The Chesapeake Bay By Theodore W. Scull In the eastern United States, the Chesapeake Bay, fringed by the states of Maryland and Virginia, forms the country’s largest estuary measuring 200 north-south miles. Its present brackish expanse, only about 3000 years old,...
Hurtigruten Sells 1964-built Lofoten By Ted Scull Aficionados, do not despair! With almost any ship, aged 56, one would expect the next destination would be the last — a scrapyard where ships die. Nothing doing for this workhorse, having held down a proud place in a...
Oceanwide Expeditions Review Oceanwide Expeditions, based in the Netherlands, offers some of the most active and creative onshore adventures in the industry, almost exclusively in the Arctic and Antarctica regions. The ships are comfortable and efficient conveyances,...
Small Ship Captain George Coughlin Interview by Ted Scull Updated Sept 2025 George Coughlin has been sailing in navigating roles from mate to pilot to captain for many small ship firms such as Coastwise Cruise Line, Exploration Cruise Lines, Clipper Cruise Line,...
Blount Small Ship Adventures Bows Out By Theodore W. Scull. Once “The World is Our Oyster” literally as well as figuratively contributed to the start of Blount Small Ships Adventures. So, it is with great sadness that this pioneering U.S.-flag cruise line has called...
Yangtze Cruising, A Quarter Century Ago by Theodore W. Scull. Looking out from the 27th floor of the Jinjiang Tower hotel, Shanghai's burgeoning new skyline looms over the shabby, low-rise river city I last visited in 1979. Shanghai represents new China on the move....
Polar Expedition Cruise Expert Steve Wellmeier Quirky's Ted Scull has an e-chat with with polar expedition cruise expert Steve Wellmeier, managing director for Poseidon Expeditions USA. QuirkyCruise.com: Where were you born and how big was your family? Steve W: I was...
By Ted Scull. Updated April 2025 Think Scotland geographically and its Highlands and Islands, Lowlands and Lochs, and people with heavy accents, some darn hard to understand at first, or even after a few days, straining and training your ears. They are friendly folks,...
Swiss Steamboat Cruise By Ted Scull. Danube and Rhine river cruises often start or finish up at a city just a few hours by train from the Swiss lakes. Or maybe you're in Europe on a land-based trip. No matter why, consider a Swiss steamboat cruise. The oldest...
Arctic vs Antarctic By Ted Scull Updated January 2026 If you are in a quandary over booking an expedition cruise to the Arctic or Antarctic, here are some thoughts about both polar destinations based on a half dozen trips to the two regions. Cruises generally take...
If you can imagine it, we’ve cruised it! With reviews, articles and destination overviews, we’ve got you covered.
Can ChatGPT Make a Good Packing List? By Paige Okun & ChatGPT I panicked for the fourth time in a week about packing for an upcoming trip. I travel all the time, and while I’m not a great packer, I’m competent. However, this trip had me in a tizzy. I was setting...
Crew Members Removed From Victory's Two Ships By Peter Knego QuirkyCruise Contributor and Ship Expert Peter Knego shares his commentary below, based on his extensive cruise experience and contacts within the cruise industry. Updated August 16, 2025 Following my...
By Robin McKelvie I’ve long been a fan of Hebrides Cruises, whose sturdy wee Elizabeth G has spirited me out to the ultra-remote St Kilda archipelago and on other superb adventures around the Inner Hebrides and along the remarkable Caledonian...
Cruising with Viking in India By Anne Kalosh Starting in 2027, Viking is branching out to a new river cruise destination, India, with its own new vessel, the 80-passenger Viking Brahmaputra. It will ply the Brahmaputra River between Guwahati and Nimati Ghat in the...
sponsored By Heidi Sarna, with Judi Cuervo Updated March 2026 You’ve done the Danube and rolled on the Rhine. Now it’s time to experience a hidden world of Europe river cruises. It’s not surprising that the best way to discover unique Europe River cruise routes is...
New Ship on the Nile River By Anne Kalosh Waldorf Astoria's luxurious style is joining the growing selection of Nile River cruises with a new vessel to debut in 2026. The five-deck, 29-suite riverboat will operate four- and six-night itineraries, down river from Luxor...
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...
By John and Sandra Nowlan It’s a river cruise for U.S. history buffs but, as we soon discovered, it offers a lot more. Our riverboat, American Harmony, is one of 20 modern vessels in the growing fleet of American Cruise Lines, the largest cruise line operating...
Historic London Pubs Tour by Paige Okun If you have half day before or after your Thames River cruise and want a unique view of London culture, try Liquid History’s tour of historic London pubs. Pubs are an integral part of British life, with nearly 40,000 pubs in the...
By Stephanie Sack Stretching from the Canal du Midi in the south to the Canal du Nivernais in the north, the complex canal systems crisscrossing France are not just inland waterways — they are living artifacts of European history, once crucial for trade and industry...
By Paige Okun It was the first morning of our Greek island cruise. The sun rose over the Aegean Sea, and I was feeling relaxed and ready for a day of island hopping — until I reached for my phone and found it at 5% battery. I rifled through my backpack in panic. Then...
