If you're over the big ships but you don't have yacht money, there's a whole category in between, and most people have never heard of it. It's called small ship cruising.
I hear some version of this on discovery calls all the time: "We've done Royal Caribbean. We're done with 5,000 people and a waterslide. But we're not chartering a yacht, either." And then, usually: "So we figured a river cruise?"
Maybe. But a small ship might be what you actually want. They're different trips, they go to different places, and they suit different people. Here's how to tell which one is you.
So what is a small ship?
Think of three sizes:
Big ships (Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity): thousands of passengers, a floating resort, the ship is the destination.
River ships: usually under 200 passengers, long and low so they fit under bridges, and they sail inland on rivers.
Small ships: roughly a hundred to a few hundred passengers, built for the open sea, and they sail the coast.
A small ship is still small. You'll learn the bartender's name, there's no line for the buffet, and nobody's fighting for a pool lounger at 7 a.m. But it's not river small, and it doesn't stay inland. It goes where the big ships can't fit, into the smaller harbors and island ports, and it gets you there by sea.
Where small ships go
This is the biggest difference. A river cruise takes you through the middle of Europe: vineyards, villages, castles. A small ship takes you along the edges, island to island and harbor to harbor.
Most of my small-ship clients end up somewhere in here:
The Greek islands and the Turkish coast
The Adriatic: Croatia, Montenegro, the Dalmatian coast
Italy's coastline and islands
Spain, the south of France, and Portugal
Sometimes a stop in Morocco or North Africa
You'll usually start and end in a city: Venice, Athens, Dubrovnik, Lisbon, Málaga. That's a different vibe from a river cruise from the start. You get a few nights in a big, beautiful city on either end, and swim stops and sea views in the middle.
The brands to know
Most people don't even know where to start looking, because these lines don't run Super Bowl ads. These are the ones I book and talk about most:
Emerald Yacht Cruises: yes, the same Emerald from the river. If you've sailed their river ships and loved them, this is a natural next step.
Scenic's discovery yachts: also a river cruise name, taken to sea. Polished and very inclusive.
The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection: exactly what it sounds like. The hotel feel, on the water.
Silversea: small, elegant ships with a long history of going to the out-of-the-way ports.
Seabourn: intimate, ultra-polished, and very good at the little details.
They're not the same price, and they're not the same vibe. That's where I come in.
Watch the excursions
Excursions matter more than people think. On most river cruises the tours are built into the fare. On a lot of small ships, they're not, so compare what's included, not just the price per night.
How I can tell on a discovery call
Nobody calls me asking for a small ship. They call asking for a river cruise, or "something in Europe that isn't a big ship."
So I start talking through it: the time of year, where they'd sail, what the days look like. And I watch. When I mention the Danube and Vienna, some people nod politely. When I mention a swim stop off a Greek island, or waking up in Dubrovnik, or lunch on the water in Portofino, some people light up.
That's the pivot. Not because a small ship is better, but because that's the trip they were actually describing the whole time.
And sometimes it's the other way around. Someone comes in sure they want the Greek islands, and what they really want is small towns, wine, and not having to think. That's a river cruise.
Not sure which one you are?
Take my five-question quiz, Are You River Cruise Ready?. Mostly B's means a small ship is probably your trip.
If you're leaning river, my free river cruise comparison guide puts 10 lines side by side. If you're leaning coast, that's a conversation, because the small ship lines vary even more than the river ones.
Book a Discovery Call and I'll tell you which one lights you up. Usually before you say it out loud.