What Makes River Cruising Different from Ocean Cruising On an ocean cruise, ports are often a quick stop — a few hours, a shuttle bus, back to the ship. River cruising is the opposite. Your ship docks in the heart of the city. You walk off and you're already there — in the middle of Amsterdam, Vienna, Budapest, or Bordeaux. No tender boats, no long transfers, no rushing back before sunset. The ships are smaller too — typically 100 to 200 guests — which means the service is ge