Are you planning a holiday of a lifetime aboard a ship? There are a number of questions to ask yourself and perhaps some of the answers below will help you to plan your perfect holiday.
The first question you need to ask is who you're going to take with you.
Is a romantic holiday or one that you want to open up to family and friends.
It used to be the case that children and cruises didn't mix but you'll find ships that have wonderful carers and activities organized for children of all ages.
This gives them a fantastic time and leaves you free to spend the time however you wish.
You need to decide on your budget.
Cruising is historically not a cheap alternative but, having said that, there is a lot of competition around and now is probably an ideal time to get real value for money.
Remember that there is a big choice of cabin from the most expensive with balconies and a separate lounge through to the inner bowels of the ship (not good if you suffer from claustrophobia or sea sickness).
If you're in a wheelchair you must check access with the company.
Some of the doors are quite narrow and create a lot of problems for many disabled people.
Cruises around the north of the northern hemisphere are becoming more and more popular but aren't practical in the depths of winter; it's just too cold.
Even the Mediterranean can be really quite dull and chilly so if you want sunshine you have to move towards the areas that will guarantee it; usually that's the Caribbean or Mexico where cruising is a way of life.
If you are disabled you need to decide if cruising is the right holiday for you.
Even the basics of getting ashore can demand quite a high level of athleticism when the ship has to anchor at sea and ferry people ashore.
Although most cruise lines will include trips for everyone, again there are some that are physically demanding, whilst others tire your mind! Many of the ships have specialist cruises several times during the year.
They could invite writers, musicians, artists or just famous people to be on board, perhaps to give talks or demonstrations and to inspire you to follow their methods or to buy their books! On some of these cruises there are very few stops and the ship is designed to give you absolutely everything that you need whilst on board; just like Disneyland on water! Many people taking a cruise holiday still like to dress for dinner and on many of the ships there will still be at least one formal dinner which will require long dresses or dinner suits.
For younger people this is no longer such an attraction and so many of the companies who are targeting these people take this into account.
It's certainly something worth thinking about.