Boutique Yachts & Small Ships
Your Curated Guide to Boutique Yacht & Small-Ship Voyages
This page is dedicated to a very specific style of travel — boutique yachts and small ships designed for travellers who want the intimacy of a private yacht, the polish of a luxury hotel, and access far beyond the reach of traditional cruising. These are not large-scale ships or floating resorts, but carefully considered vessels where space, service and atmosphere take priority over volume.
From ultra-luxury mega catamarans in the Galápagos to design-led yachts in the Mediterranean and expedition-style ships exploring remote coastlines, each experience featured here has been personally selected for its sense of place, quality of onboard life and the way it allows destinations to be experienced more deeply. Guest numbers are intentionally low, itineraries are thoughtfully paced, and the emphasis is always on immersion rather than entertainment.
What unites these voyages is a shared philosophy: refined design, elevated dining, discreet service and access to places larger ships simply cannot reach. Days are shaped by wildlife encounters, secluded anchorages, historic ports and natural landscapes, while evenings feel more like returning to a private residence at sea than a conventional ship.
As with all journeys planned through The Private Traveller, these voyages are supported by trusted partnerships and preferred programmes via Fora Travel, ensuring access to VIP benefits, priority support and seamless pre- and post-voyage planning. Whether paired with city stays, beach retreats or landmark rail journeys, boutique yacht travel offers a quieter, more considered way to explore the world by water.
Boutique Yachts & Small Ships I Work With
This collection focuses exclusively on boutique yachts, small ships and ultra-luxury vessels — experiences defined by low guest numbers, elevated service, thoughtful design and access to destinations beyond the reach of larger cruise ships. These are voyages chosen for travellers who value privacy, space and immersion over scale.
Some of the boutique yacht and small-ship brands I regularly work with include:
- Hermes Mega Catamaran (Galápagos)
- Explora Journeys
- The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection
- Four Seasons Yachts
- Silversea (including expedition fleet)
- PONANT
- Scenic Eclipse
- Aqua Expeditions (Aqua Mare, Aqua Blu, Aqua Nera)
- Orient Express Yachts
- Seabourn
- Azamara
- Crystal Cruises
- Windstar Cruises
- Hurtigruten Expeditions
I have completed specialist training with many of the brands featured here and continue to work closely with their sales, product and partnerships teams. This ensures informed advice, strategic ship and suite selection, and access to preferred benefits when planning boutique yacht and small-ship voyages.
Why I Curate These Boutique Yacht Voyages
For me, travel has never been about scale or spectacle — it’s about how a journey feels. The calm of arrival, the rhythm of days unfolding naturally, and the quiet luxury of moving through the world with intention. Boutique yacht and small-ship travel captures this beautifully, offering a way to explore by water that feels personal, unhurried and deeply immersive.
The voyages featured here are carefully curated because they deliver something beyond the expected. Low guest numbers, thoughtful design, exceptional service and access to places larger ships simply cannot reach all play a role — but so too does atmosphere. These are journeys where life on board feels more like staying at a beautifully run private residence than travelling on a ship.
Each yacht or small ship included in this collection has been selected for its sense of place, quality of experience and the way it connects travellers more meaningfully with their surroundings — whether that’s remote islands, historic coastlines or protected natural environments. It’s this balance of elegance, exploration and authenticity that defines boutique yacht travel at its best.
If one of these voyages sparks your interest, I’d be delighted to guide you through the process — from choosing the right yacht and itinerary to arranging seamless pre- and post-voyage stays. Through my affiliation with Fora Travel, bookings are supported by preferred partnerships, VIP benefits and informed advice at every stage.
Travel by water, quietly and beautifully — The Private Traveller way.
Booking Boutique Yacht Voyages with Preferred Access
As a luxury travel advisor affiliated with Fora Travel, I help clients unlock preferred benefits on boutique yachts and small ships — from onboard credits and upgrade requests to priority support, curated shore experiences and seamless end-to-end planning.
I work across a range of established luxury travel programmes and preferred partnerships, ensuring each voyage is matched not only to your travel style, but also booked in the most advantageous way available at the time.
Preferred programmes and networks I work with include:
Virtuoso — delivering enhanced value and added experiences on many luxury yacht and small-ship voyages
Leading Hotels of the World — particularly relevant when pairing boutique yachts with exceptional pre- and post-voyage hotel stays
Accor’s luxury network — including access and alignment with Orient Express Yachts
Four Seasons Preferred Partner — including Four Seasons Yachts and Four Seasons hotels worldwide
Marriott STARS & Luminous / Marriott Bonvoy — where applicable for The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection
Beyond the voyage itself, I specialise in creating joined-up journeys, combining yacht travel with city stays, beach retreats or landmark rail journeys — often with VIP hotel benefits such as upgrades, daily breakfast and hotel credits.
If you’re considering a boutique yacht voyage, a design-led small ship or an ultra-luxury expedition experience, I’d be delighted to help you plan and book — thoughtfully, discreetly and with preferred access throughout.
➡️ Enquire now or email me at dave.gillan@fora.travel