How to Pick the Perfect Cruise

From sailing on an elegant four-masted schooner to finding a ship that boasts the biggest rollercoaster at sea—you’ve got options

BY ROBIN CHERRY

GONE IS THE ERA OF CRUISING when every voyage meant shuffleboard, cocktails with little umbrellas and gutbusting midnight buffets. Today, there are so many options that you can tailor your trip any way you please—it all starts with finding the cruising style that suits you best.

Northstar’s Cruise Classification System has defined six official cruise types: three ocean cruises (luxury, premium and mainstream) and three non-ocean cruises (expedition, river and specialty). Here’s what you need to book the one that’s right for you.

LUXURY CRUISES

These ships are like five-star resorts at sea. They’re small to mid-sized with elegant staterooms, gourmet restaurants, exclusive shore excursions, and a high passengerto-crew ratio so guests can be pampered properly. The cruise lines often partner with celebrated chefs like The French Laundry’s Thomas Keller (Seabourn) and Adam Sachs (Silversea). Guests can expect extraordinary moments, like Seabourn’s famed Caviar in the Surf experience in which the crew wades into the ocean to serve passengers caviar and champagne from a surfboard and Silversea’s new culinary program S.A.L.T. (Sea And Land Taste), which lets guests experience local food culture, like pastry making at a Sicilian pasticceria. Many luxury lines, including Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn and Silversea, are all-inclusive.

Seabourn's famed caviar in the surf experience

PREMIUM CRUISES

These cruises are ideal for travelers who appreciate luxury but on a medium-sized ship with more dining and entertainment choices. While they’re a little easier on the budget, there is still an emphasis on refinement and tapping into world-class culinary talent. For instance, Celebrity Cruises has enlisted Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud as its Global Culinary Brand Ambassador and his onboard restaurant Luminae serves a globally inspired menu that includes his signature Chilled Carrot and Ginger Veloute and Moroccan Chicken Tagine. Meanwhile, Holland America Line has established a Culinary Council with heavy hitters like artisanal chocolatier Jacques Torres and chefs David Burke, Ethan Stowell and Andy Matsuda contributing to its Culinary Cruise program.

CHEF ETHAN STOWELL FROM HOLLAND AMERICA LINE’S CULINARY COUNCIL

The recently launched Atlas Ocean Voyages is billing itself as “upper premium” and its two ships call on remote ports in Antarctica and northern Europe (including the Arctic Circle) with fewer than 200 guests for an intimate allinclusive experience.

MAINSTREAM (AKA LARGE SHIP) CRUISES

If theme parks are your thing, you’ll find everything from zip lines and rollercoasters to kids’ clubs and private beach parties on these larger ship cruises. With comfortable cabins and a plethora of activities and dining options to choose from, they’re ideal for family and multi-generational vacationers but even solo travelers like to get in on the fun. Carnival has enlisted celebrity chef Guy Fieri for two restaurants (Guy’s Burger Joint and Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que) while Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines offers several stateroom options, from traditional interiors, ocean-view and balcony staterooms to suites designed specifically for families, private balconies for couples and expansive multi-room suites for groups traveling together.

SKYCOURSE ROPES COURSE ONBOARD CARNIVAL VISTA

EXPEDITION CRUISES

These include expedition cruises that sail to more distant ports, such as Antarctica, the Arctic Circle and the Galapagos, and there are often scientists on board who conduct research projects and share their findings. Ship design is often more minimalist, although still comfortable. Lindblad has partnered with National Geographic to build a top-notch expedition team with expert photographers, marine biologists, historians and naturalists. Celebrity Cruises offers expedition cruises in the Galapagos onboard Celebrity Flora —the first all-suites, 100-guest ship designed exclusively for sailing these islands. Certified naturalists from the Galapagos National Park are on board to guide the journey.

EXCURSION TO THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS WITH A NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPEDITION TEAM

COPYRIGHTS: RALPH LEE HOPKINS

RIVER CRUISES

Smaller ships allow you to drift leisurely along the world’s most beautiful waterways, from the Rhine and the Danube to the Nile and the Mekong, and even dock in the center of town, thanks to their maneuverability. With its wellness programs, active excursions and onboard bicycles, AmaWaterways is a great choice for health-conscious cruisers. Its Seven River Journey Through Europe is a 46-night voyage that visits 14 countries, including off-the-beaten-path sites in Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania. In 2024, AmaWaterways will introduce cruises down the Magdalena River in Colombia with fewer than 100 passengers on a new all-suite, eco-friendly ship.

AMAPRIMA IN PASSAU, GERMANY

Viking announced a new Viking Longship will debut along the Seine River in France in 2025; it’s a purpose-built sister ship to the other four that currently sail along the river. Sailing roundtrip from Paris on Viking’s Paris & the Heart of Normandy itinerary, this eight-day voyage along the Seine celebrates history, art, food and culture in the country’s most dazzling urban and pastoral settings.

SPECIALTY CRUISES

If you’re looking for something completely different, specialty cruises offer a range of ships to choose from, including steamboats, white-masted schooners and ships that commute along coastal waterways. American Queen Voyages’ river steamboats traverse America’s great rivers, including the mighty Mississippi where guests enjoy Creole and Cajun cuisine, while Windstar’s luxurious four-masted schooners and Star Clippers’ five-masted tall ships (inspired by the German ship Preussen , built in 1902) evoke the romance of the legendary sailing ships of the early 20th century.

AMERICAN QUEEN CRUISING THE MISSOURI RIVER

Hurtigruten’s Norwegian Coastal Express has journeyed the waters of Norway, transporting mail, cargo and passengers, since 1893. The line just brought back its Svalbard Express, which allows guests to experience the midnight sun on the newly renovated MS Trollfjord as it sails along the Norwegian coast to the High Arctic.