The Most Famous and Small Cruise Ships

The Silver Cloud carries 315 passengers and has a 200-man crew. With a Berlitz rating of 5 stars, it includes a casino, a spa, an elegant restaurant and a variety of boutiques. Its destinations include the Baltic Sea and South America. The Silver Wind is a cruise that travels through Africa and the Black Sea. This luxury liner carries 296 passengers with a crew of 210. Its beautifully designed cabins and unique cuisine are the delight of the passengers and routinely score high marks with reviewers.

The Silver Shadow covers a longer list of destinations than its two sister ships, making runs to Alaska, British Columbia, the Caribbean, the Mexican Riviera and the Panama Canal. It carries 382 passengers and a crew of 295.

Finally, the Silver Whisper, the newest ship in the Silversea Cruises fleet, carries 400 passengers with a crew of 290. The vessel went into service in 2001. A staggering 82% of its rooms feature a wall of glass that opens onto a private teak veranda. The basic Vista Suite offers an area of 287 square feet while the spacious Owner's Suite covers 1,208.

The Seven Seas Navigator, owned by the Regent Seven Sea Cruises corporation, is one of a fleet that also includes the Seven Seas Mariner and the Seven Seas Voyager. The Navigator travels to the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, and the Baltic Sea and also makes Trans-Atlantic runs.

With a capacity of 490 passengers and a crew of 325, this 12-deck vessel features 245 suites with ocean-view, ninety percent of which have private balconies. Its accommodations vary in size and price, ranging from 301 sq. ft. up to 1,173. The ship offers two options for dining as well as 24-hour room service.

The Yorktown clipper was launched in 1998. With a capacity for almost 200 passengers and a crew of 40, this four-deck cruiser was designed for coastal waters. It travels up to Alaska, down to the Panama Canal and into the Caribbean. Although small relative to other such cruise ships, it offers advantages that other boats don't such as the ability to get closer to the shore and to remote islands for better viewing.

Whether you choose the Seven Seas Navigator or any of the Silver Sea line of cruisers you'll be in for a great experience. While a large cruise ship offers plenty of entertainment, they are designed for another kind of traveler, the one who wants to be surrounded by people and action. Small cruise ships offer not only luxury and attentive service but that most precious of all vacation commodities, peace.