Heidi Sarna

I've cruised on 100+ ships of all shapes and sizes all over the world, and it's the small quirky ones that I have always loved the most. My first small-ship cruises in Alaska, the Caribbean and southeast Asia got me hooked and so QuirkyCruise.com was born!
Canadian Empress 1000 Islands Cruise (REVIEW 2026) — 4 Nights In Fall On A Wonderfully Quirky Vintage Ship

Canadian Empress 1000 Islands Cruise (REVIEW 2026) — 4 Nights In Fall On A Wonderfully Quirky Vintage Ship

Canadian Empress 1000 Islands Cruise Review By Heidi Sarna One chilly afternoon, after spending some time alone up on the Sun Deck admiring the scenery of the 1000 Islands, I paused and peered through the lounge’s etched glass doors. I could see (and hear!) that just...

Costa Rica UnCruise Adventures Start Again (2026) — Kayak, Hike & Cruise in Secluded Bays

Costa Rica UnCruise Adventures Start Again (2026) — Kayak, Hike & Cruise in Secluded Bays

Costa Rica UnCruise Adventures By Heidi Sarna I had a chat with Captain Dan Blanchard, Owner & CEO of UnCruise, to ask him all about his upcoming new 7-night Costa Rica itineraries. Dan loves getting his feet wet (and ours!) in some of the most beautiful natural...

Viking Christmas Markets Cruise (2026) — A Review Of “Christmas On The Danube” In December

Viking Christmas Markets Cruise (2026) — A Review Of “Christmas On The Danube” In December

Viking Christmas Markets Cruise By Donna Heiderstadt I’m a big fan of the European capitals located along the Danube River — notably Budapest, Hungary; Vienna, Austria; and Bratislava, Slovakia — and I’ve visited them several times, always in spring or fall when...

Cruising India’s Hooghly River Aboard Raj Mahal (2026) — An Expert Review of a Fascinating Quirky Cruise

Cruising India’s Hooghly River Aboard Raj Mahal (2026) — An Expert Review of a Fascinating Quirky Cruise

Hooghly River Cruise Review By Heidi Sarna Updated March 2026 India is one of the world’s most absorbing travel destinations, yet it can also be challenging and overwhelming to navigate independently. A luxury India river cruise smooths out some of the rough edges...

Magna Carta Thames River Cruise Review (2025) — 6 Nights Of History & Charm

Magna Carta Thames River Cruise Review (2025) — 6 Nights Of History & Charm

Magna Carta Thames River Cruise Review By Heidi Sarna Walking off the 8-passenger hotel barge Magna Carta, from its Thames River mooring at the edge of lush woodlands that envelop the Cliveden House estate in the Berkshire hills, we set off on a short uphill trek...

Barge Cruise Packing Tips: An Expert Shares Her List of 13 Things To Bring

Barge Cruise Packing Tips: An Expert Shares Her List of 13 Things To Bring

By Heidi Sarna. I've taken more than 125 cruises during my traveling life so far, many small-ship cruises carrying fewer than 100 passengers. Hands down, these are my favorites. Thus, why QuirkyCruise was hatched. Among the many kinds of small ships out there, barge...

4 Small Sailing Ship Cruises in the Caribbean to Consider — Our Experts Weigh in on Sea Cloud, Star Clippers, Windstar & Island Windjammers

4 Small Sailing Ship Cruises in the Caribbean to Consider — Our Experts Weigh in on Sea Cloud, Star Clippers, Windstar & Island Windjammers

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...

Our Small Ship Cruise Reviews & Articles

If you can imagine it, we’ve cruised it! With reviews, articles and destination overviews, we’ve got you covered.

American Cruise Lines Alaska Review (2026) — Why Choose American?

American Cruise Lines Alaska Review (2026) — Why Choose American?

America Cruise Lines Alaska Review By Tracey Teo A black bear at Alaska’s Tongass National Forest perched statue-like on a boulder overlooking Anan Creek, and I watched curiously through my binoculars to see what he would do next. I didn’t have to wait long. Suddenly,...

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