Travel+Leisure’s readers favored the 10 best intimate ship cruise lines for its annual survey of World’s Best Awards based on their unique itineraries, luxury boutique suites, standout services, sustainability efforts, and culinary delights.
Think your happy place is a teak deck over open ocean, a Zodiac slicing toward a giant iceberg? Or a beach relaxation where wine and caviar are served on a surfboard?
These 10 most-loved small ship cruise lines will take you on a fairytale-like royal expedition.
Best Intimate Cruise Ships
Whether you are a seasoned traveler looking for secluded expeditions or a first-time voyager seeking meaningful travel experiences, this list of the best intimate ships cruise lines shares its own luxurious take on the sea.
Photo: Quasar Expedition Grace Cruise Yacht on Galapagos / Adventure Smith Explorations1. Quasar Expeditions
Quasar Expeditions wins T+L readers’ hearts with its impeccable service, logistics, and strong sustainability ethos.
What Travelers Loved
The line’s Evolution carries about 32 guests, while Grace sails with 16 passengers, preserving what a true yacht feels.
One T+L’s reader praised the line for its commitment to sustainability in the Galapagos. Another applauded the naturalists’ overall knowledge and capability to brief guests, regardless of age.
Signature experiences
Enter the Galápagos’ wonderland, buoyed by fresh juices, omelets, and exceptional service. Twice a day landings with naturalist briefings, snorkeling with playful sea lions, and sunset cocktails while the great frigatebirds wheel overhead. If you want the Galápagos to feel like your private natural history expedition, this is it.
Photo: Aqua Mekong – Top Deck Outdoor lounge and plunge pool overlooking the sea / Aqua Expeditions2. Aqua Expeditions
Ranking next on T+L’s World’s Best Awards is Aqua Expeditions, praised for its top-notch luxury, active adventures, and expert-led cultural journey across uncharted territories.
What Travelers Loved
The classic Aqua Nera and Aqua Mekong each carry about 40 guests and 40 crew members, glide into the 2000-year-old historic heart of Indochina. Aqua Blu, East Indonesia’s first ocean superyacht, explores the Indonesian archipelago with 30 eco-travelers and food aficionados.
Signature experiences
Blackwater night safaris into the Peruvian Amazon, chef-led floating market visits on the Mekong, quiet coves in Raja Ampat, and the biodiversity of the Komodo islands are a few among countless adventures.
The ship’s spacious suites, curated shore and land excursions, and regionally crafted cuisines prepared by renowned chefs represent the epitome of luxury cruising.
Photo: Aerial View of M/S World Traveller Cruise Ship/ Overseas Adventure Travel 3. Overseas Adventure Travel
With a focus on educational cruises, O.A.T. earned third place, prized for its quaint ambience and culturally rich tours.
What Travelers Loved
O.A.T.-owned private Mediterranean ships, such as Arethusa, Artemis, and Athena, carry about 50 passengers in two small groups on rotating excursions for a “friends-on-a-yacht” vibe.
The cruise line operates under the Grand Circle Foundation, designating specific women-only departures through Africa, Asia, America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
The company is also known for free or low-cost single supplements on many departures, largely drawing the solo travelers on board.
Signature experiences
O.A.T. limits the land-based itineraries to 10-16 people at once with their off-the-beaten-path designed itineraries. Chef-hosted tastings ashore, engage with locals, and bike borrowings right from the gangway on some itineraries.
Small-ship cruising adventures on the Adriatic, Aegean, and hidden Mediterranean harbors where big ships can’t squeeze.
Photo: Lindbad National Geographic Resolution Cruise Ship Somewhere on the North Pole / Wikimedia Commons4. National Geographic Lindblad Expeditions
For years, a unique collaboration between National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions has been recognized for its luxury, expedition-style voyages.
This recognition lies in its luxury, expedition-style voyages, and unexplored itineraries to the planet’s remotest destinations, combined with National Geographic’s legacy of natural conservation and in-depth exploration.
What Travelers Loved
True expedition with expert naturalists, photographers, and nightly recaps. Ships like the 100-guest National Geographic Quest and 16-guest Delfina are built for wilderness with features like shallow drafts, open bows, and fast Zodiacs (motorized landing crafts) deployment.
Most departures are carried by an undersea specialist who shares the world beneath the ship through filming and photographing.
Signature experiences
Kayaking among icebergs, beach landings briefed by naturalists, and family-friendly Global Explorers educational programmes. In July 2025, this cruise line, formally named National Geographic Gemini and National Geographic Delfina in the Galápagos, underscored its long ties to the islands.
Beyond the glaciers, volcanoes, and remote islands, the vessel starts to entertain the options to fly over the rough Drake Passage on shorter expedition itineraries to Antarctica.
Photo: SeaDream II Yacht on Open Waters / Wikimedia Commons5. SeaDream Yacht Club
Landing fifth on the list of T+L’s best cruise line ship awards, SeaDream embodies relaxed elegance in an ultra-privileged small setting.
What Travelers Love
Two near-identical 56-stateroom yachts- SeaDream I and SeaDream II accommodate 112 guests each, served by 95 crew members. The voyage offers award-winning services with Michelin-starred cuisine.
The on-board vibe is barefoot chic with the open-bar inclusions, Balinese dream beds on deck, and a water sports marina at the back of each yacht.
Signature experiences
The iconic Champagne & Caviar Splash, a carefree beach party with caviar served in the surf and a gourmet barbecue. Personalized itineraries to exclusive destinations, like hidden ports and islands of the Caribbean (from November to April) and the Mediterranean’s glamorous ports and Northern Europe’s maritime cities and Fjords (May to October).
Photo: Wind Surf Small Cruise Ship on the Mediterranean, Windstar Cruises / Wikimedia Commons6. Windstar Cruises
Windstar Cruises, a small-luxury cruise line ship, ranks sixth on T+L’s 2025 World’s Best Awards, appreciated for its intimate, yacht-style atmosphere and immersive itineraries.
What Travelers Love
Windstar personalized small luxury cruise ships and six yachts operate through 150 ports across 50 nations, accommodating about 150-342 guests. Wind Class (Sailing Yachts) offers romantic and billowing sails combined with modern amenities.
Star Plus Class (All-Suite Motor Yacht) features more spacious suites and globally recognized cuisines for all.
The port-intensive itineraries, including Zodiac landings in Alaska, Signature Beach parties in the Caribbean, and Europe’s ancient cities and secluded villages, provide unique cultural experiences.
Signature Experiences
Real sails, open-deck barbecues, and marina days with kayak, paddle-boarding, and out-of-bounds bridge policy for liberating seafaring. The all-inclusive packages typically cover alcoholic beverages, Wi-Fi, and gratuities with add-on options.
From Balboa’s caffeine culture in a UNESCO Heritage Site to cooking competitions in Valletta to chef-led local market tours, Windstar offers more than 2,500 shore excursions for a deeper cruising experience.
Photo: PONANT Cruises Le Commandant Charcot On A Frozen Sea / PONANT Cruises7. PONANT Cruises
PONANT Expeditions is a global leader in luxury expedition cruises, ranking among the 10 best small ship cruises for its French-flavored elegance, European flair, and responsible tourism programmes.
What Travelers Love
PONANT’s effortless blend of Gallic finesse with luxurious expedition cruising embodies both aesthetic and environmental sophistication. PONANT Explorer series, with its six high-tech, eco-friendly yachts, features 92 lavish suites with extravagant services and amenities, and Blue Eye lounge, the world’s first underwater multi-sensory lounge.
Le PONANT offers an intimate private-yacht feel, while the Sisterships focus on cultural expeditions in isolated itineraries.
Le Commandant Charcot, the world’s first small hybrid-electric icebreaking cruise ship powered by LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas), focuses more on environmentally conscious travel without compromising first-hand comforts.
Signature Experiences
The cruise ships offer a-la-carte services designed for a personalized voyage experience. from the Kimberley to Antarctica, with a deep roster of small-ship routes across the globe. A glide through iceberg-scapes with marine biologists and scientists to discover the unexplored.
From polar regions to tropical archipelagos to culturally rich themed cruises, PONANT has always integrated passion for travel with the thrill of discovery.
Photo: Atlas Ocean Cruise Yacht World Navigator Passing By The Glacier / Atlas Ocean Voyages8. Atlas Ocean Voyages
Atlas ranked in the eighth position on T+L’s World’s Best Awards list of 2025 among those seeking meaningful connections and recreational expeditions with refined luxury.
What Travelers Loved
Atlas operates a three-yacht fleet, each accommodating fewer than 200 guests, offering a more personalized experience.
The Art Deco-style World Navigator yacht appeals to art lovers with its contemporary interiors. Whereas the World Traveller impresses with its relaxing, personalized luxury yachting, timeless Italian interiors, and destination-focused itineraries. The Scandinavian-style World Voyager creates an undivided elegance with attentive services and polished social spaces.
Signature Experiences
Adventurous Zodiac landings on polar expeditions, late-evening sailaways, cultural shore excursions across Europe, and chef-led culinary and wine tastings keep globetrotters coming back for more.
Conde Nast Traveler described the Arctic voyage aboard World Navigator as elegant, adventurous, and meaningful, for its polar bear sightings, gourmet dining, and like-minded guest community.
Photo: Galileo Yacht back on water after full renovation / Variety Cruises9. Variety Cruises
Variety Cruises is cherished not just for its intimate vessels but also for its sustainable, educational, and cultural voyages since 1949.
What Travelers Loved
This Greek-owned, family-run intimate small yachts operate distinct motor yachts and sailing vessels, including Variety Voyager, Galileo, Panorama, and Harmony V. Guest counts often hover between 49 and 72, so landings feel nimble and convivial. Ships feel like home with lesser people, open-deck lounges, and designated, comfortable cabins. A global mosaic of itineraries prizes authentic port calls over big-name marinas to off-the-record ports, hidden coves, and ancient villages.
Signature Experiences
Swim spots off the stern, unhurried tavern luncheons, and a cooperative crew who remember your name from a single coffee cup. Sicilian sunrises, Venetian Horizons, sailing through Variety Voyager’s secret routes, and regional culinary specialties, every expedition represents the region’s unique identity.
10. The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection
The boutique “hotel-as-a-yacht” from Ritz-Carlton is awarded among the top 10 best small ship cruise lines collection for its expansive suites, meticulous service, and serene private escapes.
What Travelers Loved
Three custom-built superyachts- Evrima, Ilma, and Luminara- offer spacious all-suite accommodations, each with private terraces. The yachts are designed to accommodate around 290 to 452 guests, boasting the highest space-per-guest at a small ship cruise line.
An all-inclusive package offers an enriching on-boarding experience with live entertainment, on board gratuities, beverages, gourmet dining, and personalized social spaces to unwind.
Signature Experiences
The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection appeals to ultra-luxury travelers, often loyal Ritz-Carlton hotel guests seeking an intimate, refined experience with fewer people. Asia’s unfolded wonders offer a dynamic landscape of culture, nature, and modernity.
Whereas Alaska welcomes nature lovers to its secluded anchorages and raw wilderness. South Pacific’s pearls offer sun-kissed Hawaiian beaches and calm lagoons for leisurely pleasures.
Photo: Travellers on the Deck of A Cruise Ship enjoying a sunny day / PexelsBottom Line
Intimate cruising isn’t just about fewer people, it’s about better ones, too. So, what’s with the delay? Set sail on one of these top 10 small luxury cruises and don’t just traverse the ocean, navigate the stories.
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