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Forget shuffleboard and all-you-can-eat buffets. Three cruise lines offer small, quiet, utterly romantic trips to the Caribbean's most secluded islands.

Love the idea of a cruise—but not the crowds, casinos and formal nights? Everyone knows about the mega-ships that carry thousands of passengers, but smaller, more casual ships ply the warm waters of the Caribbean, too. Book a cruise on a sailing yacht with Windstar Cruises, Star Clippers or Windjammer Barefoot Cruises and you’ll not only escape the crowds onboard, you’ll get to visit more out-of-the-way islands, many of which are barely more than a band of sand and some palm trees. Back on deck, the highlight of any sailing trip is watching as the ship comes under sail: The wide white sheets rise majestically above the gleaming teak deck, with its brass fittings and portholes. It’s as close as you’ll get to sailing on a large yacht, without actually chartering your own. Heck, these “love boats” are romantic without even trying. Bon Voyage!

Luxury at Sea

Superposh Windstar Cruises sails two ships in the Caribbean: the 148-passenger Wind Spirit and the 308-passenger Wind Surf. From evening entertainment to predinner cocktail hours and onboard lectures, Windstar comes the closest to mimicking large-ship activities on a smaller scale. Plus, cabins are unusually roomy for such diminutive vessels, and come stocked with all the standard hotel amenities you may have expected to give up on a sailboat, including flat-screen TVs, CD players, robes, fresh flowers and (most important for honeymooners) queen-size beds. Meals onboard are equally impressive for a craft with such a small galley: International dishes include shrimp satay, and grilled veal chops with crushed Yucatán potatoes, embellished with fresh finds from the local markets. (Twenty-four-hour room service is also available.) Both vessels have tiny pools and retractable marinas that offer easy access to kayaking, snorkeling and windsurfing. On the Spirit you’ll also find a masseuse, a hairdresser and a small gym; since the Surf is larger, it has a more extensive workout room, an Internet cafe and an impressive spa.

Both ships offer seven-night round-trip cruises out of St. Thomas between November and April, with six different itineraries that include stops at beautiful, less-visited islands like Tortola, Jost Van Dyke and St. John. Request a complimentary picnic basket filled with fresh fruit, tasty sandwiches and champagne, for any of your land jaunts and it will be delivered to your cabin. Visit Plage de Pompierre on the island of Terre-de-Haut, for example, and you’ll carry your lunch past pastel-colored houses, pelicans and quiet country roads. At the beach, you’re likely to have this secluded stretch of sand to yourself, save for a few mountain goats and an old Frenchman selling baguettes and Gruyère (800-258-7245; windstarcruises.com).

The Captain’s Choice

Star Clippers’ two ships, the 228-passenger Royal Clipper and the 170-passenger Star Clipper, have a more laid-back feel than Windstar’s vessels, but they’re still class acts that cater to an international crowd. While Windstar’s ships are akin to sleek yachts, Star Clippers’ vessels attempt to re-create the traditional tall ship sailing experience for passengers. On deck, the rigging, winches, brass bells and chunky anchor chains create a nautical atmosphere, and you can expect hands-on activities you wouldn’t get a chance to do on the more “hands-off” Windstar Cruises: Passengers are invited to have a go at the outdoor wheel, climb the masts or crawl into the bowsprit netting for an exhilarating ride over the surf. The captain and crew, all muscles and smiles, are happy to chat as they pull, crank and climb the rigging. You can heave the ropes, too, if you’d like to join in.

But it’s not all sweat and toil on these cushy clippers. Take the newest and largest, the Royal Clipper, for instance. This five-masted, fully rigged tall ship was inspired by the great 1902-built German clipper Preussen, and even has a period-style restaurant with plush red-velvet banquettes, white, fluted columns and frilly ironwork. Continental cuisine is served every night, but it’s the impressive “Welcome Aboard” buffet, with its champagne cocktails, mountain of jumbo shrimp and table piled high with desserts that you won’t want to miss.

After dinner, retire to your dark wood-paneled cabin. On the Royal Clipper, staterooms are exceedingly comfortable, with marble bathrooms and TVs. (Looking to splurge? The Royal Clipper’s 14 luxurious suites, each with a private veranda, are the nicest sailing cruise cabins at sea.) Staterooms on the Star Clipper, however, are generally small unless you upgrade to one of the eight deluxe rooms with whirlpool tubs and room service. Fortunately, cabins on both ships have twin beds that can be converted into doubles, so the two of you can cuddle up together and let the waves rock you to sleep. Like those in the Windstar fleet, these ships call on the Caribbean’s best islands. In winter, the Star Clipper sails from St. Maarten and the Royal Clipper cruises out of Barbados; both ships offer two excellent, alternating itineraries with highlights including Dominica, St. Vincent and Virgin Gorda. Hike through the thick green rain forests on St. Kitts and St. Lucia, and board a wooden canoe in Dominica to glide past the giant palms and mango trees that shade the Indian River. Or, just lull about on the excellent beaches of Anguilla and Grenada. You can also cool off in the ships’ small dipping pools, or sign up for a massage. Both ships have e-mail access and a library, as well as more adventurous entertainment: Complimentary water sports include kayaking, snorkeling and banana boat rides, so be sure to pack several bathing suits—you will get wet (800-442-0551; starclippers.com).

Easy Does It

If you care more about making sure your honeymoon feels like a party than being cosseted with gourmet cuisine and fine linens, then the eccentric 64- to 126-passenger tall ships of Windjammer Barefoot Cruises are the right choice for you. The five-ship fleet cruises the Caribbean year-round, offering a laid-back, elbows-on-the-table getaway, without any pretensions. (At less than $1,000 per person per week, they’re also by far the most low-priced of the three lines.) They’re great for the young, and the young at heart: Passengers spend most of the week barefoot in their bathing suits, and the ships’ playfully irreverent routine includes a pirate-theme costume party, complete with a keg of rum on deck.

But there are some trade-offs. Forget e-mail and deluxe cabins: Most of the dorm-simple staterooms have bunk beds and tiny bathrooms, and there are no TVs anywhere on board. It’s no surprise, then, that Windjammer attracts a quirky crowd of freethinking nonconformists who relish an escape from the real world. There are few rules on these ships: Dive off the railing and swim with the fish, or try your hand at the ship’s wheel. You can sleep out on deck under the stars whenever you wish, and need never change out of your bathing suit—not even for dinner.

Mornings start off with complimentary Bloody Marys and freshly baked donuts (you can also order richer dishes, such as eggs Benedict, to help nurse your hangover). Most of the ships in the fleet offer six-night itineraries that leave plenty of time for soaking up the sun on deck or exploring yet another fabulous, nearly deserted island. On some itineraries, guests can snorkel over underwater trails that snake through the fish-filled reefs off tiny Buck Island, and enjoy the beach barbecue the crew sets up on Jost Van Dyke.

After an afternoon on shore, everyone congregates on deck for happy hour. The gang is then summoned to dinner with the clang of a bell; the meal itself is nothing fancy, though it is enlivened with Caribbean flavors. (Think curried shrimp or lobster pizza, served up with all the free wine you can drink.)

Unlike on other ships, which sail before dinner regardless of proximity to the next port, these stay anchored at some islands until the wee hours so that passengers can enjoy the nightlife ashore. During the evening, couples migrate to the top deck to sip frozen piña coladas and icy Red Stripe beers. On some nights a local band comes onboard to get the evening started. On others, guests create their own party, mingling among the masts as the ship sails beneath the stars toward the next island paradise. The best part? There’s not a roulette wheel or starched tuxedo in sight (800-258-7245; windjammer.com).