Choose Your Cruise Style

If you love the idea of exotic locations with an intimate touch, you might be a river cruiser. 

This cruiser gets right to the heart of each destination, visiting many historic villages, cities and landmarks – whether it’s the fairytale castles and picturesque cities, towns and landscapes of the Danube and the Rhine, the splendour of Paris on the Seine, the majesty of St Petersburg and Moscow via the Volga River network, or more exotic destinations along the Yangtze, the Nile, the Mekong, Amazon and Mississippi.

Enjoy the best of cruise service with excellent accommodation, cuisine and entertainment on specially tailored river craft that provide for a more boutique cruise experience than their ocean-going sisters; most cater for fewer than 200 passengers in suite-like staterooms. The views are spectacular, with a change of scene hour by hour as you meander along, enjoying some of the smoothest sailing around.

Different river ships and lines offer facilities catering to different needs and personalities, with varying levels of luxury and cabin amenity. In the main, however, river cruising appeals to adults who err towards all-inclusive travel delivering a relatively sophisticated cultural experience. Few river cruise lines cater for children.

What to expect?

A range of accommodation from entry-level cabins to suites, a good level of service and a more intimate, small ship vibe is what you can expect on a river cruise. Don’t expect the continuous on-board entertainment, casinos or theatre shows you will find on an ocean cruise ship. River cruising is generally a far more subdued affair, where a piano bar may be as ritzy as it gets.

However it is the ports not the ship's facilities that are the key attractions on a river cruise. River cruising provide a unique way of seeing a country’s interior, stopping at major and minor ports and offering a combination of world-famous sights and lesser-known experiences off the beaten path. Often docking amongst the hustle and bustle of a city or town, you can almost step right from your vessel into the local attractions. 

You’ll also be able to see much more than expanses of water between each port – while you slip down the river you will be treated to amazing views of the native landscape and structures. 

Why Choose a River Cruise?

• Engagement: Embarking on a river cruise is about immersing yourself in your surroundings, which is easy to do because of the proximity of most river cruise ports and shore excursions.
• Divine dining: River cruise chefs take great pride in using – and showing off – produce that’s local to the area the ship is cruising in.
• Easy border crossings: Visas and border patrols are taken care of, so all you have to do is enjoy the journey while someone else sees to the finer details.
• Spectacular service: With smaller ships and fewer passengers, the attentive and courteous staff members on board a river cruise feel more like friends.

Best River Cruise Lines: 

Cruise lines now operate on all of the world's major rivers but it's the cosmopolitan, classic cities of Europe, Russia and Asia that are the major highlights of a river cruise itinerary. Luxury cruise lines such as Viking Cruises, Uniworld & Avalon Waterways offer destination-focused itineraries throughout Europe & Asia with intimate settings & easy access to ports, where you can explore the historical cities & marvel at the spectacular scenery from your private cabin. 

American Cruise Lines’ is a popular cruise line that explores the North American rivers. With passenger capacities ranging from 120 to 150, their ships provide an intimate cruising experience as you sail by incredible gorges, Mississippi sights, fascinating museums and friendly locals.

Adventure and small ship cruising are both about the journey and the destination, allowing you to venture to some of the most remote regions of the world. From the wilds of Alaska to the jungles of the Amazon, indulge your sense of discovery and quest for adventure on a specially tailored expedition ship that will deliver a cruise experience with a difference. Expect smaller vessels with fewer passengers on board than on the larger ocean-cruising liners, with numbers starting at fewer than 50 and climbing to about 500. Smaller ships are at an advantage as their size enables them to cruise to more shallow or narrow waterways, gaining access to unique destinations with an emphasis on natural wonder and wildlife.

What to expect

Adventure cruising doesn’t mean roughing it. Some lines, Silversea to the Galapagos for example, combine adventure with luxury appointments and amenities. Expect a lot of zipping around in inflatable boats to get to the most inaccessible spots and – depending on the destination – it pays to check the level of fitness required before you book.

Onshore excursion options are plentiful with this type of cruise, as travelling to destinations that are off the beaten track is essentially about exploring diverse ecological terrains and cultural wonders. Many adventure and small ships have inflatable Zodiacs that transport passengers into the depths of the environment that is being explored. Traversing spectacular icebergs and watching wildlife, camping out on an ice-shelf or snorkelling with sea lions in the Galápagos Islands are just a few of the options available with adventure and small ship cruising.

The high standard of service will also come with onboard scientific experts who will help you interpret and get the most from your adventure cruise experience.

Why Choose an Adventure Cruise?

• Off-the-beaten track destinations: Accessing fascinating places allows you to discover and learn more about your destination.
• Onboard experts: Specialist guides assist in making your cruise as wondrous as possible, with informative lectures, interactive classes and in-depth briefings all part of the inclusions.
• Responsible travel: Responsible travel is demonstrated by hiring local guides and working with local businesses.
• Discover the wild in comfort: Amenities often include state-of-the-art equipment, such as satellite navigation, medical facilities, gourmet cuisine and comfortable cabins.

Best Adventure Cruise Lines: