Choosing the Right Cruise: Luxury, River Cruises and More

We’ve sailed on more than 65 cruises – from giant family-friendly vessels and deluxe new ships to river cruises, sailing clippers, luxury yachts and adventurous expeditions to some of the world’s wildest places.

One thing we’ve learned? Choosing the right cruise is just as important as choosing the destination.

Many first-time cruisers think a cruise is simply “a cruise.” Wrong!

If your idea of cruising is wandering through charming Mediterranean ports, lingering over elegant afternoon teas and curling up with a good book in a quiet corner on deck, ending up on a family megaship with waterslides, surf simulators, bumper cars and kids’ clubs could put you off cruising forever.

On the flip side, if you’re cruising with children, that same ship could offer the vacation of a lifetime.

The point? There’s a cruise for almost everyone.

In this guide, we’ll help you find the one that matches your travel style, budget and interests.

1) Ultra-luxury cruises

Ahhh… This is cruising at its most indulgent.

Think boutique five-star hotels that just happen to float. These intimate ships spoil you with spacious suites, gourmet dining, impeccable service and a near-all-inclusive experience.

Three of our favorite luxury cruise lines are:

• Seabourn – It offers three 600-passenger ocean ships (plus two expedition vessels). Unlimited French champagne and caviar? Of course! They’re part of the Seabourn cruise experience.
• Crystal Cruises – Crystal has two elegant ships, superb service and the only Nobu restaurants at sea. Many guests are repeat cruisers for a reason.
• Ponant – A chic French line, most of Ponant’s boutique ships carry just 184 to 264 guests. We loved the effortlessly refined French touches. (The bread, the cheese, the wine? Magnifique!)

Other cruise lines in this league include Explora Journeys, Silversea and Regent Seven Seas.

2) Affordable luxury (or “luxury lite”) cruises

Want classy ships, excellent dining and attentive service without paying ultra-luxury prices? Affordable luxury (sometimes called “luxury lite”) cruise lines hit that sweet spot.

Expect smaller ships and a more sophisticated atmosphere than you’ll find on the big mainstream ships – along with included perks like complimentary wine or specialty dining on some lines.

Standouts in the affordable luxury category include:

• Viking Ocean Cruises – Viking’s contemporary all-suite, all-veranda ships welcome 930 guests each, creating a calm, uncrowded feel. A complimentary shore excursion in every port, destination-rich itineraries (we especially loved our “quiet season” Med cruise in November), delicious dining, free WiFi and complimentary house wine and beer with lunch and dinner make Viking Ocean Cruises one of our favorite lines. (You can also upgrade with the line’s all-inclusive drinks package.)
• Azamara Cruises – With four ships carrying about 700 passengers each, Azamara is all about destination-immersion, with long days in port and overnight stays. (In fact, this is exactly why we chose Azamara for our recent Western Mediterranean cruise.) Ships have a relaxed country-club feel, and many cocktails, wine by the glass and gratuities are included. (Specialty restaurants cost extra.)
• Cunard – Drawn to the golden age of ocean travel? Cunard is in a class of its own. It’s all about glamorous gala evenings, afternoon tea with white-gloved waiters and iconic transatlantic crossings aboard grand ocean liners. Alcoholic drinks and specialty dining cost extra. But if you stay in the higher-category Princess Grill and Queens Grill suites, you enjoy exclusive restaurants with some of the finest dining at sea.

3) Premium large-ship cruises

Premium cruise lines typically sail large – but not mega – ships.

Good premium large-ship lines:

• Celebrity Cruises – With modern ships (2,000 to 3,000 passengers), Celebrity appeals to style-conscious, 40- to 55-year-olds traveling as a couple or with family.
• Holland America Line – We’ve cruised with HAL several times, most recently on the new Rotterdam. (We loved its line-up of live music venues!) HAL’s ships have room for 1,400 to 2,668 guests. They feature great specialty restaurants, and we like to treat ourselves to one of the line’s wine packages to go with the dining.

The following big-name lines dominate the North American cruise market:

• Royal Caribbean
• Carnival Cruise Line
• Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL)
• Princess Cruises
• MSC Cruises

Some vessels are true floating megaresorts – a specialty of Royal Caribbean, NCL and MSC Cruises.

These giants carry 5,000 to 6,000 guests, with Royal Caribbean’s three Icon Class ships (Legend of the Seas, Star of the Seas and Icon of the Seas), topping the charts at a jaw-dropping 7,600 passengers at full capacity.

Expect a whole boatload of fun – we’re talking rock-climbing walls, ice rinks, ziplining, surfing pools and go-kart tracks.

Sigh… There’s something irresistibly romantic about traveling under sail or on a yacht! For hidden coves and smaller ports that big ships can’t reach, check out:

• Windstar Cruises – A leader in small-ship cruising (148 to 350 guests), Windstar Cruises offers two distinct experiences. Its iconic tall-masted yachts have a superyacht sailing feel, while its all-suite motor yachts (like the Star Pride) offer more space and comfort. We especially love the retractable watersports marina platform at the stern for kayaking, water skiing and swimming right from each ship!
• Star Clippers – Its fleet of three tall ships really sail, their white sails billowing dramatically in the wind! The largest, the 5-masted Royal Clipper, accommodates 227 passengers. Unlike big cruise ships, they can slip into unspoiled little harbors – like Iles des Saintes (where we anchored on our Caribbean Star Flyer cruise) and Portofino (a jewel we explored on our Nice-to-Corsica sailing). Life aboard is relaxed and casual rather than fancy.
• Sea Cloud Cruises – With three elegant sailing yachts (carrying 64, 94 and 136 passengers), Sea Cloud Cruises is more upscale than Star Clippers and bundles more in the fare (reflected in its higher rates).
• Yacht charters – Want the whole boat to yourself? Chartering a yacht isn’t just for billionaires anymore. Some yachts also offer per-cabin availability, where you share the yacht with others.

Some cruises don’t fit neatly into the usual categories. The following ships, for example, focus on one special destination:

• Alila Purnama– This beautifully restored Indonesian phinisi yacht sails with just 10 guests in five cabins. We sailed through the islands of Komodo National Park – snorkeling and diving among pristine reefs, meeting fierce Komodo dragons, kayaking hidden coves and enjoying gourmet dining between adventures. You can book a single cabin on some Raja Ampat and Komodo Islands itineraries (through Hyatt!) or charter the entire yacht.
• Zambezi Queen Collection – We woke up to grunting hippos and watched elephants at dusk while sipping sundowners! The stylish 28-guest Zambezi Queen (along with three smaller Chobe Princess houseboats) offers one of Africa’s most unique river safari experiences. Two- and three-night cruises on Botswana’s Chobe River combine luxury accommodations with unforgettable wildlife viewing.
• Paul Gauguin – Built specifically for the shallow lagoons of French Polynesia, the deluxe 330-passenger Paul Gauguin (part of the luxury Ponant family) focuses exclusively on Tahiti and South Pacific cruises. Its retractable watersports marina lets you paddleboard and kayak straight from the ship.
• Blue Lagoon Cruises – Is Fiji on your bucket list? This locally owned cruise line is hard to beat for laid-back 3-, 4- and 7-night cruises aboard its 44-passenger MV Yasawa Princess II to the idyllic Yasawa Islands. Snorkel colorful reefs, visit local Fijian villages and feast on beach barbecues – our catamaran even tied up to a coconut tree! No dress-up duds needed for dinner either – this is flip-flops and shorts “cruising.”

7) Adventure cruises

Small adventure-focused ships are purpose-built to take you far off-the-beaten path. Days are filled with kayaking, hiking, snorkeling and Zodiac rides, with excursions usually included in the fare.

Take UnCruise Adventures, which really lives up to its name:

• On our UnCruise Hawaii adventure, we snorkeled with manta rays at night!
• On our Costa Rica UnCruise trip, we spotted monkeys in the morning and snorkeled  with tropical fish in the afternoon.
• On our Alaska UnCruise, we forded streams on an epic hike to a glacier, learned to SUP for the first time and explored remote coves and waterfalls by Zodiac.

UnCruises’s ships carry between 22 to 68 guests.

These luxury players are redefining expedition travel:

• Atlas Ocean Voyages
• Aurora Expeditions
• Lindblad Expeditions
• Ponant
• Scenic (their Scenic Eclipse I and II discovery yachts have helicopters and submersibles!)
• Seabourn
• Silversea
• Viking

Expect fine wines, plush suites and expert guides alongside once-in-a-lifetime polar landings.

9) River cruises

If ocean cruising is about big horizons, river cruising is about slipping right into the heart of a destination. On our Seine River cruise, we docked just steps from storybook castles, Monet’s gardens, artist studios and fascinating museums.

Top-notch river cruise lines to consider include:

• Scenic – An Australian luxury line, Scenic sails “space ships” with cool sun-room balconies and true all-inclusive perks (drinks, excursions, gratuities and more are all covered).
• Viking River Cruises – Sleek Scandinavian design, included daily shore excursions in every port, an adult-only experience and complimentary wine at meals are hallmarks of Viking River Cruises.
• AmaWaterways – Known for excellent cuisine, wine-themed cruises and active excursions like hiking and biking, AmaWaterways is the only river cruise line that’s a member of the prestigious La Chaine des Rotisseurs culinary society.
• Avalon Waterways – Avalon Waterways is famous for its Panorama Suites with floor-to-ceiling windows that turn into open-air balconies.
• Uniworld Boutique River Cruises – For ultra-luxurious, artfully designed ships with a boutique-hotel vibe, Uniworld is a great bet.
• Tauck – High-end and award-winning, Tauck offers luxury river cruises with lots of inclusions and impeccable service.

In general, the fewer passengers a river ship has, the more personalized the experience tends to be – and the steeper the price. Expect to pay more for Tauck (whose ships are designed for 100 guests or less) than, for example, Viking (whose European “longships” accommodate 190 passengers).

Ship size matters

• Big ships – Broadway-style shows, water parks, multiple restaurants, casinos and endless entertainment make these floating resorts especially popular with families and travelers who like lots of choice.
• Small ships – Expect a quieter atmosphere, more personalized service and access to charming ports that larger ships can’t reach. You’ll have fewer onboard attractions – but that’s often part of the appeal.

Most luxury cruise ships are much smaller than mainstream ships.

Destination or ship?

• The destination – Ocean cruises that visit Japan, Vietnam, Norway, New Zealand, the Canary Islands (and often the Mediterranean too), as well as river cruises are all about exploring fascinating places. Azamara Cruises and Viking Ocean Cruises are excellent choices for ocean-going destination cruising.
• The ship – If you love sea days and lots of onboard activities, choose a ship that’s a destination in itself. These cruises often feature fewer ports and more time at sea.

Repositioning cruises and Cunard’s transatlantic crossings are classic examples where the ship (and voyage) take center stage.

What are your interests?

• Food and wine – Oceania, AmaWaterways and wine-themed river cruises are made for food lovers.
• Adventure and wildlife – Expedition cruises and UnCruise Adventures bring you face-to-face with glaciers, whales, bears and some of the world’s most spectacular wilderness.
• History and culture – River cruises and Mediterranean itineraries immerse you in castles, ancient cities, museums and UNESCO World Heritage sites.
• Beach time and relaxation – Caribbean, Tahiti and sailing cruises deliver plenty of turquoise water, sandy beaches and blissful sea days.

Who are you traveling with?

• Families – Royal Caribbean, Princess, NCL, MSC, Carnival and other mainstream cruises all offer activities for every age.
• Couples – Luxury lines, river cruises and yacht cruises tend to be quieter and more romantic.
• Adults only – Viking Ocean Cruises and most river cruise lines don’t allow children.

River vs. ocean cruises

• River cruises – Ships are much smaller and dock right in town centers. Guided excursions are often included.
• Ocean cruises – Sail on larger ships with more entertainment and more dining choices and a wider range of itineraries.

More cruising inspo

• Forget the Birkin Bag – Book These Deluxe Cruises Instead!
• Is Windstar’s All-In Package Worth It?
• 7 Reasons to Hop Aboard a River Cruise Right Now!
• What’s “Luxury-Lite” Cruising Like on Azamara Cruises?
• We Swear By These 15 Luxury Cruise Hacks
• Ellies! Hippos! We’re on an African River Cruise!

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