Posh ships for the discerning seafarer
As bigger ships in record numbers crowd the Caribbean, figuring out how to steer clear of them is vital. How to avoid those homogeneous mega ships carting thousands of passengers to over-touristed islands? The answer: small ships that appeal to the individualistic traveler—they’re boutique hotels that float.
“On smaller ships, the big difference is being one of few versus one of many. There are no lines and very personal attention,” says Mark Conroy, president of Regent Seven Seas Cruises. “We try not to be in port at the same times as the big ships. For instance, we try to arrive in Grand Cayman on a Friday, Saturday or even Sunday when we can be the only ship visiting the island and see it the way it should be seen,” he adds.
See our slideshow of Top Caribbean Boutique Cruises.
Regent’s ships carry 500 to 700 passengers and offer the posh life for the five-star crowd. All cabins are suites with balconies, walk-in closets and marble bathrooms. These guys have high crew to passenger ratios—typically in the neighborhood of 1 to 1.5 crew member per passenger (try about 2.5 crew per guest on the mega ships).
Not only are they well-staffed, boutique ships have personality too. Take the tiny 65-passenger Sea Cloud. The gilded 1931-built sailing ship was commissioned by Wall Street tycoon E. F. Hutton for his socialite wife Marjorie Merriweather Post. She eventually divorced him, but kept the ship. It still has her museum-like suite with its Louis XIV–style bed, marble fireplace and chandeliers. Talk about a pedigree.
What makes a ship boutique is not just looks, but substance as well. Some have retractable marinas that unfold from the hull for easy access to swimming, kayaking, sailing and other water sports. Instead of the art auctions, roving photographers and pricey shore excursions that their big ship brethren push, the 110-passenger ships of SeaDream Yacht Club entice passengers with high-class beach parties on quiet stretches of sand in Jost Van Dyke and Virgin Gorda. Cameras start clicking when the hotel manager and his assistants wade into the surf in their uniforms to serve treading tipplers champagne and caviar from a floating surfboard.
See our slideshow of Top Caribbean Boutique Cruises.
“We stay as far away from the big ships as possible,” says Larry Pimentel, president and CEO of SeaDream Yacht Club, citing ports the big ships simply can’t get to, from Jost van Dyke’s White Bay to Gorda Sound on Virgin Gorda and Charlestown on Nevis.
Same story for Azamara Cruises. President and CEO Dan Hanrahan says their twin 700-passenger ships head for remote spots the been-there-done-that crowd appreciates, from Samana in the Dominican Republic, a lush place of coconut groves and coral reefs, to the historic Santa Marta along the northern coast of Colombia, the country’s oldest city. It’s all about access, even if that means arriving by the back door.
“In some ports you have three, four, five or even six huge cruise ships, and everyone is fighting for a taxi. Star Clippers may be only a few nautical miles away, but we can land people ashore in a zodiac on a beautiful part of the beach or offer water sports in private coves,” says Mikael Krafft, owner and president of Star Clippers.
The difference between the big and small ship experience is “like comparing a 747 airplane and a private jet,” Krafft says.