First and foremost, you need to get the help of a reputable cruise specialist. Their services are free to use and they have a wealth of information that will help you narrow down the multitude of options available. They can definitely make it much easier on you and save you a lot of hassle.Now, with that said, every cruise line out there has their fans and their critics, so you'll get as many different viewpoints as there are people. Keep in mind that like I always say, 'what one person loves, another will hate', so just because someone thinks a particular cruise line is wonderful, it may not be suitable you you. We have been to only one cruise with blountadventures www.blountsmallshipadventures.com/where-we-go/ . Being our first cruise trip this tops our list.