From the bridge of a three-masted windjammer, sea cloud spiritThe captain said the words we had all been waiting for.
“Let’s put up the sails!” he yelled after shutting down the engine while attempting to maintain the optimal angle for his 18 deckhands to unfurl the ship’s 44,132 square feet of sail by hand.
Like acrobats, crew members climbed the masts to reach the tall topsails that rose nearly 200 feet above us. The ship's captain, Vukota Stojanovic, later insisted that it wasn't all show-off. “Whenever there's an opportunity to sail, we go sailing,” he said.
For the next hour, the crew pulled ropes until the 28 sails were flapping in the wind, allowing the 452-foot-long ship — the world's largest passenger sailing ship with its sails raised by hand — to proceed toward its first port of call, Portofino, Italy.
At a time when cruise companies are packing up even bigger ships With a water park and basketball court, the 136-passenger Sea Cloud Spirit stands out with its old-fashioned clipper design and wooden deck. It is the newest ship of the Hamburg-based company Sea Cloud CruisesAnd though it's the company's largest, Sea Cloud said it wanted to leave room for passengers to connect with the surrounding elements.
“Wherever you are on the ship, it feels like you’re sitting on the water,” said Amelia Dominique, 71, a retired real estate agent from Cologne, Germany, who was on her third voyage on the Sea Cloud Spirit.
I came along for a four-night “taster sailing” from Nice, France, to the Ligurian region of Italy, aimed at inspiring travelers to sign up for a longer trip. Here’s what I found.
Ship and cabins
Spirit has many amenities and luxuries, including a fitness center, library, hair salon and spa with a Finnish sauna overlooking the ocean. The deck layout is spacious, with nooks created for privacy and relaxation.
The 69 spacious cabins have windows that open out to the sea. My room, a junior suite on the third deck, had two large arched windows, mahogany tables, a balcony, and a comfortable sofa and chair. The marble bathroom was gorgeous, with a gold-plated sink and large jetted bathtub.
Its elegant interior design is inspired by the original Sea Cloud, built in 1931 for Marjorie Meriweather Post, the American heiress to the General Foods Corporation, with glossy wood panels and gold trim. The Sea Cloud was the world's largest private sailing yacht before Post handed it over to the US Navy for use as a weather reporting ship during World War II. The four-masted, 64-passenger vessel has since been restored to its former glory and will sail the Aegean and Adriatic this summer.
sail
The experience felt real – even before sail was set – with detailed safety drills. On most cruises, drills include safety videos and signing in at an assembly point. But here, passengers donned their life jackets and went through emergency scenarios, including rationing food supplies and fishing from a lifeboat.
Each day, the sails were set despite heavy rain and wind speeds of over 30 knots. Normally, guests wishing to take part in the sailing are invited, but the sailing was too risky due to the weather conditions.
“It was amazing to watch the work of raising and lowering the sails and to experience the power of the wind pulling the ship so fast without an engine,” said Malte Rahnenfuhrer, a 50-year-old psychologist from Zurich who was traveling with his partner and two children.
Captain
It's rare for cruise passengers to see the ship's captain after the initial welcome drinks or the gala dinner. But Captain Vukota Stojanovic was present throughout the cruise, from setting sails to lifeguarding and mingling with guests.
Captain Stojanovic, originally from Montenegro, operated container ships for many years. When asked about steering the original Sea Cloud about 10 years ago, he hesitated, saying he had no sailing experience. Even when he learned the ropes – and there are 340 ropes (known as running rigging) on the ship – he was still unsure. “I started to like sailing, the boats, the crew and the lifestyle, but I still felt I wanted to stay on container ships,” he said. “It would be a big adjustment, especially because I would have to shave every day,” he joked.
Eventually, he embraced the opportunity and worked tirelessly to learn how to steer and operate the ship. Today, they follow an “open bridge” policy, allowing passengers to visit the control room, even when they are battling the wind.
“The crew and passengers are all part of the experience, and I love meeting people and getting their feedback,” Captain Stojanovic said.
Environment
Sea Cloud Cruises seeks to take a “gentle” approach, using wind power to power its ships wherever possible, even if that means altering routes for optimal weather conditions. When sailing isn’t possible, Spirit has two diesel-electric engines that run on low-sulfur marine diesel fuel. The company is also working with ports that have shore power capabilities to connect to local electricity.
There’s an emphasis on reusable bottles and paper straws on board, and crew members separate solid waste, which is compacted and discarded upon arrival in port.
Excursions and activities
We stopped in Portofino, San Remo, Italy, and Saint-Tropez, France, anchored off the coast and arrived on land by tender – a far cry from the big cruise ships with their blaring horns and funnels billowing smoke.
For passengers who wanted to take a dip (there is no pool), the crew had marked an area in the water with floats and an inflatable slide. The water was cool, but many passengers took a dip from the swimming deck. Guests could also take “Zodiac Safaris” around the ship to see views of the ship from the water.
Excursions ranged from food and wine tours to e-biking and beach trips. In Portofino, passengers were free to explore the sights independently, including Castello Brown Fortress And this Lighthouse on the Punta del Capo reef. There was plenty of time for a meal ashore as the ship didn't leave until 11 p.m. In the summer, Sea Cloud Spirit will visit Spain, Portugal, France and the Azores, among other destinations. On Nov. 11, she will sail for St. Maarten in the Caribbean for the winter.
Mirel Reyes, Sea Cloud Cruises' president for North America, said that wherever the ship goes, the company tries to “stay away from crowds and ports where large cruise ships with 6,000 passengers unload.”
Prices in summer range from $3,995 for four nights in a Superior Cabin to $9,420 for a Veranda Suite, including meals and beverages. Seven-night sailings cost from $6,995 to $16,495.
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