People often assume cruising means one thing, but ocean cruising and river cruising are genuinely different holidays. As your Toowoomba personal travel manager and CLIA Master accredited cruise specialist, here is how I help clients choose between them.
An ocean cruise means a large ship, open sea crossings, and often a day or two at sea between ports, with a huge range of onboard entertainment and facilities to fill that time. A river cruise means a smaller, more intimate ship sailing through countryside and cities, along rivers such as the Rhine, the Danube or the Mekong, docking centrally in a new town most days. There is far less onboard entertainment, and the days are built around the destinations rather than the ship itself.
Ocean cruising, by a wide margin. Bigger ships mean theatres, pools, multiple restaurants, bars and activities running all day. River cruising is quieter and more social, think communal dining and a lounge, with the real entertainment happening off the ship in the towns you dock in each day.
It depends what kind of ocean or river experience you are after, but here is where I start with most clients.
Ocean cruise lines
River cruise lines
Cruise ship top deck during dusk
It depends what you compare, so here is a real example. The Travelmarvel 15 day European Gems river cruise starts from $6,495 per person, including a lead in suite, guided sightseeing and plenty of included experiences along the way. By comparison, the Oceania 12 night Mediterranean ocean cruise starts from $7,050 per person for an inside cabin, a premium ocean experience built around exceptional dining and destination exploration. Oceania works out $555 per person more for three fewer nights, but the two are genuinely different holidays, one is an immersive journey through the heart of Europe by river, the other is a premium cruise exploring Mediterranean ports by sea. The right choice comes down to which of those two holidays you actually want, not just the price per night.
Ocean cruising is often the easier entry point, familiar big ship comforts, lots to do, and a format most people have some sense of already. River cruising suits someone who already knows they want an immersive, culture and scenery focused trip without big ship bustle, even as a first cruise.
Ocean cruising, almost always. Kids’ clubs, waterslides and a wide age range of other children make a real difference. River cruising tends to attract an older, more adult crowd, and most river ships are simply not set up for young children.
Yes, and it is one of my favourite ways to build a European holiday. For one couple, I put together an itinerary that began with a Princess cruise from Southampton, taking in the UK, Ireland and a taste of France, before flying to Amsterdam to join a European river cruise through to Zurich. The ocean cruise gave them a wonderful introduction to the destinations, while the river cruise offered a more intimate, immersive and slower paced way to explore Europe. Finishing on the river cruise meant they could properly slow down and soak up the scenery after the bigger ship. Two styles of cruising, one incredible trip.
Ocean or river, the right choice comes down to what you actually want from the days on board, not just the destination. Get in touch and let’s work out which one suits you.
Call me on 0498 617 414 or send an enquiry through my website here.
