Small is Beautiful
If you’re looking for a cruise with a small environmental footprint and a sustainable zeitgeist, this could be for you!
The current fashion for ‘woke’ travelling is all well and good for those who can pick and choose the many and varied components of their holiday. But it’s not so easy if you’re a cruise fan – choose a big-ship cruise and you’re a small part of a rather large floating village. You have to go with the flow.
If you’re looking for an alternative then small-ship cruising might appeal, and a good starting point is Seafarer Cruises. Seafarer works with award-winning Greek cruise line Variety Cruises who have been in business for 50 years and operate a fleet of eight small vessels they call ‘Mega Yachts’. Even the largest only carries 72 passengers and most carry around 50.
Small is beautiful
Seafarer claims that ‘Small is Beautiful’, and they have a point. Of course, when you downsize you have to forego the Casino and the Cabaret, and the yachts don’t have swimming pools: when it’s time for a swim the Captain simply drops anchor in a secluded cove and you jump from the swimming platform into clear blue waters. The intimacy of the small-ship cruising makes for a wonderfully social holiday.
All guests take meals together, old-school cruising style, and over the course of a week you get to meet the entire ship’s company.
Small means up-close and personal
One claim that cannot be denied is the fact that smaller ships get you a close-up view. The boats can moor alongside smaller, more intimate, waterfronts which means you never have to queue for a tender to get o the boat. When you dock you are one of fifty going ashore, not one of several thousand. The environmental and economic impact is greatly reduced.
Small means sustainable
Smaller vessels can also be proactive in promoting sustainability. Three of the vessels have sails and cruise under wind power when the opportunity allows. Variety have already eliminated singleuse plastic on many vessels. Their crews (and guests) get involved in beach cleanups. If you’d rather ‘think small’ than think big, it’s certainly an option to consider.
For further details: www.seafarercruises.com