By David G. Molyneaux of miamiherald.com
In a cruise world where most of the advertising emphasis is on ships that carry thousands of passengers from port to port in a frenzy of activities and meals, consider that other, calmer options await.
The contemporary cruise business is not one-size-fits-all. For vacationers who may be new to the idea of cruising and are looking for a small, casual ship, I have two recommendations from recent trips on two continents.
If you are willing to share your ship only with a smaller crowd — say, about 200 fellow passengers — consider Windstar’s sparklingly refurbished Star Pride (summers in Europe, winters in Panama and Costa Rica) or floating on Germany’s Rhine River aboard Viking River Cruises’ new Viking Hild.
These are ships without water slides, whiz-bang attractions or bartending robots.
Both, however, provide gentle reminders of the joys of intimate cruising. Star Pride, like sisters Star Breeze and Star Legend, carries 212 passengers. Viking Hild, like her 47 sisters built during the past few years, carries 190.
These two vessels operate with different concepts, different styles, and different itineraries, but both offer adult contemporary experiences with good food, good service and atmospheres conducive to travelers getting to know fellow passengers. Neither requires men to pack a jacket or a tie. Typically, passengers return home with a list of email addresses, telephone numbers, and promises of meeting again on different waters.
Star Pride and Viking Hild operate with different concepts, different styles, and different itineraries, but both offer adult contemporary experiences.
Such small ship traveling is booming, thanks mostly to the swiftly growing cruise lines that ply the world’s fascinating rivers. Their vessels couldn’t get much larger even if their owners wanted to house more passengers: Rivers tend to be shallow, so there’s little room for cabins below the water line. Older bridges often are so low that tables, deck chairs and the captain’s controls must fold down so the ship can pass under them. Locks, built so ships can move smoothly through changes in river elevations, are lean, leaving some ships only inches to spare on either side.
