For the U.S. Navy, boats perform missions from mundane maintenance chores such as hull scraping and cleaning overboard ...

A small ship’s physical size enables docking or anchoring in tight, shallow waterways, often resulting in a prime starting point to explore, not unlike with river and barge cruises.

On smaller ships, personalized service is typically off the nautical charts, but compact cruising isn't for everyone. Skip to content. All Sections. Subscribe Now. 88°F.

Looking at one more small-ship cruise line, Ponant (www.ponant.com) boasts a fleet of six explorer vessels, four expedition ships and a luxury icebreaker — each of which comfortably accommodate ...