- Intimate ships with personalized service and ambience
- Varied itineraries that blend river destinations and coastal ports
- Blending the relaxed proximity of ports of a river cruise with lovely sea vistas and iconic by-the-ocean ocean destinations.
Windstar’s first-ever Tulip Season cruise, which takes place this spring (and is scheduled again in 2027), caught my eye when I was planning my next vacation. The voyage, which travels roundtrip from Amsterdam along a handful of rivers and the open Atlantic, feels more like the best parts of a European river cruise that also happened to be able to traverse the sea.
Are you a huge river cruise aficionado looking for some fresh new itineraries that offer tastes of both rivers and oceans? You are not alone. New data, as discussed at American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) annual river conference in March 2026, notes that both ocean and river cruising, particularly in the small ship arena, share a lot in common. They attract experienced travelers who value comfort and convenience, and are crave authentic, immersive experiences, both onboard and onshore. They also value health and wellness lifestyles.
How can you combine both styles of travel in a seamless way?
Here’s another example of how Windstar is now offering itineraries that blend both river and ocean destinations. French Feast: Normandy, Brittany and Aquitane, departs from Paris (via Rouen, on the Seine) to Bordeaux (on the Garonne River). Along the way, it calls at Honfleur, St. Malo, and Guernsey; it’s a perfect blend of ocean and river traveling (and a similar itinerary is also one of 2026’s James Beard Foundation cruises).
This focus on blending the two styles of cruise travel is a natural for Windstar, whose Star Class ships, including Star Pride, Star Legend, Star Seeker and the new Star Explorer (debuts in December 2026) carry just 224 – 312 guests and can deftly nip into rivers that can’t accommodate larger seagoing vessels.
In emphasizing itineraries that blend small ship cruising and right-in-town docking ability, Windstar brings river cruise intimacy to a bigger world. “We sail up true rivers into iconic city centers, then continue on coasts and through narrow waterways that river boats can’t reach,” says Janet Bava, chief commercial officer of Windstar Cruises. “It’s also a natural evolution for ocean cruise guests who want fresh routes without losing small ship closeness.
“We’re especially carving out routes and itineraries in Europe, including Northern Europe and the Mediterranean, and in southeast Asia,” Bava adds, noting that even a North American voyage can combine the best of both.
Where can I go on a combined river and ocean cruise in Europe?
On Windstar, there are numerous options for river and ocean cruises in Europe between spring 2026 and 2028.
- Seasonal voyages centered around major events, such as the aforementioned Tulip Season in spring, where an Amsterdam roundtrip sails to Belgium (and a James Beard Foundation sailing; the wine—focused French Feast: Normandy, Brittany & Aquitaine.
- Quick Getaways, a new Windstar concept, offers short, taster cruises that you can add to a land stay – or combine with a longer voyage. Quick Getaways: Timeless Maritime Powerhouses of Northern Europe travels between Amsterdam and London, via rivers such as the Scheidt, in Antwerp, the Seine in France, and of course, all the way up to Tower Bridge on London’s Thames.
- Exotic itineraries, such as a circumnavigation of Ireland to celebrate Star Explorer’s christening; major cities there that are defined by their rivers include Belfast’s River Lagan and Londonderry’s River Foyle along with those more commonly featured on ocean voyages that call at Dublin, Cork (most ships go no further than Cobh) and Waterford.
- And fans of Windstar’s legendary Mystery Cruises have a Northern European option in 2027. All we can reveal is that it travels from London’s Thames to Amsterdam.
- A lovely twist on a Spanish coastal cruise is a trip between Lisbon and Barcelona that overnights in Seville after a scenic transit up the Guadalquivir River.
What are my options to cruise in both river and ocean style in southeast Asia?
In Vietnam, the otherworldly limestone rock formations, thousands of them, make Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a surreal destination. Only smaller ships can visit this waterway in northern Vietnam, with its hidden caves and floating villages and clusters of conical peaks. This itinerary, scheduled for both 2027 and 2028, travels between Bangkok and Halong Bay (for Hanoi) – with a scenic transit up the Saigon River to Ho Chi Minh City. The ship docks in the heart of the river – and the city — here.
What we love about Tantalizing Thailand & Sparkling Singapore is that Star Seeker docks right on the Chao Phraya River, offering a front-row seat to Bangkok’s skyline and the daily life of its riverfront communities here.
North America offers another choice: Canada and New England
A classic river/ocean cruise option even exists in North America, as ships travel between Montreal and Boston via the storied St. Lawrence River, which runs between the U.S. and Canada off the Atlantic Ocean. The St. Lawrence, comprising some 1,000 islands, is home to both bucolic natural settings, quaint villages, and the European charm of Quebec City, right on the waterfront.
How will this river/ocean cruise blend feel different onboard Windstar?
It feels very different because of the blend of rural vistas and city skylines, Bava tells us. “The appeal is that you can, river style, go to destinations and feel very close to the city, such as London, where we can travel up the Thames River to our docking point at Tower Bridge. “The sailing itself is part of the experience, the mast of the Cutty Sark and the domes of the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, and hybrid old vs. new of central London, with its gleaming skyscrapers and St. Paul’s Cathedral, so deeply anchored in its history.
“And it lets you cover wider ground by expanding your choices—both in destinations and in the way you experience them.”
River cruising may be booming, but for many travelers it’s just the beginning: once you’ve experienced that easy, in-town access and close-to-the-action feel, it’s natural to want a bigger canvas without losing what made the river so appealing.”
That’s where Windstar’s river-to-ocean approach shines—right-sized ships, immersive itineraries that pair iconic rivers with coastal ports, and a culture-and-cuisine focus that keeps the experience intimate even as the horizons widen. With Star Explorer debuting in December 2026, Windstar is making that “what’s next?” moment feel seamless—opening the door from inland waterways to coastlines, islands, and lesser-known ports, all with the same small-ship warmth that gets guests hooked in the first place.
