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After passing through various owners, Sea Cloud I has spent the last several decades offering casually elegant windjammer cruises to old-ship lovers from Europe and North America. The one-of-a-kind, four-masted Sea Cloud was originally commissioned as a private luxury yacht by multi-millionaire Wall Street titan E. Hutton's extravagant heiress and businesswoman wife, Marjorie Merriweather Post, oversaw the ship's interior design, outfitting it in marble, mahogany and gold-plated fixtures. Today, the line's fleet of small ships explores nearly the entire planet, always with an impressive lineup of experts and photographers along for the ride. Lindblad Expeditions has been a leader in small-ship expedition cruising since 1966 when company founder Lars-Eric Lindblad pioneered expeditions to Antarctica, Easter Island and the Galapagos. Of course, the best small ship for you may depend on where you wish to sail and whether you're looking for a relaxing yacht-like experience or a rugged adventure.
The 18 best small cruise ships sailing the world
High-tech features include a GPS dynamic positioning system to maintain a location without dropping anchor. 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. Royal Clipper also has impressive modern niceties for a ship of its size, including three small pools and an aft marina for easy access to complimentary water sports.
Best Luxury Cruise Lines: Windstar Cruises
In 2015, Ming created Your Cruise Coach and transitioned into travel writing, preaching the merits of cruising via her partnerships with Canadian and American travel trade publications as well as consumer media outlets. An avid cruiser since 1991, Ming has sailed on over 70 cruises and has experienced over 25 ocean, river, and expedition cruise lines combined. 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.
Seabourn Venture
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We're talking about such amenity-filled giants as Royal Caribbean's 18-deck-high Wonder of the Seas — the new world's largest cruise ship. Their destination experts are continually scouting for new destinations, taking guests beyond the well-worn tourist path and unlocking as-yet-undiscovered experiences. There are over 60 new ports of call in the latest brochure, and no doubt many more still to come. Other advantages of Heritage Lines’ particularly small ships are there’s never a queue to board or disembark, no crowds at mealtimes or cocktail hour, and certainly no trouble securing bookings for everything from spa treatments to yoga and cooking classes.
All three vessels fall on the luxury side of the spectrum for cruising. She maybe a little older than most of the latest cruise ships, but she is Spacious, Gracious and Elegant with around 300 passengers. When it comes to river cruising, good things certainly come in small packages. With a fleet of seven opulent ships in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, each welcoming just 12 to 54 guests, it’s almost like having a ship all to yourself. Cruising is back – and what a glorious return to form it is too, with the number of premium cruise destinations at home and overseas, not to mention the stunning ships that visit them, continuing to swell by the day. They may all be small, but that’s where the similarity ends with these intimate luxury cruise lines.
Enhance your evening with complimentary wine (mostly French), Charles Heidsieck Champagne, beer and spirits. Its gorgeous tiered stern decks feature a lovely outdoor pool area at the back of Deck 6 with a perfect stretch of deck for sunbathing and scenery watching and an open-air bar above for stunning views. L'Austral is the ideal size for a small ship — intimate but still large enough for amenities such as a gym, spa and show lounge. Passengers choose from 10 original cabins, including Post's own suite with its Louis XIV–style bed and nightstands, marble fireplace and bathroom, chandeliers and intricate moldings. Lindblad's newest 128-passenger ships, National Geographic Resolution (2021) and National Geographic Endurance (2020), were built for hard-core exploration in the polar regions they call home.
Scenic
Well known for including late-night departures and overnight dockings, itineraries are designed for those who want to immerse themselves in each destination, leaving the ship behind and venturing further afield, without the need to always check your watch. Nothing says relaxation like island hopping in French Polynesia aboard a dazzling four-masted yacht, a glass of champagne in hand, and the gentle sway of the ship lulling you further into a state of bliss... As their name suggests, Aurora Expeditions specialise in adventurous cruises to the likes of Antarctica, Patagonia, and the Arctic. With just two ships in their fleet – the Sylvia Earle and Greg Mortimer – they’re a perfect example of quality over quantity. Whether your ideal ‘cruise life’ is island hopping in the South Pacific, exploring Australia’s fiery Kimberley Coast or steaming down the glamorous French Riviera, there’s no shortage of unforgettable itineraries to choose from.
Engaging onboard lectures by experts provide enriching insights into the destinations you visit, enhancing your understanding of the regions you traverse. Embark on a journey of unparalleled intimacy and luxury with our small ships cruises, designed to cater to travelers in search of a truly personalized voyage. During initial sailings in Ecuador, passengers can expect to see such wildlife as blue-footed boobies, sea lions and howler monkeys. A focus on cuisine incorporates local seafood and produce on board and on land as well as tastings of local chocolate. The vessel also carries kayaks, paddleboards and snorkeling equipment for watery adventure; diving is an option. Like Viking Osiris, Viking Saigon boasts Viking's signature, clean-lined Scandinavian design.
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What’s more, Seabourn’s ships are agile enough to dock in both marquee destinations and smaller ports. As you'll see below, two of the vessels are from a single line, Viking. Viking is in the midst of expanding its small-ship footprint into more regions of the world, including Antarctica.
For the cruise category, respondents were asked to rate individual ships; the results were combined to generate scores for cruise lines in different categories based on number of cabins. The small-ship ocean cruise line category is only for ships with 150 to 299 cabins. Some cruise lines may appear in multiple categories depending on the makeup of their fleet. The travel industry at large contended with an extraordinarily difficult year as it weathered the COVID-19 pandemic, but cruise lines were particularly hard hit. Though ships around the world were grounded, readers still recalled fun times at sea as they rated the world's top small-ship ocean cruise lines. If you're like me and find that bigger isn't always better, this list is for you.
No river overlooked, you can wind your way through the Danube, Rhine or Moselle in the heart of Europe, glide down the Mekong or explore Columbia’s lush terrain on the majestic Magdalena. Oenophiles can even board a specialty wine cruise, while those seeking the magic of Europe’s Christmas markets can join a festive seasonal sailing. Intriguing itineraries are more often the focus of the voyage and often include some ports of call that are inaccessible to larger ships. As is typical for Mekong River ships, Viking Saigon is sailing one-way voyages between Kampong Cham, Cambodia (not far from the famed ruins of Angkor), and My Tho, Vietnam, near Ho Chi Minh City. Viking combines the cruise with hotel stays in Ho Chi Minh City; Hanoi, Vietnam; and Siem Reap, Cambodia (the gateway to the Angkor ruins), to create a 14-night "Magnificent Mekong" tour of Cambodia and Vietnam. All three of these new vessels have us super excited here at TPG — and not just because they offer an intimate and upscale experience that is designed to be anything but mass-market or cookie cutter.
The Grill is an eatery enclosed in floor-to-ceiling glass for the best views in the house. Scenic Eclipse cruises to nearly every corner of the world, including French Polynesia and the Pacific Islands, Australia, the Indonesian archipelago and Antarctica. 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).
The company also partners with Smithsonian and Disney on certain sailings. A specialist in Galápagos Islands cruises, Quasar has a two-vessel fleet that operates in the ever-compelling destination. The 32-guest M/Y Evolution and the 16-passenger M/Y Grace both get high marks from readers, who consistently score Quasar as not only one of the best cruise lines of any size but one of the top travel offerings in any World's Best Awards category. "This was our second cruise to the Galápagos because we loved our previous experience on the Evolution so much," said one reader about a trip aboard the Grace. "The intimate ship size and staff attention make you feel as if you're the yacht owner."
Unlike the common ocean cruisers that carry upwards of 3,000+ passengers, small ship cruising provides a completely different atmosphere and experience. The best luxury cruise lines to embark on this year for an unforgettable vacation at sea. Each of Windstar Cruises yachts accommodates between 148 to 342 guests.
After unforgettable days of exploring such wonders as Thebes, Luxor Temple and The Valley of the Kings, you’ll retreat to one of just twenty-seven cabins or suites. All come equipped with mesmerizing River Nile views; suites further boast private terraces and heated outdoor whirlpools. The Restaurant plays host to elevated international cuisine, The Club Lounge to high tea, cocktail receptions and traditional dance performances and the 24-hour Library and Cigar Lounge to leisurely conversations with fellow travelers. With a fleet of six chic vessels catering to no more than 310 guests, Windstar visits a chocolate box of destinations, from Alaska to the islands of Tahiti, the Italian Riviera to the Panama Canal.
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