Why Cruise? Small Ships

The cruise world is currently awash with news on the biggest mega ships. With thousands of passengers, mall-like shopping arcades, Broadway-style shows, and more restaurants than there are days of the week, these ships are like floating cities -- some even have their own zip codes. But while they offer something for just about every resort-lover, just try going off the beaten path when you're carrying more than 3,000 passengers. Take a big-ship cruise, and you'll probably have to "tender" (a cruising term for taking shuttle boats in from the harbor) at ports where the ship is too big to dock. In addition, large ship lines have to take into consideration whether thousands of passengers will overwhelm a destination, so they tend to visit larger, more-established ports.

"I really prefer the small ships. Bottom line, you should never feel like a number, or part of a mass -- onboard but also on land. That's what I miss when I'm on big ships," says Carolyn Brown, Editor-in-Chief of CruiseCritic.com.

So if you're looking for something more intimate, check out these ten diminutive ships, none of which carry more than 350 passengers.

Why Cruise? Small Ships

What It's Like: The two 148-passenger and one 312-passenger vessels that make up Windstar Cruises are all sailing ships, with tall masts and white sails that look grand against a blue sky. These vessels have all the trappings of a sailboat: cabins with portholes, a teak deck, a staff that sometimes feel a bit like camp counselors, and a casual dress code. In some ports, the staff opens up the water sports marina, which has water skis and banana boats, and you can explore the port on your own from a kayak or a sailboat. The ship also provides complimentary snorkeling gear, so in some ports you can walk down the gangway and along the beach to get in some swim time without signing up for an excursion.

Where to Go: These ships sail around the Caribbean, Europe, and the Middle East, and in each part of the world they focus on smaller ports. One Caribbean itinerary, for example, starts in Iles des Saintes, and calls on two small islands in the Grenadines -- Bequia and Mayreau -- that passengers on large ships only get to see by shore excursion. There, you'll find empty white-sand beaches and water so clear you can watch a spiny lobster crawl past your toes. www.windstarcruises.com

Why Cruise? Small Ships

What It's Like: American Safari Cruises has three yachts that are as small as cruise ships get, ranging from 12- to 40-passengers each. As a result they provide a totally different experience from a mega ship or even a 200-passenger ship. Return from a day of exploring and the crew may be waiting with wine and trays of hors d'oeuvres. With as few as a dozen people onboard, the plan for the day can unfold based on your whims and the weather, rather than following a rigid schedule. And it's not like you're tied to the other guests; the yachts have loaner kayaks and snorkel gear so you can explore the harbors and inlets on your own.

Where to Go: These ships sail the Sea of Cortez and visit Mexico's Baja Peninsula. You may have the opportunity to jump off the back of the boat and swim with sea lions or snorkel through schools of fish. You can also watch from the deck as thousands of dolphins and whales swim by on their way back to Alaska at the end of the season (starting in April). www.americansafaricruises.com

Why Cruise? Small Ships

What It's Like: On Star Clippers' three ships you can get into the bowsprit net (if you dare), and watch the waves rolling below, climb the rigging, or take classes in knot tying or celestial navigation. Cabins have wood paneling and portholes, too. The 227-passenger Royal Clipper, a five-masted ship, can also turn off the motor and let the wind power the sails.

Where to Go: The new Costa Rica itineraries are made up entirely of smaller ports, making them ideal for adventure-seekers and nature-lovers as well as divers and snorkelers. The Star Flyer sails two seven-night itineraries round-trip from Puerto Caldera in Costa Rica to either Panama or Nicaragua. Both routes call at the National Reserve of Curu, where you can explore the mangroves and see spider and howler monkeys, iguanas, macaws, and various species of tropical birds. www.starclippers.com

Why Cruise? Small Ships

What It's Like: The 90-passenger Celebrity Xpedition is part of the larger Celebrity Cruises fleet. This ship, formerly known as the Sun Bay 1, sails the Galapagos Islands year-round. Considered one of the most exciting itineraries in the world for environmentalists, the ship offers the first opportunity to sail these waters on a regularly scheduled itinerary with a major cruise line. Since the ship is here full-time, there are little nods to the region onboard -- the formal dining room, for example, is called Darwin's Restaurant, the casual restaurant is the Beagle Grill after Darwin's ship, and the lounge is named the Blue Finch Bar (the Galapagos Islands is home to 13 species of finch). The activities also reflect the surroundings: Sit in on a lecture about local wildlife, or join a group on a search to see iguana and frigate birds.

Where to Go: On these Galapagos cruises, the focus is on conservation. Unlike on Celebrity's big ship cruises, all shore excursions are included in the cost. Follow naturalist guides into the national park on scouting expeditions to see sea lions, giant tortoises, blue-footed boobies and 200 different types of starfish. You'll explore by water, and hike over the islands' black lava rocks, too. www.celebritycruises.com

Why Cruise? Small Ships

What It's Like: These cruises are as much about education as they are about relaxation. Cruise to Alaska on a Cruise West ship, and you'll attend lectures that offer insight on, say, how to get the best photograph of the local wildlife or how environmental protections are working to preserve the natural beauty of the Inside Passage. Captains have the option of slowing down and going off the itinerary when, for example, dolphins decide to play in the ship's wake, allowing passengers the chance to admire and photograph these graceful creatures, (or majestic whales, or sea otters) whenever the opportunity arises.

Where to Go: These ships sail around the world, and wherever they go they take their smart approach to travel and their adventurous spirit with them. Cruise in Alaska, and you'll be loaded into an inflatable craft in order to see the glaciers up close. www.cruisewest.com

Why Cruise? Small Ships

What It's Like: SeaDream Yacht Club's two 112-passenger ships aim to make cruising feel a bit more like yachting. The ships themselves are elegant yet casual -- there are no formal nights, no seating times at meals, and the water sports platforms make it easy to kayak or hop on a Jet Ski or sailboat whenever you please. Beverages (including wine and cocktails), tips, activities (from the watersports to loaner bikes on land), and shore excursions are all included, adding to the feel that you're on a private ship.

Where to Go: The ships sail in Europe and the Caribbean, and they make a point of stopping in smaller ports that the big ships would overwhelm. In Greece this summer, for example, the ship is calling on the quiet islands of Paros and Sifnos, both of which have similar architecture to Mykonos (whitewashed houses with blue doors and shutters) but fewer crowds. The itineraries are also flexible, so the ship may make an unannounced visit to a beach bar or pull out of port ahead of schedule if it rains, just as you would choose to do if you were the captain. www.seadreamyachtclub.com

Why Cruise? Small Ships

What It's Like: The Yachts of Seabourn focus on offering luxury to a select few. The 208- and 416-passenger ships are made up entirely of suites. Charlie Trotter, the celebrity chef behind Aureole in Manhattan, helms the restaurant. Guestrooms have the same amenities you'd expect in a luxurious hotel, including flat-screen TVs, DVD players, Bose stereos, well-stocked bars and beds topped with duvets and feather pillows.

Where to Go: Seabourn sees Asia up close and personal. While larger ships have to dock at ports that are an hour or more away from major cities, these ships can get to the edge of town. The Seabourn Pride, for example, sails up the Chao Phraya River into Bangkok and docks a mere 20 minutes away from the city center; it can tie up just minutes from Ho Chi Minh City on Vietnam itineraries, too. www.seabourn.com

Why Cruise? Small Ships

What It's Like: The Paul Gauguin has been based in French Polynesia for a long time, and that's reflected in the ship's interiors. The 332-passenger ship is full of French Polynesian art and artifacts, and the spa is an offshoot of the InterContinental Thalasso Spa on Bora Bora. Onboard, you'll see Polynesian performances and have an opportunity to sample the local fare as well. Since so many people come to the South Pacific to dive, the ship also offers a water sports marina that specializes in diving and provides scuba lessons -- the only Padi-certified courses on a ship in the region -- in addition to windsurfing and waterskiing. For children, there's a Jean-Michel Cousteau-designed kids program that focuses on environmental issues.

Where to Go: The ship no longer stays in French Polynesia year round, but the exotic islands she now calls in are just as exciting: choose between tours of the Cook Islands, the Society Islands, New Zealand, the Marquesas, and the Tuamotus. www.pgcruises.com

Why Cruise? Small Ships

Verona Rediscovered

Verona, Italy, exudes romance and the town is no stranger to tales of the heart. It's the setting for Shakespeare's tragic love story Romeo and Juliet, of course, and the city comes to the big screen on May 14 with the Letters to Juliet. The movie stars the effervescent Amanda Seyfried as an American who travels to Verona and discovers a letter tucked in a wall seeking love advice from Juliet (turns out it's a thing) that leads her on a grand adventure. The film's stars were lucky enough to spend last summer shooting all over the city, but Shakespeare never actually made it to this medieval town in northern Italy. We think he would have been pleased by the sun-dappled piazzas, medieval towers, and beautiful open-air theaters. Just because the bard missed the magical glow of Verona in the summertime doesn't mean that you have to. Read on for a lovers' guide for how to see this fabled city hand-in-hand.

Verona Rediscovered

Hard to believe, but Juliet's 14th-century house is not only standing, the Casa de Giulietta has the balcony of your dreams and you can take pictures on it. Still, it's important for all but the least cynical to note that while the property may be known as the Capulet family home, the balcony was undoubtedly added much later. (That said, it's so lovely that you won't fault the fantasy.) Today, the wooden floors and beams gleam and medieval frescoes are spotlit. In addition to leaning over the picturesque marble balcony and shouting "O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" you can join throngs of visitors who rub the right breast of Juliet's bronze statue for luck. And, of course, you can place love letters on the wall outside the house.

Verona Rediscovered

Romeo and Juliet's fabled marriage began and ended at the ancient church of San Francesco al Corso. According to the story, the ill-fated lovers secretly wed here, and the dark crypt containing Juliet's "tomb," an empty red Verona marble sarcophagus, lies in these cloisters as well. The 14th-century church itself is worth seeing even for those who aren't following the well-tread path of Juliet-seekers. The former Franciscan monastery was destroyed in 1447, and then rebuilt many times through the centuries. It was turned into a museum in 1973, called the Museum of Frescoes, and is open to the public.

Verona Rediscovered

Scenes from Letters to Juliet were shot in the Piazzetta Pescheria, one of Verona's many idyllic squares. In medieval times this was the town fish market; today it's a quiet spot with cafes topped by vine-covered trellises that are the perfect place to escape the summer crowds. Except, of course, for last year when it was filled with a film crew and camera equipment. The grips are long gone, so get comfortable and share a long Italian-style al fresco meal that's as different from an American lunch on-the-run as can be.

Mia, flickr

Verona Rediscovered

Like Paris and London, Verona has a river that winds its way through town. But unlike those other two famous European cities, the Adige River that bifurcates Verona is small and, well, more charming than industrial. The water itself flows down from the Alps, and often appears surprisingly powerful. Take some time to walk along the river, admiring the Roman bridges and the regal cypress trees in the distance.

Verona Rediscovered

The film shot in Piazza Viviani, a busy place known by the locals as Piazza delle Poste (the main post office is there). For a more romantic afternoon, spend some time in quiet Piazza dei Signori instead. The nickname for this square is Piazza Dante since it houses a statue of the poet, who spent time in Verona and wrote about it as well. Check out his likeness and then wander around admiring the Renaissance architecture. Then grab a espresso at the historic Antico Caffè Dante and drink in your surroundings.

Verona Rediscovered

Stars Amanda Seyfried and Christopher Egan posed in the sunshine in front of the ancient Arena di Verona and you can easily recreate this classic tourist snapshot. But we say come on a warm summer night to see the ancient Roman amphitheater, one of the city's most important icons. You may have to resort to the tactics of the gladiators who used to battle there to get some of the coveted tickets to the moonlit summer operas that are staged in July and August. During summer 2010, the 88th Opera Festival is dedicated to the works of Italian-born Franco Zeffirelli.

Verona Rediscovered

The spectacular Ponte Scaligero was first constructed in the 14th century but was destroyed during World War II. The town then lovingly rebuilt the landmark using the same red brick and white marble. You should make a point to stroll across and admire the castle-like details up close. When you get to the other side, climb to the hilltop and watch the sunset reflect off the red roofs of the city below. The bridge will be even more romantic on your walk back at dusk, when the lamps are illuminated and the bridge is bathed in soft light.

Verona Rediscovered

In addition to admiring the ancient architecture of this Roman structure, you can also visit the attached archaeological museum and even catch a show at the Teatro Romano [www.teatroromano.it]. The theater still hosts plays each summer, and there's no substitute for being able to see an open-air performance of Shakespeare's works here. (For 2010 they will be staging The Tempest and The Merry Wives of Windsor, but alas not Romeo and Juliet.) There are ballets and jazz performances as well -- a better choice if you don't speak Italian.

Verona Rediscovered

The Letters to Juliet crew also shot scenes in the wine cellars of the nearby medieval town of Soave, a walled fortress city that sits on a hillside just like the ones in fairy tales. It's one of the loveliest towns in the region, and the red brick walls surrounding the castle's red tower strike a grand pose against a blue sky as you approach. Once in town, explore the ancient streets, poke around wine shops, and marvel at the medieval buildings. Soave makes wine that's almost as breathtaking as the scenery, so plan to tour the vineyards that line the hillsides as you drive past rows of vines and tall, regal cypress trees back to Verona.

Verona Rediscovered