River vs Ocean Cruising - Which Cruise Is Best For You?
River vs Ocean Cruising - Which Cruise Is Best For You?
It used to be thought that river cruises were the quick and cheerful alternative to boarding that luxurious ocean liner and visiting far away and exotic ports. The sheer luxury and all-inclusive nature of ocean cruises attracted many tourists in search of a stress-free vacation with land activities thrown in when the liner made port. The fact that drinks and food were part of the deal made this type of vacation experience even more attractive.
However, today the gap between the luxury ocean-going experience and river cruises has narrowed considerably - if not disappeared entirely.
River/Inland Cruising
Many people are opting to cruise the inland waterways across the world and the traditional cruise operators, as well as some innovative independent operators, have been quick to take advantage of this new trend.
More On-land Packages
The fact of the matter is that river cruises give tourists access to place and experiences that ocean-going liners cannot reach. For many people, the attraction of really getting under the skin of the country that they are visiting is too good to resist. While ocean-going liners are limited (for the most part to docking in ports that can accommodate their massive size and victualing requirements the ships ferrying passengers along inland waterways are far more versatile - in part because of their shallower draft.
Fewer amenities, less crowded
Although many riverboats today do offer pools, spa experiences and top-tier eating experiences the facilities are usually on a much smaller scale than those offered on ocean-going liners. For many this is one of the attractions of the riverboats - they offer a more intimate experience. Unlike the thousands that throng ocean-going liners most ships that play inland waterways cater to perhaps hundreds of passengers at a time. This means that the crew can devote time and effort to making the river cruise that much more special.
Opportunities to Socialise
For many, this intimacy is also reinforced by the opportunities to socialise about a riverboat. With fewer passengers, there is always the opportunity to make a connection with new friends - rather than experiencing the constant rotation of tables and companions on a larger ocean-going cruise ship the riverboat experience actively encourages a deeper connection with those who are sharing the onboard life.
Cabins and creature comforts
Some people may shy away from the fact that the cabins on a riverboat are smaller than those that can big found on the larger cruise liners. However, advances in materials and design mean that those on a river cruise will not be short of the creature comforts to be found on the larger liners. There's also a bonus in that in almost all cases each of the cabins on a river cruiser face out over the water. In fact, more modern riverboats have made on on water experience even more intriguing and comfortable by installing luxuries like panoramic windows on their ships, giving a breezy feel to these cabins.
Dining Experiences
For those who think that the dining experience on the smaller riverboats plying inland waterways would not compare to the experience on an ocean-going liner, it comes as a welcome surprise that today the levels of cuisine and the dining experience itself are comparable. In fact, although buffets are the norm many riverboats now offer smaller venues away from the main dining area that will cater to the needs of those passengers in search of a more intimate dining experience.
The increasing popularity of river cruises is a testament to the new approach and new fleets of riverboats that have now entered service. For those in search of a more intimate cruise experience, the advantages of a river cruise are well worth exploring.
If you are interested in Cruising - River or Ocean Cruise, please contact Grace Wall MTA - member of Virtuoso & CLIA. #ChooseCruise #GracewallMTAclia #CLIA
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Happy Cruising!