Luxury cruising doesn’t have one definition anymore.
You can sail on a small luxury ship with a few hundred guests, personalized service, and access to ports larger ships can’t visit. Or you can book a luxury suite experience on a much bigger ship and get private restaurants, lounges, pools, and upgraded service while still having access to huge theaters, casinos, nightlife, and dozens of activities.
We’ve experienced both styles, and we genuinely think both can be great. The better question isn’t which one is more luxurious. It’s which type of luxury cruise fits the way you actually like to vacation.
Small Ship Luxury
When we talk about small ship luxury cruises, we’re thinking about cruise lines like Ritz Carlton, Seabourn, Atlas Ocean Voyages, and similar brands.
The biggest difference is obvious as soon as you get onboard: fewer people.
Instead of sharing a ship with several thousand other passengers, you may be sailing with only a few hundred. That changes the entire feel of the vacation.
Service tends to be more personal. Crew members learn your preferences quickly. Restaurants feel calmer. Pool decks are less crowded. Getting on and off the ship is usually easier.
We also love the atmosphere.
Small luxury ships tend to feel more like boutique hotels or resorts than traditional cruise ships. You’re probably not going to find a waterslide or massive amusement area onboard, but that isn’t why you’re there.
The focus is usually on great food, beautiful spaces, attentive service, and the destinations themselves.Rite
Better Port Access
This is one of our favorite reasons to choose a smaller ship.
Smaller ships can often visit destinations that the largest cruise ships simply can’t access.
Instead of docking alongside several mega ships in a major cruise port, you may find yourself anchored near a smaller island or visiting a port that feels much less crowded.
We’ve seen this firsthand in places like the Caribbean and Mediterranean, where the itinerary can be just as important as the ship itself.
Small ships may also have more flexibility to visit yacht-style destinations and ports where having thousands of passengers arrive at once simply wouldn’t work.
If your favorite part of cruising is waking up somewhere new and actually exploring that destination, we think this can be a major advantage.
Of course, smaller ships sometimes use tenders rather than docking directly in port. That’s something to consider if mobility is a concern or if you simply prefer walking straight off the ship.
Big Ship Luxury
Now let’s look at the other side.
Big ship luxury has changed dramatically over the last several years.
Instead of simply booking the most expensive cabin on a large ship, you can now book into what is often called a “ship within a ship.”
Think The Retreat on Celebrity Cruises, The Haven on Norwegian Cruise Line, or the Yacht Club on MSC Cruises.
These experiences give you access to private areas reserved for guests staying in certain suites.
Depending on the cruise line and ship, that can include:
A private restaurant
An exclusive lounge
Dedicated pool or sun deck
Butler or concierge service
Priority embarkation and disembarkation
Upgraded suites and amenities
Then you step outside that private area and still have access to everything happening on the rest of the ship.
That’s the big appeal.
You can spend the afternoon somewhere quiet and upscale, then go to a large theater production, casino, nightclub, specialty restaurant, or live music venue that evening.
Explora Journeys offers another interesting option that sits somewhere between traditional small ship luxury and the big ship experience. Their ships carry more guests than many smaller luxury or expedition ships, which gives them room for multiple restaurants, bars, lounges, and pools. But unlike the “ship within a ship” concept, the luxury experience extends throughout the entire ship.
That’s one of the reasons we love Explora. You get more choices and more space to explore without feeling like you need to retreat to a private suite area to get the elevated service, food, and atmosphere you booked the cruise for.
For travelers who want luxury without sacrificing entertainment, dining options, or variety, either approach can be a fantastic combination.
Food and Entertainment
Food is important to us when we cruise, and this is one area where small ship and big ship luxury can feel very different.
On a luxury cruise line, most or all of your dining options are typically included. You may have several restaurants, room service, specialty coffees, and a wide range of beverages built into the cruise fare.
The focus tends to be quality over quantity.
On a large ship, you’ll usually have many more choices.
There might be a steakhouse, sushi restaurant, Italian restaurant, seafood venue, casual spots, and several bars. However, some of those restaurants may cost extra even if you’re staying in a luxury suite.
Entertainment is where big ships really pull ahead.
If you want Broadway-style shows, large casinos, comedy clubs, nightclubs, live music in several venues, and activities happening from morning until late at night, a large ship is hard to beat.
Small luxury ships generally have entertainment too, but it’s usually much more understated.
For us, this comes down to what you want your evenings to look like.
If dinner followed by cocktails and live music sounds perfect, small ship luxury may be plenty.
If you want dinner followed by a show, casino, nightclub, and late-night entertainment, you may prefer the big ship.
Space vs. Variety
This might be the easiest way to decide between the two.
Small ship luxury is often about space, service, and simplicity.
Big ship luxury is often about choice.
On a smaller luxury ship, we love being able to find a quiet place outside, enjoy great service, and never feel like we’re fighting thousands of other passengers for space.
But there are fewer things to do.
On a large ship, you could spend an entire week trying different restaurants, bars, shows, pools, and activities without experiencing everything.
But once you leave the private suite areas, you’re sharing those spaces with thousands of other guests.
Neither is automatically better.
Ask yourself what sounds more appealing:
A quiet pool deck or a huge variety of activities?
A handful of excellent restaurants or dozens of dining choices?
Smaller ports or bigger entertainment?
Personalized service throughout the entire ship or a private luxury area within a much larger resort-style experience?
Your answers will tell you a lot.
Which Should You Choose?
We wouldn’t choose between small ship and big ship luxury based on price alone.
We’d start with the experience you want.
Small ship luxury is probably a better fit if you value:
- Personalized service
- Smaller crowds
- Unique ports
- Great food
- A relaxed atmosphere
- More inclusions
Big ship luxury may be better if you value:
- Lots of entertainment
- More restaurants and bars
- Casinos and nightlife
- Large-scale activities
- Private luxury spaces
- Plenty of options throughout the day
And sometimes the answer changes depending on the trip.
For a port-heavy Mediterranean itinerary, we might love the smaller ship and its destination access.
For a Caribbean trip where the ship itself is a huge part of the vacation, having more pools, restaurants, shows, and nightlife might matter more.
That’s why we don’t believe there is one “best” cruise line for everyone.
Our Take
One of the reasons we love cruising is that two vacations can look completely different while still technically being luxury cruises.
You can spend a week on a small ship where the bartender knows your drink order by the second night and your itinerary includes ports you’ve barely heard of.
Or you can stay in a beautiful suite on a massive ship, eat breakfast in a private restaurant, spend the afternoon at an exclusive pool, and then head downstairs for a huge production show that evening.
Both sound pretty great to us.
The key is knowing what you’re paying for and choosing the experience that matches your travel style.
And if you’re stuck between a small luxury cruise and a big ship suite experience, this is exactly the kind of comparison we help our travel clients make. We can look at the ships, itineraries, inclusions, preferred rates, and perks to help you figure out which version of luxury actually makes sense for you.
