Small-ship cruising is expanding rapidly, so Luxury Travel Advisor looks at a sampling of what’s new on the world’s oceans for upscale ships carrying fewer than 500 guests.
Alaska, Tahiti and Beyond
On December 28, 2025, Windstar Cruises’ new 224-passenger Star Seeker will set sail on its inaugural voyage from Malaga, Spain, to Miami, FL. On transatlantic sea days, guests can check out the new ship’s many public venues, including the fitness center, World Spa by Windstar, a new specialty restaurant and the Yacht Club. From Miami, Star Seeker will then head out on its eight-day christening voyage to San Juan, Puerto Rico, with port calls in the Dominican Republic and the British Virgin Islands.
Then, in early 2026, Star Seeker will operate several Caribbean voyages, before transiting the Panama Canal and heading into the Pacific Ocean. Sailing in Alaska from May through August 2026, the ship will operate seven or eight-day “Scenic Alaska” cruises or 10-, 11-, or 12-day “Alaskan Splendors” voyages, all between Vancouver B.C. and Juneau, AK. Calls will include such smaller ports as Haines and Wrangell; the Signature Expeditions program will also return and guests can add on a five-day inland extension to Denali National Park.
Windstar last sailed in Japan during 2023 but plans to return with its popular “Grand Japan” itinerary. On four dates from September through October 2026, Star Seeker will cruise the Inland Sea; sail around abandoned Hashima island; take guests to Nagasaki and Hiroshima to visit the Peace Memorial Parks; and call on such smaller ports as Takamatsu and Karatsu. Windstar’s guests can also add on a three-day land program to Osaka and Kyoto.
The new Star Seeker will offer 112 spacious suites in 12 different categories, many with private balconies. We’re particularly eager to see the ship’s 30 new infinity suites with a large floor-to-ceiling infinity window and drop-down glass that creates an open-air balcony. Most luxurious and spacious? Those are two aft Horizon Owner’s Suites with wraparound balconies, a new Windstar suite category.
During March and April 2025, Seabourn’s 458-passenger Seabourn Quest will embark on a series of 14- to 34-day springtime voyages in Japan that can be combined for a grand adventure. One repositioning cruise highlight is the “Pacific Passage: Golden Week to Glacier Bay” 20-day voyage departing in April 2025. Guests will have opportunities for enjoying “Golden Week” festivities and gazing at gorgeous cherry blossoms in bloom, as well as exploring Alaska’s eco-beauty.
The ship will spend the summer in America’s "Last Frontier," before returning to Japan starting in September 2025. Through November 2025, Seabourn Quest will offer four sailings of 12 to 41 days. Those will touch 20-plus destinations across Japan’s four main islands and some smaller southern islands. Maiden calls for the ship will include Akita, famed for its hot springs and samurai districts; Ishinomaki with a vibrant arts scene; Niigata, the largest Honshu coastal city on the Sea of Japan (East Sea); and Wakayama known for architecture and sacred sites.
On select voyages, Seabourn is offering new shore options. During a full-day “Very Best of Kobe” excursion, guests will be treated to exterior views of Himeji Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the serene Koko-en Garden; a Kobe beef lunch; and a Kiku-Masamune Sake Brewery Museum visit. For instance, this excursion is offered on the 12-Day “Circumnavigation of Japan’s Fall Foliage” itinerary, departing October 12, 2025, from Yokohama to Kobe.
French Polynesia
Between April and September 2026, ultra-luxury Silversea will sail its first-ever full summer season of 17 voyages in French Polynesia. Homeporting in Papeete, Tahiti, the 392-guest Silver Whisper will operate two itineraries in rotation. The seven- to 14-night offerings will include up to 11 destinations in three different archipelagos.
The seven-night itinerary to the Society Islands will include calls at Moorea, Raiatea (overnight), Huahine and Bora Bora (overnight), plus three late departures to maximize shore time. For a more encompassing, 14-day sailing from Papeete to the Society, Tuamotu and Marquesas Islands, Silver Whisper will call at Moorea, Raiatea (overnight), Fakarava, Nuku Hiva, Fatu Hiva, Atuona, Tahuata and Rangiroa.
On that lengthier itinerary, guests will view iconic peaks, snorkel to view marine life, look for whales (August through November), learn about culinary traditions in a Moorea test kitchen, and discover Raiatea by electric bicycle. On both itineraries, guests can also relax on a “motu” or private isle for a traditional barbeque and local music experience.
Revitalized in 2024, Silver Whisper offers multiple dining options; six bars and lounges; a 1-to-1.3 crew-to-guest ratio and butlers for every suite. The classic Owner’s Suite, essentially a stylish apartment with a private veranda, is available in either a 919-square-foot one-bedroom configuration or a two-bedroom 1,264-square-foot two-bedroom configuration (by utilizing the adjoining Vista Suite).
In its 2026-27 schedule, ultra-luxury Regent Seven Seas Cruises will position its smallest vessel, the 496-passenger Seven Seas Navigator in the South Pacific for three 10- to-18-night voyages. Among them is a round-trip sailing from Papeete, Tahiti. Guests will also discover multiple overnight stays, including such idyllic spots as Bora Bora.
Looking for an active, fun shoreside adventure? We’d suggest considering Regent Seven Seas’ three-and-a-half-hour “Bora Bora Off-Road Adventure.” Heading out by four-wheel-drive vehicle, guests will drive through Vaitape and along Pofai Bay and ascend Pahonu Hill for harbor and beach views; see World War II-era bunkers and big guns; explore the Fa’anui valley and view stone marae temples; and from a mountain-side plantation, gaze at scenic bay and beach views. Plus, travelers will get a bit of cultural immersion while learning how to make and wear a wraparound pareo sarong.
Seven Seas Navigator’s South Pacific sailings will also visit such destinations as Mystery Island, Vanuatu; Suva, Fiji; Noumea, New Caledonia; and Apia, Samoa. For the ultimate luxury accommodations, travelers might opt for the 851- to 1,067-square-foot Master Suite with balcony, located on Decks 9 and 10.
In another development, as Regent Seven Seas’ guests travel across the globe, they’ll now likely find more reliable Internet than in the past. Why? The line just installed Starlink on all its ships. Best of all, as part of the voyage fare, guests will receive one complimentary log-in per suite for high-speed, unlimited Wi-Fi.
Veteran French Polynesia operator Paul Gauguin, part of the Ponant family, has operated in French Polynesia and the South Pacific for more than 25 years. Newly announced are its 2026 voyages on the 330-passenger Paul Gauguin. Of that ship’s 38 voyages, nearly 50 percent are seven-night journeys. The rest are 10-, 11- and 14-night voyages, lengthier options that give guests time to explore the prime Tahiti isles but also the Tuamotus, Marquesas and Cook Islands. Many itineraries have overnights or extended stays in port.
Also in 2026, sister brand Ponant will operate a new 14-day expedition experience within French Polynesia and the South Pacific. Sailings on the 184-passenger Le Jacques Cartier will combine eco-adventures with local community interactions. Naturalist guides who are French Polynesian specialists will lecture on board about local flora and fauna and will accompany guests on Zodiac outings to provide expert commentary. Guests can also swim and go kayaking and paddleboarding from Le Jacques Cartier’s modular marina and semi-submerged platform.
Inside the Explorer-class ship, we’d suggest sipping a cool cocktail in the underwater, multisensory “Blue Eye” lounge and staying in the 484-square-foot Owner’s Suite on Deck 5. Guests can gaze outside with two panoramic sliding bay windows. The living area has an armchair, sofa convertible to a double bed, and a TV, while the bedroom offers a king-sized bed or two single beds, plus another TV. In the bathroom, guests will discover a shower, Balneo bathtub and smart mirror.
Outside, the suite has a large private terrace with two deck chairs, a whirlpool and outdoor lounge area with sofa and armchair. This suite also has plenty of perks, among them butler service, an assortment of sweet or savory canapés daily, a one-hour spa treatment per person (for up to two people), and an included premium pass giving access to a selection of premium spirits at the bar.
Arctic Exploration
Atlas Ocean Voyages recently introduced its 2026 Arctic season with six- and seven-night expeditions on the 196-passenger World Voyager and World Navigator. For the first time, all voyages departing from Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway, and Kangerluusuaq, Greenland, will include a pre-cruise hotel stay. Plus, new inaugural calls for Atlas in 2026 will include remote Skjoldungen Island in Greenland, Stykkisholmur in Iceland, and the isle of Senja, Norway.
Every 2026 polar expedition by Atlas will include a free Cultural Immersion experience, offering guests unique insights into local communities. In Longyearbyen, guests will enjoy a panoramic drive and a welcome aboard event that includes a talk about local life, and tastings of such delicacies as reindeer canapés, coal mine beer and regional chocolate.
On May 22, 2026, Atlas will offer a new seven-night expedition from Tromso, Norway, to Longyearbyen. Guests will go ashore at the Norwegian coastal ports of Hammerfest and Skarsvag (North Cape), prior to reaching Svalbard. Six- or seven-night expeditions round-trip from Longyearbyen will also depart May 29, June 5 and June 11, 2026. Other 10- to 15-night itineraries in 2026 will allow guests to visit Greenland, Iceland and Svalbard in one trip, while two separate Norwegian itineraries will visit both fjords and Svalbard.
Luxury Travel Advisor likes several new inclusions for Atlas’ 2026 Arctic sailings. Those include select charter air flights and a complimentary pre-cruise hotel night. For instance, one hotel night will be provided in Oslo, Norway, for all Longyearbyen departures, while for the August 31, 2026, departure from Kangerlussuaq, a pre-cruise hotel night will be offered in New York.
Separately, Atlas just unveiled a new Omakase-style specialty dining option, The Explorer’s Table, available once during each polar expeditions to Antarctica (starting in winter 2024-25) and the High Arctic (starting in summer 2025). Guests will savor culinary highlights from Spain, Korea, France, Argentina and North America in The Dome observation lounge.
Also in the Arctic, Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours will welcome back acclaimed Chef Bryan Voltaggio for a new culinary-themed voyage on the 228-passenger Scenic Eclipse. Slated for July 15, 2025, the voyage is part of the line’s “Tastes of Discovery” series and is Chef Voltaggio’s fourth collaboration with Scenic. He’ll sail with guests on Scenic’s 11-day “Circumnavigating Iceland & Crossing the Arctic Circle” itinerary.
Planned culinary-focused activities will include a hosted welcome reception to meet the chef; live cooking demonstration where Chef Voltaggio will share his culinary tips and techniques; a Q&A session with the chef; and a special dining experience of the chef’s signature dishes. Beyond the Chef Voltaggio-focused activities, guests have 10 different dining options on Scenic Eclipse. Among them is one of our favorites at sea, Koko’s, serving up fresh sushi and other Asian dishes.
HX (formerly known as Hurtigruten Expeditions) also unveiled its 2026-27 season lineup with new itineraries in Antarctica, Alaska, Greenland, Norway and the Galápagos. The 220-passenger Spitsbergen, for example, will set sail on a “Solar Eclipse Expedition – An Anniversary Celebration” to Svalbard, Greenland and Iceland. Departing August 3, 2026, the expedition ship will sail from Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway, to Reykjavik, Iceland. Guests will witness a total solar eclipse over East Greenland, one of the best locations for viewing this rare astronomical event.
Indian Ocean
Expanding its fleet in 2025, Aqua Expeditions just announced new late 2025 sailings for a sixth small ship. For the first time in its history, the line will sail to the Seychelles and Zanzibar, Tanzania, on four- to 14-night itineraries. More details on the upscale small yacht will be released in the coming months. Guests will find an exclusive 1-to-1 crew-to-guest ratio, personalized service, cuisine helmed by world-renowned chefs and expert-guided excursions.
Inaugural departures are slated for December 2025, with four different itineraries. Five- to nine-night itineraries that can be combined into one robust, 14-night sailing will explore Seychelles’ inner and outer islands. They’re also combinable for a two-week trip around that archipelago. In addition, 10- and 11-night sailings will visit both the Seychelles and Tanzania’s islands, including Zanzibar. During these itineraries, guests can explore such biodiverse hot spots as Aldabra, Cosmoledo, Astove and Furquhar Atoll, all in the Seychelles, as well as Kilwa Kisiwani, and Pemba, Tanzania.
In April 2026, Emerald Cruises’ new luxury ocean superyacht, the 128-passenger Emerald Kaia, will set sail. It, too, will sail in the Indian Ocean’s Seychelles, as well as the Mediterranean, Adriatic and Aegean Seas. All cabins and suites will have a 10 percent larger floorplan than other Emerald vessels. An expanded Sky Deck will offer a new internal Sky Lounge, luxurious open-air experience and panoramic views, while the expanded Elements Spa will offer new wellness options. Emerald Kaia’s enhanced marina also will have a new interior lounge, additional watersports and the ability for guests to swim from the open-air gym to the marina.
European Horizons
The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s new 448-guest Ilma recently launched as its second ultra-luxury yacht. For travelers seeking an Iberian Peninsula voyage, on April 27, 2025, the new yacht will sail a seven-night voyage from Lisbon, Portugal, to Barcelona, Spain. Guests will go ashore at Tangier, Morocco, as well as Malaga, Cartagena and Ibiza, Spain.
What’s to do in Cartagena? Founded by Carthaginians around 220 BC, Cartagena has one of the world’s oldest naval bases and is brimming with Roman archaeology. So, Ritz-Carlton’s guests might peruse an ancient Roman theater; the historic block called Barrio del Foro Romano; the Casa de la Fortuna, a house with Roman murals, mosaics and excavated objects; and the Punic Wall Interpretation Center displaying ancient defensive wall remains. The ARQUA Museum also contains artifacts found off Murcia’s coast. Divers, wine enthusiasts, culinary buffs, golfers, hikers and windsurfers will also find much to like about Cartagena.
Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection will also launch a third yacht, the 452-passenger Luminara in the Mediterranean in 2025. That new yacht will offer two upper suite categories with more than 1,000 square feet of space, plus five restaurants, six bars, a wine vault and an expanded marina.
Four Seasons Yachts recently unveiled 13 more new summer and fall voyages and 22 more sailings in the inaugural year of the new Four Seasons I in 2026. Highlights of the new voyages include two new seven-night itineraries on the Adriatic Sea, anchoring in Croatia, Slovenia, Italy and Montenegro. New seven-night Grand Mediterranean journeys also include one that sweeps around southern Italy from the Adriatic to Sicily before reaching its final destinations in Malta. Another of those begins in Malta before heading north along the Italian coast prior to several days on the Côte d’Azur.
Voyages aboard Four Seasons I are designed to allow for multiple destinations to be visited daily and the ability to enjoy late evenings and overnight stays in select locations. Luxury guests can opt to go truffle hunting in Viareggio, Italy, for example, or alternatively tee off at Golf Club Saint-Tropez, France, designed by Gary Player. Onboard, Four Seasons I will offer 95 configurable suites, 11 restaurants and lounges, a saltwater pool, marina, and spa and wellness offerings. A 1-to-1 guest-to-staff ratio will ensure plenty of pampering.
Aurora Expeditions will introduce the Douglas Mawson—carrying an average of 158 guests—to its fleet in 2025. That fleet growth is reflected in its “2026 Arctic and Beyond” itineraries. Forty-two small ship departures are planned, and the line will make its first-ever voyages to the Mediterranean, Atlantic Coast and Southeast Asia. Aurora will also introduce 10 dedicated solo cabins (in a variety of stateroom categories) per sailing with no single supplements. For the utmost in comfort and space aboard, we’d check out the 487-square-foot Captain’s Suite with private balcony.
For the new Mediterranean, Atlantic Coast, British Isles and Ireland sailings, Aurora will also introduce a new 2026 “Small Ship Cruises” product, differing from its core expeditionary offerings to polar and remote regions. Several examples on Douglas Mawson will include a “Luck of the Irish: Dublin to Dublin” sailing departing May 8, 2026; “Moor than a Myth: Marrakech [Morocco] to Barcelona” departing June 20, 2026; and “Myths of the Mediterranean: Athens to Naples” sailing on September 14, 2026. On these and other Small Ship Cruises, the line will provide curated destination experiences guided by storytellers; a choice of included shore excursions at every port; and new pre- and post-land programs.
Many luxury cruise lines, including small ship lines are now seeing strong popularity for “Grand Voyages,” which are shorter than a World Cruise but much longer than most voyages they offer. Thus, SeaDream Yacht Club plans two Grand Yachting Voyages in 2025 and six such lengthier options for 2026; they range from 21 to 35 days and combine existing voyages into a longer journey. Itineraries explore the Greek Isles, French and Italian Rivieras, Scandinavia, Northern Europe and the Caribbean.
For instance, a “Grand Scandinavia & Northern Europe” voyage on the 224-passenger SeaDream II will explore 10 countries in 28 days; it will depart August 9, 2025, from Oslo, Norway, to Barcelona, Spain. Guests will explore Scandinavian coastlines and seaside retreats in France, Spain, and Portugal. They’ll transit Germany’s Kiel Canal; visit Guernsey, U.K.; explore the heart of France’s wine country with a triple overnight in Bordeaux, France; get a taste of North Africa in Tangie, Morocco; and head out for vibrant nightlife with an overnight stay in Ibiza, Spain.
Some of the new Grand Yachting Voyages also include trans-ocean crossings. For instance, on April 19, 2026, SeaDream II will sail a new “Grand Transatlantic & Western and Northern Europe” itinerary from Palm Beach, FL, to Oslo, Norway.
When it comes to what’s new on the small-ship ocean front, the answer is “plenty.” The voyages mentioned above are just a sampling of what’s new and enticing. Clients have many options for an intimate, upscale vacation as they sail across the world’s oceans.
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