10 Things To Expect On Small Ship Cruises

10 Things to Expect on Small Ship Cruises

By Heidi Sarna.

Small ship cruises have big advantages and that’s why we and lots of other people love them. But for small-ship newbies who aren’t sure what to expect, here are 10 things to expect on small ship cruises.

It’s easy to make friends on an intimate small ship. * Photo: Heidi Sarna

1. Expect to mingle with the other passengers.

Small ships are intimate and naturally more social than big ships.

There are only so many places to go on a small ship, so unless you hole up in your cabin, you’ll be in fairly close confines with your shipmates. Dining is usually at communal tables, where you’ll be seated with strangers (who if all goes well will become friends).

If you’re on board with it, small-ship togetherness can be a wonderful thing.

Exceptions: The larger 200- to 300-passenger ships in QuirkyCruise.com’s Oceangoing category

A cozy cabin aboard the Juno canal boat in Sweden. * Photo: Heidi Sarna

2. Expect tighter quarters and low ceilings.

Small ships are small, and that’s a BIG part of their appeal.

You won’t find soaring atria and multi-level shows lounges on small ships, because, well, they’re small and that’s the whole point. In some cases, if you’re tall, you may have to duck your head in stairwells and doorways, and may come close to grazing the ceiling in some cabins and public rooms.

Exceptions: The larger ships in QuirkyCruise.com’s Oceangoing category

Local belly dancer brought on board for a performance in Kusadasi, Turkey. * Photo: Heidi Sarna

3. Expect basic entertainment, if any.

On a small-ship cruise, the main show is the destination.

After dinner there may be a local folkloric show (puppetry in Myanmar or swirling dervishes in the Med or story tellers on the Mississippi), and a night or two the crew may lead silly passenger contests and talent shows. The big act is the destination and mingling with the other passengers and the crew.

Exceptions: The larger small ships in QuirkyCruise.com’s Oceangoing section will have small-scale cabaret acts and mini casinos

4. Expect some of your fellow small-ship cruise mates to speak a different language than you do.

Small-ship cruises can be a floating United Nations.

Small-ship cruises tend to attract an international mix of folks from North America, Europe and everywhere else, and so commonly lectures and announcements will be made in multiple languages if there are a fair number of people whose first language isn’t English.

Exceptions: River cruises in the US and American-focused lines like Victoria Cruises in China

A medley of local vegetables in Myanmar on a Pandaw river cruise. * Photo: Heidi Sarna

5. Expect food and drinks to reflect the local cuisine.

Cloudberries in Sweden, tealeaf tempura in Myanmar, lager in Germany…

There will always be a nod to continental tastes to appeal to a broad passenger mix, but overall dining on small-ship cruises, unlike the biggies, means enjoying the flavors of the region you’re cruising in.

Exceptions: The galleys on larger ocean-going ships are often not as adventurous as those on the smallest river and canal boats.

Delicious local fare presented in a simple buffet spread. * Photo: Heidi

6. Expect fewer options at mealtime compared to a giant ship.

There may be less choice, but food will be tasty, fresh and not mass produced.

There may be a breakfast and lunch buffet, or a combination of buffet and ala carte items, and usually dinner is served by waiters; on the smallest ships, there may one or two options for dinner (typically with accommodations made for vegetarians and other dietary issues).

Exceptions: The larger the ship, the more choices as the galleys are larger and there is more staff — check out the ships in QuirkyCruise.com’s Oceangoing section.

7. Expect to pay more than you would for a mainstream cruise.

Not always, but often small-ship cruises cost more because you’re getting a BIG experience.

Cruise lines with fewer ships that carry fewer passengers don’t have the economies of scale the big guys do. Further, when they’re cruising in super exotic locales like the Poles, French Polynesia, the Galapagos and Japan, there are more onboard experts, equipment and other extras that are naturally passed on to consumers.

Exceptions: Weeklong small-ship Caribbean cruises and some Asian river cruises tend to be quite affordable.

Excursions on small-ship cruises may entail using local boats. * Photo: Heidi Sarna

8. Expect steep stairs, climbing in and out of small boats, and scrambling up/down dirt embankments to get on and off the ship in some ports.

Getting your feet wet and your hands dirty is part of the experience.

Adventurous by nature, many small-ship cruises take you into remote places where there may not be docks or piers. River cruises in Southeast Asia, for example, often tie up to a tree stump and throw out a narrow gangway for passengers to use to go ashore.

Exceptions: The mainstream European riverboats and the oceangoing ships are the best small-ship options for folks with mobility problems.

Walking tour around the ancient Viking burial mounds in Birka, Sweden. * Photo: Heidi Sarna

9. Expect shore excursions to be culturally rewarding.

Exotic culture, pristine nature and simple beauty don’t need to be dressed up with gimmicks.

Visiting remote villages in Cambodia or castle ruins in Germany or a nesting site for exotic birds in the Galapagos are par for the course on small-ship cruises; wonderful excursions, but the not the adrenaline rush you might get from zip lining or a Harley Davidson riding excursion offered by mega ships.

Exceptions: Small ships in QuirkyCruise.com’s Sailing and Oceangoing categories that have watersports marinas offer heart-thumping water-skiing and banana boat rides.

The more exotic small-ship cruises require multiple flight legs. * Photo: Heidi Sarna

10. Expect long, complex and/or pricey flights to get to where the cruise starts.

Getting to some of the world’s most fabulous places takes a bit of effort.

For instance, small-ship cruises in Antarctica require flying to Buenos Aires and then to Ushuaia, Argentina; for a Galapagos cruise, you must fly to Quito, Ecuador, and then to the islands; for a river cruise on Myanmar’s Irrawaddy or the Mekong between Cambodia and Vietnam, you must first fly to a major gateway like Singapore or Bangkok, and then another flight or two to via a local airline to get to the cruise embarkation port. All this flying takes time and costs a small fortune, but it’s worth it, trust me.

Exceptions: Small-ship cruises from major islands in the Caribbean (St. Thomas or Puerto Rico) or major European cities (Munich or Paris).