The best small ship cruises for 2023 and 2024

Try a boutique cruise holiday on a ship designed for fewer guests

As much as the mega liners of the world are tempting for the all-singing, all-dancing, resort-at-sea type of holidays, finding the best small ship cruises means seeking out lesser-known destinations and tapping into exclusivity, individuality, and personal service.

Small ships typically carry fewer than 500 passengers. Some of our firm favourites host significantly less and are considered more yacht-like than ships, including the beautiful tall ships Royal Clipper and Star Clipper. Lord of the Glens has room for just 54 guests and if you sail on a beautiful Uniworld ship like the S.S Venezia or the S.S Catherine, you'll be among only around 150 guests.

We think the best small ship cruises are those that are a little out of the ordinary. Perhaps it's a cruise that follows an unusual itinerary around tiny islands, like the islands of Costa Rica or the Scotland's Western Isles. Or maybe the ship itself is extraordinary because it is more akin to a sailing boat, such as the stylish MS Galileo. We love small ship cruises when something extra-special happens onboard too, such as a celebrity cooking class. And what could be more glamorous than dropping anchor at St Tropez's celebrated regatta after a week exploring the French and Italian Rivieras?

When searching for the best small ship cruises, you'll want to make sure they match the experiences you're after. For a friendly atmosphere where guests get to know each other over dinner, a European river cruise along the Douro or through Bordeaux can offer plenty of shared experiences and opportunities to meet new people. For something that will give you plenty to talk about when you get home, expedition cruises to far-flung places like Antarctica are thrilling and intrepid without sacrificing comfort.

For more ideas, we’ve rounded up the best small ship cruises to help you pick the perfect nautical holiday.

Hop on board the lovely S.S. Joie de Vivre for a memorable small ship cruise through northern France, visiting Paris, Rouen, and the Palace of Versailles. This exquisite floating pied-à-terre is the epitome of French glamour, with fine antiques, handcrafted furniture, original artwork, and signature accents inspired by 20th-century Parisian design.

You'll find lots to do on board in between excursions, with a wellness centre, spa, wine bar, bistro, and entertainment centre. Joining you on board for part of your trip will be renowned chef Michel Roux, who'll host a live cooking demonstration and a Q&A, so you can heighten your knowledge of fine French cuisine.

And as if that wasn't tempting enough, you’ll also coincide with the Rugby World Cup final in Paris, allowing you to soak in the celebratory atmosphere in the city on match day, or even attend the final yourself if you have tickets, before heading back to S.S. Joie de Vivre for a supremely comfy night's sleep.

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Exploring a region by cruise often means you can cover more ground in less time. On a small ship, there's the opportunity to tuck into ports and waterways that big cruise liners can't. The elegant Lord of the Glens, hosting just 54 guests, investigates the inland waters of the Caledonian Canal and hidden Scottish sea lochs. Unlike some ocean cruises where you enjoy endless views of the horizon, on a Scottish cruise, there are landmarks and landscapes to admire from the deck almost all the time, including Urquhart Castle, the waterway of Laggan Avenue that's lined with Scots pines, and the looming Ben Nevis.

Lord of the Glens is a one-of-a-kind ship with a design inspired by the Royal Family's former floating palace, The Royal Yacht Britannia. There's a feeling of warmth and comfort throughout the ship, where dinner is created from locally sourced ingredients, and drinks are served in crystal glasses by attentive staff as you look out at the Scottish scenery through enormous picture windows.

You can join a very special departure on Lord of the Glens in May 2023 hosted by TV weather presenter, Carol Kirkwood.

You'll hear Carol reminisce about her life growing up in Morar and more about her grandfather's role in building the incredible Glenfinnan Viaduct — which you'll also have a chance to cross on a journey on the West Highland Railway included in the trip.

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Another chance to explore Scotland aboard Lord of the Glens comes in October, when broadcaster and proud Scotswoman Kirsty Wark will join a sailing through the locks of the Caledonian Canal and onwards to the Sound of Mull.

For the first few days, Kirsty will be on hand to chat with guests about the history of modern Scotland - the perfect conversation as you glide past exceptional Scottish scenery.

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Take an oh-so-stylish cruise on S.S LA Venezia, an opulent river ship swathed in fine fabrics and finished with gilded accents and plenty of iconic Murano glass (she's sailing to and from Venice, after all).

While the ship alone is enough to tempt, an October 2023 voyage from Venice to Torcello, Chioggia, Burano and Murano includes an exclusive private live cooking demonstration and market visit with chef Rick Stein, elevating this cruise from excellent to exceptional.

You’ll be in the company of just 125 other guests, so attentive service is assured. Just because it's a small ship, doesn't mean it's light on choices. The S.S La Venezia has three dining venues, including an Italian kitchen on the upper deck.

This cruise offers exclusive access to some of the city's most treasured buildings, like St Mark's Basilica and Doge's Palace — perfect if you're keen to learn more about Venice's art and architecture.

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Croatia's Adriatic Coast is home to some of the country's most spectacular locations, like the Krka National Park and the sleek island resort of Hvar. Set sail with us on boutique ship MS Prestige on a voyage that takes you through these wonderful waters.

Highlights of the itinerary include sailing through the islands of Kornati National Park, a large archipelago with over 80 idyllic islands, and a visit to the enchanting historical city of Zadar.MS Prestige is a sleek, yacht-like cruiser that carries just 38 passengers and is the perfect vessel for exploring the coast and islands of Croatia. The ship's size means it can easily tuck into smaller bays, and there's a platform at the rear of the ship so that you can easily swim in the famously crystal-clear waters of Croatia's peaceful coves.

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Royal Clipper is an extra-special ship and one that turns heads wherever she roams. Dressed to the nines with a complement of 42 white sails, she really is a beauty. You can explore Mediterranean waters powered by the wind whenever possible, giving a wonderful romance to your cruise that's hard to beat. Carrying just 227 guests, Royal Clipper is small enough to stop at some smaller ports along the French and Italian Rivieras.

Join an exciting cruise in September 2023 that coincides with the glamorous St Tropez regatta, where you'll drop anchor and enjoy the yacht races from the deck. That's not the only highlight of this one-off sailing: celebrity chef James Martin also joins this voyage demonstrating his skills in an onboard cooking demo and taking questions from guests.

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Hosting just 100 guests (with 72 crew to look after them), the brand-new Emerald Azzurra is a gorgeous ship with billionaire-boat styling. This is quite a departure from your classic cruise ship, where you can spend days leaping off the ship's marine platform directly into the Caribbean Sea — then wrap yourself in one of Azzurra's Missoni towels post-dip.

A ship of this elegance deserves to be seen in the most glamorous locations. In March 2024, Emerald Azzurra follows a route around some of the Caribbean's most lusted-after locations, including Barbados, Tobago, Bequia, and Grenada.

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With a range of opulent finishing touches, Scenic Diamond is a luxurious ship that carries a maximum of 155 passengers and offers exceptional dining, with all meals included on board.

One standout feature on board Scenic Diamond is its cookery school, Scenic Culinaire, where you can learn more about the art of French cuisine in between shore excursions. This makes it the perfect vessel for a gourmet exploration of France.

Join Good Housekeeping on a foodie cruise of Bordeaux in October and you'll sail through one of France's premier gastronomic regions in style. As well as lessons Scenic Culinaire, you'll have an exclusive live cooking demonstration and Q&A session with iconic chef, Raymond Blanc.

As you sail along the Garonne and Dordogne rivers you'll stop off to visit several historic vineyards, elegant châteaux wine estates, and local markets.

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Some of the best small ship cruises can be better for the environment, especially when you choose one that runs on biofuel to reduce emissions and departs from the UK, making your entire trip flight-free.

Take a low-impact voyage on MS Maud, a ship from expedition specialist Hurtigruten. Hosting just over 500 guests means you get the best of both worlds — a personalised experience but with more onboard facilities than on truly dinky ships. On a 13-day adventure in the spring or summer of 2023, you can explore the waters closest to home, visiting Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, the Republic of Ireland, and the Isles of Scilly.

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When you want to explore the coastline and islands of Costa Rica, it's sensible to find a cruise where you'll visit smaller ports and go a little off the beaten track — and to do that, you're going to need a smaller ship.

Journey down the west coast of Central America on Star Clipper, a traditional tall ship that evokes the romance of a grander age and carries just 166 guests. Over a week-long exploration, you'll sail into shimmering turquoise bays with a bounty of exotic marine life and call at destinations that serve as gateways to the national parks where you can see the lush mangroves and gorgeous lagoons and hear the calls of monkeys in the rainforests.

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A cruise to Antarctica really is nothing short of extraordinary. And to do it right, you need to join an accomplished crew who know how this wonderland works. In 2020, expedition cruise experts Hurtigruten introduced MS Fridtjof Nansen to its fleet and it fast became one of our favourite small vessels to explore Antarctic waters.

Hosting just 500 guests, it's not the smallest ship exploring the region. But in this instance, being a little larger means you get some extra facilities including a choice of restaurants (a definite plus on an 11-night cruise), a large science centre, and a fabulous outdoor swimming pool (which, yes, is heated so you can take a dip in as you gaze across the monochromatic landscape).

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Another option for exploring the White Continent is on a 13-day expedition cruise aboard MS Roald Amundsen, which also takes you to the fascinating Falkland Islands, where you'll find grassy hills, wildflowers, sandy beaches, and colonies of penguins.

MS Roald Amundsen is a state-of-the-art expedition vessel specially designed for voyages in polar waters and like MS Fridtjof Nansen and most of Hurtigruten's fleet, includes a science centre, a two-level observation deck, and a range of excellent dining options.

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River cruises are ideal for seeing the diversity of a region, and there's plenty to see hopping from place to place along the Douro River in Portugal. A-ROSA ALVA is a small river boat that promises plenty of variety on an itinerary that starts in the colourful city of Porto before sailing into the wine-growing valleys.

Guests have the chance to disembark and take part in the traditional grape harvest, but that's not the only reason it's the perfect cruise for wine lovers. There are also plenty of opportunities to taste the local port wine at the Quinta da Roseda estate near Pinhão and sip from the ship's selection as you look out at the passing scenery from ALVA's Panorama Lounge.

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Fancy boarding a ship that's more like a private yacht than a cruise ship? MS Galileo is a vessel that harks back to the ships of yesteryear, venturing around the Greek islands with its white, billowing sails unfurled. You’ll dock at smaller islands, including gorgeous Folegandros – but you won't miss out on experiencing why sun-splashed Santorini and Paros get their sought-after status.

Galileo typically stays in port until the wee hours, allowing time to disembark after dinner for evening strolls and drinks by the waterside. Because there's a little more wriggle room in the itinerary than on larger ships, don't be surprised if your crew makes an unscheduled swim stop for guests to take a refreshing dip in the sparkling waters.

There are just 24 cabins on board, making Galileo feel more like an oversized millionaire's yacht than a cruise ship. And if the idea of a typical cruise with dressing up in gowns under the hot Greek sunshine doesn't seem like a happy match, you can leave your sequins at home – this is a cruise that, despite feeling exclusive, is blissfully informal too.

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Scotland's Inner and Outer Hebrides are known and loved for their dramatic landscapes, from serene lochs to towering mountains. There are hundreds of islands to explore, so navigating on a small ship is a comfortable and convenient way of seeing the best of the isles, without having to worry about local ferry timetables.

Hurtigruten's environmentally progressive ship MS Spitsbergen is the perfect vessel for exploring Scotland's smaller islands — compact enough to manoeuvre into ports on tiny islands, but large enough to feature excellent facilities like a sauna, hot tub, lounge bar, and library. Like all Hurtigruten's ships, you'll also find a science centre on board, so you can learn more about the intriguing landscapes and wildlife you'll be seeing on your cruise.

Join us for an island-hopping adventure in the Hebrides on MS Spitsbergen and you'll see fantastic scenery, varied birds and wildlife and taste delicious whiskies at local distilleries.

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