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Find Your Dream Cruise
With countless cruises under our belt, from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean and even the Pacific, we have plenty of experience. Our most recent adventures were with Viking Cruises, the #1 cruise line in the world and our personal favorite. Viking offers ocean, river, and expedition cruises, and their ships are truly remarkable! They’ve also expanded to include new, purpose-built ships sailing the Nile in Egypt and the Mississippi River in the US.
While Viking is our top pick, we also have access to nearly every major cruise line. We can work directly with almost every major line, including Disney, Holland America, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, and Windstar, to name just a few.
How to Find the Perfect Cruise?
Just ask! Send us a message or give us a call at (800) 231-2425, and we’ll help you find it. Give us your preferred dates, region, and itinerary, and let us do the legwork to find the cruise of your dreams. The booking processes can be complex and are often not intuitive - and if you make the wrong choice, it can be costly! So why not work with us to be sure you get the cruise you want and deserve? We will be happy to help!
Our Cruise Tips
Dreaming of castles on hilltops, open-air cafes on cobbled stone streets, colourful fishing boats, mystic fjords, cliffside villages, ancient ruins, or a steaming volcano? These are but a sample of the possible sites you can see on a European cruise.
Cruises are a great way to cover a lot of ground with little wear and tear. Waking up in a new port each day without packing and unpacking, going through airport security, or lugging suitcases can be very appealing. The added benefit these days is an inclusive cost without worrying about the exchange rate of the dollar. It can currently be one of the most cost-effective ways to see Europe.
If you cannot decide where to go in Europe, a cruise that covers a broad area will allow you to get a little taste of each city or country so you can see which ones you want to return to on your next trip. If you have never taken a cruise before, a European cruise is a good one to start with.
Sailing into different ports and countries serves up a wealth of cultural experiences. Musical languages, historic architecture, and a variety of terrains and things to do make each day an adventure in discovery. And if you need a day of pure relaxation, you can do so on the deck of your ship, being waited on all day with a picturesque view in sight.
Ocean Cruises
Ocean cruises are still one of the most popular vacation choices among all travellers. With ships ranging from hundreds to thousands of passengers and amenities to fit the size, there is plenty of variety and something for everyone. Younger families may enjoy some of the larger lines that include kid-friendly features such as slides or even roller coasters! The ships are big, affording lots of room for a variety of venues.
Our personal preference is the smaller ships – big enough to have interesting spaces to visit or hide away but small enough not to get lost in the stampede to the dock or tenders. The Viking Ocean ships, such as the Viking Sky in the above picture, only carry 930 passengers, enough that you can do your own thing or make friends, whichever appeals to you most. They have onboard historians and other experts offering interesting talks to help you appreciate your journey. To us, they are an ideal size to enjoy the perfect vacation.
The Viking Ship Odin on the Danube River in Budapest Hungary
River Cruises
We first visited Germany in 1984, and one of our most memorable impressions from that trip was seeing the long Klön-Düsseldorfer (KD) ships plying the waters of the Rhine. (In an unexpected twist of fate, it appears KD may soon re-enter the scene!) They were brilliant, gliding seamlessly along the river below castles and mountains in a journey that often covered many ports.
Today, many other lines are available offering an almost endless variety of opportunities to visit almost anywhere in Europe close to a major river. Think of your ship as a kind of floating hotel. The beauty is that you only have to pack and unpack once, and your “hotel” takes and follows you to your next adventure. Some trips cover only a small area of densely interesting things to do and see, while others, such as our extremely popular Rhine River cruises offered by Viking and AMA Waterways, cover larger stretches of river.
Expedition Cruises
For the more adventurous, the expedition cruise market is growing faster than any other segment of the travel industry. Expedition cruises typically visit the more remote areas of the planet, such as the Arctic and Antartica. Recently, Greenland has become in focus, and there are a growing number of opportunities to visit this remote and interesting location. Other closer to home areas include Canada and the US Great Lakes, where Viking expedition ships travel during the summer. Hint: This is an excellent opportunity to experience one of these great ships without having to travel to the most remote areas of the world!
Expedition ships are often outfitted with special equipment such as rigid watercraft and even submarines! (See what Viking includes here.) Often they include special clothing suitable to the climate they will be visiting that the guests can enjoy aboard or even take home. And they usually have staffs who are experienced experts in the areas where they will be visiting and may even allow guests to participate in scientific experiments aboard the ship. Expedition cruising is a new, exciting option that is a special experience.
What You Should Know Before Booking
Ships can vary in size from 150 people to 5,000. They can be super sophisticated or casually inviting. The larger ships give the sense of a floating hotel; the small ships feel more like cruising on your private yacht. The sense of formality is not necessarily tied to the size of the ship; you have to check into each ship’s personality. Some cruises still have several formal nights, which necessitates extra packing, while others are all business casual. But with few exceptions, even those with formal nights are becoming less strict. While you might not want to appear in the main dining room in jeans on a formal night, you would not be escorted out of one of the buffet restaurants.
If you are thinking of the larger ships, it’s good to study the itinerary to determine how many ports dock and how many require tendering. If you have to tender a large number of people, you can end up spending a good deal of time waiting in line to get on and off the ship. Embarking from a docked ship is usually much more efficient. The next thing to consider is the clientele attracted to the ship. You might find it most interesting to be on a ship with varying age groups or with people closer to your age.
The Type of Ship Experience
Viking Cruises
Viking has consistently scored highly with guests and the cruise press, They are classified as a luxury cruise brand and are noted for their food and hospitality. Their ships are small and intimate with only 930 guests on their ocean ships, 348 on the expedition ships and only 190 guests or less on their river "Longships." Throughout the line, a free shore excursion is included in every port and port talks emphasize the history and culture of each port. There are no casinos, roving photographers or art sales, and children under 18 are not allowed. All ocean ship cabins have at least a verandah, and there is no charge for either of the two specialty restaurants. Viking is a truly great experience!
Windstar Cruises
Windstar’s motto is “180 degrees from ordinary” – and it is! Windstar’s small ships, with 150–300 passengers, provide an intimate cruise experience. With teak decks, tall white sails, and a casual yet elegant atmosphere, it’s like cruising on your private yacht. Windstar is known for docking in smaller, more exclusive ports that larger ships can’t access. And now that Windstar has added small luxury yachts to their collection, they are an experience not to be missed.
Dining is open seating, and meals are resort casual, reducing the need for formal attire. If you enjoy being on deck, the smaller cabins with portholes won’t be an issue, but a variety of cabin options are also available. After dinner, enjoy a moonlight stroll on deck, or a drink under the stars.
Loyalty and Discounts
Most cruise companies, including Viking and Windstar, offer attractive discounts for repeat visitors. Carnival, one of the largest lines, extends those discounts to its sister ships, including Holland America, Seabourn, Cunard and more. These discounts can be significant, so be sure to explore all the options.
Viking Certified Experts
Perhaps our favourite cruise line, Viking, continues to grow from strength to strength. In 2024, Viking was named the #1 River Line, #1 Ocean Line, and #1 Expedition Line in Condé Nast Traveler’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards. Viking has a history of achieving high rankings, receiving accolades from Travel + Leisure readers as well, with awards dating back to 2004.
But to truly appreciate the difference, you must experience a Viking cruise firsthand. Almost everything is included, and the staff are outstanding. On a recent river cruise, the chef personally catered to our dietary needs, and the crew went above and beyond to ensure our comfort. We are proud to be Viking Certified Experts, having completed an extensive program covering all of their services.
We recently completed a Viking river cruise where the chef personally met with us to accommodate special dietary needs—just one example of their incredible service!
Four Queens Bonus Event with Cunard
Cruise with the Savvy Travelers in 2024!
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