News & Cruise Reviews

Here we share the latest small-ship cruise news and first-person cruise reviews and round-ups from our team of globetrotting writers. If you've got a penchant for small-scale travel aboard boats, yachts, tall ships and mini cruisers, then enjoy the ride through our sea of stories about small-ship cruising.

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About Us


Heidi and Ted HEIDI SARNA

I'm up to 78 countries and 110+ cruises worldwide, and it's the small ship journeys that I love writing about most. And so QuirkyCruise.com was born, an excellent research tool for planning your own unforgettable small ship trip.

THEODORE W. SCULL

I have traveled between all continents by sea and cruised along three dozen rivers. Ships and travel are in my blood, and so is writing. My journeys have translated into many books and many hundreds of articles.

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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.

Best Small-Ship Cruises for Bicycling

Best Small-Ship Cruises for Bicycling

Best Small-Ship Cruises for Bicycling By John Roberts. Cycling offers a unique sense of freedom when exploring a destination. Sitting high in a bike seat and pedaling through European countryside and historic villages and cities lets you see these places in a...

How to Reduce Plastic Waste While Traveling

How to Reduce Plastic Waste While Traveling

Reduce Plastic Waste While Traveling By Anne Kalosh. The seas are awash in plastic. Chances are, if you're an expedition-cruise "type," you're more environmentally aware and eager to do your part to combat this scourge. The Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise...

ONE Ocean Expeditions

ONE Ocean Expeditions

One Ocean Expeditions UPDATE (Jan 2021) One Ocean Expeditions operations are suspended; we'll provide further updates when known. In late May 2019, the expedition line announced that the Russians had abruptly cancelled the charters for the AKADEMIK pair, and that One...

AmaWaterways Kristin Karst Talks Mekong River Cruising

AmaWaterways Kristin Karst Talks Mekong River Cruising

A Chat with AmaWaterways Kristin Karst By Anne Kalosh. Aboard AmaDara recently for a week cruising on the Mekong River, QuirkyCruise.com’s Anne Kalosh spoke with Kristin Karst, executive vice president and co-owner of AmaWaterways. Anne also interviewed tour leader...

A Chat with an AmaWaterways Mekong River Boat Captain

A Chat with an AmaWaterways Mekong River Boat Captain

AmaDara's Mekong River Captain Boat Dang Tuc By Anne Kalosh. Inspired by the Australian miniseries "All Rivers Run" about a life of adventure on a paddle-steamer, a young Vietnamese set his heart on a ship career. And today, Dang Tuc, 52, commands AmaDara, one of the...

Mekong River Cruise Adventure with AmaWaterways

Mekong River Cruise Adventure with AmaWaterways

Mekong River Cruise Adventure By Anne Kalosh. I woke to a rooster crowing at 4:30 a.m. AmaDara was nudged against a bank of the Mekong River, tied to trees. Beneath my balcony, a man was up to his neck in the brown water, bathing his ox. As daylight broke, houses in...

New Viking Einar Impresses A First Timer

New Viking Einar Impresses A First Timer

New Viking Einar Impresses A First Timer By Judi Cohen. This was my first ever Europe river cruise, and I was awed the moment I stepped into the spacious and bright two-story atrium of Viking Cruises' 190-passenger Viking Einar. The natural light from the...

CroisiEurope Danube River Cruise Giveaway Winner Announced!

CroisiEurope Danube River Cruise Giveaway Winner Announced!

CroisiEurope Danube River Cruise Giveaway Winner By Heidi & Ted. We sure do love ❤️ our job when we get to contact the lucky winner of our free cruise giveaway and share the good news! Last week we had the pleasure of picking the winner, at random,...

It’s a Ship! No, it’s a Boat! — The Ship Vs. Boat Debate

It’s a Ship! No, it’s a Boat! — The Ship Vs. Boat Debate

The Ship Vs. Boat Debate By Ted Scull. Does it matter? Some people can get pretty worked up about the designation. I think it is all fun, because language is fun, and the proper use of language is important for communicating. So, I enter the fray. Let’s play with the...

AmaWaterways’ New Wellness Program is a Good Fit for John Roberts

AmaWaterways’ New Wellness Program is a Good Fit for John Roberts

AmaWaterways' New Wellness Program By John Roberts. I’m always battling jet lag when I travel to Europe from the United States. At least for a couple days. It was more of the same when my wife Colleen and I recently embarked on a 10-day "Dutch Waterways" river cruise...

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