Have you ever heard of these cruise ship operators?
You're probably familiar with the big American cruise lines — Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess Cruises, etc. — for their exciting shipboard features and diverse itineraries. But there's a whole world of cruise companies outside of the mainstream, diligently catering to specific markets, that don't get nearly as much attention.
You may never have heard of these lines, but they're certainly worth a look.
Majestic Line 
This family-owned Scottish line cruises from Argyll and the Hebrides with two vessels, the Glen Massan and the Glen Tarsan. Both vessels are converted wooden fishing boats, carrying only a dozen passengers at a time. The line calls them "luxury mini-cruise ships." Itineraries include such places as Loch Ness, perfect for those who want to search for "Nessie."
Hebridean Island Cruises
Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 80th birthday a few years ago onboard this one-ship luxury line. Her Royal Highness chartered the entire 49-passenger Hebridean Princess for the ultimate in relaxation and privacy. Done up in country house-style decor, the ship regularly navigates the Hebrides islands, Scotland's rugged west coast and Northern Ireland.
The most comprehensive Norway cruises — 34 ports of call including several above the Arctic Circle — are operated by this line, with a dozen passenger freighter ships going up and down the coast. The ships carry 646 or fewer passengers (mostly European), while also delivering cargo to remote locales. The company has been operating the route for more than 120 years. Hurtigruten also operates the 278-passenger expedition ship MS Fram in the Arctic and on unusual itineraries to Greenland and Iceland, where glaciers are among the sights.
A-Rosa River Cruises 
This German river cruise operator, based in Rostock, has 11 river ships but is just newly marketing to Americans. A-Rosa River Cruises has added English-speaking crew onboard three modern, 174- to 186-passenger vessels: the A-Rosa Flora, A-Rosa Stella and A-Rosa Silva. The all-inclusive river ships, which are stocked with a fleet of bikes for those who want to cycle, cruise the Rhine, Danube and Rhone.
CroisiEurope
This French company, founded in 1976, is big in Europe, with a fleet of nearly 40 river ships and barges. The latest ship, the 84-passenger MS Lafayette, was recently christened in Strasbourg. Itineraries explore France, Italy, Spain, Germany and Belgium. Michelin-starred chefs advise on onboard menus. CroisiEurope also just purchased four river ships on the Mekong for Cambodia/Vietnam cruises.
Founded more than 20 years ago, French line Ponant focuses on casual luxury — including carefully curated food and French wine. It owns three nearly identical ships, the 264-passenger Le Boreal, Le Soleal and L'Austral, plus the three-masted, 64-passenger Le Ponant. Itineraries include Europe, Asia, South America and elsewhere. The ships are sometimes under charter — including to Abercrombie & Kent in Antarctica.
Peruvian owned, this river cruise company has focused on the Peruvian Amazon, where it operates two all-suite ships carrying 24 and 32 passengers, on three- to seven-day itineraries. This line is expanding this year, starting up cruises on the Mekong River in southeast Asia with its brand new, 40-passenger luxury river ship, Aqua Mekong. Expect English- and French-speaking passengers.
Adventure is the name of the game with this well-established expedition line, which operates five 111- to 189-passenger ships with ice-strengthened hulls, able to navigate in ice-packed polar waters. The environmentally conscious line explores the Arctic, Antarctica and the North Pole. The most famous of the ships is the nuclear-powered 50 Years of Victory, known as the most powerful icebreaker in the world, which is set to retire after the 2015 Arctic season (the final three voyages are in June 2015).
Louis Cruises
This line operates three, 895- to 1,664-passenger ships on affordable cruise itineraries around the Greek Isles and Turkey. The company also has two ships under charter to the UK line Thomson Cruises. Louis Cruises offers cruises ranging from three to eight days. The line is part of Louis Group, a Cyprus-owned company founded in 1935 which, in addition to cruise ships, operates other business ventures including hotels in Cyprus and Greece.
Emerald Waterways 
The first new river cruise line startup in Europe in six years, Emerald Waterways burst onto the rapidly expanding river scene this spring with its brand new, 182-passenger "Star Ships" Emerald Sky and Emerald Star. The ships bring such innovative features as a swimming pool that converts into a movie theater, and a value-oriented approach to cruises on the Rhine and Danube. Emerald is owned by Australia's Scenic Tours, another company you may not have heard of, which also operates fancier river ships in Europe.
Contributed by Fran Golden
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