The islands are the dream, but the thought of packing up and catching ferries every couple of days sounds like hard work. A small-ship cruise would mean unpacking once and waking up somewhere new each morning. Did cruising feel like the relaxed way to do it, or did you miss being able to linger on an island?
I did the ferries, at the end of summer season; September.
The flexibility is real freedom. Embrace it.
I definitely enjoyed the freedom of not having a schedule and moving from island to island as I saw fit. You make friends, travel together, or stay behind for some alone time. Cruise ships are fun and offer that “unpack once” vibe, but I don’t like being tied to someone elses schedule!