you need to make the cruise, what accommodation you’ll need to book at either end of the cruise, whether you need visas and vaccinations for ports and stay on top of organising everything yourself," she says.

the beer garden onboard Norwegian Cruise Line — Norwegian Cruise Line ships are highly rated by first-time cruisers.

The time-poor and the inexperienced need not apply. Calling the cruise line and speaking with one of its sales representatives is a far better option.

Obviously, you’ll be locked into its portfolio of ships, but this is a great way of getting some of the best rates around because they’re keen for your custom and to keep you as a loyal passenger for life.

Don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions but remember that you will need to do the legwork where extras surrounding the cruise are concerned.

an indoor pool onboard Ovation of the Seas — Soak in the rays at the adults-only solarium onboard Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas.

Booking a cruise through a travel agent

Is a generic travel agency ok to book my first cruise? Probably not.

Ask Mumford the question, “Why shouldn’t I book a cruise with my local, garden-variety travel agent who normally does our flights?’ and she volleys back a question of her own: “If you knew you needed a blood transfusion, would you attempt to get one from your local GP or would you undergo the procedure with someone who specialises in that field? As with any other industry, you need someone experienced in a particular skill set."

It’s a particularly dramatic way to kick off why talking cruises with a generic travel agency won’t work for a first-time cruiser, but it’s accurate, agrees Frier, who explains that there’s not a lot of variance between what the cruise lines offer agents in terms of commissions.

Coral Discoverer sailing across Great Barrier Reef — Coral Expeditions will take you to the Great Barrier Reef.

“This means that [an agent] who isn’t particularly passionate about cruising will be influenced by the simplicity of a sale," he says. “As in they’ll want to make a sale regardless of whether they truly believe a particular itinerary or cruise line is suitable or not and move on to another sale with someone else quickly."

Inexperience and a lack of emotional investment in cruising itself could see you and your family end up on a family ‘unfriendly’ cruise simply because the agent read it had a kids’ club, or you could find yourself keeping company with a ‘knitting with pet hair’ convention simply because it looked to be the best deal on the cruise you said you’d ‘heard good things about’. It is highly likely you’ll end up on a product that won’t meet your expectations.

the pool onboard Celebrity Edge — Do laps in Celebrity Edge’s long pool.

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Booking with a cruising specialist

Should I book my first cruise with a cruising specialist? It is a good bet.

By now, there’s every chance you just want someone to listen to you, get you and tell you not only have they got their finger hovering over the cruise of your dreams at a great price, but that you will be together, booking such trips, until the end of time.

Enter the cruise specialist.

As the cruising market has exploded, so too has the number of specialist cruise agencies available – each one up to date with the latest developments within the industry, and each individual agent full to the brim with specialist knowledge.

an aerial view of the Ponant ship sailing from Broome to Darwin — Cruise the iconic Kimberley with Ponant. (Image: Nick Rains)

Deb Long is the former owner and founder of Weston Cruise & Travel and says not only is she a master cruise consultant who regularly cruises herself, but she also undergoes extensive training, attends trade days and conducts numerous ship inspections a year so that her Yoda-like skills when it comes to pairing the right itinerary with the right customer are second to none.

“Some of the questions I would ask a first-time cruiser is why do you want to go on a cruise? What do you want out of a holiday? What kind of hotel or holiday do you normally stay in and what kind of interests do you have? What are you looking for in a ship? And the list goes on," Long explains.

“I already know the ships inside and out but I also need to take my time getting to know the client so we can work together to find the right cruise that not only meets their needs but gives them some surprise and delight moments."

Long has a success rate that says she is doing something right. “Ninety per cent of our customers who book a cruise will book a second one within 18 months," she says.

True North cruise ship on West Coast of Australia — True North has purpose-built ships to access wilderness areas that bigger ships cannot go.

New best friend and peace of mind aside, cruise specialists are independently owned so they can give recommendations and sell products across the board – often with access to discounts or special offers you may not be able to find anywhere else.

Not sure where to get started? Long recommends visiting Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) to find a cruise-accredited agency and start packing your bags. “With a dedicated specialist in your corner who is as invested in your holiday as you are, you really can’t go wrong."

the Ponant ship sailing across Montgomery Reef — Come aboard the Ponant ship and sail across Montgomery Reef.

Located just an hour north-west of Melbourne, the largely undiscovered Macedon Ranges quietly pours some of Australia’s finest cool-climate wines and serves up some of Victoria’s best food.

Mention the Macedon Ranges and most people will think of day spas and mineral springs around Daylesford, cosy weekends away in the countryside or the famous Hanging Rock (of enigmatic picnic fame). Or they won’t have heard of the Macedon Ranges at all.

But this cool-climate destination has been inconspicuously building a profile as a high-quality food and wine region and is beginning to draw serious attention from oenophiles and epicureans alike.

The rise of Macedon Ranges wine

liquid gold barrels at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — Barrels of liquid gold at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

With elevations ranging from 300 to 800 metres, Macedon Ranges vineyards are among the highest in the country. This altitude, combined with significant day/night temperature swings, makes for a slow ripening season, in turn nurturing wines that embody elegance and structure. Think crisp chardonnays, subtle yet complex pinot noirs and delicate sparkling wines, along with niche varietals, such as gamay and nebbiolo.

Despite the region’s natural advantages – which vary from estate to estate, as each site embodies unique terroir depending on its position in relation to the Great Dividing Range, soil make-up and altitude – the Macedon Ranges has remained something of an insider’s secret. Unlike Victoria’s Yarra Valley or Mornington Peninsula, you won’t find large tour buses here and there’s no mass marketing drawing crowds.

Many of the 40-odd wineries are family-run operations with modest yields, meaning the wineries maintain a personal touch (if you visit a cellar door, you’ll likely chat to the owner or winemaker themselves) and a tight sales circle that often doesn’t go far beyond said cellar door. And that’s part of the charm.

Though wines from the Macedon Ranges are just starting to gain more widespread recognition in Australia, the first vines were planted in the 1860s, with a handful of operators then setting up business in the 1970s and ’80s. The industry surged again in the 1990s and early 2000s with the entry of wineries, such as Mount Towrong, which has an Italian slant in both its wine and food offering, and Curly Flat, now one of the largest estates.

Meet the new generation of local winemakers

the Clydesdale barn at Paramoor. — The Clydesdale barn at Paramoor. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Then, within the last 15 years, a new crop of vignerons like Andrew Wood at Kyneton Ridge Estate, whose vineyard in 2024 was the first in the Macedon Ranges to be certified by Sustainable Winegrowing Australia; Geoff Plahn and Samantha Reid at Paramoor, who have an impressive cellar door with a roaring fire and studded leather couches in an old Clydesdale barn; and Ollie Rapson and Renata Morello at Lyons Will, who rapidly expanded a small vineyard to focus on top-shelf riesling, gamay, pinot noir and chardonnay, have taken ownership of local estates.

Going back to the early days, Llew Knight’s family was one of the pioneers of the 1970s, replacing sheep with vines at Granite Hills when the wool industry dwindled. Knight is proud of the fact that all their wines are made with grapes from their estate, including a light, peppery shiraz (some Macedon wineries purchase fruit from nearby warmer areas, such as Heathcote, particularly to make shiraz) and a European-style grüner veltliner. And, as many other wineries in the region do, he relies on natural acid for balance, rather than an additive, which is often required in warmer regions. “It’s all about understanding and respecting your climate to get the best out of your wines,” he says.

farm animals atKyneton Ridge Estate — Curious residents at Kyneton Ridge Estate. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Throughout the Macedon Ranges, there’s a growing focus on sustainability and natural and low-intervention wines, with producers, such as Brian Martin at Hunter Gatherer making waves in regenerative viticulture. Martin previously worked in senior roles at Australia’s largest sparkling winemaking facility, and now applies that expertise and his own nous to natural, hands‑off, wild-fermented wines, including pét‑nat, riesling and pinot noir. “Wild fermentation brings more complexity,” he says. “Instead of introducing one species of yeast, you can have thousands and they add different characteristics to the wine.”

the vineyard at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — The estate’s vineyard, where cool-climate grapes are grown. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Most producers also focus on nurturing their grapes in-field and prune and pick by hand, thus avoiding the introduction of impurities and the need to meddle too much in the winery. “The better the quality of the fruit, the less you have to interfere with the natural winemaking process,” says Wood.

Given the small yields, there’s also little room for error, meaning producers place immense focus on quality. “You’re never going to compete in the middle [in a small region] – you’ve got to aim for the top,” says Curly Flat owner Jeni Kolkka. “Big wineries try to do things as fast as possible, but we’re in no rush,” adds Troy Walsh, owner and winemaker at Attwoods. “We don’t use commercial yeasts; everything is hand-harvested and everything is bottled here, so we bottle only when we’re ready, not when a big truck arrives.” That’s why, when you do see a Macedon Ranges product on a restaurant wine list, it’s usually towards the pointy end.

Come for the wine, stay for the food

pouring sauce onto a dish at Lake HouseDaylesford — Dining at Lake House Daylesford is a treat. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

If wine is the quiet achiever of the Macedon Ranges, then food is its not-so-secret weapon. In fact, the area has more hatted restaurants than any other region in Victoria. A pioneer of the area’s gourmet food movement is region cheerleader Alla Wolf-Tasker, culinary icon and founder of Daylesford’s Lake House.

For more than three decades, Wolf-Tasker has championed local producers and helped define what regional fine dining can look like in Australia. Her influence is palpable, not just in the two-hatted Lake House kitchen, but in the broader ethos of the region’s dining scene, as a wave of high-quality restaurants have followed her lead to become true destination diners.

the Midnight Starling restaurant in Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — The hatted Midnight Starling restaurant is located in Kyneton. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

It’s easy to eat well, whether at other hatted restaurants, such as Midnight Starling in the quaint town of Kyneton, or at the wineries themselves, like Le Bouchon at Attwoods, where Walsh is inspired by his time working in France in both his food offering and winemaking.

The beauty of dining and wine touring in the Macedon Ranges is that it feels intimate and unhurried. You’re likely to meet the winemaker, hear about the trials of the latest vintage firsthand, and taste wines that never make it to city shelves. And that’s worth getting out of the city for – even if it is just an hour down the road.

Delicate dishes on the menu at Midnight Starling. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

the accommodation at Cleveland Estate, Macedon Ranges — Stay at the Cleveland Estate. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Soak up vineyard views from Cleveland Estate near Lancefield, embrace retro charm at Kyneton Springs Motel or indulge in lakeside luxury at the Lake House.

Eating there

Enjoy a four-course menu at the one-hatted Surly Goat in Hepburn Springs, Japanese-inspired fare at Kuzu in Woodend or unpretentious fine dining at Mount Monument, which also has a sculpture park.

Drinking there

wine tasting at PassingClouds Winery, Macedon Ranges — A tasting at Passing Clouds Winery. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Settle in for a tasting at Boomtown in Castlemaine, sample local drops at the cosy Woodend Cellar & Bar or wine-hop around the many cellar doors, such as Passing Clouds.

the Boomtown Winery and Cellar Bar signage — Boomtown Winery and Cellar Bar. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Playing there

a scenic river in Castlemaine — Idyllic scenes at Castlemaine. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Wander through the seasonal splendour of Forest Glade Gardens, hike to the summit of Hanging Rock, or stroll around the tranquil Sanatorium Lake.

purple flowers hanging from a tree — Purple flowers hanging from a tree. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

The best way to book your first ever cruise

As part of our ‘Everything you need to know about cruising’ series, we take a look at how to book your first cruise.

Booking on a cruise deals website

Booking direct with a cruise line

Booking a cruise through a travel agent

Booking with a cruising specialist

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The Macedon Ranges is Victoria’s best-kept food and wine secret

Located just an hour north-west of Melbourne, the largely undiscovered Macedon Ranges quietly pours some of Australia’s finest cool-climate wines and serves up some of Victoria’s best food.

The rise of Macedon Ranges wine

Meet the new generation of local winemakers

Come for the wine, stay for the food