My husband and I once chose a 2 week Royal Caribbean cruise (we love that cruise line). Trouble is, more than 75% of the cruisers were over 75. People that age tend take longer cruises because time off work is no longer an issue. It was nighty-night for most of the ship before we finished our dinner at 10 pm. And there were three deaths on board…

We’ve been on the opposite side of that disillusion too – tucking in early in hopes of waking up at dawn for a day of adventuring. But then rowdy neighbors kept us up all night.

What’s a girl to do?

Start researching cruise review sites like CruiseCritic.com. They have extremely detailed information about the ships and ports of call and as an added bonus (because bonuses are always nice) they have very vocal and helpful community.

TripAdvisor.com is another favorite of GoGirlfriend’s, though reviews are not as extensive in the cruising area. And don’t forget about independent blogs and websites that make it their business to be travel specialists.

From there, talk to your travel agent and be honest about the kind of vacation you want. Kirsty Connolly (travel agent and GoGirlfriend contributor) makes knowing insider info her priority.

Finally, tap into the power of social media. You never know when a friend of a friend of a friend might be able to help steer you to the ship of your dreams.

Have a travel tip to share with your GoGirlfriends? Send us your tips, tricks and strategies and we'll publish them here. Email us or connect with us on Twitter and Facebook. Let's continue the conversation!