Exploring Small Ship Cruises: Adventures with Mikkel and Dan Woodruff

In today’s episode of the Outdoor Adventure Series, we sit down with dynamic travel duo Mikkel and Dan Woodruff, the creative minds behind the "Small Ship Cruise Talk" podcast and founders of the travel sites Sometimes Sailing and Sometimes Home. 

Mikkel and Dan share stories from their unconventional journey—into how travel has shaped their relationship, recount adventures from memorable destinations like Belize, Cambodia, Vietnam, Japan, and Alaska, and explain why small ship cruising has become their passion and niche.

DISCUSSION

1. Early Travel Experiences as a Couple

• Their first international trip together: Belize

2. Balancing Careers and Travel

• Working as freelancers and maintaining multiple income streams
• Continuing professional activities alongside travel content creation

3. Small Ship Cruising: The Appeal and Experience

• Discovery and appeal of small ship and river cruising
  • First cruise experience: Emerald Cruises in the Netherlands
  • River cruises vs. large ship cruises
  • Benefits of a “floating hotel” and slow travel
• Packing and travel efficiency
  • Strategies after extended nomadic travel
  • Streamlining travel luggage for small ship cruising

4. Pre- and Post-Cruise Travel Preferences

• Book extra days before and after cruises
  • Supporting local economies
  • Exploring destinations beyond cruise itineraries

5. Ideal and Memorable Cruise Destinations

• Favorite destinations in Europe
• Unique cruise itineraries in Asia, and plans for South America

6. Selecting a Cruise Line and Itinerary

• Choosing cruise lines and ships
• Research process: reviews, forums, professional considerations

7. Ultra-Small Ship and Expedition Experiences

• Barge cruising in southern France
  • Intimate group travel
  • Importance of outdoor leisure on smaller vessels

8. Alaska and Hawaii Small Ship Adventures

• Alaskan Dream Cruises and UnCruise Adventures
  • Smaller ships enabling unique experiences (Wrangell, petroglyph hikes, local wildlife)
  • Community integration and authenticity of experiences

LEARN MORE

To learn more about Mikkel + Dan's work, visit their websites at https://sometimessailing.com or https://sometimeshome.com, and on these social sites:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SometimesSailing/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sometimessailing

NEXT STEPS

Visit us at https://outdooradventureseries.com to like, comment, and share our episodes.

KEYWORDS

Sometimes Sailing, Small Ship Cruising, Cruise Podcast, Travel Podcast, Outdoor Adventure Series, Podcast, Podmatch

#SometimesSailing #SmallShipCruising #CruisePodcast #Travel Podcast #OutdoorAdventureSeries, #Podcast #Podmatch

My Favorite Podcast Tools:

1. Production by Descript
2. Hosting Buzzsprout
3. Show Notes by Castmagic
4. Website powered by Podpage
5. Be a Podcast Guest by PodMatch