River & Ocean Cruising

Due to potentially rough conditions at sea, ocean liners were built to sit lower in the water, with a pointed bow designed to cut through high waves. The Queen Mary 2 is the sole true Ocean Liner operating in the world today.

Purpose built cruise ships take on different forms and features to ocean liners.  Cruise ships are more box-like in shape and contain less heavy steel, allowing room for more passengers and savings on fuel consumption. Because cruise ships sit higher in the water they also have access to more ports. Cruise ships designed for leisurely travel don’t require such high speeds as ocean liners. Cruise companies now relocate their vessels in ports all around the world. Modern ships built to travel at speeds almost equitable with the Queen Mary 2. Cruise ships are becoming more hydrodynamic and stronger.

River Cruise Ships are much smaller than ocean liners and cruise ships. They are designed to travel the riverways and not out on the open seas. They are built to traverse the many locks throughout the river passages. They are much lighter than ocean going vessels and can more easily maneuver with the varying water levels that occur on the rivers. They are also long and lean in appearance. Two levels above water is maximum for these ships and there are specific limits on height and width of River Cruise ships.