Capturing the Spirit of sailing on a Sea Cloud cruise

28.02.2024 - 16:33 / travelweekly.com

Barely a mile off the windward coast of Dominica, three galloping Zodiacs packed with guests circled the Sea Cloud Spirit. The sea was calm, belying blustery, rainbow-spiked skies, and cameras were busy. Climbing the gangway to reboard the ship, a guest from the Washington area was elated.

"This cruise just got 1,000% better," Susan gushed. "And it was already pretty great."

Unique elements such as a Zodiac "photo safari," where guests can capture images of the majestic windjammer with its sails unfurled, are what makes a cruise on the Sea Cloud Spirit catnip for sailing enthusiasts. Compared with most modern cruise vessels, the attractions are not stage shows or a casino, nor hot tubs or aerobic sessions. Instead, clients with a keen interest in the traditions of seamanship are ideal passengers for this vessel.

Launched in 2021, this elegant, three-masted schooner is the third in a line of storied sailing ships. The original Sea Cloud was built in 1931 -- a spare-no-expense private yacht for heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post. After an unusual career, in 1992 the Sea Cloud was converted into a 64-passenger cruise ship by German investors, and in 2001 the 94-passenger Sea Cloud II joined the fleet.

Laced with miles of rigging, the Sea Cloud Spirit's 28 sails are hoisted by hand -- manpower that requires a crew of 19 deckhands and cadets to climb high on the masts. The routine takes almost an hour to complete, a process we gawked at from loungers and Balinese daybeds on the expansive top deck.

As the sails fill with wind, the engines are shut off and the Sea Cloud Spirit lunges exuberantly through the waves, heeling a few degrees, weaving an undulating path to the next port on the horizon.

Although many cruisers with the inclination and resources to sail on the Sea Cloud Spirit are older, the 136-passenger ship is not ideal for those who aren't steady on their feet. Many doorways on the ship require stepping over a threshold, and the rope on the Lido Deck must be navigated. On an eight-night sail through the Caribbean in December, each day the sails were up -- four in all -- the ship's elevator was closed.

"It's not a traditional cruise ship," said Kevin Smith, Sea Cloud's vice president of sales in North America. "You have to be somewhat agile, so we're selling more of an experience."

Cabins onboard the Spirit

Cabins are larger and more plush onboard the Sea Cloud Spirit than on most windjammers. Trimmed with polished wood cabinetry and quality fittings, the accommodations are a testament to an era of handmade