River Cruises or Ocean Cruises?  Either Way, The Consumer Wins

Anyone who’s been on a cruise knows the options are endless.  River cruise, cruise ship or mega ship? Caribbean or Alaska? Mediterranean or the Red Sea?  Transit the Panama Canal or transit the Atlantic? Here are some of the differences that make each experience so unique, and that travelers can weigh to make the choice.

River ships are smaller, allowing them to access many places the big ships can’t.  They’re essentially always in sight of land and going ashore is quick and easy. River cruises offer tours that give visitors the opportunity to have immersive cultural experiences in historical cities.  Because they are small, river ships offer a more intimate onboard experience. Amenities are on a smaller scale but their dedication to excellent culinary offerings and stellar service are uncompromised. River ships are beautiful, but their focus is less on the ship and more on the destination.

Cruise ships and mega ships focus on making the ship as important as the destinations they visit because reaching a destination often means being at sea for a day or longer.  The mega ships of today are engineering and technological marvels, with ice skating rinks, go cart tracks, zip lining, gardens with live trees and shrubbery, and a dizzying array of spa, dining and entertainment options.

The tours offered on ocean cruises can give visitors a cursory experience of the destination or an immersive one, depending on the size of the ship and length of time in port.  Larger ships are on a tighter schedule with fuel consumption a major consideration, so unless an overnight stay is planned, they are generally headed to the next destination by 6:00PM.  Once guests are back onboard, evenings are filled with dining, entertainment, music, dancing, shopping and theme parties. These ships are, quite literally, floating resorts.

It’s fascinating to see how the industry challenges itself by elevating the onboard experience.  From brand partnerships with celebrity chefs, to interactive water parks, to exclusive dining and entertainment areas for repeat guests, ocean cruises are vastly different from river cruises.  It doesn’t matter what the preference is, only that there are so many excellent choices. The industry continues to challenge itself by creating and inspiring unique and unforgettable experiences.  And the consumer is the winner every time.

Access Cruise is a Miami based cruise marketing and sales consulting group, specializing in product and business development within the cruise industry.