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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Good cruises in SMALL sailing

Mary Lu Abbott Universal Press Syndicate

In a cruise scene dominated by megaships that seem almost like cities afloat, small ships set an alternative course. Bound on journeys of serendipitous discoveries, they recapture the original lure of the sea, sailing more for destinations of intrigue and beauty than for action- packed amenities on multiple decks.

This year’s arrival of the Queen Mary 2, Cunard’s flagship ocean liner, redefined large in the industry. The 151,400-ton ship, which can entertain nearly 3,100 passengers with everything from classic theater to a planetarium, established a new record in size for passenger vessels.

Among the year’s fleet of new ships, a half-dozen top 100,000 tons - among them the Caribbean Princess, with 19 decks to accommodate nearly 3,800 passengers. Yet even these ships soon will be eclipsed in size.

The industry is not completely supersized, though. The U.S.-flagged American Cruise Lines is building its third new ship since 2000. Due next year, the American Spirit will be less than 2,000 tons and will have only four decks for its 92 passengers.

“Everybody’s cup of tea is not a ship with 3,000 passengers,” says Larry Pimentel, a longtime travel industry executive with extensive luxury cruise experience.

After listening to passengers over the years, Pimentel is steering a new venture, the SeaDream Yacht Club. The idea: less-structured cruises more akin to a private yachting experience for 100 or fewer passengers.

The Niche Cruise Marketing Alliance counts about 120 small ships with 12,100 berths. Small Ship Cruises, which covers the scene worldwide, tracks about 100 companies with 400 ships carrying fewer than 500 passengers, the general industry definition of a small ship.

Thousands of vacationers think small ships are the only way to sail: no crowds, no lines, no waiting. Less regimen, more freedom.

Small ships cozy up to places big ships can’t go. You glide into a quiet harbor ringed by sidewalk cafes and buildings the color of golden vanilla and mango - and your ship is the only one there. Ashore, passengers wander in towns where the local culture still dominates and residents welcome an inquisitive nature more than the dollar.

“When you go in (town) with 100 people instead of 1,000, it makes a difference,” says Michelle Mellen, a cruise passenger from the Los Angeles area who, with her husband, John, enjoys the emphasis on regional history and cultures aboard the ships of Clipper Cruise Line.

“You see the town more natural. In some places, all the townspeople have come out to greet us,” she says.

Mary and Christopher Troth of Seattle were turned off by big-ship cruising but warmed up to the idea of exploring remote coves of Alaska and Mexico’s Baja Peninsula on the small yachts of American Safari Cruises, which take only 12 or 22 passengers.

“It was the more personal, intimate experience we were drawn to. It’s more an outdoor expedition, much less about stopping at a port and shopping,” Mary Troth says.

Barbara and Beryl Harberg of Houston sailed on large ships before discovering Seabourn Cruise Line’s all-suite yachts, which carry about 200 passengers. Seabourn ships can sail on the Thames River into London, while large ships usually dock at Southampton or Harwich.

“They opened the Tower Bridge and we sailed under it. They were playing ‘Rule Britannia’ on the speakers and hundreds of people were lining the shore. I felt like the queen of England,” says Barbara Harberg.

Among the small ships, those with billowing sails most conjure images of the romanticism of cruising into private places. Mixing modern elegance with the bygone era of sails, the Windstar cruisers and the graceful tall ships of Star Clippers seek out the lesser-known islands and still turn heads when they arrive.

Sailing vessels and other small ships often toss timetables to the wind. While large ships toe a tight schedule, usually leaving port by early evening, a small vessel in Alaska may overnight in a secluded cove. Passengers sip wine beneath the Northern Lights and listen to the spouting of neighborly whales break the silence of the wilderness.

By day, the itinerary can change to take advantage of unique opportunities. In waters off Baja Peninsula, when an American Safari cruise encountered a school of 400 dolphins and a playful humpback whale going the opposite direction, the captain reversed course to follow them, Mary Troth recalls.

“Hundreds of dolphins were leaping and making noise, and the humpback would come up and dive and flip his tail. The captain was able to get the boat the same speed as the whale so we were cruising alongside the whale,” she says.

In the Mediterranean, SeaDream yachts often overnight in the bay of St. Tropez so you can stay ashore into the wee hours, when the French Riviera jumps to life. In the day, the captain may spy a bay with a swath of uninhabited beach and stop for everyone to swim or make an unscheduled port visit for the chef to shop at a fish market, and passengers can tag along.

“It’s really like your own yacht,” says Lance Holt of the experiences he and his wife, Nina, of Thousand Oaks, Calif., have had on SeaDream. The yachts have a water-sports platform on the stern and equipment for Jet Skiing, sailing, snorkeling or diving.

It’s definitely a different mind-set aboard small ships. Time is far less structured. Forget the daily calendars promoting hairy-leg contests at the pool, spa and shop sales, bingo, napkin-folding and other activities on the big ships. You won’t find a frenzy of programming on the smaller ships.

Small-ship cruising is “a night-and-day situation compared to ocean cruises. It’s a different state of mind,” says Jim Shaughnessy of Troy, N.Y. He and his wife, Carol, enjoy exploring destinations of early American history with American Canadian Caribbean Line.

The onboard experience is more about nourishing the mind than feeding the stomach, about giving unique thrills and chills and entertaining you in such a way that you return feeling more enriched than spent by your vacation.

Smaller ships take a close-up, personal approach to a region, often focusing on the wildlife, nature, history and culture. Naturalists, marine biologists, historians, authors, photographers and other experts may sail aboard, engaging passengers in informal talks and leading excursions with small groups.

“I want to learn and to see things I’ve never seen and may never see again. I’m not interested in restaurants and casinos,” says Patrick Goles of Darlington, Md., who has sailed with his wife, Chrystie, on Cruise West.

“On a Panama Canal cruise, we went onto an island of people literally untouched by time. No cruise ship had been there. I took my digital camera and took pictures of little kids, and they looked and saw themselves in the camera. It was an experience I’ll never forget,” he says.

The larger or more luxurious small ships often have some low-key professional entertainment, but many small ships center evening programs on expedition discoveries of the day. Some may even be a live video from underwater cameras and devices exploring the sea below. Or a local string quartet or jazz ensemble may come aboard to perform.

If a wildlife sighting is reported at night, “We jump out of bed and go out to look - everybody in their pajamas,” Sharon Stark of Spring Green, Wis., says of sailings with her husband, Peter Livingston, on Lindblad Expeditions.

A leader in ecotourism, Lindblad has ships with cabins opening directly onto the deck. Like some other lines, it has an open-bridge policy, allowing access to the navigational hub.

“In Antarctica, I stayed up all night on the bridge with the ice master, captain and first mate,” Peter Livingston says.

Larry and Jean Ringer of College Station, Texas, like the informality of Cruise West ships.

“We’re into nature, history and culture. We’re not into going to big shows, eating a lot of fancy food and gambling,” Larry says.

Adds Jean: “If you wear starched blue jeans into the dining room, you’re dressed up.”

The larger yachts are dressier. While SeaDream has elegant surroundings and top-quality service and food, it adopts a more relaxed dress code, like country club casual, with no tux needed. Seabourn Cruise Line, which has three ultra-luxury all-suite yachts on exotic itineraries on the seven seas, does have some formal nights.

Small ships range from luxury megayachts with spas to economical cruisers that serve meals family style and invite you to bring your own bottle.

Prices tend to be higher on small ships, and constant deep discounting is not as common as on the popular mass-market cruise lines. But a number of small ships are more similar to all-inclusive vacations.

There’s rarely any extra cost for excursions on expedition-style ships, and the luxury yachts include wine and liquor, and sometimes gratuities, among their many amenities. Most small lines also give early booking discounts, which can be as high as 50 percent off brochure prices. Lines also may have Internet specials or reduced fares on particular sailings that aren’t booking quickly.

Whatever the price level, small ships emphasize personal service and with fewer passengers, everyone gets to know each other quickly.

“It’s more intimate travel,” Sharon Stark says. “We always feel we’re part of a family who likes having us around.”