Romancing the Seas: Why an Intimate Emerald Yacht Cruise is the Ultimate Way to Experience the Caribbean

Did you know? You don’t have to be a billionaire to live the yachting lifestyle in the Caribbean. WATCH THIS VIDEO to see what it’s like to sail aboard the 100-guest Emerald Sakara on a week-long ‘yachtsman’s’ cruise to out-of-the-way islands.

When you think of cruising to the Caribbean, the first picture that pops into your head might be a mega ship. But think again. The Emerald Sakara lets you enjoy the privileges of yacht cruising – and many advantages over mega-ship voyages through the region.

With only 100 fellow guests, there’s no drawn-out boarding process, meaning you can get on board – and get your vacation started - quicker.

It feels a lot like you’re on your own private yacht and at ports of call, you can stroll on and off the Emerald Sakara as you please.

That’s right. No line ups to board… or to disembark ashore… or even on board for dining in the ship’s dining room, or getting that refill at the bar or at the pool.

Ample public spaces and few numbers of guests mean you’ll never feel part of a herd. You can simply relax as you make your way to the next part of your holiday.

Two pools. One at either end of the ship. And plenty of individual loungers, including luxe clamshells, and resort-chic oversized shared lounge seating that mean you can relax over another coffee in the morning without rushing to the pool to snag a lounger.

With only 98 fellow guests, you and your cruise companion will run into the same, like-minded cruise travelers everywhere on the ship. Unlike on big ships where you meet fun people you think you’d like to hang out with – then never see again!

On the Emerald Sakara, you find yourself at the bar or lounge together… on the same tender ashore… entering the dining room at the same time… All of which lending itself to making newfound friends on board.

The intimacy of the Emerald Sakara can lead equally to private moments and romantic interludes built for two. There are a large number of veranda suites, giving you the perfect place to laze away the day, enjoy pre-dinner cocktails or sunsets at sea alone with your sweetheart, as if you were on a private yacht and entirely on your own.

A honeymooning couple on our cruise was completely wrapped up in each other, cocooned from any intrusions in the intimate spaces of the yacht.

Have you been to Tortola or Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands? How about St. John in the USVI?Big ships need big infrastructure, limiting their ports of call, and leading to what I call cruise ship ‘conventions’ with several big ships parked at once at the islands with facilities big enough to accommodate them.

That leaves the lesser-known islands exclusively for the small ships. Many of those off-the-beaten-path islands are not even served by large commercial aircraft, making a small-ship cruise the most convenient - and definitely the most scenic - way to get to chic, private yacht-territory like St. Barths.

In smaller, often more exclusive Caribbean destinations, you’ll get to meet real locals and enjoy an authentic island experience. Not share your port with thousands of guests from your own and other cruise ships that can outnumber residents of many islands!

Not only does yacht cruising have advantages over big-ship cruising, it also has some benefits you won’t find at a beach resort, like these:

You won’t just see one island. In a week-long cruise on the Emerald Sakara, we called in a different port every day. That ‘tasting menu’ approach lets you sample the best of many destinations - very different from a resort vacation, especially since lots of travelers to all-inclusives never even explore beyond the gates!

Emerald Cruises even offers an included shore excursion in nearly every port of call, meaning you’ll explore your ports of call and see a whole new side of the Caribbean.

On a resort, you may see the sea… but never actually get out onto the waves. On an Emerald yacht cruise in the Caribbean, you’ll have the daily pleasure of being on the water, watching sun rises and sunsets over the waves, the view of tropical, verdant hills and isolated beaches as you sail by.

Plus, marina days, when the ship holds position in a secluded cove or bay and deploys water ‘toys’ off the back deck, lets guests take full advantage of the yachting lifestyle at sea.

But what about the beach? It’s not just the sea views that draw us to the Caribbean, but a chance to spend days on the beach.

Our Emerald cruise included shore excursions to local beaches in a number of ports, including a hike in the US Virgin Islands National Park, which ended at a stunning beach – only accessible to park goers.

The ship’s crew planned a private beach barbecue day, too (check out the incredible footage of our private beach barbecue site in the video!) We and our fellow guests had a beach all to ourselves with barbecue and bar service by our favorite shipboard staff.

That means we actually had a more exclusive beach experience than many guests at all-inclusive resorts, where you only go to the resort's beach - and often have to jostle for space.