NICHE CRUISES
MicroShips
Want to immerse yourself in nature on your next sailing? Think small.
By Matt Hannafin
Skim through most publications devoted to cruises and you'll see a lot of very big ships, a few very luxurious smaller ships, and a handful of big-name expedition ships. Nothing wrong with that, but what about the little guys?
What about all those mom-and-pop operations you’ve never heard of, whose vessels aren’t much bigger than the average megaship lifeboat and whose owners might also act as captain, cook, and chief bottle washer?
There are scores of these operators out there, sailing some of the most beautiful parts of the world and offering a level of intimacy, flexibility, and insight that’s unmatched in the wider cruise world. Here are 10 of the more distinctive ones cruising the Western Hemisphere today.
The Boat Company (Alaska)
A rarity in the cruise world, The Boat Company operates on a nonprofit basis, channeling all its post-expense revenues back into Alaskan conservation efforts. Trips are 100 percent nature-oriented, sailing amid southeast Alaska’s coastal wilderness and mapped out based on the interests of the guests sailing that week. Only the embarkation and debarkation ports are set.
"We've been doing this for 30 years," says company vice president Hunter H. McIntosh, "and we're still following the principle we were founded on, which is providing an eco-luxe experience that’s not just about cruising, but about conservation, education, and fishing too. And we treat our guests the way we’d like to be treated. No request is too big or too small."
Trips are available aboard two small vessels, the 20-passenger, wooden-hulled Liseron, a restored 1952 Navy minesweeper, and the 24-passenger Mist Cove, a metal-hulled reproduction of Liseron built in 2000. Several trips each summer are designated as family cruises. www.theboatcompany.com; fares from about $4,900 for 7 nights
InnerSea Discoveries (Alaska)
Created by the people behind luxury adventure line American Safari Cruises, this brand-new line doesn’t launch until summer 2011, but it promises to be a great one, offering active adventure at a great price. The venue will be the near-twin vessels Wilderness Adventurer and Wilderness Discoverer, veterans of now-defunct Glacier
Bay Cruiseline.
"The opportunity to buy these ships came up in 2009," says InnerSea's founder, Captain Dan Blanchard, "and it was such a screaming deal that we're going to be able to introduce a high-quality 'un-cruise' at the lowest pricing of any small-ship operator. It's the answer to a lifelong dream of mine."
Sailing with just 49 passengers apiece during their 2011 season, Adventurer and Discoverer will stick exclusively to wilderness areas of southeast Alaska and include activities like naturalist-led wilderness hikes, snorkeling, kayaking, inflatable boat excursions, beachcombing, fishing, and whale watching. Optional, extra-cost excursions will also be available. www.innerseadiscoveries.com; fares from about $2,500 for 7 nights.