Not to be confused with big ship cruises aboard massive liners such as the 160,000-ton Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas or Cunard Line’s grand Queen Mary 2, a cruise boat is considered to be something much, (much) smaller, and much more intimate that a large cruise ship. Cruise boats come in all shapes and sizes, and believe it or not, aside from the usual suspects such as rowboats, canoes, yachts, and kayaks, there are literally dozens of different types of cruise boats on the market today.
The different types of cruise boats include the: banana boat, bangca, bateau, barge, cabin cruiser, canoe, catamaran, cape islander, catboat, coracle, cruiser, cutter, Dhow (popular in Dubai), dinghy, fory, Durham boat, Dutch barge, felucca, ferry, folding boat, go-fast boat, gondola, gullet (popular in Turkey, Croatia, and Greece), houseboat, inflatable boat, jetboat, jetski, jonsboat, Junk (popular in China), kayak, ketch, lifeboat, log boat, luxemotor, motorboat, narrowboat, Norfolk wherry, outrigger canoe, padded V-hull, paddle boat, pinnace, pirogue, powerboat, punt, raft, rigid-hulled inflatable boat, rowboat, sailboat, sampan, schooner, scow, sharpie, sloop, skiff, steamboat, swift boat, submarine, tjalk, trimaran, tugboat, U-boat, water taxi, whaleboat, yacht, and finally, yawl.
Cruise boats have just as many uses as types, but they are most popular for personal use for leisure activities or recreation, but they are also popular for short tours, such as architectural cruise tours, historic cruise tours, nature tours, dinner cruises, booze cruises, and many different types of theme cruises for smaller groups.
Cruise boats are also popular for longer adventure cruises – meaning those types of cruises that sail the pristine waters of Alaska (think Alaska glacier tours or Alaska Adventure Tours), or longer cruise tours of exotic locations that can only be reached by sailing in a small cruise boat. These types of cruise boat tours are typically part of a larger itinerary and may include river tours. A river cruise is a form of travel that typically takes place aboard a small cruise boat that navigates the inland waterways, lakes, and rivers of the world. Unlike large cruise ships, river cruise boats allow the passenger to get up close and personal with the countryside, nature, and animal, river, and plant life.
Although the cruise boats that sail the rivers of the world are quite intimate and the cruise boats are small, many have the same amenities as a big cruise boat and they can be just as elegant as some of the larger, high-end vessels. Some river cruise boats may resemble five-star hotels with luxurious accommodations as well as passenger sun decks, dining rooms, lounges, fitness facilities, swimming pools, casinos, and other entertainment facilities. In addition, many river cruise boats offer both onboard and off board tours of everything from museums and galleries to dozens of other historical and exotic points of interest.
Some of the most river cruise boat cruises include: Nile (Exotic River), Mississippi (North American River), Yangtze (Exotic River), Mekong (Exotic River), the Danube (European River), Rhine (European River), Seine (European River) and Volga (Russia River).
Mississippi River Cruises may include the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers and they are an excellent way to explore the Old South and Wilderness Rivers while listening to jazz and dining on Cajun cuisine. Depending on the cruise itinerary you choose, Mississippi riverboats may also cruise by the Gateway Arch in St. Louis or they may travel rivers to the east of the Mississippi, and visit great cities such as, Chattanooga, Cincinnati and Nashville.
A great way to experience the wealth of Egyptian history, culture and architecture is on a Nile River Cruise. Nile river cruises are typically part of a longer Egypt tour itinerary. Most will visit Luxor on the site of ancient Thebes. Here, passengers will see the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, ancient Egypt’s longest ruling female pharaoh, and the Temple of Karnak, the largest temple complex built by man.
Excursions are also offered from Luxor to the final resting place of more than 60 pharaohs—Valley of the Kings. A Nile River cruise, may also take the passenger on a visit to the 2,000-year-old Temple of Horus. Passengers may also hop aboard a felucca, a traditional Egyptian sailing vessel to see the sites. Many Nile River cruises also visit the High Dam at Aswan, one of Egypt’s modern marvels.
Most Nile River cruises will visit the legendary pyramids and Sphinx in Giza, the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities in Cairo and Djoser’s Step Pyramid in Sakkara as well.
Volga River Cruises are typically part of a larger itinerary and they offer passengers the opportunity to visit Russia’s two most important cities: Moscow and St. Petersburg. The cruise combines the Volga River, the Moscow canal and many other waterways as well as visits to medieval peasant homes, Uglich, one of Russia’s oldest towns and the site of the famous WWII battle — Volograd.
If you want to add an exotic cruise boat river cruise to your big ship cruise itinerary, contact your travel agent. If you prefer to book on your own, visit RiverCruise.com for details about more than a dozen river cruises, and information on how to book. You can also call 1-800-510-4002 to speak with a river cruise specialist.