We’re all about cruising without the crowds. QuirkyCruise is THE source for reviews, news & round-ups about unusual & small-ship cruises under 300 passengers, from river boats to canal barges, sailing ships, coastal cruisers & expedition vessels. We also share special offers & info on private charters.
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We do a deep dive on all aspects of small-ship cruising under 300 pax, with reviews, news, tips & destination overviews to inspire & inform.
Variety Cruises Galileo Reviewer Jay Katz from USA. Cruise Line Variety Cruises. Ship The 49-passenger Galileo. Destination Greece. # of Nights 8. Departure Port Athens, Greece. Date of Cruise Oct 18, 2024. Ratings (5=excellent, 4=very good, 3=good, 2=poor,...
Viking Eastern Seaboard Explorer Cruise By Peter Knego It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Viking and have been since first laying eyes on a rendering of the soon-to-be Viking Star at a cruise industry preview event in 2013. I was thrilled to see a new ocean-going...
Murray River Cruise By Ted Scull For Australia, the mention of river cruises would probably result in blank stares from most people, leaving them in the dark. Such cruises are plentiful in Europe, North America, Asia, and to a lesser extent in South America (Amazon,...
Victory Cruise Lines Return By Peter Barnes As an occasional Quirky Cruise contributor, I was invited to a memorable dinner held at the Chef’s Dinner Table in Lower Manhattan last week to celebrate the launch of Victory Cruise Lines. John Waggoner, CEO of Victory and...
Majestic's Glen Etive By Robin McKelvie When The Majestic Line launched their first purpose-built vessel, the MV Glen Etive, in 2016 she set a new standard for the growing flotilla of Scottish small ships that sleep a maximum of a dozen passengers. I was privileged to...
New Owners for The Majestic Line By Robin McKelvie It’s hard to overemphasize the role that The Majestic Line have played in the massive success and growth of small ship cruising in Scotland. Over the last two decades they have proved all the doubters — who couldn’t...
Inside Windstar Cruises' New Star Seeker By Anne Kalosh Bookings are open for Windstar Cruises' new ship, the 224-passenger Star Seeker that will debut in late 2025. It's going to first sail in the Caribbean, then will operate Windstar's popular Alaska and Japan...
Europe River Cruise Packing Tips By Heidi Sarna I've taken more than 125 cruises all over the world. Many on river boats and canal barges in Europe. I got to tell you, in large part, I know what to pack based on how many times I didn't bring the right stuff — good ole...
Small Sailing Ship Cruises in the Caribbean By Judi Cuervo & Heidi Sarna It was probably about 40 years ago when I saw my very first sailing ship. I was leaning lazily against the rail of the cruise ship I was sailing in the Caribbean, probably a Carnival or Home...
Sea Cloud Cruise Review By Peter Knego Every now and then, a dream comes true twice. For me, that was another chance to sail in the legendary Sea Cloud after a blissful eight-night cruise along the Spanish Riviera in 2019. This time around, we joined the sail assisted...
Colombia’s Magdalena River By Ted Scull Updated Sept 2024 — The inaugural sailing of AmaWaterways’ AmaMagdalena on Colombia’s Magdalena River has been delayed again and moved to March 15, 2025. AMA Waterways takes a bold new leap into river cruising along one that...
AmaWaterways Soulful Experience Cruise By Paul C. Thornton I recently checked a river cruise off my bucket list — a seven-night AmaWaterways sailing on the Rhône River in France on the AmaKristina culminating with a three-day excursion to Paris. In August, my wife...
Heidi & Ted, along with their team of expert travel writers, have reviewed and traveled their way around the world, seeking out the very best in small-ship cruising. We have organized our reviews in six small buckets — river & canal, sailing, micro, coastal, oceangoing and expedition small-ship cruises.
If you can imagine it, we’ve cruised it! With reviews, articles and destination overviews, we’ve got you covered.
