Originally Posted by Schnit

Where are you located?

Originally Posted by Schnit

If you are in FL you have a ton of flexibility in dates, if you live in Michigan, you need to fly to any cruise anyway. Personally I live in NYC area, so if its a shorter trip I look for dates that work and dont care about destination. We typically cruise without our 4 kids, so its about getting away while Grandma watches the little ones, destination does not matter to us at all. We would do 5 days to Canada or Bermuda, we almost never get off the ship so it doesn't matter. If its a longer trip, we will likely fly to Orlando where we can get more options of days, and then look for the dates that work for us (we are much more restricted in timing than it sounds like you are).

Do you care about number of ports or do you want to minimize days at sea, those are not always the same. We have done cruises from NY that do 3 days at a single port, and thats the only place it stops. You can also find 5 ports in 7 days, depending on from where and what ports.

Personally I like they layout of https://www.cruisetimetables.com/ I find it very user friendly. Since I normally say "I can only go on December 9 from Orlando, show me all the options" its very quick and easy to find what I want. I always book using chase points, so I cant speak for their booking ease.

Originally Posted by Efrem

1. What part of the world do you want to see? (This is related to the season when you go. Ships visit different regions at different seasons. That's why repositioning cruises exist.)
2. Do you think you'd prefer a mega-ship (4,000 passengers, plus or minus) with all sorts of facilities, casinos to rock climbing walls and water slides, and Broadway-style entertainment nightly? Or are you leaning toward something smaller, say 700-900 passengers, with a quieter atmosphere and a more intimate feel?