Tuesday, April 2, 2024

Our Readers' Favorite Small-ship Ocean Cruise Lines of 2023

smallest cruise ships

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.

Celebrity Xploration (Celebrity Cruises)

Instead, she relies on cruise ships, river ships, trains and road trips to travel the world. In that time, she’s been on more cruises than she can count and includes her solo cruise and travel adventures on her website, CruiseMaven.com. Her articles have been published in major newspapers and magazines - in print and online.

Navigator of the Seas

Ships from Silversea offer butler service with every stateroom, which equates to an ultra-luxurious experience for all. One of the most appealing aspects of small yachts are their water sports platforms, which enable passengers to get right into the water rather than simply gazing at it from 10 decks up. All of the ships in this category, with the exception of SeaCloud and Island Windjammers, have them.

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Cruises

smallest cruise ships

Passengers should also be prepared for conditions that may be more challenging than those on a traditional cruise. However, for travelers who are up for the challenge, the rewards are immeasurable and remember, coastal ships come in a range of sizes and offer a chance to easily go ashore as the ship is usually hugging the coast. The onboard experience is also more like that of sailing on a private yacht. 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.

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An avid cruiser since 1991, Ming has sailed on over 70 cruises and has experienced over 25 ocean, river, and expedition cruise lines combined. New additions to Encore include a VIP area on the top deck, a wellness program and two new restaurants, The Grill by Thomas Keller and Sushi. Those who are looking for a large cruise ship experience in Alaska will want to bypass Chichagof Dream, as the 1,471 gross ton and 207 foot long ship can only carry 76 passengers on any given sailing. You will not have the same experiences and amenities as you would on an Alaska cruise on Royal Caribbean's Quantum Class or Norwegian's Breakaway Class ships. While it is true that large cruise lines don’t usually operate small vessels, Celebrity Cruises is an exception. Accommodating only 16 guests and with only eight cabins available, the Celebrity Xploration is the world’s smallest cruise ship.

Freedom of the Seas

As the last of the eight sister ships in the renowned Fantasy class, it was built in 1998 and sails to destinations like the Bahamas and the Caribbean from Tampa, FL. However, guests can look forward to lively entertainment during meals, complete with singing, dancing, and parades. And for those feeling lucky, the onboard casino offers a range of entertainment options. The smallest Celebrity cruise ship is the super-tiny Celebrity Xploration. Based in the Galapagos, it measures 320 tons, just a tiny fraction of the size of Celebrity Beyond, and it holds just 16 passengers. The biggest Celebrity cruise ship is Celebrity Beyond, which measures 141,420 gross tons.

Celebrity Reflection

Standing on deck when the sails are unfurled is one of the more romantic moments you'll likely experience on any ship. In the winter, Royal Clipper island hops around the Caribbean, sailing round trip from Barbados to some of the lesser-known islands. During the summer, it cruises the Mediterranean along the French and Italian rivieras and explores the coast of Croatia and the Canary Islands. 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.

If you're in the "bigger is better" camp when it comes to a resort experience, these are the Royal Caribbean ships for you. On the sea days (and even while we were docked in Cozumel), we chose to relax in the Solarium, Centrum, or loyalty lounge. It was a nice change of pace to not feel pressured to go to every single event offered onboard. Grandeur of the Seas does not have all the attractions of other Royal Caribbean ships, like a Flowrider, waterslides, ice skating, and bumper cars. Rather, she offers theatre productions, trivia, and other activities. The most thrilling feature of Grandeur of the Seas is the rock climbing wall at the back of the ship.

(tied). Serenade of the Seas

The Antarctic regions are those least touched by ocean cruise lines – only a handful of ships are built to withstand the icy regions. One of these is Ocean Nova, which is currently sailing for the specialist travel group Antarctica21. The smallest cruise ships in the world offer a very different experience, but that can definitely be a good thing – if you appreciate unique destinations and a quieter atmosphere, small-ship cruising may be just for you. Grandeur of the Seas dates to 1996, a time when cruise ships were built far smaller than they are today and with far fewer venues.

You'll definitely want to make reservations for specialty dining on all these ships, since you'll be competing for the best tables and dining times with hundreds of other travelers. New additions to the large yacht scene are Tradewind Voyages' 272-passenger Golden Horizon, the world's largest square-rigged sailing vessel. Cruisers, Swan Hellenic, has been revived under new ownership -- with cruises now sold internationally -- which is debuting three all-new vessels carrying between 152 and 196 passengers. Celebrity Cruises’ 12 main vessels carry about 2,000-3,000 passengers each, but they are still much smaller than, say, a Royal Caribbean cruise liner.

Another thing to note was that our cabin did not have a mini cooler for drinks or snacks. During our four-night sailing, we stayed in an interior guarantee cabin. Because it’s a guarantee cabin, we were not able to select the location of the cabin. We were assigned a cabin on deck three at the very front of the ship.

We hope that this year's honorees will inspire your own travels as you get back out into the world. Landings and Zodiac safaris are included on Antarctica cruises, but excursions are not included on other itineraries. All non-polar cruises offered from April through October are called Epicurean Expeditions (with one complimentary wine- or food-focused experience per cruise). Not just a pretty ship, Seabourn Venture is tough, built to PC6 Polar Class standards for a focus on expedition cruising in the polar regions. The ship carries two submarines, as well as a fleet of double sea kayaks and 24 Zodiacs that can accommodate all guests at once.

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