Size does matter! RIVER OR OCEAN?

Cruises can be divided into two general styles: river and ocean. Ocean cruises can be subdivided further into big ship and small ship, including expedition ships. The difference is size.

OCEAN CRUISE SHIPS ARE FAR LARGER THAN THEIR RIVER COUSINS – SOME OF THE BIGGEST CAN ACCOMMODATE MORE THAN 7,000 GUESTS.

They can feature dozens of restaurants, theaters, cafés, shops and event spaces which can include casinos, shopping promenades, go-cart tracks, climbing walls, water parks with continuous surfing waves and multi-storey slides, skating rinks, giant outdoor movie screens, Broadway-caliber productions and more. The largest ships are like floating resort towns, making the vessel itself the holiday destination. Even smaller ocean cruise ships offer a range of onboard amenities including casinos, spas, bars, pubs, pools and a range of dining and entertainment choices. At the smaller end of the ocean-going category, expedition ships accommodate fewer guests and offer less variety in onboard dining and entertainment, but sail to exotic destinations like the Antarctic and the Galapagos Islands, sometimes providing incredible amenities like helicopters and submarines to make exploring more fun!

RIVER CRUISE SHIPS ARE LONG, SLENDER VESSELS THAT TYPICALLY ACCOMMODATE BETWEEN 100 AND 200 GUESTS IN SUITES WITH LARGE WINDOWS OR BALCONIES.

Designed for calm waters, these ships typically sail on rivers in Europe (by far the most popular destination), Asia, Egypt, South America and some parts of the U.S. There is usually just one main restaurant, although some ships also offer an additional private dining area for small groups or a grill on the open-air top deck (when weather permits). In addition to the restaurant, there’ll be a lounge with a bar, where guests gather for drinks and enjoy the nightly entertainment and ‘‘port talks" – information sessions led by the cruise director. River cruise clients are often older, well-travelled, and love immersive cultural experiences.

Whatever your travel tastes, there’s a cruise to satisfy your appetite.