There are over 270 cruise ships worldwide, and finding the right one among so many options can take time and effort. Cruise ships have various features, and size is one of them.
It is a uniquely personal and charming adventure with small ship cruising, an experience like no other. There is no need to wait in long queues or crowds; small ships have less than 1,300 onboard. This makes it one of the most intimate ways to travel the world. Small ships are very different to mainstream cruise ships in many ways. The first is that they can sail in shallow channels and smaller harbours.
What is a ‘small’ ship?
Deciding what counts as a ‘small’ cruise ship can vary. Some say anything over 200 guests is too big, while others think it should be fewer than 1,000. At The Cruise Line, we say a ‘small ship’ has no more than 600 guests.
What is good about small ship cruising?
There are two main advantages of enjoying a small ship cruise. First, many cruisegoers believe that cruising on a small ship offers more intimacy than larger vessels can. In addition, the public spaces on small ships tend to feel more relaxed and intimate between the ship’s crew and guests.
Opting for a small ship cruise also provides access to a more extensive range of ports. This results in uniquely diverse itineraries that stand out and surpass others in variety and appeal. Due to their smaller size, small ships can navigate through very remote ports of call, which larger vessels usually cannot. This is one of the main reasons cruisers sometimes prefer small-ship cruises when exploring ports in the Galapagos Islands and Alaska.
Below is an overview of the smallest ocean ships:
Small Yachts:
up to 150 guests.
- Le Ponant (Ponant Cruises) – up to 67 guests.
- Sea Cloud II (Sea Cloud Cruises) – up to 94 guests.
- Silver Origin (Silversea) – up to 100 guests.
- Hebridean Princess (Hebridean Island Cruises) – up to 48 guests.
- Emerald Sakara and Emerald Azzurra (Emerald Yacht Cruises) – up to 100 guests.
- Celebrity Flora (Celebrity Cruises) – up to 120 guests
- SeaDream I and SeaDream II (SeaDream Yacht Club) – up to 112 guests.
- Sea Cloud Spirit (Sea Cloud Cruises) – up to 136 guests.
- Wind Spirit, Wind Star (Windstar Cruises) – up to 148 guests.
Large Yachts:
up to 250 guests.
- Le Champlain, Le Bougainville, Le Laperouse, Le Dumont d’Urville (Ponant Cruises) – up to 184 guests.
- Hanseatic Inspiration (Hapag-Lloyd Cruises) – up to 230 guests.
- Scenic Eclipse I and Scenic Eclipse II (Scenic Ocean Cruises) – up to 228 guests.
- World Navigator, World Traveller, World Voyager (Atlas Ocean Voyages) – up to 196 guests.
Ulta-Small Ships:
up to 400 guests.
- Star Legend, Star Breeze and Star Pride (Windstar Cruises) – up to 254 guests. Wind Surf – up to 374 guests.
- MS Fram (Hurtigruten) – up to 318 guests.
- Seabourn Pursuit and Seabourn Venture (Seabourn) – up to 254 guests.
Small Ships:
up to 600 guests.
- Seabourn Quest, Seabourn Odyssey and Seabourn Sojourn (Seabourn) – up to 540 guests.
- Seven Seas Navigator (Regent Seven Seas Cruises) – up to 557 guests.
Best Small Ship cruise destinations:
To learn more about small ship cruises, contact our Voyage Consultants on 0800 008 6677. Alternativly, you can browse all small ship cruises here.
