First cruise from Australia: how to choose your ship

First cruise from Australia plans start with four choices: ship size, trip length, ports and what the fare includes. This guide uses P&O Cruises Australia as its worked example.

P&O's cruise listings include departures from Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.

Sources for this section: P&O Cruises Australia, P&OSeaBreaks Classic; Cruise Lines International Association, CLIA About Us.

Pick a ship size

Start with how many passengers a ship carries. The figures below come from P&O's own ship pages.

Pacific Dawn's page lists 9 bars, pubs and nightclubs, four age-specific kids' clubs and two outdoor pools. Pacific Pearl's page lists two outdoor pools and four age-specific children's centres, including the largest teen lounge in the fleet, designed for 11 to 17 year olds.

For kids, P&O's FAQ lists four centres, for ages 3 to 6, 7 to 10, 11 to 14 and 15 to 17. For other ships, ask the cruise line for each ship's passenger numbers.

Sources for this section: P&O Cruises Australia, Pacific Dawn; P&O Cruises Australia, Pacific Pearl; P&O Cruises Australia, Frequently Asked Questions.

Choose the trip length

P&O's SeaBreaks Classic page lists cruises of 2 and 3 nights, and its Explorer page mentions itineraries of 7, 11, 15 and 18 nights. P&O says its P&OIslands holidays are "short enough to suit first time cruisers testing their sea legs".

Length can change what you get on board: P&O's FAQ says theme nights usually take place on cruises of four nights or more.

If you book your own flights, P&O asks that your flight arrives no later than 4 hours before departure. It also asks that, if you fly home on the day you leave the ship, your flight leaves no earlier than 5 hours after the ship is due in port.

Sources for this section: P&O Cruises Australia, P&OSeaBreaks Classic; P&O Cruises Australia, P&OExplorer; P&O Cruises Australia, P&OIslands; P&O Cruises Australia, Frequently Asked Questions.

Look at the ports

Some cruises visit only Australian ports. Pacific Dawn's page lists one that goes from Brisbane to the Whitsundays (Airlie Beach) and back. Others call at Pacific Island ports, such as Pacific Dawn's Pacific Island Hopper cruise to Noumea, Lifou and Vila.

P&O says passports for cruises that visit a foreign port must be valid for at least six months after the cruise returns. For cruises that do not visit a foreign port, it requires a valid passport or government-issued photo ID, and it will not accept the older Queensland Card 18+. On P&O's Australian domestic cruises, passengers under 18 can use a current Medicare card as ID. P&O also says passports, visas, vaccinations and other travel documentation are your responsibility.

Read the country travel advice for each stop. Smartraveller, provided by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, says that advice has important information on the local security situation, laws and customs, and more. It also says that if you go ashore, you should double check the ship's departure time and allow sufficient time to return to the port.

Sources for this section: P&O Cruises Australia, Pacific Dawn; P&O Cruises Australia, Frequently Asked Questions; Smartraveller, Travelling by boat.

What the fare includes

P&O says its cruise fare covers accommodation, main meals onboard, entertainment and use of the ship's free facilities. Entertainment includes production shows, trivia and movies, and facilities include pools, hot tubs and a library.

Other things cost extra. P&O lists these among its optional extras:

• Shore tours.
• Drinks.
• Food from the alternative dining venues, and bar snacks.
• Room service.
• Hairdressing, beauty treatments and spa services.

Pacific Dawn's page says the Waterfront and Plantation restaurants are included in the fare, but Luna and Salt grill by Luke Mangan have a small cover charge. Carnival Cruise Lines' Australian website also says Nouveau on Carnival Spirit has a small cover charge.

P&O says tipping is not required on its ships. It also says all onboard spending is charged to your cruise card, and that your onboard account must be paid before you leave the ship.

Sources for this section: P&O Cruises Australia, Frequently Asked Questions; P&O Cruises Australia, Paying for things onboard; P&O Cruises Australia, Pacific Dawn; Carnival Cruise Lines, Meet our ships.

Before you book

1. Fix your budget, including extras.
2. Pick a ship size and trip length.
3. Check the ports, the passport rules and the travel advice.
4. Check the payment dates and the cancellation rules.
5. Buy travel insurance that covers your cruise, including onshore activities.

P&O requires a deposit within 3 days of booking and final payment more than 75 days before departure, though some promotions may have other payment terms.

If you book through a travel agent, P&O says it can discuss your booking only with your agent, though it will discuss general information. Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) says it is made up of more than 60 of the world's major cruise lines. It runs a training program for travel agents. Its website has a Travel Agent Search page, where you can enter an agency name, suburb or postcode to look for your nearest "Cruise Specialists Travel Agent".

Smartraveller's advice is: "Take out comprehensive travel insurance before you travel to cover emergencies and any activities you might undertake as part of your cruise, including those onshore." Smartraveller also says Medicare benefits can only be paid to cruise passengers if you travel between two Australian ports, with no stops outside Australia on the way, and a Medicare-eligible doctor provides the service. P&O says Medicare and private health insurance will not cover you for any medical costs on board. Smartraveller adds that you may need to be evacuated in a medical emergency, and that evacuation costs could exceed $100,000.

P&O says to bring enough medication to last until the end of your holiday. It says a few extra days' supply is a good idea in case of unexpected delays. It also says guests who take medication or have a medical condition must tell P&O when they book. This is general information, not medical advice. Smartraveller says to consult your doctor before travelling and to ask ship staff about local health risks.

Fees can change, so confirm the details with the cruise line or your agent before you pay. More trips are in our guides.

Sources for this section: P&O Cruises Australia, Frequently Asked Questions; Cruise Lines International Association, CLIA About Us; Cruise Lines International Association, Travel Agent Search; Smartraveller, Travelling by boat.