If cruising in big ships together with a thousand of people doesn't entice you, good news, there is more than one way to cruise. Introducing river cruising, as described by MSN, it is the 'more relaxed, less crowded and culturally richer version of an ocean cruise.'

Here are reasons why your next vacation should include a river cruise:

They're less crowded

A cruise usually takes 3,600 passengers on its trips to the Caribbean but a river tour in one of the French canals is with just 23 other travelers. Say good bye to queues this time.

They can go to places big boats can't

French canals? Check Fall foliage tour of the Hudson River? Double check. River cruise boats can venture in shallow waters that massive lines can't. This means more little-known sights for you to explore.

Fantastic view ALL the time

'On an ocean cruise, the ship itself is the destination,' Christ Greco, an expert at Tauck World Discovery, said in a seminar at The New York Times Travel Show. 'But the essence of river cruising is in what guests experience ashore.' Ships are stunning too but these are man-made and all you do is watch a movie with schoolchildren from China or lounge around the pool with thousands of people beside you (or you lining up behind them. Yikes!).

Making friends is easier

In river cruises, you get to talk to people without being creepy. 'When you have a shared experience with someone during travel, it creates a bond,' Susan Schulz, of American Cruise Lines, said at the seminar. 'It's common to come home from a river cruise with real, new friends.'