Why cruise ships almost never stay in port overnight

The Mekong River meanders between some of the most scenic and notable destinations of Southeast Asia, so it's no wonder that river cruise companies are increasingly realizing the opportunity to view them from one of the best vantage points — the river itself. Suddenly, a flood of new river cruise ships are being built to sail the Mekong, with itineraries that include Siem Reap in northeastern Cambodia, the site of the sprawling Angkor Wat temple complex, Phnom Penh, the bustling capital of Cambodia, and Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City, complete with small fishing villages and floating markets along the way. Many also include or offer the option to tack on a visit to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, and the picturesque Ha Long Bay on the South China Sea. Avalon Waterways is the latest company to announce that it will have a new ship on the Mekong, the 32-passenger Avalon Angkor, which will launch next spring. The Avalon Angkor will sail a 14-day "Fascinating Vietnam, Cambodia & The Mekong River" itinerary from Ho Chi Minh City to Bangkok, priced from $3,819 per person, not including international airfare. But until then, there are plenty of new river cruising options already sailing the Mekong this year. Ama Waterways sails the 92-passenger La Marguerite, which launched in September 2009, and has a second ship, the 124-passenger AmaLotus launching in early fall. Ama's 16-day itinerary from Hanoi to Siem Reap starts at $3,398 per person, not including airfare. Later this year, Pandaw River Cruises, a Singapore-based river cruise line with head offices in Scotland, will unveil its fourth Mekong River ship, the 60-passenger River Saigon, which is being chartered by Uniworld River Cruises. Pandaw already sails the Mekong Pandaw, Tonle Pandaw and Indochina Pandaw on the Mekong River through Vietnam and Cambodia. Starting next year, Lindblad Expeditions will also be offering Mekong River cruises on the 48-passenger Jahan, a ship owned by the Vietnamese company Heritage Line. The 14-day itinerary will include stops in Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Rates start at $7,980 per person, based on double occupancy. More from Budget Travel: Better than Ha Long Bay, Vietnam? Cambodia's Comeback River Cruises: Into the Heart of Europe

We studied countless entries in search of cruisers who nail the balance between smarts, skills, and spirits and narrowed it down to three cruise-savvy finalists. Martha and Ken Wiseman, from Romeoville, Ill., have cruised for 38 years and have been on 65 cruises! They stand out for their against-the-grain opinions because they hate to pack light and love cruise-organized shore excursions. Meanwhile, Toni Vitanza, from Clemson, S.C., is adamant about packing light and refines her packing, planning, and money-saving strategies with every trip. (Need proof? She can fit all her cosmetics in an Altoid tin.) Finally, Ted and Karen Beranis, from Bonita Springs, Fla., are a pair of seafaring social butterflies who found a surefire way to make friends wherever they go, while also being strategic about how to hit the pool and hang at the piano bar. Read our finalists' bios, view their photos, and watch their videos to determine who you think the World's Best Cruiser is, and then cast your vote by June 28. The winner will sail off into the sunset on a free cruise—and appear in an issue of Budget Travel. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL Find a summer music festival near you Rivers wreaking havoc: Mississippi too high, Rhine too low Auto rental lot of the future: 'anywhere you can park five cars'

It's been a big year for the Disney Cruise Line brand. This January, the third ship in the Disney fleet, the Dream, launched her maiden voyage out of Port Canaveral, Florida. Cruisers, including our very own editor in chief Nina Willdorf, have raved about the boat's many family-friendly features, from the world's first water coaster at sea (the 765-foot-long AquaDuck) to the animated Magical Portholes found in inside staterooms. So how to top themselves in 2012? Expansion! Starting next year, in addition to sailings from Los Angeles and Port Canaveral, Disney Cruise Line will embark from three new ports: Seattle, Galveston, and New York. From its new Big Apple home, the Disney Magic will offer classic Bahamas itineraries (complete with stops at Disney's own private island, Castaway Cay). Cruisers will even receive a complimentary Park Hopper pass and free shuttle transportation between the port and the Walt Disney World resort when the boat hits Florida. In addition, Disney is adding a New England and Canada coastal route, as well as a new two-night journey out to sea—an appealing option, perhaps, for cruising commitmentphobes like me. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL The Completely Obsessive Absolutely Indispensable Guide to Disney World Royal Caribbean's Most Passionate Cruisers Ask Trip Coach: Cruising

In the past 10 years, the number of passengers taking river cruises has grown by 15 percent, and while the overall numbers (261,000 annually) pale in comparison to ocean cruising (10.7 million annually), the numbers of big-boat cruisers have only grown by 5.4 percent, according to Cruises Line International Association. I recently had the chance to meet and talk with Torstein Hagen, the Chairman of Viking River Cruises, which won our annual Readers' Choice Award in 2010. (The 2011 poll is currently live through April 15 and you can cast your vote here; Viking is currently coming in second to Avalon Waterways.) As ocean cruises have added on more and more services for customers (water slides, ice bars, zip lines), river cruises have had to be more selective with their offerings. On a 95-cabin boat there's only so much space, and there are very strict limitations in terms of length and depth. "We don't try to be everything to everyone," Hagen told me. (Viking, however, is forging a new path in 2012, with four new boats, the Longships, that have 200 square foot balconies attached to each and every cabin—an innovation in the river cruise world). More central, perhaps, to the increasing appeal of river cruises is the true all-inclusive nature of the pricing structure. While ocean cruise lines sell their itineraries at a low cost, once you're aboard, you'll be upsold on everything from coffee beverages to merchandise. (The one exception is Royal Caribbean, which is now selling an 'all you can drink' cruise.) Meanwhile, a higher ticket price for a river cruise doesn't have any surprises: fuel surcharges, WiFi, daily shore excursions—they're all included. When I asked Viking's Hagen if you could pick up your own bottle on one of your daily walks about a picturesque European town and bring it to dinner, he acknowledged that there technically is a $6 corkage fee, "but you'll never actually get charged. In fact," he said, waving his hand toward Richard Marnell, the Senior Vice President of Marketing for Viking, "let's just do away with that once and for all. Done!" If you haven't yet voted for your favorite River Cruise Line, you can do so here. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL: Mega-Cruise Smackdown Your Top Money-Saving Cruise Questions -- Answered Ask Trip Coach: Ocean Cruising