A PENCHANT FOR DISCOVERY

Big ships visit a port for a few hours mid-day and then move on. River and small ships feel no such time pressure. You might enjoy sailing into two or three quaint ports in one day. Wake up in a medieval town and then head to a chocolatier in a neighboring village for the afternoon. Evening finds you docked among the local markets of yet another charming destination. Feel free to dine at a charming bistro or indulge in an unforgettable meal in the ship’s restaurant and then go ashore for a local specialty dessert in a bustling café.

EXPLORE A NEW WORLD

Better yet, the vast majority of river cruises and small ship voyages include in your fare at least one shore excursion in each port of call. Admire the inspiring tulip carpets in Holland’s Keukenhof Gardens and tour the verdant countryside of Kinderdijk and its myriad windmills. In the German winemaking town of Rüdesheim, visit a local vintner for a wine tasting, and in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Salamanca, return to the Middle Ages in the midst of Spain’s Castilla y León region. Sip a glass of wine in Bordeaux, and from Passau head to Salzburg, birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the setting for The Sound of Music.

NEW EXPERIENCES, NEW PLACES

Stop at a Christmas market in Linz for handcrafted holiday presents, and visit the Louisville Slugger Museum and Churchill Downs in Kentucky. Tour antebellum plantations in Natchez and discover the Walla Walla winemaking region along the Columbia River. Hike Acadia National Park outside Bar Harbor, Maine, and go kayaking in Glacier Bay, Alaska.

Take a walking tour of Bamberg’s Old Town and sample some smoked beer. Ride the funicular to the top of a mountain outside Bergen, Norway, and shop for French perfume in St. Barts. Enjoy a glass of limoncello in the shade in Sorrento and explore Tan Chau, a small Mekong River town virtually untouched by tourists and ride through the narrow channels of the river to the small village known as Evergreen Island.

Go on safari in Chobe National Park and search for lions, giraffe and zebra. Stroll Red Square in Moscow or infamous Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The world is at your fingertips.