Travel Advice
Every Nile cruise ship and dahabiya serving American travelers, organized by brand, capacity, and type. Which hull is under your brochure, which direction to sail, and which boats SST actually recommends.
Most luxury small ships are adult by design, with no kids' clubs and a couples-heavy crowd. We rank which lines we book skew most adult, what child-free really means, and who it suits.
A how-to for celiac and gluten-free cruisers: how to notify the line, what to expect onboard, and which small-ship lines (Seabourn, Silversea, Scenic, Emerald) handle dietary needs best.
Many luxury small-ship and river lines include gratuities in the fare, so there is nothing to tip onboard. Our guide shows which lines we book include tips, which still charge a daily amount, and how much.
Honest per-person price ranges for small-ship, luxury, and expedition cruises: river, ocean-luxury, expedition, and polar bands, what is included, and how loyalty credit lowers your net cost.
Cruise Planning How-Tos
A practical guide to Greek Islands small-ship cruises: Cyclades vs Dodecanese vs Ionian, when to sail, ship styles, and the lines we book including Seabourn, Emerald, SeaDream, Ponant, and Ritz-Carlton.
A practical guide to small-ship cruises along Croatia's Dalmatian coast: which ports matter (Split, Dubrovnik, Hvar, Korcula, Vis), when to sail, the ship styles, and the luxury lines we book.
A small-ship guide to Iceland cruises: full circumnavigation vs partial routes, the Westfjords, season and midnight sun, what expedition ships reach, and the lines we book.
A guide to Great Lakes cruises: the Toronto-to-Chicago route, Mackinac Island, Georgian Bay and Niagara, the May-to-October season, and the ships we book.
A practical guide to Mississippi River cruises: Lower vs Upper routes, New Orleans and Memphis, when to sail, what to expect, and the Viking Mississippi voyages we book.
A hub guide to American river and Great Lakes cruises: the Mississippi (Viking), the Great Lakes (Viking Expeditions, Ponant, Tauck, Pearl Seas), and the Columbia & Snake (Lindblad). Routes, seasons, ships, and the premium small-ship voyages we actually sell.
consultation
Reach out to our travel concierges today to create your perfect journey.
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*$250 credit applies to a non-cruise portion of your booking and is only available to new clients who have not previously booked with Small Ship Travel.