Cruising has become an incredibly popular way to see the world and has grown experientially over the last few years as the sector has moved well and truly into the mainstream. There are many corners of the world you can’t access any other way than by sea, or by river – and our clients love the flexibility it offers on a holiday. We know our clients love cruises, and we have sold cruising for thirty years, but with this policy, we wanted to align our beliefs with those of the modern cruise industry.

However, the cruise industry doesn’t come without its challenges, just as we find when travelling by air – and as we do our best to help guide on land, we’re going to do the same on the water too. There are inherent environmental concerns, with large cruise ships emitting more carbon than a standard flight, and the ever-growing size has social impacts on the destinations they cruise to creating overtourism concerns.

River cruises are on very small ships to navigate the waterways, usually with not more than 200 people onboard, often less. Although they do often dock in the centre of town, you’re not in large numbers and able to get out and about, and contribute to the local community.

Boutique ships of less than 1000 passengers we believe are the best way to cruise. They are able to sail into smaller ports, and have less of an impact on the destination you’re travelling to. Many also have a tailored menu onboard to match where you’re travelling.

When you’re travelling to the Arctic or Antarctic, or maybe destinations like the Norwegian Fjords or Alaska, a cruise or expedition cruise is really either the only or best way to experience it. They are also innovating in creating the most environmentally friendly ships, both for today and in the future.

Of the larger cruise lines, we recommend keeping to the smaller and midsize ships, especially when travelling to some of the more popular ports.