I really want to take a cruise for the first time. I appreciate & enjoy your threads.
Take a small ship. See AmaWaterways in Europe. Only about 160 ppl. First class service. We saw many wonderful countries (Hungary, Czeck Repub, Slovakia, Lithuania, Estonia, German river towns, etc.). First time? Make it AmaWaterways. Your personal driver picks you up at the airport in your personal Mercedes. ;-)