Cruises Without the Crowds

SOME 30 MILLION earthlings are expected to have cruised this year, according to Cruise Lines International Association. But not all cruisers have an affinity for megaships and limbo contests on the lido deck. An expanding fleet of smaller alternatives—from a ritzy river barge to a serene floating ryokan—are winning over travelers who prefer more-sophisticated and intimately proportioned sea voyages. The registered tagline for SeaDream Yacht Club, which has two 112-passenger vessels you can privately charter for custom itineraries, does not mince words: “It’s yachting, not cruising.”

Once…