Expert Small Cruise Ship Reviews

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.

CRUISE NEWS

The latest small-ship cruise news by our chief news correspondent Anne Kalosh.

CRUISE REVIEWS

We review our favorite small-ship cruise experiences to inspire & inform. Here, we also share special offers from our cruise partners.

CHARTER OPPORTUNITIES

Here we share ideas for private charters of small boats, barges & yachts that are ideal for intimate friend & family groups.

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Our Small Ship Cruise Reviews & Articles

We do a deep dive on all aspects of small-ship cruising under 300 pax, with reviews, news, tips & destination overviews to inspire & inform.

Polar Tourism Guides Association (PTGA) Update

Polar Tourism Guides Association (PTGA) Update

Polar Tourism Guides Association (PTGA) Update Quirky's Heidi Sarna had an e-chat with Graham Charles, president of the Polar Tourism Guides Association (PTGA), a US-based non-profit industry association servicing the standards and competency needs of polar tourism...

The Best European River Cruises for Single Travelers

The Best European River Cruises for Single Travelers

European River Cruises for Single Travelers By Ted Scull. To begin with the hard reality, there’s far greater demand for single accommodations aboard cruise ships than there is an adequate supply to meet it. Then comes the task of landing a fair fare that equals or...

SeaDream Orders First New Build — SeaDream Innovation

SeaDream Orders First New Build — SeaDream Innovation

SeaDream Orders SeaDream Innovation By Anne Kalosh. SeaDream Yacht Club, a two-ship brand since its founding in 2001, has ordered its first new build. SeaDream Innovation will be a luxurious 220-passenger, all-suite mega-yacht that roams the world. Generous outdoor...

Viking Cruises Names 7 New Riverboats in Basel, Switzerland

Viking Cruises Names 7 New Riverboats in Basel, Switzerland

Viking Cruises Names 7 New Riverboats By Judi Cohen. I am in the beautiful city of Basel, Switzerland, the headquarters of Viking Cruises, for the naming celebration for seven new river boats on March 19. The sweet sounds from a trio of alpenhorn players surrounded by...

Mediterranean Cruise Pre & Post Stays in Cannes & Rome

Mediterranean Cruise Pre & Post Stays in Cannes & Rome

Mediterranean Cruise Pre & Post Stays in Cannes & Rome By Christina Colon. Few other destinations can conjure a sense of vacation opulence and romantic anticipation quite like the French Riviera. Upon learning that the port of embarkation for our Star Clippers...

Cruise Expert Gene Sloan Talks Travel

Cruise Expert Gene Sloan Talks Travel

Cruise Expert Gene Sloan Talks Travel Heidi & Ted reached out to e-chat with writer Gene Sloan, who was the cruise editor at USA TODAY for more than a decade until he recently left the newspaper. QuirkyCruise: Briefly tell us about your career at USA Today. Gene...

ST HILDA Sea Adventures

ST HILDA Sea Adventures

St. Hilda Sea Adventures St. Hilda Sea Adventures, a Scottish firm established in 2007 and based in Oban, operates three vessels — a small, former sail training tall ship; a former working vessel for the Royal Navy; and the third and newest acquisition is a former...

Liveaboard Dive Boats — The ABCs

Liveaboard Dive Boats — The ABCs

Liveaboard Dive Boats Quirky's Heidi Sarna had an e-chat with Sandro Lonardi, head of marketing at PADI Travel, to discuss what liveaboard dive boats are all about. What is a liveaboard dive boat and how is it different than other yachts and boats? Liveaboard boats...

Affordable European River Cruises

Affordable European River Cruises

Affordable European River Cruises By Ted Scull. Our regular visitors to QuirkyCruise know full well that small-ship cruising does not come cheaply. In many cases, it can be downright expensive and beyond one’s means. Today’s massive cruise ships have economies of...

Royal Clipper Cruise to Corsica, Elba & Sardinia with a Newbie

Royal Clipper Cruise to Corsica, Elba & Sardinia with a Newbie

Royal Clipper Cruise to Corsica, Elba & Sardinia By Christina P. Colon. To cruise or not to cruise? Long ago I took the plunge and have enjoyed endless ports of call and midnight buffets ever since. But when I suggested we try a small-ship cruise on Star Clippers'...

 

 

Every Type of Small Ship Cruise

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.

River & Canal Cruises
Micro Cruises
Coastal Cruises
Sailing Cruises
Expedition Cruises
Oceangoing Cruises

Destination … Anywhere

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

North America

Southeast Asia

Caribbean Islands

Antarctica

Europe

Arctic Regions

Europe: The Mediterranean

Australia

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