If you’re considering heading out on a cruise, you might be stuck debating whether a small ship cruise is worth it over a large, ocean cruise. And while both have their pros and cons, unless you want to be stuck out in the open water for days, a small ship cruise is probably the better pick for you. To add to this, large cruises will test your patience when it comes to finding available staff, which will definitely have a massive impact on how much you enjoy the whole trip.
That being said, small ship cruises and specially tailored charter cruises tend to offer an experience that you’ll absolutely love and enjoy every moment on board. Not only do you get to enjoy destinations that you just can’t reach with a large cruise ship, but you also have a few other important advantages, so let’s consider them.
The Tailored Experience is Unparalleled
This is arguably the most important advantage of a small ship cruise. Considering nothing is prepared on a large scale, and you don’t have things like cooking for hundreds of people all at once, it’s a lot easier for things to be adjusted to your needs or desires.
And yes, the menu is the first thing that springs to mind, but there’s a lot more to it than just the menu. You can ask for them to adjust any activities both onboard and on the shore. If you’re out with a group and would rather prefer doing something different, the staff usually doesn’t mind accommodating you.
You’ll Love the Staff-to-Guest Ratio
While we’re talking about things the staff can do for you, the staff to guest ratio is a thing we absolutely must bring up. There’s often a staff member for every passenger on board, which means that you can always find a staff member to assist you. Compared to a large cruise ship, you’ll get whatever you need a lot more quickly.
To add to this, it’s not just the fact that you can find a staff member close by, but also the fact that the staff doesn’t have five to ten guests to tend to before they can come and pay attention to you. These things actually go a long way towards making you feel like you’re on a cruise all by yourself, and everything is just for you.
There is Always an Activity for You
With a small cruise ship, you usually visit destinations that are rather close to one another. The main benefit of this is the fact that instead of spending days getting from one port to another, you’re there within a few hours. This includes things like port cities, shore activities like wildlife reserves, and everything else the cruise organizers have in store for you.
Also, while small cruise ships might look like they aren’t well prepared, you’d be surprised at the number of things you can do onboard in the couple of hours you have available, from enjoying solo in a spa to grabbing dinner with some of the other passengers. It’s completely up to you.
Everything is Within Arms’ Reach
The size of the actual ship does play a big role because you don’t have to spend half an hour getting from one end of the ship to the other just to grab dinner. To add to this, the ship itself can get to a lot more places. You want to get close to the stunning limestone karsts you’ll find scattered around countries like Indonesia? Do you want to enjoy the beauties of the Mekong River up close? That’s only possible on a small cruise ship.
This is an honestly underestimated aspect of small cruise ships because they can really get anywhere, even when it seems like nothing but a sailboat can fit. And this is especially important when you’re trying to get to exotic beaches and destinations, where that accessibility is crucial.
You Always Get a Great Room
This actually addresses one of the biggest shortcomings of large cruise ships, and that’s the fact that finding a good room with a view, where everything is within reach, is almost impossible unless you book months in advance. To add to this, even if you do find such a room, chances are you’ll need to pay a hefty premium just to get it, and it still doesn’t answer the question of distance from things like the restaurant, or spa, or pool.
To further sweeten the pot, there is always a suitable room available on a small cruise ship. Whether you want a room that’s going to fit you as a solo traveler, or one that has enough beds and comfort for your entire family, you’ll find a suitable choice very quickly.
When you take everything into consideration, you can easily conclude that cruising on a small ship, especially on a private charter cruise, is an experience you definitely need at some point in your life.
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