Which Style Cruise is Right For You?

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You’re ready to head out onto the water, take the plunge, and take a cruise! But which cruise style is perfect for you? Would you rather enjoy the rolling ocean or a meandering river? Tropical islands, fjords or fascinating European cities? Is your perfect vacation full of activities, adventures, and parties? Or more subdued relaxing, soaking-up-the-sun vibes? You’ve heard of big cruises vs small luxury cruises vs river cruises — but what are the actual differences? Here’s our breakdown of the basics:

Big Mass-Market Cruises

Atmosphere: There’s a sense of excitement aboard the big cruise ships. Whether you’re on Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian or a slightly more “premium” line like Celebrity — the name of the game is variety! These floating cities offer more options than some small towns! 

performers onstage during a Cruise Ship live show

There’s always something to do, to see, a wide range of amenities, and countless dining options. The focus here is on entertainment — with huge blockbuster-style live shows, live bands, comedians, art auctions, game shows, casinos, and nightclubs. Often, the cruise ship itself is just as much part of the experience as the destinations. You’ll find skating rinks, surfing simulators, roller coasters and more!

Size: The smallest big cruise ship has around 1,000 guests while the largest in the world holds nearly 7,000. And that doesn’t even include the crew!

Pros:

  • Huge variety across ships
  • Lots of dining options, entertainment, & nightlife
  • Visits popular destinations with lots of shore excursion options
  • Programs and camps for kids
  • Wide range of cabins to suit all budgets

Cons

  • Many, many people – you can sometimes feel like another face in the crowd
  • Lots of walking to get from one end to another
  • Can be difficult to find a sense of seclusion
  • Longer lines and wait times

Perfect For: If you’re traveling with a big group or with younger kids this is a great option. Or, if you’re a night owl and love to enjoy live entertainment, then these big ships are perfect for you! There’s always something to do, eat, and see. With lots of shore excursion options – everyone in the group will find something to love. And for the kids – they’ll never get bored! If you’re left a little bit cold by the idea of sailing with that many people, look into a smaller “ship-within-a-ship” experience like The Haven on Norwegian’s ships.

Small Luxury Cruises

Atmosphere: Smaller luxury cruises like the one Ann recently took with Seabourn offer many similarities to the big cruises. But there are a few key differences. The most noticeable change is the atmosphere.

With fewer people and a more luxurious setting, these cruises strive for a personalized and relaxed vibe. You’ll find a focus on culture and nature with not as much nightlife available. There are still several lounges and restaurants, and some live music, but nothing too big or flashy. The focus here is rest and relaxation.

the realxing Retreat on Seabourn Ovation's caribbean cruise

Size: As few as 100 guests ranging up to around 700 guests for these small luxury cruises.

Pros:

  • More personal experience – small guest-to-crew ratio
  • Larger cabins
  • Can access smaller harbors and more out-of-the-way destinations
  • Can get you up close to glaciers, whales, waterfalls etc
  • Peaceful and romantic vibes

Cons

  • Not as much to do on board
  • Not very much nightlife
  • Higher price tag – can be tough for groups/families
  • Not as many activities for kids

Perfect For: Couples cruises, adventurers, and luxury travelers. Anyone who prefers exploring cool destinations at a leisurely pace on their own. 

River Cruises

Atmosphere: River cruises are all about that slow travel experience. Meandering down the river watching spectacular scenery and quaint villages drift by. River cruises deliver a sense of serenity and peace. Many river cruise ships offer amenities like a small spa, hot tub or plunge pool on the top deck, and lounges for relaxing with a cocktail. But the focus and excitement can be found in the ports. You’ll visit bustling cities, charming towns and villages, and scenic countryside.

River Cruises generally sail in the evenings, unless they’re on a particularly scenic stretch of the river, and you get to spend much of your day exploring fascinating cities like Amsterdam and experiencing new cultures like traditional Bulgarian folk dances. You won’t have many “sea days” where you’re spending the whole day on board.

River cruises are also more all-inclusive. Usually, your drinks, food, wifi, and many of the shore excursions are all included in the cost! 

Size: The smallest cruises on African rivers average just 30 guests while the larger Viking ships reach around 200. 

Pros:

  • Dock directly in city centers
  • Many tours included in upfront cost
  • More time in ports – practically no ‘sea days’
  • No large crowds
  • More of a local, authentic feel in ports

Cons

  • Not much nightlife; onboard entertainment tends to be lectures and local musicians/dancers
  • Fewer dining options
  • Smaller cabins
  • Included tours are often in the mornings, so there’s less opportunity to sleep in

Perfect For: Seeing a lot of different locations in one cruise, older couples, history buffs, those who like city breaks, and those who like exploring different cultures. 

Expedition Cruises

Atmosphere: Expedition Cruises are voyages to hyper-specific far flung destinations. With a huge focus on nature and a sense of adventure. These cruises are smaller and have local experts leading you every step of the way. There’s not much to do onboard the ship itself, but you don’t notice because your days are so full of exciting exploration you sleep soundly each night. 

On expedition cruises, you’ll experience out-of-the-way destinations like the Galapagos, Antarctica, or the Norweigan Fjords. All the guests enjoy a love of adventure activities and totally unique experiences. The focus is on the entire journey and environment in which you are traveling not just the port.

The Queen Beatriz yacht floating between two islands of cacti in the Galapagos

Size: The smaller ships will only hold around 30-40 guests but can go up to 300 for the bigger voyages. 

Pros:

  • Incredible far-flung destinations
  • Lots of unique experiences
  • Expert guides with you every step
  • Daily activities included in the cost
  • Generally adults only

Cons

  • Not as much to do onboard
  • Moderate physical fitness and mobility necessary
  • Not much “beach & relax” time
  • Require an investment (in time and money)

Perfect For: Big adventures and bucket list trips. If there’s a place you’ve always wanted to see or an adventure you’ve always dreamed of experiencing, this is the perfect opportunity. Good to do when you’re younger as the fitness level necessary can be more demanding. 


There are so many choices when it comes to cruising, we hope this little guide helps you decide which style of cruise is the perfect fit for your next vacation!

Why Should You Take a Small Luxury Cruise?

It has been at least five or six years since I experienced an ocean cruise. Between COVID shutdowns and my new love of river cruises, I just hadn’t been tempted to get back out onto the ocean in a big ship with tons of people. To be honest, I’m still not that eager to sail away with thousands of my closest friends. But, I recently tried another ocean cruise, and it was FABULOUS.

As a top-selling advisor, I was fortunate enough to earn a Caribbean cruise on the Seabourn Ovation. The Ovation is a 690-foot, 300-suite, luxury cruise ship and we sailed from Barbados to St Maarten in March. It was my first experience on Seabourn and my first luxury cruise. I was really interested in seeing how it would be different from the other cruises I’ve taken on Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Celebrity, Princess, and Holland America.

Not surprisingly, I loved it. It was probably the most relaxing vacation that I’ve ever taken. I’m already trying to figure out how to fit another Seabourn cruise into this year’s plans. But for anyone who is wondering “what’s the big deal” about a luxury cruise, and how is it really different from a more mass-market experience, I thought I would share my thoughts about some of the key differences:

Size Matters

The Ovation is about half the size of the modern mega-ships from Royal Caribbean and NCL. So it can visit islands that the big ships can’t.

Our itinerary included St Vincent and the Grenadines, Nevis, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and other ports that you could never see from a big ship. We were typically the only cruise ship in port, and everything else in the harbor was private yachts.

The small size also means that you are never far from the restaurants, the pool, the theater, or anyplace else on the ship. The passenger decks are one hallway with balcony suites lining both sides (no inside cabins). Plus, there are no long walks back to the cabin to retrieve a forgotten item.

And the smaller number of passengers means that you’re never in line. We did not have to worry about making restaurant reservations, or whether we’d get into a show. There was no long wait to board the ship or get onto a tender.

Personal Touches

With under 600 passengers and roughly 330 crew, the Ovation has an average passenger-to-crew ratio of about 1.6 to 1. Compare that with the mega ships, which can be twice that (3.2 to 1), and you can imagine how much more personal attention each passenger gets. Crew members greeted us by name in the hallways, and remembered our drink orders. We never felt like an anonymous face in the crowd.
They also did a really good job of noticing things (and acting on them). The first couple of times that we took a shower in our cabin, we moved the bathmat from in front of the sink to in front of the shower so that we would not slip when we stepped out. The steward noticed that and a second bathmat appeared overnight. The older couple at the table next to us in the sushi restaurant was struggling to use the Seabourn app on their phone. They mentioned to the waitress that they missed having a paper newsletter placed in their cabin each evening (rather than having to look at the daily schedules on their phones). The waitress asked for their cabin number and promised that a paper newsletter would be there for them every day moving forward.

Luxury Crusie Inclusions

On Seabourn, your luxury cruise fare includes all your dining (even in the specialty restaurant). And all your drinks (aside from specialty wines by the bottle), and gratuities. Even a stocked minibar in the room (customized to your preferences). All the little things that would normally be charged to your onboard account (from lattes and cappuccinos to room service, or a bottle of champagne to enjoy on the balcony) were included in the fare. Some luxury cruise lines, like Regent, even include all of your shore excursions. It was very nice to check out at the end of the cruise without any onboard charges to pay!

Serene Vibe

This is definitely a matter of personal preference, but I loved the overall vibe on the ship. It was very adult-oriented and upscale.

The sail-away party was free-flowing champagne and singers serenading us with music from Les Miserables (not a steel drum band or a neon-colored “drink of the day” in sight). There was afternoon tea every day in the main lounge, with live piano music. And they surprised everyone with “caviar in the surf” during our beach barbecue in St Kitts.

For those who love splashier entertainment, the smaller luxury cruises may be a bit boring. While I did see a few people in the very small casino, and we did attend some shows at night, there was honestly not a lot to keep the night owls entertained.

Luxury Cruise Conclusions

My overall takeaway was that there’s a time and a place for both mass-market and luxury cruises. If I were sailing with kids or grandkids and wanted a bigger, more active ship with lots of “bells and whistles”, I would probably go back to Norwegian. And I would just book myself into The Haven to get the upscale ship-within-a-ship experience.

For an adult vacation, with my husband, I would be hard-pressed to think of anything more relaxing than what I just experienced with Seabourn.

Shore Excursions

One of the most-commonly-asked questions about cruises involves shore excursions:  “Should I book them through the ship, or do it on my own?”

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but this column from online resource ConsumerTraveler.com most closely echos what I tell my clients.

The cruise line sponsored excursions will most likely be the most expensive and the most crowded options available.  BUT, depending on the specific port, your ship’s arrival and departure times, and your tolerance for risk, they are probably also your safest option, because the ship is least likely to leave without you if you’re on one of their excursions.

That being said, as long as you’re comfortable with a little bit of independence, you can often find some really different (and much more reasonably priced) options through private companies like Shoretrips.com and other local vendors.

Be sure to ask your travel consultant to help you explore the shore excursion 0ptions that best suit your needs.

You provided excellent guidance for us. I appreciated that you really had us think about what was most important to us when we were selecting the right cruise – and not to totally focus on what other people had to say. THANK YOU for helping to make this a memorable trip for our family! It really was a trip of a lifetime!

Clare and Mark (family cruise to Alaska)

The level of service we experienced was out of this world (and we did NOT make it easy on Ann). We weren’t quite sure where we wanted to go, when we would be able to go, or what “vibe” we were going for. After asking us some key questions (what we liked, didn’t like, why, etc.) Ann helped us narrow down our trip details and planned the honeymoon of our dreams. She helped book some of our excursions, answered some emergency questions while abroad and was always available/willing to help. I think it’s safe to say we won’t be using anyone else for future travel planning – Ann is a rockstar!

Carli (Italy and Spain)