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Cruise Guide: Breaking Down the Different Types of Cruises

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Not all cruises are created equal, and not everyone cruises for the same reason. If you are just going off of the ads you see on TV, you may get the idea that all cruises are the same. But this couldn’t be farther from the truth. If you are a first-time cruiser, or you're looking to broaden your cruising horizons, it would be in your interest to do as much research as possible to pick the best cruise for you. To get you pointed in the right direction, we’ve got a handy guide breaking down the different types of cruises and what they are best for.

Ocean Cruises

A standard ocean liner sailing through tranquil waters

(Image provided by Adobe Stock)

Ocean cruises are usually larger ships that are often described as floating resorts. Since these ships are much larger, there is more to do on board, there are a lot more people to meet, and they can’t dock at a lot of smaller ports. You can also get the benefit of cheaper tickets than on smaller ships, as cruise lines want to keep them at capacity and then sell amenities, attractions, and excursions to cruisers once they are onboard. If you are a fan of amusement parks or all-inclusive resorts, then an ocean cruise is likely your best option.

River Cruises

A small river cruise sails past the Eiffel Tower in Paris

(Image provided by Adobe Stock)

River cruises, on the other hand, tend to be on much smaller ships, meaning that they can travel to places that ocean liners are too big for. This opens the door to a lot of destinations, particularly places that are far inland. The trade off is that since river cruises are smaller, they have less to do on board. Typically they will only have one or two onboard restaurants, limited amenities, and much less onboard entertainment. But these cruises tend to be much more destination focused instead, offering excursions in diverse and exotic places that let you interact more with the local cultures and truly experience each destination.

Expedition Cruises

A group of tourists observe an elephant in the water from the safety of a small  cruise ship

(Image provided by Adobe Stock)

An expedition cruise is exactly what it sounds like. The purpose of such a cruise is to explore wilderness, typically in places that are difficult or even impossible to access by any other means. Good examples would be a cruise to Iceland to see the northern lights, or a river cruise down the Amazon designed to get a close up look at the rainforest. While expedition cruises can be on ships of many different sizes, they tend to be smaller since they go to places that are often difficult to reach. 

Luxury Cruises

The legendary Queen Mary 2 docked at a port city

(Image provided by Adobe Stock)

Luxury cruises are those cruises that take the experience of a 5-star, all-inclusive resort, and take it out to sea. These are often ocean liners, since bigger ships can house more extravagant amenities and attractions, but medium and small ships can also be considered luxury. The purpose of these cruises is to experience pure, pampered bliss and bask in the warm glow of non-stop relaxation. The downside to these cruises, in case it wasn’t obvious, is that they are expensive. But if you’ve got the cash to spare, a luxury cruise is well worth your time!

Themed Cruises

A cruise passenger observes the excitement of a gay cruise from a second floor balcony

(Image provided by Adobe Stock)

A themed cruise is centered around a particular interest or activity that everyone on the ship enjoys. This can be a genre of music like disco or jazz, it can be a popular franchise like Star Trek, it can be centered around a community as in the case of gay cruises, or really anything else. These are great cruises for connecting with other cruisers, as your shared interests give you an automatic ice breaker. Just be sure to check if your themed cruise is a full-ship or partial-ship charter. On a partial-ship charter, only some of the passengers are there for the themed activities, meaning you will have people around you who may not share your obsession!

Sailing Cruises

A majestic sail boat stands tall against a clear blue sky

(Image provided by Adobe Stock)

The last cruise type on our list is sailing cruises, which are cruises on tall ships that use sails instead of engines to traverse the high seas. They will often have motors in case they need them, but the idea is to use the wind as their primary propulsion. While this can be fun for the novelty of experiencing sailing, it also happens to be much better for the environment thanks to using much less fuel. They will also usually be smaller ships, which can allow for a more intimate setting for meeting other cruisers. While they may not have all the attractions and amenities of other ships, they are still a great way to cruise!

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