Cruising can be a great way to travel. Visit various locations and learn about the world while your luggage stays in one place. But how do you pick the right cruise?
Larger ships, such as big ocean cruises, can take you to multiple countries in a single trip. With anywhere from 1,500 to over 7,000 guests, many of them offer intricate shows, casinos, a pickleball court and other activities to keep you occupied onboard.
If you prefer a smaller, more intimate experience, there are a variety of options. Bette Esposito, 79, a retired principal who lives in Mount Arlington, New Jersey, didn’t want to deal with the crowds. “I just thought it would get hectic with thousands of people getting off for excursions,” she says. Instead, she took a 700-passenger Silversea cruise to Alaska.
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Niche experiences
River cruises are also smaller and more intimate, with anywhere from under 100 people to 700 guests. Because of their small size, they can transport passengers to inland ports, making it easy to hop off and explore each destination.
A few river cruise lines, such as AmaWaterways and Uniworld, offer a fleet of bicycles on board, allowing tourists to take a bike tour or explore a new city independently, explains Beth Schulberg, a cruise and travel specialist in Lake Oswego, Oregon.
Other companies, such as Seabourn, offer a Marina Day where guests can enjoy paddleboards and sometimes motorized water sports, explains Jenny Reed, owner of Cruise Planners in Cumming, Georgia.
Expedition cruises are another great option, and will be more immersive, explains Reed. Aside from excursions that allow you to explore places like Antarctica, they may have as part of the expedition team a world-renowned photographer who can provide training on how to take the best photos.
“We've seen a huge rise in culinary-focused cruises,” says Reed. For example, Azamara Cruises offers cooking demonstrations, regional street food festivals on deck, or, for an extra fee, a hands-on sushi-making class, depending on the destination.
If you are looking for a really tailored experience, try a small ship that travels to a remote location. For example, Ecoventura offers routes to the Galapagos with a maximum of 20 passengers, allowing them to access remote sites and observe wildlife in their natural habitats.
Or take a sailing vacation on a Windjammer Cruise, which offers one- to six-night cruises off the coast of Maine, where guests can enjoy lobster picnics on the beach and explore wildlife.
Costs are all over the map
Prices vary significantly depending on the size of the ship, the location and the length of the cruise. A European river cruise might start around a couple of thousand dollars per person for a seven-night trip. Or you could go to the Antarctic Peninsula and spend over $40,000 per person on an all-inclusive suite. A seven-night cruise with Ecoventura to the Galapagos in a deluxe double room can start around $10,500 per person. Or enjoy a seven-night all-inclusive cruise in Alaska for around $14,000.
Keep in mind that, depending on the cruise line, shore excursions, gratuities, drinks, specialty dining and even Wi-Fi are often charged separately. These add-ons add up and can take time to figure out, which is why many of Schulberg’s clients choose all-inclusive cruises that bundle these costs into one price.
But being all-inclusive to one company can mean something different to another, warns Schulberg. For example, Druann Bauer, 68, a retired professor in The Villages, Florida, who has taken five cruises in the last two years and has planned three more, doesn’t want to have to pay individually to have a drink or remember to tip her guide at the end of an excursion. She’s now taking a cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest with the cruise line Tauck, which will cost 20% more overall than her previous trips, because she knows that someone from the ship will be available to assist her at all times.
“I don't like being nickel-and-dimed,” says Bauer. “If you go on land, they send someone with you to cover the costs. If you're not going to one of their sponsored restaurants, they give you around 20 pounds apiece to get your own lunch. You can go on multiple excursions each day, and you don't pay for anything else.”
Child-free zones
Esposito, the retired principal who recently traveled to Alaska, appreciated that the crowd on her cruise was generally older. “Children were allowed, but there weren’t any children's programs,” she says. “So it definitely catered to an older crowd.”
Different cruise lines have different clientele. “Even though they're technically not adult-only, some of the luxury ships will have fewer, if any, kids on them because of who they're marketing to and who actually travels on them,” says Reed.
Personalized service can also make a big difference in the overall cruise experience. “One key measure of luxury is the personal space each passenger enjoys and the passenger-to-crew ratio,” says Schulberg. “A smaller passenger-to-crew ratio, for example, roughly 1.25 passengers per crew member versus 3 passengers per crew member, typically indicates a more luxurious ship.”
Esposito liked that, on her Alaska cruise, she had her own butler who would unpack her luggage if requested. He also put a carafe of unsweetened iced tea in her fridge every day.
Bauer likes it when the waiters get to know her name. “On one cruise, I had a waiter who would wait for me to come out on the pool deck with a customized drink he made for me every day. One of the things I really like is the fact that they knew me, they knew what I liked, and they catered to that,” says Bauer.
Cruising health concerns
There is always a risk of getting sick whenever you're exposed to new people or environments. The shared spaces on a ship, such as dining areas, elevators and handrails can spread illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A healthy trip includes getting enough rest and hydration, and regularly washing your hands — not just at mealtimes but throughout the day.
“Larger cruise ships often have one or more doctors on board to handle illness or emergencies," says travel adviser Beth Schulberg. "Smaller river cruises will not have a doctor onboard, but they can make a quick stop at a local port to get someone to urgent care."
So far in 2025, 13 outbreaks of norovirus (plus three unknown outbreaks) have been reported on cruise ships compared to 14 in 2024 and 13 in 2023. Norovirus, according to the CDC, is the most frequent cause (90%) of gastrointestinal disease on cruise ships; however, “norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships account for only a small percentage of all reported norovirus outbreaks.”
AmaWaterways urges travelers “to obtain adequate travel insurance to cover any medical treatment and/or medical evacuation while overseas.” “Some people who travel a lot buy an annual [travel insurance] policy with a maximum amount that can be claimed within a year,” says Georgia cruise planner Jenny Reed. She also recommends checking if your destination requires certain vaccines and receiving them within the required timeframe. Individuals who are vulnerable or immunocompromised should take extra precautions by carefully considering their safety before booking a trip.
Note: This item first appeared in Kiplinger Retirement Report, our popular monthly periodical that covers key concerns of affluent older Americans who are retired or preparing for retirement. Subscribe for retirement advice that’s right on the money.
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