Bigger isn’t always better

When it comes to ships, it’s easy to forget that bigger isn’t always better. Cruises on smaller ships tend to be more intimate, like a floating country house hotel where it is easier to get to know your fellow travelers and the unique personal service makes passengers feel special. Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) offers five smaller to mid-sized and more intimate cruise ships sailing from 11 UK ports to a variety of destinations including some ports which cannot be visited by larger ships.

CMV aim to offer a more traditional and leisurely cruise experience aboard their classic-style cruise ships; Columbus, Magellan, Marco Polo, Astor and Astoria, where the emphasis is very much on providing attentive service within a friendly home from home atmosphere. These small to mid-size ships are accessible to more ports of call than the larger mega-ships, enabling CMV to offer some truly innovative itineraries. Columbus the newest ship in the CMV fleet offers 775 cabins and a passenger capacity of 1400. CMV’s smallest ship Astoria offers 277 cabins and a passenger capacity of 550 passengers.

CMV sail from a wide range of smaller UK ports including; Hull, Bristol, Poole, Portsmouth, Dundee, Newcastle and Cardiff. The company are largely responsible for the re-development, over the last few years, of the port closest to London at Tilbury. These ports are not as easily accessible to larger cruise ships making sailing with CMV more convenient. Ports of call visited by CMV, that would not be available to larger ships, include; Tobermory, Stornoway (Outer Hebrides) Kirkwall (Orkneys) and the Isles of Scilly plus many more overseas. The Treasures of the British Isles cruise from Bristol Avonmouth on-board Marco Polo 26 April 2018 for 10-nights to Tobermory, Stornoway, Kirkwall, Rosyth, Honfleur, St.Helier (Jersey), St Mary’s (Isles of Scilly) with fares from £1019pp on the current Buy one get one half price deal with the second passenger paying £509pp.

Smaller ships are also ideal for single travellers to socialise and on cruises of 6 nights or more, CMV offer a special programme of events including a welcome cocktail party and a get together with the opportunity to meet like-minded travellers. On board Columbus and Magellan, CMV have set aside 150 twin cabins for single occupancy priced with just a 25% supplement on the equivalent category twin share prices.