Choosing between taking a cruise on a river and one on the ocean is a lot like choosing between having dessert before dinner, or after. Either way, you win. Both river cruising and ocean cruising offer constantly changing views, luxurious amenities, new sights and sounds, and no hassle access to beautiful new ports for the entirety of your trip.
Each also comes with its own unique benefits though, so we are here to help answer the age old question: Which one is right for you and your travel companions? An ocean cruise or a river cruise? What are the major differences to keep in mind when choosing your next cruising vacation?
An intimate small cruise or a large ship
Intimacy is the single largest difference to take into account when deciding between an ocean and a river cruise. The scale of the ships used for river cruises tend to be far smaller, and this changes the experience you are likely to have on your cruise as you will likely be spending a fair amount of time on the boat. River cruises often carry a couple hundred passengers max, while ocean vessels can carry thousands.
Deciding on your cruising amenities
What do you want the focus of your trip to be? Wandering small towns daily, interacting with the locals and sampling restaurants at a new destination each time you wake? Or do you prefer spas and movie theaters, buffets and live shows with a stop every few days to see the sights of an amazing new city?
The smaller scale of river cruises means a smaller group of people to interact with, which in turn can mean more opportunity to get to know everyone on your cruise. Dining is on a more regular schedule, so everyone will likely be attending meal times together for the duration. This can be a great opportunity to be social and build relationships with other cruisers and friendships that can last far beyond the cruise.
The larger scale of ocean cruises offer the opposite benefit, thanks to the size, there is always something new to do and far more amenities are offered. Mealtimes can generally be had at a variety of locations and without any exact timings, meaning there are always new people around to meet.
Ocean vs. river entertainment
River cruises tend to offer a more modest offering of libraries, workout rooms, and cultural programs to further learn about the destinations the cruise will take you, perfect for a quiet and simple time away from it all with a greater focus on time spent at the ports along the way as you are in a destination daily.
Ocean cruises on the other hand often have a greater focus on staying busy while on the ship and are able to offer a wider selection thanks to scale. As cruises can often take a few days between ports, it is more important to make sure passengers have plenty to do while on board. Think multiple pools, waterslides, game rooms, Broadway shows, and live events, climbing walls, movie theaters, you name it, and there is likely a cruise ship offering it for its passengers.
All-access for optimal entertainment while cruising
Traveling with a larger, multi-generational family can be difficult. Keeping everyone entertained can be even more challenging. River cruises, with far less time on the water means more time wandering the ports and towns along the path, but also can mean less to keep everyone busy while on ship. The defined mealtimes can also be a bit of a hassle since children are often not hungry until they decide they need food right now, which may not match up well with the set schedule.
Ocean cruises however are much more suited to all-ages with a varied and often buffet-style meals available when you choose to eat, endless play areas and activities designed with children in mind, and thanks to the larger passenger list, likely more passengers of all ages to make friends.
Another nod to ocean cruising goes to greater access for any passengers with special needs, dietary needs, health, or mobility concerns. Once again, thanks to a greater scale of ship, a broader variety of needs can be accounted for with special cabins designed for those who may need them. Dietary restrictions can be accounted for thanks to larger kitchens with more staffing. Boarding and docking for ocean cruises is also far larger scale often meaning easier access for those with mobility concerns. However, smaller ocean cruises like UnCruise can pay special attention to each guest thanks to the small size and accommodate any dietary needs.
What’s your cruising budget?
River cruises tend to come with a higher price tag per person, but generally all is included in that price and more on land experiences are often bundled into the experience. Ocean cruising, thanks to a greater economy of scale tends to have a lower price per person. However, this base price tends to have a lot of additions that can be added which would likely have been bundled with the river cruise. Alcohol, land excursions, upgrades, etc. often come with an additional price tag. This makes it important to take into account what extras your party will want before comparing prices to get a better picture of the real price comparison.
Planning on cruising soon?
Choosing the best cruise for your vacation isn’t always a simple decision. These days we have countless options of locations and cruise style to take into account. From small ships on UnCruise to huge Carnival cruises that feel like a floating city, cruising offers so much diversity in how you choose to vacation. While options can sometimes feel overwhelming, the silver lining is that there’s something for everyone when it comes to cruising. Whether you’re taking a romantic honeymoon cruise, a family reunion, or taking the kids on an epic Disney cruise, we’re confident everyone can fall in love with cruising.
Still overwhelmed and undecided about which type of cruising is best for you? Get in touch with us and we’ll do all the heavy lifting for you! We know cruises inside and out and can plan the perfect cruise for your desires and your budget. Let’s get planning!