7 Small Cruise Ships
Posted on Cruise
Alaska
JUNEAU TO PETERSBURG
American Safari Cruises’ Safari Spirit
The Route This itinerary makes its debut in May, cruising through quiet Auke Bay, past LeConte Glacier (where hundreds of seal pups are born each year), to the fishing village of Petersburg.
Highlight Passengers can ferry by sea kayak or tender into the Marble Grotto, a cave hidden at the end of a bay that American Safari won’t even name, for fear that others will find its secret spot.
The Ship With only six staterooms, you won’t have to line up for anything, whether it’s a seat in the dining room or a spot on the couch in the “salon.” All rooms have Jacuzzis as well as showers.
SEATTLE TO JUNEAU
Lindblad Expeditions’ Sea Lion
The Route From Seattle, the Sea Lion journeys to British Columbia’s Cormorant Island in Alert Bay. On the way, passengers explore some of the more remote San Juan Islands by Zodiac, scanning the sky with binoculars for bald eagles.
Highlight Watching humpback whales feed right off the bow at Point Adolphus.
The Ship What’s more important than the amenities on a 32-berth ship?The crew. The Sea Lion carries five naturalists, some of the most-credentialed experts on the Inside Passage. You won’t find a spa or a pool, but you will find Zodiacs and sea kayaks.
Asia
JAPAN
Cruise West’s Spirit of Oceanus
The Route This new itinerary visits towns that were once home to Japan’s samurai, emperors, and lords. Guests who opt for the four-day extension will also stop in Kyoto and Nara.
Highlight Visting the 17th-century wooden castles of Matsue and Himeji.
The Ship The 60-cabin ship is in port most days. Five tour guides host cocktails and run sake lessons, tea ceremonies, and Japanese-beer tastings on board.
SOUTHERN THAILAND AND MALAYSIA
Star Clippers’ Star Flyer
The Route This 85-berth vessel—one of the only ships touring southern Thailand—stops at the quiet, white-sand beaches of Ko Adang (near the Malaysian border), Ko Lipe, and Ko Khai Nok.
Highlight The Similan Islands, which have coral reefs and some of the best diving in Asia.
The Ship This sleek clipper evokes the Grand Age of sailing, with its piano bar and an Edwardian-style library. Onboard activities include relaxing in the hammock-like bowsprit net, climbing the masts, and admiring the scenery from the pool.
Europe
FRENCH RIVIERA
SeaDream Yacht Club’s SeaDream I
The Route This ship calls in two ports that the big ones can’t get into: the unpretentious beach town of Le Lavandou and the rosé wine–producing village of Bandol.
Highlight The captain hosts a poolside cocktail party in St.-Tropez, with champagne and caviar served from a floating bar.
The Ship This 110-passenger yacht has a teak deck with Balinese sleeping beds. Each cabin comes with ?at-screen TV’s with DVD players and Bose stereos; iPods can be borrowed from the front desk.
TURKEY’S TURQUOISE COAST, THE GREEK ISLES, AND THE ADRIATIC
Yachts of Seabourn’s Seabourn Spirit
The Route This trip bypasses the crowded islands of the eastern Mediterranean and calls instead on ports that are popular with European yachtsmen. Passengers sun on quiet beaches in Bodrum and visit the oracle of Delphi at Itea.
Highlight An outing to the Mycenaean fortress of Agamemnon at Nauplia.
The Ship Expect all the trappings, from black-tie dinners to dressy cocktail parties. The 104-cabin ship has a pool, a spa, a gym, a casino, and several dining options, including a candlelit supper club.
tasmania, Antarctica, and new zealand
Quark Expeditions’ Kapitan Khlebnikov
The Route The Wonders of the Ross Sea trip takes you to the South Pole, calling at remote ports such as Macquarie Island and Cape Evans. Highlight A helicopter excursion from the ship to a rookery of royal penguins.
The Ship There’s an indoor pool, a gym, a sauna, and a library on this 54-cabin ship. But what really sets it apart is its icebreaker hull, which cuts through frozen seas and enables the ship to reach otherwise inaccessible parts of Antarctica.