By Ann Abel

There’s a reason that some people turn up their noses at cruises. Cruising has connotations: convenience, sure, but also crowds, surface-skimming, rigid time tables, gluttony and sloth—and maybe dressing for formal dinners (when you’d just rather try a simple family-run restaurant in whatever port of call), cheesy casinos and piano bars where performers tell endless bad jokes.

While several big lines are addressing those preconceptions (itineraries with more downtime, multi-night stays in certain cities, a fair amount of adventure branding), a handful of tiny-ship, exploration-minded companies have been offering cliché-free trips for years … continue reading

Ann Abel has been a travel writer and editor for 14 years, including several as a senior editor at ForbesLife. She writes for Forbes, Departures, Conde Nast Traveller, Robb Report, Afar, National Geographic Traveler, Islands, Hemispheres, Brides, Modern Bride, , Well + Good NYC, and other print and online publications.”In the name of lifestyle journalism, I’ve gotten a tattoo in Bora Bora, been bitten by a massage therapist, and flown small aircraft above three continents.” She lives in Lisbon.