If you are reading this blog, you are likely someone who loves to travel, and may even have cruised before. Some of you though might be thinking of it, but are unsure where to start. That is a fair concern - a cruise vacation is significantly different from a land-based vacation.

Not to be too mundane, but the first factor to consider is budget. There is no use contemplating a high-end, 12 night luxury cruise of southeast Asia without at least asking if this is anywhere close to your budget.

So my recommendation is to browse the various cruise sites. There are a lot of options. Now, you are not browsing these sites to book at this point - just to get ideas. Look at the ships, the itineraries, the departure ports. Is there something that just seems right? Maybe it is a big, new ship, with all the amenities. Or maybe it is an elegant ship, advertising the best food and service. Or maybe it is the itinerary - you just have to see those ports.

Don’t get too attached to this cruise at this point. In past posts I have emphasized several things to consider. Let this be your starting point. If you get too excited, it might be impossible to convince yourself that you should even look at another cruise.

The point is to get excited about the idea of a cruise. Is it a Caribbean cruise, with great beaches and sun? Is it a European cruise, focused on history and architecture? Or do you just want to ride a great big boat around and enjoy your floating hotel?

Once you see what is exciting to you, then you can begin to really work on finding the ideal cruise.

Next time, we will look at one of the most common cruises - the Caribbean cruise.