For the sophisticated and experienced traveler who has been there and done that,
small ships offer vacation opportunities that allow them to delve deeper into the
destinations that interest them most.
While eliminating the long lines, large crowds and bottlenecks that occasionally
stall the fun on a large cruise ship, smaller vessels have always offered more intimate
and special experiences by taking fewer people to less-accessible destinations,
including off-the-beaten-track waterways and tiny ports that passengers on large
ships rarely get to see.
A lot depends on the destination, of course, but a small ship can get you closer
to the scenery and the wildlife while also providing access to shore activities
that are more authentic or strenuous or both. Small-ship cruises usually give passengers
close-up views of the people, cities and cultures that they are visiting, whether
the destination is a natural paradise, like Alaska or the Amazon, or a cultural
capital, like the Mediterranean or Scandinavia.
In fact, the entire experience is almost always more intimate, with strong bonds
developed between passengers and crew, which usually includes some naturalists or
historians who can provide background that makes the trip more interesting.
While major cruise lines do a great job designing ships that don't "feel"
crowded, a small ship with one-tenth or even one-fiftieth the passenger capacity
doesn't have to create any illusion because they truly are not crowded. For travelers
who want something different, who want to travel in small groups, and who want to
know about the history, and music and ecology of the places they visit and to get
to know the people, small ships may be the ideal choice.