SmallShipTrips.com

If you are interested in an in-depth look at a country, culture, or environment, you should examine the advantages of small ship cruising. Small ship cruises provide a more intimate and relaxed experience than the larger cruise lines; smaller ships can also cruise to remote destinations that the larger cruise lines cannot venture to. For example, small ship cruiselines can take passengers to some of the most secluded and pristine locales in the Sea of Cortez and Alaska’s Inside Passage – cruising through hidden inlets rich with wildlife and natural beauty.

You may visit Alaska or Mexico on a traditional cruise ship, but can you:

• See whales so close you can see the barnacles on their skin.
• Visit beautiful island beaches, accessible only by launch.
• Sail through narrow, iceberg-filled fjords.
• Explore intimate channels and out-of-the-way waterways of North America.
• Learn about nature and native cultures in a deeply personal way.

Compare the small-ship cruise experience to that of a conventional big-ship cruise line:

Conventional:

• Huge, hotel-like ships, with a mega-resort atmosphere.
• Many hundreds to thousands of passengers.
• Resort-like amenities, such as casinos, swimming pools, showrooms, hairdressers, spas, etc. Many ships are virtual mini-cities at sea.
• Multiple dining seatings; most ships have assigned seating, with passengers restricted to a specific hour for dinner.
• A somewhat impersonal, anonymous atmosphere during portions of the cruise experience.
• Often formal or semi-formal attire at dinner.
• Conventional itineraries and a selected range of well-known, popular tourist destinations.
• Most cruise ships stop at major ports only: their itineraries are governed by the mass appeal of a limited number of heavily-visited destinations.
• Most cruise ships can only stop at major ports; these are the only ones large enough to accommodate huge ships and a thousand or more instant visitors.
• Las Vegas style entertainment, casinos, etc. are the norm on these ships, and a wide range of on-board activities are available.
• Focus is often on the ship itself as a primary part of the experience, ie what’s inside the ship.
• Mass-market cruises are designed to appeal to vast numbers of people.
• Competition ensures a similarity of programs and activities among the larger cruise lines.

Small Ship:

• Ships are smaller and more intimate, more like ‘bed and breakfast’ establishments than mega-resort hotel environments.
• The focus is on the destination(s), rather than the ship as the primary experience. On most small-ship cruises, the emphasis is on an up-close and personal relationship with the environment, nature, and wildlife. Guided excursions and sightseeing are normally included in the cruise fare.
• Subject matter experts and guides sail with the passengers.
• Shallow-draft vessels (‘draft’ refers to how deep below the waterline the bottom of the ship is) have access to smaller ports where large vessels can’t dock. On a ‘soft adventure’ small ship cruise the ship may also have a bow ramp, and/or zodiac craft for landings on remote and pristine shores. These smaller ships also make possible opportunistic side-trips to view nature up-close; for example, to whale-watch in small, secluded bays.
• Smaller vessels mean smaller groups of like-minded people, sharing an intimate and fascinating experience that most people only dream of. Shore landings bring fewer sightseers who don’t overwhelm a town or an isolated, fragile environment with hordes of tourists, as some of the larger vessels can.
• Small ships provide more intimate and personal interaction; among guests, and between guests and crew members. The service is individualized and welcoming.
• Most small-ship cruises tend towards informality, casual dress, and comfort, rather than glamour.
• Dining on most small ships is a single, open seating. Guests can sit where they want, and with whom they want. They’re not restricted to the same table throughout the cruise, with the same companions. The service is often home-style and informal, too, and the food is high-quality and usually regional, taking advantage of fresh locally-available delicacies.