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A barbecue feast awaited us, along with beach loungers, steel-drum entertainment, and all the paddles and water toys from the ship. Later, we wandered down the beach to find a young yacht crowd, groups of friends who have rented their boats, all knee-deep in their mojitos. After departing from San Juan, the Sakara reached the Puerto Rican island of Culebra in a few hours, just 20 miles off the coast.
Seabourn Ovation
However, L'Austral (with sister ships Le Boreal, Le Soleal and Le Lyrial) is my favorite ship in the fleet. People often ask me which are the best small ship cruises, and that question is difficult to answer. “I get a real kick out of driving the Emerald Sakara into St. Barths, muscling in and anchoring next to all the other superyachts,” O’Leary said. “It looks good in the pictures.” A stop there brought a snorkeling excursion, a bit of high-end shopping and a few rosé-soaked hours on Plage de Saline. “I hope you enjoyed Culebra today because it’s quite hard to get in, through a very narrow channel,” O’Leary said at a supper-hour briefing. Seabourn Sojourn enchants her guests with an array of public areas scaled to encourage a relaxed sociability.
No. 1: SeaDream II
See all of our readers' favorite hotels, cities, airlines, cruise lines, and more in the World's Best Awards for 2021. The ship is equipped for scientific inquiry with a remote-controlled underwater robot, baited underwater camera and a FerryBox system for collecting water samples, which you can view under a microscope in the ship's science lab. Weather balloons are released on every cruise to capture info on temperature, humidity and wind speed. SH Vega cruises the Arctic region (visiting Greenland, Iceland and northern Canada), South America, the coast of Africa (including South Africa, Namibia and Angola) and the Antarctic Peninsula.
The Best Luxury & Small Ship Cruise Lines in 2024
For others, it’s a place where solitude and personal journeys are encouraged and respected. And for travelers who are suffering from “cruise fatigue,” small ship cruising provides an opportunity to cruise with a different perspective. If you’ve been feeling that ocean cruises have become old hat, small ship cruising will change all that. Although there isn’t a huge number of new small ships being introduced, there are a few notable vessels that have either recently launched or are launching this year with a focus on the idea that smaller is not just better, but more sustainable, too. These new small-ship cruises bring with them some exciting and more immersive new itineraries to destinations both warm and wintry that have us ready to pack our bags and sail away. Small ships range from megayachts and sailing vessels of less than 5,000 tons to ships of about 25,000 tons.
The line's 148- to 342-passenger sailing ships and 312-passenger, all-suite motor yachts received praise from voters. "It was great to be on such a small ship with a high ratio of staff to guests," said a reader who sailed on the 312-passenger Star Legend. At least, that’s the story with this year’s voting, which gave smaller vessels some of the highest scores in any category in the 2020 World’s Best Awards.
This intimacy provides you with the luxuries of time, space, and freedom to immerse yourself in both the journey and the destination - in ways you may never have imagined possible. Viking also is going small and upscale with a new cruise vessel for the Mekong River in Southeast Asia. They also are vessels specifically designed to visit some of the world's most alluring destinations, from the ancient temples along the Nile River in Egypt to the wildlife-filled reserves along the coast of Ecuador — and to do it in style.
Exquisite onboard menus have been designed by acclaimed chefs from Michelin-starred restaurants. Oceania Cruises has just seven ships, but the debut of the brand-new Oceania Vista catapults this cruise line into the luxury division. The cruise line's relatively new Go Local shore excursions for small groups bring travelers to under-the-radar destinations, T+L contributing editor and long-time cruiser Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon reported recently. Her 2022 cruise on Riviera included 70 excursions "from canoeing Croatia’s Cetina River to cooking classes in Athens." This line doesn’t just offer itineraries aboard luxury small cruise ships — you get to vacation aboard a true yacht.
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With their unmatched sense of style, elegance and grace, Seabourn luxury cruise ships beckon you to travel beyond the bounds of the imagination. On board Seabourn, every desire is met promptly and with a welcoming smile. French luxury cruise line Ponant aims to make passengers feel as if they're traveling on their own private yachts. Guests enjoy Ladurée macarons, Veuve Clicquot Champagne, and luxurious Hermès bath products on board. Each of the company's ships features an onboard spa with massage cabins and either a Turkish bath or sauna. Ponant's luxurious small ships sail to remote destinations like Antarctica, incorporating once-in-a-lifetime experiences such as eclipse spotting from the edge of the earth.
Our online travel advisors would love to pair you with the perfect ship. Just get in touch with our local Southern Travel Agency travel agents near you or our online experts for a free travel consultation. Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion. These luxurious suites could be just the kind of experience you're looking for. Beyond your cabin you can partake in live entertainment and enriching conversations around art, history, science and the like, along with gourmet dining paired with complimentary fine wines at lunch and dinner.
Having embarked on more than 75 sailings, including 2 world cruises, it’s fair to say that Danielle knows a thing or two about cruising. In the 2023 voting, readers gave high marks to established brands that have reinvigorated their offerings. Consider No. 2 Windstar Cruises, which recently rebuilt three of its small ships at an investment of $250 million, adding more suites, improved culinary options, and enhanced spa facilities to each. “I'm never going to be able to get on another cruise line,” said one convert, who traveled on Star Legend. This year’s winner, Quasar Expeditions, is another line known for its South American cruises. Find out what else sets it apart — and the full list of the best small-ship ocean cruise lines — below.
The 9 best luxury cruise lines for elegance and exclusivity - The Points Guy
The 9 best luxury cruise lines for elegance and exclusivity.
Posted: Wed, 10 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Destinations run the gamut from the near tropics to the Mediterranean to the Red Sea, plus transatlantic Grand Journeys. River cruise giant Viking is calling its new river ship the most upscale cruise vessel on the Nile, and from what we've seen of it so far, it's a boast that's hard to dispute. Designed to hold just 82 passengers, Viking Osiris features an entire deck of sprawling suites with two full-size rooms apiece; two suites even have stunning glass walls that wrap around the front of the vessel. Welcoming a maximum of 228 passengers, the ‘six star’ yachts are all about embracing the finer side of life, with all-inclusive dining, drinks and wellness treatments, together with butler service for all guests.
The expansive Observation Lounge takes up most of Deck 7 and is the spot for expedition lectures. Thirteen Zodiacs and eight kayaks take guests on water adventures and ashore. When the weather's good, skip the main restaurant and eat at the buffet, which is set up at the back of Deck 7, adjacent to the attractive (and heated) infinity swimming pool. Seabourn's large expedition team leads daily complimentary excursions, such as Zodiac sightseeing tours, shore walks, hikes, snorkeling and kayak outings.
Even the biggest of the three vessels carries just 82 passengers — less than 2% of the number that can fit on Wonder of the Seas. Or, to put another way, the total passenger count of all three of these ships wouldn't even fill half of one of Wonder of the Seas' lifeboats. But there have been a lot of wonderful small cruise vessels debuting, too, including some so small that they sometimes aren't even mentioned at cruising sites. We were told by one of the other passengers that Ponant had the better food.
Near the well-stocked library is the Expedition Study, where the 20-member expedition team is accessible for questions. Outdoor deck space includes the forward-facing bow area with an outdoor hot tub. For dining, there are four main restaurants, including an Italian and a French-inspired venue.
Jason Leppert is a San Diego-based cruising expert with more than 140 sailings under his belt and a fresh, millennial perspective on the industry. He is the founding editor of Popular Cruising, producer of the successful Popular Cruising YouTube channel and Cruise Editor for TravelAge West. The best cruise lines for small ships, according to Travel + Leisure readers, are the ones that develop a sense of camaraderie onboard.
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