For passengers preferring to share their holiday with hundreds – rather than thousands – of fellow shipmates, a small-ship sailing will float their boat.

In cruise terminology, small ships accommodate up to 1,000 people, and what they might lack in size, waterparks and dazzling theatrical shows, they more than make up for in intimate and personal cruise experience, destination-focused itineraries and the ability to dock in smaller ports – qualities that larger resort-style vessels simply cannot offer.

Silversea

Sailing to more than 900 destinations on all seven continents, Silversea epitomises luxury small-ship cruising. There are currently nine vessels in the fleet with five cruise ships carrying 296 to 608 passengers, plus four expedition ships for up to 254 guests. In 2020, Silver Whisper will become the first ship to sail to every continent on a 140-day world cruise. With a staff-to-guest ratio of nearly 1:1, clients can expect the highest standards of round-the-clock service, and every suite on a Silversea vessel has a dedicated butler.

Sell it: Six-night Vancouver to Seward Alaska cruise on Silver Muse from £3,690pp, departing 22 August 2019, 020 7340 07000, silversea.com

Cruise & Maritime Voyages

Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, CMV is a quintessentially British line providing a traditional cruise experience. Sailing from 14 UK ports and with worldwide destinations, the line focuses on a home-from-home style cruising that combines friendly service with a full programme of daytime activities, guest speakers and evening entertainment. With value-for-money fares and itineraries that include one-night mini cruises, CMV is ideal for first-time cruisers. The line even offers overnight events when ships are in port to give prospective passengers a taste of cruising.

Sell it: 12-night Iceland & Land of the Northern Lights round-trip Tilbury cruise on Marco Polo from £899pp, departing 12 October 2019, 0844 414 6140, m

G Adventures

Canadian-owned G Adventures promotes sustainable tourism and its ocean-going ships include a fleet of chartered yachts sailing in destinations such as Greece, Croatia, Cuba, and the Maldives, along with five vessels in the Galapagos, including the new 16-passenger Eden. It also operates the 134-passenger G Expedition, offering 7 to 20-night itineraries to Norway, the Arctic and Antarctic. As G Adventures also sells land tours, agents can pair up cruise-and-stay experiences. G Adventures is great for solo travellers: they don’t pay a supplement if they share with a same-sex roommate in a twin-bed cabin. Similarly, there is no upper age limit for mature adventurers.

Sell it: Seven-night Realm of the Polar Bear round-trip Longyearbyen Arctic sailing on G Expedition from £2,249pp, departing 23 July 2020, 0344 272 2010, gadventures.co.uk

Saga

This year heralds the start of a new era for Saga Cruises, which has already built up a loyal following with culture-rich itineraries, on-board entertainment and activities geared to the over 50s. Its two vessels, Saga Pearl II and Saga Sapphire, are being retired to make way for its first-ever all-balcony cabin sister ships, the 999-passenger Spirit of Discovery and Spirit of Adventure, which will debut this July and in summer 2020, respectively. Specialising in hassle-free ex-UK departures and worldwide cruises with a high number of inclusions, such as private home pick-up to the port or airport, Saga offers a boutique cruising experience. In 2020, both ships will be fully all-inclusive.

Sell it: Four-night Dance to France round-trip Dover itinerary on Spirit of Discovery from £918pp, departing 3 October 2019. 0800 074 8021, sagaagents.co.uk

Star Clippers

In 1990, Swedish sailing enthusiast Mikael Krafft founded Star Clippers and fulfilled his dream of reviving the 19th century’s golden age of tall ships for a new-generation travellers. These beautiful vessels offer an authentic cruise experience with itineraries in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Southeast Asia, and transits of the Panama Canal. The flagship, the 439-foot, five-masted Royal Clipper, is the largest in the fleet and accommodates 277 passengers. Four-masted sister vessels Star Clipper and Star Flyer are both 360-foot ships and carry just 170 guests. A new vessel, Flying Clipper, is under construction with the launch date yet to be announced, and will carry 300 guests.

Sell it: New 14-night round-trip Ko Samui and Cambodia cruise on Star Clipper and four-night land stay from £3,669pp, departing 17 April 2020, 0845 200 6145, agents.starclippers.co.uk

Viking Ocean Cruises

The largest river cruise line made a splash in 2015 when it entered the world of ocean cruising with its first Scandi-cool ship. Featuring longer stays and overnights in ports, Viking’s cruise programme spans sailings based on its Norwegian roots as well as global sailings, including a new West Indies, Amazon and South America cruise and a 244-night Ultimate World Cruise that circumnavigates the globe, departing this August. Viking has a fleet of five sophisticated 620-passenger ships, with Viking Jupiter launching this year and more vessels on order through to 2027.

Sell it: 10-night West Indies Explorer round-trip San Juan Caribbean cruise on Viking Sea from £2,990pp, departing 11 January 2020, 0800 298 9700, vikingcruises.co.uk