I took an ultra-luxury river cruise with only 40 other passengers. I'm not sure how I'll ever sail with the masses again.

Jill Schildhouse

• I took a luxury river cruise through Vietnam and Cambodia with Scenic Luxury Cruises and Tours.
• There were only 41 of us on board, so it felt like I had the boat to myself at times.
• The excursions, meals, and turn-down gifts gave me a taste of the local culture.

In the cruise industry, there's often a "bigger is better" mentality.

In fact, this year...