Out to Sea for July
8/17
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One size doesn’t
fit all in these days of huge mega-floating resorts.
More cruise
passengers are opting for “small-ship” cruising with dozens, not thousands, of
their “closest friends.”
They’re looking at
voyages with a few fellow passengers up to several hundred, not multiple
thousands that disgorge boatloads of visitors all at once at private islands
and ports of call.
These ships include
the Tugboat MV Swell for 12 guests and the Schooner Maple Leaf for eight, both
from eco-tourism Maple Leaf Adventures of Victoria, B.C., to expedition ships,
riverboats and yachts.
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| Smaller-than-mega ships are able to tie up in Hamilton, Bermuda’s downtown instead of going to the Royal Naval Dockyard at the outskirts. (Jim Fox photo) |
Forget, also, the
crowds onboard lined up at the Lido Buffet, dining rooms, shows and packed
shore excursions.
Largest at sea is Royal
Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas that can carry a maximum of 6,687 guests and
2,193 crew members.
“Interest in travelling onboard ships with a smaller
passenger capacity is on the rise among travellers,” says Cruise Lines
International Association (CLIA).
