Photo: SeaDream Yacht Club

By Wendy Perrin

"It's yachting, not cruising."  That's SeaDream Yacht Club's slogan.  The head of the company was just in my office explaining why smaller is better when it comes to cruise ships.  Anyone who's read my advice on choosing the right ship knows he was preaching to the choir.

I already knew about SeaDream's flexible itineraries:  Say the ship is sailing past a tiny island with a colorful fishing village or a secluded bay that's perfect for snorkeling.  The captain can seize the opportunity and pull over. And he can keep the ship in a port longer than scheduled if there is nightlife that should not be missed. 

But I didn't know about SeaDream's impromptu crew-led shoreside excursions. When a ship called at the tiny Caribbean island of Bequia, for instance, the captain invited passengers to join him for an island hike. He led them to a secret cove (where a tender from the ship suddenly materialized with champagne and caviar), then to a shack that serves what the captain says is the world's best lobster pizza. When a ship sailing the Italian Riviera called at Portovenere, the chef invited passengers to go ashore with him to buy pesto.  They ended up getting a pesto-making lesson from the old men who grind it the same way they have for centuries.

Sounds like a cruise even I could stomach.