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...
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.
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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.
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 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 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...
Ben Jackson of the Expedition Guide Academy Talks Expedition Cruising
Expedition Cruising By Heidi Sarna & Ted Scull. The QuirkyCruise duo had an e-interview with Ben Jackson, co-founder of the Expedition Guide Academy (EGA), discussing the burgeoning expedition cruising scene and the inherent challenges of sourcing and training...
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 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, 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 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 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 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'...
Small Ship News: Viking Debuting 7 New River Vessels + New Itineraries This Year
Viking Debuting 7 New River Vessels. By Anne Kalosh. Powerhouse Viking River Cruises is introducing seven new Longships on Europe's waterways this year, plus two new itineraries and a bevy of land extensions. Seven new vessels is a whopping number—but not for Viking....
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.