Types of Cruise Ships

Whether it’s your first time planning a holiday at sea or you fancy something a little different this time around, there are many different types of cruise ships for for you to consider.

Here at Cruise1st, we often get asked about the different type of cruise ships that are available. So, today we’re publishing this handy guide, which will help you decide which ships suits your plans and best meets your needs.

Boutique Cruise Ships:

Boutique cruise ships are small ships with a focus on warm,  luxurious and intimate holiday experiences. Compared to some of the larger vessels, there are a small number of guests onboard, so you can get to know fellow holidayers very well – great if you’re sociable and want to meet new people. On the smaller ships, crew members will often get to know you by name, so it feels like a more personal experience.

The boutique cruise ships tend to hold around 50-150 passengers. Some of the cruising giants own a couple of smaller ships too though (relative to the rest of their fleet) P&O’s Adonia, for example, only hosts 710 passengers.

Six Star Cruise Ships:

Six star cruise ships are ‘ultra’ luxury liners that surpass normal expectations. A number of companies offer this “six star cruising” promise, including Azamara Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Silversea Cruises, Seabourn Cruises and more.

With six star cruising you can expect extremely luxurious facilities, highly professional service, gourmet dining and exclusive private excursions.

Luxury Cruise Ships:

Considered a step down from six star cruises, luxury liners still offer outstanding cuisine, fantastic service and brilliant interiors.

Most of the traditional mega-liners offer luxury cruising by default, ensuring your holiday is worth every penny. Celebrity Cruises, for example, promise “Modern Luxury” on each of their ships: (they’ve even trademarked the phrase!)

“What is Modern Luxury? … Modern Luxury is airy spaces with all the right, tasteful details, restaurants where the design is just as important as the cuisine, intuitive service with a keen eye for detail, and doing as much or as little as you choose. Because we believe every moment of your vacation should be measured by just how far it takes you from the ordinary. That’s modern luxury.”

Family-oriented Cruise Ships:

It’s no secret that some of the cruise companies have ships and itineraries geared up specifically for families and children. If you’re taking the little ones away for a holiday, you need a line with activities, food, excursions and facilities geared up especially for them.

Disney, Carnival, Royal Caribbean and P&O, amongst others, have ships geared up for family cruising.

River Cruise Ships:

River cruises are different to the traditional cruises, because they voyage inland through one or more countries, stopping and town and city ports along the way. You’ll find some river cruises are like 5-star hotels with fantastic accommodation and facilities. A great way to explore a country, river cruises normally offer a range of port visits with historical tours and cultural experiences once you hit land.

Popular river cruises include trips down the Nile, through the Amazon and along the Mississippi.

Click here to see our latest river cruise deals. Alternatively, you can give our sales team a call on 0808 2746 777.