I found an article on the best small cruise lines available:
If you long for the open ocean but bristle at the thought of all-night discos, thousand-seat dining rooms or congested Caribbean ports-turned-duty-free-shopping-malls, know this: not all cruise ships are vast, floating resorts. A diminutive but growing industry niche revolves around small vessels -- a wide-ranging group that includes yachts, rugged expedition ships and classic sailing schooners -- where passenger counts top out at 200, rather than 2,000.
Beyond offering a cozier atmosphere, the small size of these ships creates a whole different experience, onboard and ashore. You can go kayaking off a wilderness island in Mexico with Lindblad, trim the sails and climb the rigging with Star Clippers or hop around the Greek Islands with Variety Cruises.
Small-ship cruising is not all about the caviar and private cabanas of luxury ships, either. (Most of them are small, too; check out our luxury feature.) It's more about geographic access to the world's less-trafficked ports. In Greece, for instance, Variety Cruises' ships stop in Monemvassia and Spetses, unusual Greek cruise ports that are mostly avoided by larger vessels.
Before we launch into our picks, let's answer one question: how do we define "small"? It's a bit of an arbitrary distinction, when cruise ships like 155,873-ton, 4,200-passenger Norwegian Epic and 225,582-ton, 5,400-passenger Oasis of the Seas make the concept of small quite relative. For this story, however, we're going to try to stick with nonluxury vessels that accommodate fewer than 300 passengers.
Best for Expedition Cruises
The Line: Lindblad Expeditions
Lindblad Expeditions, allied with National Geographic, offers soft-adventure voyages on a fleet of five capable vessels (as well as several charters) that carry from 28 to 148 passengers. Forget big-ship accouterments like in-cabin TV's, casinos, and multiple bars and restaurants (though the newest ship in the fleet, National Geographic Explorer, has a decent-sized spa and alternative eatery). The ships are comfortable, and there are some great touches like the local, organic foods used in meals. But Lindblad's ships serve more as base camps for exploring the world's waters, with cruises to the Galapagos, South Pacific, Indian Ocean, Antarctica, Greenland and the Arctic Circle. Besides the obligatory Zodiacs, which are used to make landings, ships are equipped with scientific tools like hydrophones (to snoop on marine mammals), underwater cameras and video microscopes.
The line has become especially well regarded for the staff of top-flight naturalists, historians, undersea specialists and expedition leaders who accompany each of its trips. National Geographic photographers are also on every sailing onboard National Geographic Explorer and many sailings on National Geographic Endeavour, as well as on select photography expeditions across the entire fleet. As you'd expect from National Geographic, there's also a strong emphasis on leaving the smallest possible carbon footprint.
Runner Up: Hurtigruten
The Norwegian-based cruise line Hurtigruten plies the poles with 12 ships of varying sizes, including its pathfinder, 276-passenger Fram. Onboard, this ice-hardened polar expedition vessel offers some stylish twists like a minimalist Arctic-chic design (iceberg sculptures, austere destination photography) and flat-screen TV's in cabins. Don't let the trappings fool you -- these cruises are all about nature. Like other expedition vessels, Fram has its own small landing craft that take passengers to incredible seaside locations. Passengers are an international mix, and the ship, which operates in English and Norwegian, adds other languages, such as German or French, if needed.
Runner Up: Quark Expeditions
Whether you want penguins or polar bears, Quark Expeditions, which specializes in Arctic and Antarctic journeys, has something for you. Several of the line's six ships have onboard helicopters, as well as kayaking, cross-country skiing and mountaineering equipment (not to mention the ever-present Zodiacs). The line's 128-passenger expedition vessel, 50 Years of Victory, has nuclear-powered capabilities to go through 10 feet of ice and makes the voyage to the North Pole. And Quark's Antarctica trips often go longer and farther south, with more varied itineraries, than other lines. Days at sea are full of lectures and presentations from scientific experts and, on some vessels, photographers.
Best for Scenic Nature Cruises
The Line: Variety Cruises
Variety Cruises and its budget sub-brand, Zeus Casual Cruises, offer low-key cruises to the Greek Isles, the Arabian Gulf and the Red Sea. For the Greece cruises, the sailings mix in offbeat stops like Monemvassia and Spetses with traditional picks like Mykonos and Santorini. Cruises in the Arabian Gulf visit Nizwa (surrounded by a palm oasis) and other stops unheard of in the cruise world. Ships -- both the modern yachts of Variety Cruises and the more homey sailing ships of Zeus Casual Cruises -- carry fewer than 70 passengers and typically feature swimming/sports platforms with snorkeling and kayaking equipment so passengers can actually engage in the passing scenery. Runner Up: Celebrity Cruises' Xpedition
Celebrity Xpedition opened up Galapagos cruises, formerly the province of backpacking (or high-end) "adventure travelers," to passengers who want more comfortable amenities and features. Indeed, the joy of the Galapagos operation is that it combines Celebrity's stylishness and high level of service and cuisine with a local, "small ship" ambience. (The ship carries 90 passengers.) Crewmembers -- almost entirely Ecuadorian, from the captain down -- are sunny, charming and tirelessly obliging. Destination-oriented features are incorporated into the onboard experience, such as a performance of Ecuadorian folklorique, preceded by a highly personalized slideshow with pictures of passengers meeting wildlife during the course of the trip. (All are presented with a complimentary CD to take home.)
Runner Up: InnerSea Discoveries
InnerSea Discoveries, the expedition arm of American Safari Cruises, bills itself as "The UnCruise," offering active voyages to Alaska and Hawaii that are meant to appeal to people who might not normally cruise. Each of the line's three ships, holding between 60 and 76 passengers, have kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, snorkeling equipment and hot tubs onboard for relaxing after a day of hiking or paddling. The line doesn't do many typical port stops, preferring to pause in inlets and bays that offer maximum exposure to nature and wildlife.
Best Tall-Ship Cruises
The Line: Star Clippers
For the tall-ship enthusiast, there's nothing quite like sailing under a starry or sunny sky, powered by the bluster of ocean winds. If you want to enjoy the power of the breeze while exploring less-traveled ports in the Southern Caribbean, Southeast Asia and the Mediterranean, Star Clippers is tough to beat. The fleet's three vessels -- flagship 227-passenger Royal Clipper and 170-passenger twins Star Clipper and Star Flyer -- are some of the fastest clipper ships ever built. Feel the sails catch the breeze, help with the raising and trimming, or morph into a spider and climb high in the rigging. Onboard, passengers don't adhere to rigid timetables as they might on more conventional cruise ships, and the evening dress code is always elegantly casual (with the exception of themed evenings, like Pirate Night). Water sports are also a major component of each cruise, with complimentary snorkeling, kayaking, sailing and other sea-based activities offered directly from the ship. (You can also get your diving certification.)
Runner Up: Windstar
Windstar's style is what we call "luxury lite": small-ship amenities mixed with big-ship features, particularly where pricing is involved. (Drinks and fitness classes are a la carte, for example.) "Casual elegance" is the designated dress code, and that idea permeates the onboard vibe. Passengers leave ties and formalwear at home in favor of country-club casual sportswear, day and night. One of our favorite features -- available on each of Windstar's three vessels -- is the water sports platform, with its range of complimentary water sports (snorkeling, wind-sailing, paddleboating and even water-skiing). Ships include 148-passenger Wind Spirit and Wind Star, each with four masts and six sails, and larger 312-passenger schooner, Wind Surf, with a whopping five masts and seven sails.
Runner Up: Island Windjammers
Born from the ashes of the popular Windjammer Barefoot Cruises line, Island Windjammers aims to pick up where that company left off by offering small-ship cruises that are focused more on the joys of sailing than on shipboard amenities. The line has offered sailings in the Windward Islands from Grenada since 2010 on 12-passenger Diamant. It has now added 22-passenger schooner, Sagitta, which sails Leeward Island cruises out of St. Maarten. Swimsuits, cover-ups and T-shirts are typical daytime attire, and dressing for dinner usually means nothing more than putting on a clean shirt.
Best River Cruise
The Line: Uniworld
On all vessels, whether refurbished or newly built, Uniworld's signature is a daring, dynamic and colorful ambience. Public rooms and cabins are furnished in a high standard, with lush fabrics, antiques and original artwork nestled next to state-of-the-art amenities like flat-screen televisions, marble bathrooms and incredibly comfortable Savoir brand beds. Cuisine and service are on a par with those found on oceangoing luxury vessels, though as riverboats are significantly smaller, ranging in size from 60 to 206 passengers, options like alternative restaurants and entertainment venues are typically fewer in number. While big-ship pastimes -- think Broadway-style production shows and casinos -- are not offered, each evening provides diversions that range from local acts brought onboard in ports of call to bands that play for dancing. Most shore tours are included in the fares, while a handful of extra options, such as a bicycling and wine-tasting tour in the Danube's Durnstein, are available for a fee. Each ship carries a fleet of bicycles for free use by passengers.
Runner Up: AmaWaterways
AmaWaterways focuses on Europe's Rhine, Danube, Mosel and Main Rivers, but it has started to put ships in Russia, Africa, France and Vietnam, as well. The line offers ambitious regional cuisine, well-designed cabins and guided port stops (included in the fares) -- all set on some of the most modern river ships in the industry. The vessels, ranging in size from 108 to 212 passengers, boast amenities like in-cabin multifunction TV/Web setups, elevators and mechanized wheelhouses that can be lowered to transit under low-slung bridges. Daily sightseeing programs are included with each cruise, and tours include wireless audio devices so cruisers don't miss a word on history or culture. All ships offer roughly 20 bicycles that passengers can use to explore ports.
Runner Up: Viking River Cruises
Now the world's largest river cruise line, Viking River Cruises has been aggressively building its fleet, introducing its "Longships" in 2012 (with more to come in following years). Most of the vessels average around 150 passengers, and they often dock right in the heart of town, providing "walk off your ship" access to Europe. An enticing bonus is that all guided shore excursions in each port of call are included in passengers' cruise fares, as are complimentary beer and wine. Besides revamping its cabins to make them among the largest, Viking has focused on its green efforts; the Longships feature energy-efficient hybrid engines, solar panels and organic herb gardens.
Titan Travel
Enjoy small ship cruising with Titan Travel
These cruise ships hold a maximum of 446 and 348 passengers respectively, making for a unique cruise experience when compared with larger counterparts that typically have berths for several thousand people.
Combining onboard cultural and social activities with the opportunity to see a variety of unforgettable destinations, a small ship cruise from Titan Travel gives you the best of all worlds when it comes to the ultimate cruising holiday.
Titan cruise ships
The Quest for Adventure has been designed to offer a comfortable, relaxing small ship cruise experience to holidaymakers seeking to learn all about the culture, history and wildlife of the destinations they visit.
Onboard lecturers provide fascinating insights into the countries you sail to, while the included excursions help you make the most of the time spent exploring the locations these speakers talk about.
The ship's menus are shaped by the cuisine of each destination you visit, utilising locally-sourced ingredients for the freshest and most flavoursome dishes. Some of the amenities you can find on the Quest for Adventure include a library containing more than 3,000 books, as well as a freshwater pool and plenty of classes and workshops to help you learn a new skill.
You can choose from a range of cruises, which include a host of excursions and activities, with both ships and enjoy a more independent holiday than you might on a larger vessel thanks to the fact there are no tour managers onboard - just a cruise director who can provide assistance when needed.
Small ship cruise destinations
The joy of a small ship cruise is the fact you can visit ports that many larger boats cannot. Book a Quest for Adventure cruise and you are able to stay close to home with a no-fly tour of the UK's castles, or explore the lesser-known regions of Europe like the Gulf of Bothnia.
Alternatively, you could head further afield and take in the glorious sight of Canadain the autumn, or see the volcanoes and glaciers of majestic Iceland.
Titan Travel - for unforgettable small ship cruises
Book a Titan cruise on one of our small ships and not only can you enjoy an intimate holiday that puts refinement and relaxation at the forefront of your experience, but you can also benefit from our handpicked itineraries designed specifically for British travellers.
All of our packages offer great value for money thanks to the sheer number of activities and excursions that are included in the price, as well as our popular VIP Home Departure Service for travelling to and from the airport or port in style and comfort.
To find out more about Titan Travel's range of small ship cruises, contact us or request or download a brochure for all the information you need.
Travel Agents
When looking at the different facts about cruising, I saw that 90% of cruises are booked through a travel agent. I thought going to a travel agents and looking at brochures and talking to staff would be handy because they would have more information about the best small cruise lines. I looked on Google Maps at the travel agents in Leeds city centre.
Kuoni
I looked at Kuoni Travel first, and went on their website to see if they do cruises. They do, and here are the cruise lines they sell:
They have an online chat feature where you can enquire about holidays, so I did just that. Steve said he is going to email me about a holiday tailored to my requirements.
Cunard
I looked at Cunard first. This was a bit of information about the cruise line on Kuoni.
It had some information on the facilities of it:
Facilities
Then I looked on the website for it.
They only have three ships, so is relatively small. I could use illustration for mine as I don't have photographs. These aren't as big as Royal Caribbean, but they seem to be a lot more luxury than them.
Here are the destinations that they go to. Although there are only three of them, they go all over the world.
Hawaii
Transatlantic
Central America
Baltic, Scandinavia and Iceland
British Isles and North West Europe
Atlantic Isles and Canaries
Caribbean
Africa
Middle East
Far East
Australasia and Pacific Islands
This part of the home page. The colours and type do make it seem quite exclusive, so fits in with the nicheness of the brand.
You can download or request their brochures, and here is a screenshot of one of them.
They have laid out all their cruises, prices and ports of call. It has all the basic information that you would need to select a cruise that you want to go on. The price range would be based on which room you select, as there are different ranges.
I looked at the Queen Mary 2 ship.
This was a really cool feature to see what time it was on the ship, and a webcam showing you where it is exactly. This would make people excited about going on one of their cruises.
This ship only does four cruises a year. This would be ideal for my own cruise line because I want to keep it small. These are relatively short cruises, and it shows that some people go on them for a acouple of days.
I then looked at cruising from Southampton. This tells the advantages of departing from the UK.
There are three different types of destinations, nordic, med and short breaks, and these are because you can't travel from Southampton to really far away places or you will be at sea for days.
This cruise line also recommends hotels to stay in beforehand, which is a bit different. It would probably make people more inclined to book one as every aspect is taken care of then.
There are plenty of excursions on offer, and they include pyramid tours, zip lining and park trails. There are 166 excursions in Scandinavia!
There are four featured excursions in Scandinavia.
These are four featured in Australisia. They vary from wildlife, to historic to transportation, and there is something for everyone.
They also go to Central America, and here is a little bit of information about it:
Then the ports of call. It covers a wide range of countries in this area of the World.
Then the four featured excursions:
Azamara
On the Kuoni website there is a description about the Azamara cruise line.
They have two different cruise ships
Azamara Club Cruises sails to the world’s best-loved destinations as well as smaller ports not often visited by larger ships. Itineraries change annually and appeal to travellers who want to see famous destinations as well as less-travelled ports off the beaten path. With smaller ships, Azamara often docks within walking distance of restaurants and nightlife, and can sail up rivers and narrow waterways that large cruise lines can’t navigate. It’s all part of the rich destination experience that sets Azamara apart from other cruise lines.
Read more about our boutique cruise ships below
They cruise all around the world, but I looked at Med cruises. It only goes to four places in the Med which I thought was unusual as there is so much to see, but I suppose with it being a small cruise line it can't go everywhere. It says on the ship there is five star food and service, as well as spas and cocktails. This shows quite a posh range of activities, showing who the cruise is aimed at.
Mediterranean Cruises
Azamara’s Mediterranean cruises give you access to a world of cultural discovery. As the ship descends upon the vibrant shores, passengers can ease into their adventure in decadence and style. No Mediterranean adventure would be complete without destination inspired culinary indulgences drawn heavily from the fragrant Spice Bazaar in Istanbul, to the hedonistic port of Barcelona – offering passengers only the finest cuisine and five star service. Feast in any of our fine onboard restaurants or treat yourself to a full spa treatment, world class cocktail lounges. The options are virtually endless.
Your Mediterranean Cruise
Prepare for a whirlwind of sights and sounds as you explore ancient cultural sites. Follow paths once used by warriors as you explore the origins of classical civilization.
Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul boasts a rich cultural history that’s on display at every turn. Explore the exotic world of bustling bazaars and local markets. Discover the charm of old world city where ancient architecture and incredible shopping opportunities abound.
Seville, Spain
Wonder down the narrow, medieval streets of this vibrant and historical Andalusian capital. Rich in culture, the city is the birthplace of Spain's two distinctive trademarks; Flamenco and bullfighting. Not to mention Europe's biggest Semana Santa festival, bringing extravagance and excitement during the Easter period.
Itea, Greece
The small seaside city of Itea boasts magnificent views of Parnassus as well as the Peloponnese Peninsula. A cultural hub, this popular location decorated with many taverns, bars and hidden paths that lead visitors to authentic Greek must-sees.
Barcelona, Spain
From the moment you set foot on its cobbled streets, Barcelona will charm and astound you. The city is a cultural melting pot. Experience its architecture, plazas and people at your leisure.
With each Mediterranean cruise holiday, there are a number of ports and cities that stop along the coast, a chance to explore the destination highlights with Land Discoveries, arrange pre and post hotel stays and attend key events at your destination.
With each Mediterranean cruise holiday, there are a number of ports and cities that stop along the coast, a chance to explore the destination highlights with Land Discoveries, arrange pre and post hotel stays and attend key events at your destination.
Our Mediterranean Cruises Experience
With only 700 passengers on board each one of Azamara’s Mediterranean cruises, you can expect warm, efficient service from the moment you step aboard. Our unrivalled attention to detail ensures that you travel in ultimate comfort while taking in the splendour of both the ship and its destinations.
Experience the best of the Med this season; book your Mediterranean cruise holiday today.
Experience the best of the Med this season; book your Mediterranean cruise holiday today.
Discover where else Azamara can take you...
I then looked at Crystal Cruises, and the places it visits.
These are all the destinations that it goes to.
You can search for a cruise easily, like you do on a plane website. You choose where you're interested in going and when you want to go.
I did a random search, and there was a lot of cruises I could go on.
I chose to look at the one which had Park Guell in the thumbnail as I love Barcelona. In the description it tells you a couple of highlights you can go to. These would be important to the viewer because excursions are a main part of the holiday.
What is interesting is that you can open up information about the city.
This is what it said about Barcelona:
Barcelona, capital of Catalonia, is a celebration of history and heir to Greek, Phoenician, Roman, Carthaginian, Gothic and Arab cultural legacies. Since it is nearly as close to Rome, Geneva and Munich as it is to Madrid, Barcelona has long been the Spanish link to Western Europe. It was the home of Picasso, Miró, Dali, Casals and Gaudí and has been described as a Mediterranean Manhattan, a cosmopolitan experimental center for political ideas and artistic movements. In addition to its abundance of artistic and architectural treasures, Barcelona serves as the gateway to one of the world's most impressive mountainside enclaves at Montserrat. Discover the secret legends of the Black Virgin and the alluring chants of monastic life high atop the Catalonian plains. Barcelona's ancient city walls and the narrow crooked streets of the town's old section are laid out for your discovery. You will find that Barcelona has something for everybody.
It gives the highlights of Barcelona, and where it is geographically. It tells you some of the highlights such as Montserrat, Gaudis' architecture and the old city walls.
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