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.

• 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, the Royal Caribbean launched the world's largest cruise ship and announced that its next megaship of the same size would be setting sail next year.

There's no denying that megaships with upward of 7,000 passengers have a lot to offer, but there are tradeoffs to sailing with the masses, such as the experience not being as personalized.

I've sailed on four of the largest ships in service this year, and although I had a blast on all of them, I was itching for a more sophisticated and intimate experience. That led me to book a series of cruises that kept getting smaller and smaller.

I sailed on a ship that held just 600 passengers in February, followed by another that held only 168 guests in March. In September, I booked the smallest cruise I've experienced yet — a 68-passenger riverboat with Scenic Luxury Cruises and Tours.

Sailing on the Scenic Spirit made such a difference, even compared to the other two small vessels. The route took us along the Mekong River through Vietnam and Cambodia.

After this intimate river cruise, I fear I'm now spoiled forever.

Although I received this cruise complimentary from Scenic Luxury Cruises and Tours, the rate for my sailing would've been about $7,075.