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Small ship cruises are perfect for those looking to see destinations off the beaten track in unrivaled luxury. See below to learn about the small cruise ships on offer and the destinations they sail to. See all our small ship cruise deals below and give one of our Cruise Experts a call on 0800 197 8050 today to begin your dream holiday.
With modern cruise ships getting bigger and bigger it can be hard to define what a “small cruise ship” is. Nowadays any vessel under 2000 passengers is agreed to be classified as a small ship and these come in a variety of shapes and sizes. From wind-powered tall ships and intimate yachts to older, more classic ships with a more traditional feel, there’s sure to be a small cruise ship experience for everyone’s bucket list and budget.
There are many positives to a cruise on a smaller ship rather than on one of the famous large ships dominating the world of ocean-going holidays, making it well worth a try if looking for something different or not sure if typical cruises are for you in the first place.
Well known for their modern, intimate ships with destination-focussed experiences.
Not a typical small ship cruise line, Celebrity does have a small fleet of luxury, eco-friendly ships circumnavigating the Galapagos Islands.
Popular for cruises around the Greek Isles and Eastern Mediterranean.
Crystal’s philosophy is sophistication and luxury meet adventure.
Part of the MSC Cruises family, Explora Journeys’ fleet of intimate ships is like a boutique hotel in a different place every day.
Traditional yet laid back, with a less crowded atmosphere than cruise lines of a similar style.
Expedition specialists to the Norwegian Fjords, Iceland and Greenland, and both Arctic and Antarctic adventures on their working ships.
Celebrated for their fine dining and immersive destination experiences.
Luxurious French yachts particularly popular for Indian Ocean expeditions.
Ultra-luxury, all-inclusive small ship option.
With a guest to staff ratio of 1:1, Seabourn offer luxurious service like few other cruise lines can.
As a cosy home away from home on exotic adventures, Silversea is a great all rounder for a small ship cruise experience.
Small cruise ships unlock a whole new world of new destinations as they can physically get into shallower coves, lagoons and harbours, and even through narrower fjords and canals, other ships just can’t reach. Even if you’ve already been to Alaska, the Norwegian Fjords or the Greek Isles, it’s a completely different experience and itinerary of ports on a small ship - as well as more opportunities to stay in port overnight and get to further delve into the local sights and culture.
Here are our top spots on a small cruise ship:
Sail through Alaska’s Inside Passage’s National Parks’ inlets and fjords and right up close to the mighty glaciers before stopping off at Indigenous settlements and small finishing villages way off the beaten track for a true insight into life in the Last Frontier.
Sailing through the tiny uncountable Greek islands it’s easy to understand how Odysseus got so lost. Stop off at sleepy fishing towns and ancient ruins, many just a quick walk or boat ride from your ship’s port of call if not already greeting you right as you step off the gangway.
Get a true taste of Caribbean island life away from the crowds and noise of the world’s most popular cruise destination. Explore pristine beaches and meet friendly locals by day before heading out for some authentic food and drinks unique to each stop by night.
Think you know the coastlines around Britain and Ireland? Think again as a small ship takes you right up to the mighty cliffs of Dover, out to the Isles of Scilly, deep into Scotland’s Hebrides and inlets acting as a gateway to the Highlands and coastal villages you may never have heard of but instantly fall in love with. Often departing from lesser-visited regional ports as well as Southampton, small ships also act as a great key to unlock the classic cities of Edinburgh, London and Dublin as they dock closer to the city centres than large ships which require transfers into town from where they have to dock.
A cruise on a small ship is also a great way to uncover the natural wonders of the Norwegian Fjords, Iceland and Greenland. Here Hurtigruten’s working ships are the perfect way to take in the stunning scenery and immerse yourself in local life.
For the Galapagos Islands, Celebrity Cruises’ eco-friendly, super-modern yacht Celebrity Flora is a gamechanger, complete with onboard naturalist experts, plus zodiacs and kayaks to get right up close and learn about all the uniquely fascinating flora and fungi.
Meanwhile, Ponant are specialists of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, from Madagascar and the Maldives to Micronesia and French Polynesia’s gorgeous blue lagoons and atoll beaches.
Finally, for Croatia APT Cruising’s MV Lady Eleganza or Emerald Yacht Cruises to take in all the myriad of tiny islands along the Dalmatian Coast is comfort and style, from Zadar and Split to Dubrovnik and everything in between.
If the ultra-luxury and yacht experiences are not for you, there are plenty of other options to enjoy some of the benefits of small ships cruising:
Luxury
Silver Moon 15 May 2025 7 nights
Itinerary: Seward - Juneau - Skagway - Sitka - Ketchikan - Vancouver
Cruise Only from
Includes extra savings of up to £280pp
Luxury
Seabourn Ovation 15 May 2025 10 nights
Itinerary: Rome - Amalfi - Lipari Islands - Mgarr (Victoria) - Malta - Sicily - La Goulette - Roses - Barcelona
Fly Cruise from
Includes extra savings of up to £310pp
Luxury
Seabourn Ovation 15 May 2025 20 nights
Itinerary: Rome - Amalfi - Lipari Islands - Mgarr (Victoria) - Malta - Sicily - La Goulette - Roses - Barcelona - Port Vendres...
Fly Cruise from
Includes extra savings of up to £515pp
EXPLORA I 15 May 2025 9 nights
Itinerary: Venice (Fusina) - Rovinj - Ancona - Bari - Kotor - Chania - Marmaris - Samos - Athens
Cruise Only from
Includes extra savings of up to £467pp
EXPLORA I 15 May 2025 16 nights
Itinerary: Venice (Fusina) - Rovinj - Ancona - Bari - Kotor - Chania - Marmaris - Samos - Athens - Mykonos...
Cruise Only from
Includes extra savings of up to £851pp
Luxury
Seabourn Ovation 15 May 2025 30 nights
Itinerary: Rome - Amalfi - Lipari Islands - Mgarr (Victoria) - Malta - Sicily - La Goulette - Roses - Barcelona - Port Vendres...
Call us now on 0800 197 8050
Luxury
Seven Seas Voyager 16 May 2025 19 nights
Itinerary: Dubai - Khasab - Mahe - Nosy Be - Mayotte - Maputo - Durban - Port Elizabeth (Now Gqeberha) - Cape Town
Cruise Only from
Includes extra savings of up to £562pp
Luxury
Silver Spirit 17 May 2025 10 nights
Itinerary: Rome - Florence/Pisa - Marseille - Barcelona - Valencia - Cartagena - Malaga - Lisbon
Cruise Only from
Includes extra savings of up to £298pp
Luxury
Azamara Pursuit 18 May 2025 14 nights
Itinerary: Kobe - Taipei - Hong Kong - Chan May - Ho Chi Minh City - Singapore
Call us now on 0800 197 8050
Luxury
Azamara Journey 20 May 2025 12 nights
Itinerary: Rome - Florence/Pisa - Portovenere - Bastia - Nice (Villefranche) - Barcelona - Malaga - Gibraltar - Portimao - Lisbon
Cruise Only from
Luxury
Seven Seas Explorer 14 May 2025 7 nights
Itinerary: Vancouver - Klawock - Juneau - Skagway - Hoonah - Whittier
Cruise Only from
Includes extra savings of up to £315pp
Luxury
Seven Seas Mariner 14 May 2025 23 nights
Itinerary: Tokyo - Hitachinaka - Miyako - Hakodate - Muroran - Kodiak - Seward - Sitka - Klawock - Vancouver...
Cruise Only from
Includes extra savings of up to £680pp
Luxury
Silver Moon 15 May 2025 7 nights
Itinerary: Seward - Juneau - Skagway - Sitka - Ketchikan - Vancouver
Cruise Only from
Includes extra savings of up to £280pp
Luxury
Silver Nova 15 May 2025 7 nights
Itinerary: Seward - Juneau - Haines - Sitka - Klawock - Vancouver
Cruise Only from
Includes extra savings of up to £328pp
Luxury
Seabourn Quest 16 May 2025 7 nights
Itinerary: Vancouver - Ketchikan - Sitka - Glacier Bay - Inian Island - Icy Strait Point - Haines - Juneau
Cruise Only from
Includes extra savings of up to £115pp
Luxury
Seabourn Quest 16 May 2025 14 nights
Itinerary: Vancouver - Ketchikan - Sitka - Glacier Bay - Inian Island - Icy Strait Point - Haines - Juneau - Glacier Bay - Wrangell...
Cruise Only from
Includes extra savings of up to £205pp
Luxury
Riviera 21 May 2025 8 nights
Itinerary: Anchorage - Icy Strait Point - Skagway - Juneau - Ketchikan - Prince Rupert - Vancouver
Cruise Only from
Includes extra savings of up to £240pp
Luxury
Seven Seas Explorer 21 May 2025 7 nights
Itinerary: Whittier - Sitka - Skagway - Juneau - Ketchikan - Vancouver
Cruise Only from
Includes extra savings of up to £330pp
Luxury
Silver Nova 22 May 2025 7 nights
Itinerary: Vancouver - Ketchikan - Icy Strait Point - Skagway - Valdez - Seward
Cruise Only from
Includes extra savings of up to £353pp
Luxury
Silver Nova 22 May 2025 14 nights
Itinerary: Vancouver - Ketchikan - Icy Strait Point - Skagway - Valdez - Seward - Juneau - Haines - Sitka - Klawock...
Fly Cruise from
Includes extra savings of up to £710pp
Celestyal Journey 17 May 2025 7 nights
Itinerary: Athens - Thessaloniki - Kusadasi - Crete - Santorini - Mykonos - Milos - Athens
Cruise Only from
Celestyal Journey 20 May 2025 7 nights
Itinerary: Crete - Santorini - Mykonos - Milos - Athens - Thessaloniki - Kusadasi - Crete
Call us now on 0800 197 8050
Celestyal Journey 24 May 2025 7 nights
Itinerary: Athens - Thessaloniki - Kusadasi - Crete - Santorini - Mykonos - Milos - Athens
Cruise Only from
EXPLORA I 24 May 2025 7 nights
Itinerary: Athens - Mykonos - Patmos - Volos - Thessaloniki - Kavala - Istanbul
Cruise Only from
Includes extra savings of up to £431pp
EXPLORA I 24 May 2025 14 nights
Itinerary: Athens - Mykonos - Patmos - Volos - Thessaloniki - Kavala - Istanbul - Syros - Bodrum - Rhodes...
Cruise Only from
Includes extra savings of up to £801pp
EXPLORA I 24 May 2025 21 nights
Itinerary: Athens - Mykonos - Patmos - Volos - Thessaloniki - Kavala - Istanbul - Syros - Bodrum - Rhodes...
Cruise Only from
Includes extra savings of up to £1,127pp
Luxury
Silver Whisper 25 May 2025 6 nights
Itinerary: Athens - Amorgos - Rhodes - Patmos - Kusadasi - Mykonos - Athens
Call us now on 0800 197 8050
Celestyal Journey 27 May 2025 7 nights
Itinerary: Crete - Santorini - Mykonos - Milos - Athens - Thessaloniki - Kusadasi - Crete
Call us now on 0800 197 8050
Luxury
Silver Whisper 31 May 2025 7 nights
Itinerary: Athens - Santorini - Bodrum - Patmos - Syros - Milos - Rethymnon - Athens
Cruise Only from
Includes extra savings of up to £410pp
Celestyal Journey 31 May 2025 7 nights
Itinerary: Athens - Thessaloniki - Kusadasi - Crete - Santorini - Mykonos - Milos - Athens
Cruise Only from
Luxury
Insignia 28 May 2025 57 nights
Itinerary: Auckland - Bay of Islands - Noumea - Mystery Island - Port Vila - Espiritu Santo - Lautoka - Suva - Apia - Pago Pago...
Call us now on 0800 197 8050
Luxury
Insignia 16 June 2025 37 nights
Itinerary: Papeete - Moorea - Fakarava - Nuku Hiva - Honolulu - Hilo - San Diego - Cabo San Lucas - Zihuatanejo - Puerto Quetzal...
Cruise Only from
Includes extra savings of up to £416pp
Luxury
Seven Seas Mariner 24 June 2025 16 nights
Itinerary: Miami - Oranjestad - Willemstad - Bonaire - St Georges - Castries - Gustavia - San Juan - Bermuda - New York
Call us now on 0800 197 8050
Luxury
Insignia 03 July 2025 20 nights
Itinerary: San Diego - Cabo San Lucas - Zihuatanejo - Puerto Quetzal - Corinto - Puntarenas - Cartagena - George Town - Miami - Port Canaveral...
Cruise Only from
Includes extra savings of up to £584pp
Luxury
Marina 04 October 2025 56 nights
Itinerary: Rome - Salerno - Palermo - Malta - Crete - Marmaris - Antalya - Kos - Santorini - Izmir...
Cruise Only from
Includes extra savings of up to £1,273pp
Luxury
Azamara Quest 17 October 2025 14 nights
Itinerary: Montreal - Quebec City - Sydney - Halifax - Boston - Newport - New York - Norfolk - Charleston - Miami
Cruise Only from
Luxury
Insignia 27 October 2025 16 nights
Itinerary: Boston - Newport - Bermuda - St Georges - Gustavia - St John's - Castries - Barbados - St Georges - Bonaire...
Cruise Only from
Includes extra savings of up to £340pp
EXPLORA I 27 October 2025 13 nights
Itinerary: Barcelona - Cadiz - Funchal - St John's - Roadtown - San Juan
Cruise Only from
Includes extra savings of up to £465pp
EXPLORA I 27 October 2025 16 nights
Itinerary: Barcelona - Cadiz - Funchal - St John's - Roadtown - San Juan - Miami
Cruise Only from
Includes extra savings of up to £503pp
EXPLORA I 27 October 2025 24 nights
Itinerary: Barcelona - Cadiz - Funchal - St John's - Roadtown - San Juan - Miami
Cruise Only from
Includes extra savings of up to £928pp
At CruiseKings there are a number of ways you can contact us meaning that all you have to do is choose the option which is most convenient to you.
Request a Callback
Get A Quote
At CruiseKings there are a number of ways you can contact us meaning that all you have to do is choose the option which is most convenient to you.
Get A Quote
Request A Callback
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