Choosing for Cruising: How to Select and Equip the Perfect Cruising Yacht

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While the outsides of river ships often look similar, their interiors can vary greatly, with some being more luxurious and pampering than others.

Small Ships: These are more in the 5,000-50,000-ton range, with fewer facilities, but a higher degree of service, more luxurious accommodations and the finest food. They include Hebridean Island Cruises, Oceania Cruises, Orion Expedition Cruises, Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn Cruises, SeaDream Yacht Club, Azamara Cruises, Silversea Cruises, Windstar Cruises, and Princess Cruises. Well, that really depends on what kind of holiday you enjoy. Are you a true luxury-lover or are you happy to enjoy the more informal kind of convivial, party-style resorts? Do you want non-stop action and entertainment or quiet, lazy days in which to relax and recharge your batteries? Perhaps you’re looking for a cultural experience, epic scenery or just blissful beaches and water-sports? One of the fastest-growing segments of cruising in recent years has been "expedition cruising," a type of cruising that involves traveling to remote, hard-to-reach places such as Antarctica on small, hardy vessels that carry their own landing craft to get you ashore.Boutique Cruises: These encompass smaller, individual ships which offer more distinctive cruises although not necessarily in the six-star range: Azamara Club Cruises, Oceania Cruises, Saga Cruises, Star Clippers, Ponant and Windstar Cruises. They're also generally less expensive than the luxury lines. But they don't always include as much in their base fares. You'll likely pay extra for gratuities and some drinks on ships in this cohort, for instance. All the lines I have discussed so far have one thing in common: They operate oceangoing ships. Another entire segment of cruising revolves around travel on rivers.

European Ships: The following have either a British or Continental flavour: Fred.Olsen Cruise Lines, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Hebridean Island Cruises, Hurtigruten (Norwegian Coastal Voyage), MSC Cruises, P&O Cruises, Saga Cruises and Silversea Cruises. With more than 50 mainstream cruise companies all vying for attention, plus another half dozen or so specialising in river voyages, your options can appear overwhelming at first. Choice varies from boutique-style vessels carrying just 50 guests to the vast mega-ships which are able to carry an incredibly impressive 5,000+ passengers. Like the "floating megaresort lines" above, Carnival also is known for amusements atop its ships, including water park areas, pedal-powered "sky rides," and — on its new ships Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration — the first roller coasters at sea. All of these lines are niche players in the industry. But, in many cases, they are well known in the travel world for what they do. Disney may have just five cruise ships — compared with 26 for Royal Caribbean — but if someone says the words "family cruise," Disney will likely be the first line to come to mind. First, let me say that you'll likely love it. I've been cruising for nearly 30 years on just about every line out there, and I can tell you it's a wonderful way to travel.The cruise ship Mein Schiff 3 from TUI Cruises and the MS Koningsdam (L) from the Holland America Line. CHRISTIAN CHARISIUS/PICTURE ALLIANCE/GETTY IMAGES Are you a fan of big, bustling megaresorts with every amusement known to humans? You'll probably want to gravitate toward Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and MSC Cruises. These three brands are what I call the "floating megaresort lines" — lines that offer unusually giant ships that are the seagoing equivalent of land-based megaresorts such as Atlantis in the Bahamas. Some cruise lines also specialise in specific regions, for example, if French Polynesia, Tahiti and the South Pacific were high on your list of places to go, then no other cruise line explores them quite like Paul Gauguin Cruises – they are the South Pacific experts. On an expedition cruise, the focus is often on remote wilderness areas and the wildlife that inhabits them. Expedition leaders with deep knowledge of the destination will accompany you on your journey. Scientific experts such as biologists, geologists and ornithologists and a historian may also be on board to lead landings and give informative talks. If you price the cost of a cruise for a family of four, you'll often find that a sailing on a Carnival ship costs as little as half the amount of a cruise on a Royal Caribbean ship, assuming similar cabins and itineraries. The differential is even greater when you compare the cost of a family vacation on a Carnival ship with the cost of a trip on a Disney Cruise Line ship, assuming similar cabins and itineraries.