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.