Are You Not a Cruiser? Neither Were We Until We Discovered This Secret
Scott and I used to whisper it to each other over the years: “We aren’t really cruisers.” We happily schlepped our way through cobblestoned Italian hill towns, wandered along Mediterranean seafronts, and checked into luxurious beachfront resorts, proudly proclaiming ourselves land‑lovers through and through. But after one too many European trips spent hauling luggage from place to place every few days, we realized that small‑ship cruising deserved a place in our travel repertoire.
The appeal is beautifully simple: waking up in a new destination each day, ready to explore, while only unpacking once for an entire week (or more). It’s an undeniable advantage — and one we’ve grown to love.
Our favorite way to cruise, and the way we often design trips for our clients, is to bookend a sailing with land stays on one or both ends. It creates the perfect balance. We spent five days in Santorini before a Greek Islands cruise, and last fall we ended a Mediterranean sailing in Rome with five dreamy days in Antibes to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. Mixing land and sea truly gives you the best of both worlds.
Most small‑ship itineraries also offer late‑night or even overnight stays, making it effortless to enjoy golden hour, authentic dinners ashore, and a taste of the local nightlife. Think of it as a floating boutique hotel — one that can slip into smaller, less‑visited ports and open up an incredible range of itinerary options.
It’s a style of travel that feels both easy and indulgent — and one we now adore, just as many of our clients do.
Contact us to book your next land & sea vacation or, better yet, join us for our upcoming group cruise on Explora II, September 20-27, 2027, Athens to Venice. Group prices are in effect until Sept. 29, 2026, so the time to book is now! Learn more and sign up here.
Images below from our last group cruise in September of 2025 HERE.
Bon Voyage!!
