The vacation of a lifetime, on the water
Enjoy the excitement of a cruise with the destination of your choice — fascinating ports, comfortable accommodation, and a ship matched to the way you actually like to travel.
The ship matters more than the itinerary
Two cruises can call at the same ports in the same week and be completely different vacations. A 4,000-passenger ship with water slides and a Broadway theatre is a wonderful holiday for one family and a miserable one for another. So the first conversation we have is never about price — it is about who is travelling, and what you want the days at sea to feel like.
After that the questions get practical, and they are the ones that quietly decide whether a trip is good: which deck, how far forward, whether the balcony is worth it on that route, how long the ship actually stays in port, whether the excursions are better booked through the line or independently, and how much flying you are willing to do to reach the embarkation point.
We book the major ocean and river lines, and we have sailed a good many of them ourselves. Below are the five kinds of cruise we are asked about most.
Which kind of cruise is yours?
Ocean cruising
The classic. Big ships, lots of choice, strong value, and the widest range of itineraries — from a seven-night Caribbean loop out of Florida to a full Mediterranean season. Best for first-timers, multi-generational groups and anyone who wants the ship to be part of the holiday.
Seasons: Caribbean year-round (best Dec–Apr); Alaska May–Sep; Mediterranean Apr–Oct; Canada & New England Sep–Oct.
River cruising
Around 150–190 passengers, one dinner seating, and a berth in the middle of town rather than an industrial port miles away. Unpack once and let Europe come past the window. Almost everything is included, and shore excursions usually are too.
Seasons: Apr–Oct for the classic sailings; late Nov–Dec for the Christmas market cruises, which sell out early.
The full river-cruise guide
Expedition cruising
Small ice-capable ships, Zodiacs, naturalists and biologists on board, and an itinerary that flexes with the weather and the wildlife. Fewer formal dinners, far more time outside. The most extraordinary form of cruising, and the most seasonal.
Seasons: Antarctica Nov–Mar; the Arctic and Svalbard Jun–Aug; Alaska May–Sep; the Galápagos year-round.
Luxury cruising
Higher space-per-guest, all-suite accommodation, and fares that genuinely include the drinks, gratuities, speciality dining and often the flights and excursions too. Smaller ships reach smaller ports. The headline number is larger; the final number is often closer than people expect.
Best for: travelers who would rather not think about a bill for two weeks.
Family cruising
Supervised kids' clubs by age band, connecting cabins, flexible dining, and enough on board that teenagers and grandparents can both have a good day without doing the same thing. The single easiest way to take three generations away together.
Seasons: February and April school vacation weeks and July–August book earliest — often a year ahead.
Not sure which?
That is the normal starting point, and it is the part we are actually good at. Tell us who is travelling, roughly when, and how far you are willing to fly — we will narrow it to two or three real options.
Book online — and keep your travel agent
Anchor Travel is an appointed agency for the major river lines, including Uniworld and Viking. That means you can browse and book a sailing with us and still have every perk of working with an agent: someone checking the cabin category, watching for the price drop, holding the air, and answering the phone if a connection is missed.
We do not publish live pricing on this site, because cruise fares move weekly and a stale number helps nobody. Tell us the sailing you have your eye on and we will come back with what it costs today.
- Cabin and deck advice for the specific ship
- Air, pre- and post-cruise hotels, and transfers arranged
- Group space for family sailings and celebrations
Photo credit: Viking River Cruises, Budapest.
Where our travelers sail most
Tell us who's travelling and roughly when
We'll come back with two or three sailings worth considering — and current pricing on each.