I paid $1,890 for a 7-day Mediterranean cruise on a small crusing boat. I'd select it over a mega ship each time — right here's what it was like.

The Star Clipper solely matches 166 visitors, based on the cruise line’s web site.

Small ships usually carry below 1,000 passengers, whereas bigger vessels can normally accommodate a number of thousand visitors. Royal Caribbean’s Marvel of the Seas, for instance, which is at the moment the world’s largest cruise ship, has a capability for 7,000 visitors, and consists of 18 decks, a number of eating choices, swimming pools, and leisure areas.

By comparability, Star Clippers’ Star Clipper has a capability of simply 166 visitors.

I’ve have not cruised on a mega ship earlier than and by no means wished to, since I believe I might be overwhelmed by the onboard casinos, amusement parks, and mall-like promenades.

However previously few years, I’ve loved crusing on smaller cruise ships, which I discover to be extra pleasant and relaxed as a result of their modest measurement and restricted leisure choices, like one movie show and one to 3 pool areas, at most.

Whereas researching on Star Clipper’s web site, I used to be bought on their French Riviera cruise after I noticed that the corporate was providing a solo charge for my desired dates. This meant the single-supplement surcharge for being a single passenger in a room meant for 2 can be waived.

This charge is commonly charged to solo vacationers because it helps the cruise line make up for the misplaced income that might have come from a second individual onboard, the LA Instances reported.

With out that charge, I paid the usual charge of $1,890 for a non-public cabin for seven nights, and flew from my residence in San Francisco to France to begin the cruise.