Just Cruises Plus

Last week, we began a discussion of small ship cruises.  This week, we’ll talk about two small ship cruise lines in North America.   Before booking a small ship, you need to decide if it is your cup of tea since the small ship (under 250 passengers) experience is quite different from a big ship cruise.

Would you miss the professional shows with acrobats and chorus lines?  How about the shopping in the major ports?  Like to gamble?  Forget the small ships (although some have a minimal “casino”).    How about a bargain price?  Nope. 

Would you prefer an educational lecture to a Broadway show?  How about a visit to an art studio in a small town?  Would you like to try the local foods?  Would you like to mingle with the crew (other than the bartenders)?  If you answer ”yes” to these last few questions, you are probably a small ship cruiser.

There are hundreds of small ship cruises.  Some cater to specific interests such as scuba diving.  Others serve specific geographical areas and still others feature sailing ships with billowing white sails and silent power.

Two “North American” Lines

This week we’ll mention two specific lines which carry less than 100 passengers.  One of the best known lines is American Cruise Lines.  We see these ships regularly on the Chesapeake Bay, Hudson and East Rivers.  There are six ships in the fleet and a seventh, a Mississippi sternwheeler, is currently under construction.  Four of the ships serve the East Coast, from Maine to Florida.  Another ship, the Queen of the West, serves the Columbia and Snake Rivers while the Alaska serves her namesake.

Cruises are 6 days to two weeks with rates starting at about $500 per person per day.  The ships visit small towns and cities and always dock near the center of town.  A typical stop might be St. Michaels, Maryland where exclusive tours of the Maritime Museum are given to American Cruise Line Passengers.

A competitor for American is Blount Cruises, formerly American Canadian Cruises.  “Curious, casual and adventurous” is how they describe their typical passenger.  This is a BYOB cruise line — completely the opposite of other cruise lines where you cannot BYOB.   

Blount has three ships, with a capacity of 96 each.  The ships are unique in that their pilot houses retract so that they can get under low bridges.  They also have doors (like landing ships) in the front of the ship so that you can get off the ship directly onto beaches.

Their three ships move with the weather.  In summer, they cruise on the rivers and lakes of the Northeast and Midwest.  In spring and fall, they sail in the Southeast.  Winter finds them in the Bahamas and the Caribbean.  On a Caribbean cruise, you might visit Nevis, Eustatius and St. Barths, ports rarely visited by the larger cruisers.

Rates for Blount cruises are about $300 per person per day, about double the rate for mainstream cruise ships.

Don’t be embarrassed if you’re not a small ship cruiser.  Most people are not.  Because you’ll pay a premium for the small ship experience, you want to be sure that this kind of cruise matches your expectations.

To be continued….