River versus Ocean

[sharon59]

hi

My husbandand i have travelled with Emerald waterways a number of times and have enjoyed every moment,however we are toying with the idea of an ocean cruise,would appreciate any imput regarding this

Cheers

Sharon

[Krazy Kruizers]

You need to give us more information.

Ocean cruise -- TransAtlantic? Touring the Med? The Baltic?

What did you have in mind?

[sharon59]

Hi

As we have never ocean cruised I have no idea..

We would be coming from Australia

I’m just trying to gather info on the pros and cons,hope this makes sense

I suppose one thing is we aren’t to convinced the huge ships are our thing so the smaller ships with 1000 passengers..maybe around the Greek islands :confused:

[Port Power]

Chalk and cheese. River cruising is intimate, relaxed and yet walking tours every day. Ocean cruising is quite different. A transatlantic or Mediterranean cruise on Azamara is as enjoyable as a river cruise. At 640-680 passengers, it might be the right fit. I really enjoy Azamara. Larger cruise ships have more diverse entertainment but less feeling of community. Start off with an Australian/New Zealand Cruise on Celebrity Solstice to get a feel. You will still meet people to enjoy time with, just different focus.

[sharon59]

Thanks will look into it

[marco]

VERY different experience. To date, we've done 7 river cruises and over 100 "oceanliner" cruises or T/A's. Where are you contemplating an ocean cruise? If it is somewhere in Europe you won't see/experience anywhere near what you experience on a European river cruise. On the ocean cruise you'll see pretty much only coastal large cities and only see a couple of the major sites as you'll most likely be there for only a day. Rarely do you get to enjoy a night or overnight and you pretty much only get a "taste" of the city. The on board experience is much different as well. More activities, more entertainment, more options and in some instances for some folks the on board experience is as important, if not more so than the destination(s).

[LHT28]

More people, more restaurants to choose from, better entertainment than on river cruises well different type of entertainment

 

more to do on the ship

some ships are more inclusive than others so check what is included unlike rivers cruises some do not include drinks with meals other than water, coffee, tea

 

 

 

Oceania also has nice size ships more premium line

 

Enjoy

[Hlitner]

Two totally different experiences. River Cruises are about the ports, shore tours, local interaction, etc. Ocean cruises are, to a great degree, about the ship, onboard activities (or lack thereof), cuisine, and port days. Also keep in mind that ships do move upon the sea which is a problem for a few folks. On one of our longer cruises the first 6 days were at sea (crossing the Atlantic). The very first morning we watched a lady darn near "freak out" as she looked out at the endless sea and realized that she had to deal with nearly a week on a smaller ship (Prinsendam). One of our group asked her if she had not considered that the cruise she booked had many sea days and she had no answer. What I am saying is that Ocean cruises are not for everyone...although many of us who are frequent cruisers absolutely love it :).

 

Hank

[Bizmark'sMom]

Apples and oranges. The only similarity is that both vessels float on water.

 

Large ocean cruise ships are a city in the middle of the ocean. Shops, different restaurants and bars, casino, pools, shows, sometimes actual amusement parks. The big ships can only get you to the large cities. Smaller ships are more intimate, can get to smaller ports, and have the same sort of cozy feel that the river ships do.

 

Other differences; typically tours are not included. And if they are, they are not as well done as those on the river cruise. Your ship will not be in the middle of town, so it isn't as easy to stroll off and wander around.

 

Wine and beer are not included at meals. If you enjoy those, you will have to buy them.

[mef_57]

The extra add one for everything might drive you mad. Extra daily tips, drinks, specialty dining, excursions could put you off the larger mainstream lines. But under 1000 means luxury lines which tend yt price these in likl a river cruise.

Viking does both. A friend pretty much only uses Oceania and enjoyed her first river cruise as 'not too different'.

Also for Greek islands there are several small ships or yachts that cruise the area that might suit.

I also recommend trying something closer to home.

[mnocket]

Really the only way to tell if ocean cruising is for you is to try it. An important decision for you will be the itinerary . The basic choice is Port Intensive (port every day like a river cruise) or Mixed Sea & Port Days (more time to relax and enjoy the ship itself).

[Heidi13]

Hi

As we have never ocean cruised I have no idea..

We would be coming from Australia

I’m just trying to gather info on the pros and cons,hope this makes sense

I suppose one thing is we aren’t to convinced the huge ships are our thing so the smaller ships with 1000 passengers..maybe around the Greek islands :confused:

 

Having experienced a number of river cruises, you mentioned you are now considering a blue water cruise on smaller ships. My suggestion is to check out Viking Cruises, which operate both river cruises and ocean cruises.

 

Viking River are the largest operator of river cruises and in 2013 they initiated plans to enter ocean cruising. The first 930 pax vessel was launched in 2015, with 5 ships currently sailing and a 6th starting in Spring 2019. They have taken many of the river cruising standards and incorporated them into ocean cruising.

 

Viking Ocean is a premium line providing - port intensive itineraries, complimentary shore excursion in every port, complimentary beer and wine at lunch and dinner, free and unlimited wi-fi, free self-service laundry, free specialty restaurants, free spa facilities, no formal nights and every evening being elegant casual. They also don't have any casinos, art auctions, annoying photographers, etc.

 

They have an extensive selection of Meddy cruises.

[Pudgesmom]

I disagree with the comment that ocean cruises are all about the ship. It depends on where you’re going and what type/size ship you have chosen.

 

In our case, we prefer a very small ocean-going ship and our cruises are often much about the ports we visit.

 

To get a better idea of what to expect, read some posts on any forum here for small, medium and large cruise ships.

 

Additionally, there is a much greater variety of prices and inclusions or pay as you go.

 

A good travel agent can discuss your individual wants and needs and help you to make an informed choice.

[wheezedr]

Funny but this question usually shows up in the other direction. Lots of ocean cruisers who are trying to decide if a river cruise is for them and not necessarily aware of how different they are. If I were the OP I would first look for an itinerary that interests them and then find both a time and a cruise line that can satisfy that. I am generally itinerary driven. With an ocean cruise I can always find enough to do or not do that the ship to me is important but not the deal breaker it can be to others. I would be remiss to not add my usual line that the only thing river and ocean cruises have in common is that they occur on a ship and on the water.