Cruise Guides

Ways to Cruise

Cruise guides

Ocean or river. Two completely different ways to see the world by water, and I have sailed enough of both to tell you the truth about each one. Here is how they stack up, side by side.

Ocean cruising

Big ships, big energy, and something for every single age on board. This is cruising at full volume.

What you get. Days at sea to enjoy the ship itself, Broadway caliber shows, fine dining, pools and waterslides, and clubs for the kids while you finally exhale.

Best for. Celebrating and gathering. Milestone birthdays, anniversaries, and family reunions, and just as easily a company retreat, team building, or a meeting at sea.

My lines. Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Disney Cruise Line.

River cruising

Smaller ships, a new city most mornings, and you unpack only once. The view keeps changing while you stay put.

What you get. So many places in a single trip, including the smaller cities most travelers never reach. Fine dining on board, slippers and a bathrobe waiting in your room, and a three to one staff to guest ratio. Intimate, and easy.

Best for. Seeing a lot of Europe without living out of a suitcase, and for bringing your people together. More on groups just below.

My lines. AmaWaterways, Viking, and Riverside. See how they compare.

Bring your people

This is where river cruising really shows off. Picture a week with your 160 closest family and friends on a fairy tale wedding sailing down the Danube. Or your wine club. Your golf group. Your garden club. Your sorority sisters. A mom and daughter trip everyone remembers. Once you have ten guests, the organizer sails free.

Ocean ships do groups beautifully too, just on a grander scale. Big celebrations and family reunions, and on the work side, incentive trips, team building, and meetings at sea. Tell me who is coming and what you are marking, and I will build the whole thing around them.