You are looking for a multigenerational family vacation and want to know more about a difference between large cruise liners and small motor sailers and what to expect from each? The cruise liners are considered as 'enclaves', self-sufficient resorts with all facilities you would find in a land resort. Carrying up to a few thousand passengers, the cruise liners feature bars, restaurants, cinemas, swimming pools, tennis courts - think about a floating resort. The most popular route used to be from Venice to Greece and other Med islands, however, now with Venice trying to stop the cruise liners to moor in the lagoon, Dubrovnik is also trying to stop the cruise liners from blocking the Old Town, we have seen a rise in the cruise liners in the Antarctica and other remote areas. The itineraries are always fixed with the cruise liners and they operate against the schedule. You disembark for an hour or so at your port of call, look around, perhaps buy a small souvenir and then you go back on the boat. The cruise liners promote their own facilities and services on the boats and they rather have their guests spending their money on the boat. If you were travelling as a multigenerational family, you would need to book a few cabins, preferably close to each other. You can select from a mid-range to luxury cruise liners with an ensuite cabins and balconies. Most of the cruise lines will have animators, swimming instructors and you kids can be looked after whilst you are playing tennis! You also have an opportunity to dress up for a formal dinner followed up by a movie at the cinema. In a nutshell, you trade off the strict itineraries and inability to explore the places you visit at your own pace for the facilities and luxuries on the boat. 

Mini cruisers on the other hand are private charters. Depending on the size of your family you can select anything from 7 to 16 cabins. You have the whole boat for yourself and you can select your own itinerary. You can stop whenever you want and explore the places at your own pace. Given this flexibility, you are given an opportunity to fully immerse yourself in the destination where you can meet the locals, find out about their culture etc. You will not get as many facilities, most certainly no swimming pool or a tennis court, perhaps a Jacuzzi. The cabins on the boat are normally located on the lower decks, and instead of balconies and plenty of light, you will have portholes. The cabins have a traditional look, brown wood pannels, wooden flooring, some might have a carpet. An ensuite with a shower is attached. The deck is split between the aft deck that is normally fitted with a large dining table for al fresco dining and the sunbathing area at the front fitted with the sun beds. Some larger motor sailer will have the upper sun deck. In a nutshell, this is a more intimate environment where you will have a total freedom to do whatever you want to do but without many luxuries.