Mainstream cruising is all very well, but if you have an adventurous spirit and a determination to see the world up close, then cocktail-and-casino cruising to Brisbane or Barcelona just won’t cut it. Forget the mega-ship, and turn to a small ship cruise with Peregrine Adventures, which carries a maximum of 50 travellers.
Why take an Adventure Cruise with Peregrine? Because this is the boutique hotel to the mega-resort of mainstream cruising. It’s the small-group, insider tour instead of the big tour coach. Adventure Cruising is a more immersive and personalised experience, where you’ll sail to interesting places at a considered pace, and don’t have to abandon creature comforts while doing so.
Life on board
If you’re adventurous or looking for something alternative (with the bonus of only having to unpack your bags once), an Adventure Cruise is for you. With Peregrine Adventures you’ll enjoy the pleasures and ease of a leisure cruise but have a more local experience and the authentic encounters you expect of land-based, small-group trips.
Small-ship cruising is a quieter, more relaxed experience than a mega cruise liner, yet often more sociable thanks to the limited number of travellers that you will have an opportunity to get to know. Much of the emphasis is on time off the ship, whether you opt for organised excursions or explore by yourself.
The spirit of adventure
As for the places you can explore, they extend far beyond where big ships can sail. Trending remote destinations in small-ship cruising include Indonesia, Iceland and Morocco, with many other destinations continuing to join Peregrine’s itineraries. In 2019 Peregrine will be cruising along the coast of Senegal and up the Gambia River, where travellers can encounter chimpanzees, learn about the history of the slave trade and explore wetland reserves.
In short, small-ship Adventure Cruises take you places it might be logistically difficult (if not impossible) to visit as an individual traveller – at least unless you’re Bear Grylls. Aside from having ample opportunities to relax, these itineraries will also suit active travellers, with ships carrying snorkelling, kayaking, paddle-boarding and cycling equipment for optional activities and excursions. Accompanying experts in subjects such as the environment, wildlife or geology add to the appreciation of certain destinations like the Galapagos Islands.
This doesn’t mean you can’t explore more mainstream places such as Croatia, Greece or Thailand on small ships. You can, and can see the big-name sights while also being able to call at small ports where big cruise ships can’t dock, anchor in tranquil bays away from the tourist-crowded resorts, or snorkel off tropical archipelagos with nobody else in sight.
So set sail!
Whether in established or remote places, small ships can dispense with cruise terminals, stop at villages, hug coastlines and sometimes even penetrate up rivers. You won’t be a passive spectator but will be immersed and involved in the destination, and surely there’s no better way to travel.
