ENTERTAINMENT
River cruises tend to take in lots of the culture of the destinations that you’re visiting including craft demonstrations, dancing and information from local guides and experts.
Ocean cruises, on the other hand, offer more elaborate entertainment from musicals to plays and movies.
PRICE & INCLUSIONS
It’s important to pick a cruise that has no hidden costs. Whether it’s beer and wine with lunch and dinner, room service, Wi-Fi, a spa and gym. Keep an eye out for some operators who offer a complimentary shore excursion in every port, such as Viking Cruises.
Every stateroom on Viking Cruises has its own private balcony, a kingsize bed and a 42-inch flat screen TV with movies on demand. There's a mini-bar stocked with snacks and twice-daily housekeeping.
DINING
Most river cruises have a couple of restaurants and places to eat while on-board. Meals are usually served at set times and tend to be very casual affairs, allowing you to meet new people.
Meanwhile, ocean cruises usually offer more choice when it comes to dining with more options on cuisine and places to eat.
DESTINATIONS
Ocean cruise options are endless - Asia, the Caribbean, the Pacific, North and South America, Scandinavia.
A journey Into the Midnight Sun takes explorers through the historic Orkney and Shetland Islands, up through Norway's breathtaking fjords to almost the end of the earth - Honningsvåg, one of the northernmost inhabited spaces on Earth.
The west coast of Africa is opening up, thanks to Viking's new Along Africa's Western Shores voyage.
You can also journey the breadth of the earth from Miami to London, taking in the east and west coast of South America, New Zealand and southern Africa.
Or go in another direction – travel up and see south-east Asia from a different perspective, then across to Alaska and Vancouver.
Then there is the Ultimate World Cruise, which is another voyage from Viking Cruises. Imagine 245 straight days on holiday, visiting a whopping 59 different nations in one epic trip of a lifetime.
