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Each measures over 2,000 square feet with a huge forward-facing teak-lined terrace, complete with a large whirlpool tub. You can build an a la carte vacation or pay upfront for an easy trip that includes an open bar, unlimited Wi-Fi and included crew gratuities. The expansive wooden sun decks on Wind Star and Wind Spirit make you want to be on topside as much as possible to enjoy the yachting life. Each has multiple dining options, both indoor and on deck, including a weekly barbecue on deck under the stars. SeaDream Yacht Club's 40-year-old ships may not be new, but they're still some of the prettiest classic luxury yachts afloat. However, they're spacious, recently refurbished, and feature wood details that evoke a classic nautical feel.
How Small Is a Small Ship -- and Which Luxury Cruise Ship Size Is Right for You?
With each new journey, you deepen your understanding, refine your tastes, and broaden your horizons. So, anchors aweigh, dear cruisers – the world’s vast seas and rivers await your return. Galileo typically stays in port until the wee hours, allowing time to disembark after dinner for evening strolls and drinks by the waterside. Because there’s a little more wriggle room in the itinerary than on larger ships, don’t be surprised if your crew makes an unscheduled swim stop for guests to take a refreshing dip in the sparkling waters.
Best for Expedition Cruises
We frequently rank our 2012 Antarctic cruise among our favorite trips we’ve even taken. If you’re interested in ancient history, archaeology, and rich indigenous culture, exploring Egypt’s pyramids, temples, and colorful bazaars should definitely be on your bucket list. And right now the country’s lagging tourism industry could really use more visitors. Because road conditions in the area vary wildly depending on the season, taking a Chobe River cruise is arguably the best way to see the park. Having a bartender who knows you want a Blue Hawaiian with your Happy Hour appetizers may not make or break your trip. But traveling with a company who makes you feel like more than just a number-coded wristband goes a long way towards making your trip feel special.
Atlas Ocean Voyages: World Navigator
The ship combines all the trappings of luxury with the thrill of expedition sailing. Standout features include two onboard helicopters and a submarine, Scenic Neptune, which can carry six passengers and dive to a depth of nearly 1,000 feet. The best small ship cruise lines typically have less than 300 passengers, a lower guide-to-passenger ratio, and expert local guides. These small luxury cruise ships have become increasingly popular in recent years, offering a more intimate and immersive travel experience.
Like any good expedition ship, Ocean Victory has one lounge dedicated to lectures with large flat screens to view presentations. You'll find an ocean-view fitness center, a small spa and an outdoor pool with two hot tubs. Its sizable expedition team, which can number 18 on select voyages, comprises seasoned authorities in a wide range of fields, such as geology, whale communications and photography.
Every year for our World's Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Readers rated individual cruise ships on their cabins and facilities, food, service, itineraries and destinations, excursions and activities, and value. Those assessments were combined to generate results for the cruise lines in five categories; small-ship ocean cruise lines have ships that can carry 249 or fewer passengers. Those assessments were combined to generate results for the cruise lines in six categories, including river cruising.
While Regent Seven Sea Cruises has several ships in its fleet, only the smallest -- Seven Seas Navigator -- belongs in this category. Silversea's Silver Spirit, Silver Muse, Silver Moon and Silver Dawn are also ultra-small ships. Some yachts do have a few fun high-tech toys -- like the submarine aboard Crystal Esprit or the golf simulator on SeaDream yachts. There are no theaters on these ships and the "casino" -- when there is one -- is often just one game table with a slot machine located in a nearby corner.
SeaDream offers 7- to 15-day voyages with a maximum of 56 couples and a 95-person crew, so service and attention to detail are highlights. The Sea Cloud Spirit combines the experience of decades of traditional seamanship with the modern-day luxuries of a private yacht. Cabins range from 172-square-foot single cabins to 300-square-foot balcony suites with soaking tubs. There’s a large fitness center and spa, which has a steam room, sauna, and thermal area for two; indoor and outdoor lounges; and a main dining area, plus a more casual bistro. The action, however, is out on deck, where passengers can stargaze at night or simply gaze in awe at the impressive sails blowing in the wind.
Variety Cruises
You'll get to know your fellow passengers -- who tend to be well off and well traveled -- and the crew will cater to your every need, quickly learning not just your name but your likes and your dislikes. The best cruise lines for small ships, according to Travel + Leisure readers, are the ones that develop a sense of camaraderie onboard. Fortunately, mega cruise ships can’t access many of the stunning sites we saw during our Alaska Inside Passage cruise with AdventureSmith and Alaskan Dream Cruises. The Alaskan portion encompasses 1,000 islands, 15,000 miles of shoreline, and thousands of bay, coves, and glaciers. Unless you’re going to a mega port, big cruise ships often have to ferry their entire passenger load back and forth via small boats or Zodiac rafts. With the jostling crowds at the buffet line, the ship docking points, and during shore excursions, large cruise ships can often feel overwhelming and claustrophobic.
Wine and spirits are included, so take advantage of two impressive outdoor spots for a drink and stunning views — the Sky Bar at the top of the ship and the chic infinity pool at the stern of Deck 3, adjacent to a lounge and cafe. Emerald Azzurra features a watersports platform at the stern for convenient access to kayaking, paddle boarding, snorkeling and riding SEABOBs (electric underwater scooter-like jet skis). L'Austral explores both polar regions and spends time in the Mediterranean, cruising along the coast of Croatia and around the smaller, less touristy Greek Islands like Amorgos, Milos and Delos.
The ships in the small-ship ocean cruise lines category are now those with 150 to 299 cabins, while smaller ships (with fewer than 150 cabins) are in an all-new intimate-ship category. Nearly 165,000 T+L readers completed the 2023 survey, an increase of nearly 25 percent over pre-pandemic voting levels. A total of more than 685,000 votes were cast across over 8,500 unique properties (hotels, cities, cruise lines, etc.). You can slip past the crowds to discover smaller ports and get to know the local culture on more intimate excursions. Windstar's 148 to 342-guest small ships and personalized approach bring you closer to each destination and every port, so you can see the world from new perspectives.
When you’re just one of the 5,000 cruisers packed into a huge floating city, it’s unreasonable to expect the attention to detail that comes with four-star service. Meanwhile Paul Gauguin Cruises (No. 3) may have slipped a bit from its 2022 ranking but still posted a score of more than 92 points. That’s thanks to its luxurious service — most rooms come with butler service — and, no doubt, its dreamy itineraries that visit remote atolls in South Pacific and the cruise line’s private beach on Bora Bora. Multiple dining options include the main restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating overlooking the ship's wake and a steakhouse on the Lido Deck. For cocktails, head to either of two piano bars, the Dome Observation Lounge or the Atlas Lounge, just outside the lecture theatre.
Forget Icon of the Seas, Royal Caribbean has a plan to go small - TheStreet
Forget Icon of the Seas, Royal Caribbean has a plan to go small.
Posted: Sun, 28 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
On the Paul Gauguin, a sense of place permeates everything from the Polynesian-influenced décor and color palette to the local cuisine travelers sample onboard. Resident performers, known as Les Gauguines, share Polynesian culture through dance, music, and storytelling. Passengers explore island history and enjoy watersports such as snorkeling, kayaking, and paddleboarding, including from the beaches of two private motu. The 930-passenger Viking Sky feels more like a resort than a cruise ship, thanks to its all-veranda staterooms, tasteful decorations and elegant public spaces for reading, relaxing or socializing. Little extras, like numerous USB ports, ocean-facing lounge chairs on the pool deck and floor-to-ceiling windows in most venues, make for a comfortable sailing experience.
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