Small-Ship Cruises: The Complete Guide to Choosing Your Cruise

In short: a small ship or sailboat carrying under two hundred passengers can reach bays, fjords, and reefs a large liner will never get close to, at the cost of a more limited range of onboard entertainment. The right choice depends less on the destination than on the pace of travel you're after — anchoring somewhere new every evening, or enjoying a full-service floating hotel.

Large liner or small ship: what's the real difference?

A classic cruise liner often carries several thousand passengers and stays confined to deep-water ports equipped to receive it, which forces a fixed itinerary between a handful of well-known stops. A small ship or sailboat, generally under two hundred passengers, draws far less water: it can sail close to a fjord's walls, anchor in a cove with no pier, or dock in a fishing village no sea giant will ever reach. The trade-off is a narrower range of onboard activities — no climbing wall or ice rink — in exchange for a far more direct connection to each stop.

The regions where a small ship changes everything

Some destinations make this difference especially clear. In the Norwegian fjords, an expedition ship can sail right up to the walls of the UNESCO-listed Geirangerfjord, where a liner has to stay offshore. In Ha Long Bay, a traditional junk boat threads between limestone islets and reaches coves otherwise unreachable. In the Caribbean, a sailboat anchors directly facing Saint Lucia's Pitons rather than docking at a large tourist port. The same logic applies in the Red Sea for reaching isolated reefs, in the Aegean Sea for linking several islands in a week, or along the Maine coast, too jagged for a car.

How to choose by season

The ideal window varies significantly by region. The Norwegian fjords are best visited between May and September, when the longest days leave time to explore each anchorage. The Caribbean and Red Sea, by contrast, suit a winter cruise best, from December to April, outside hurricane season. The Mediterranean stays accessible from May to October, while a Vietnam cruise is best planned from October to April, before the heat and monsoon rains arrive.

What to expect on board

A small ship generally means simpler cabins than a five-star liner, but also a far more available crew and an excursion programme planned day by day around real weather rather than a fixed schedule set months in advance. Pack layerable clothing rather than formal evening wear, a pair of water shoes for tender landings, and a certain tolerance for last-minute change — it's often that spontaneous shift in plan, to catch an ideal weather window, that makes for the best memories.

Every one of these cruises is built tailor-made, with an itinerary shaped around your pace rather than a standard programme. Discover all our cruises or get in touch to build your own.