Windstar Cruises

Windstar operates a unique fleet: three motor sail yachts with computer-controlled fabric sails, and three small all-suite power yachts. All six ships carry 148-342 passengers, allowing access to small Mediterranean and Caribbean ports cruise giants cannot reach.

The atmosphere is "casual luxury" — no formal nights, no children, no megaship crowds. The line is particularly strong in Tahiti and the South Pacific (Wind Spirit is based there year-round) and in the Mediterranean, where the small ships dock at ports like Saint-Tropez and Portofino that bigger ships cannot.