I鈥檓 on a cruise ship in the Caribbean, and it鈥檚 almost showtime. I take a seat. Not in a lounge or theatre but聽on deck, where the action is about to unfold. And by action, I mean sails. Twenty-eight of them, all hoisted by hand.
A dozen sailors climb high into the shrouds, unleashing the heavy sheets of cloth. Far below, deckhands twist and tighten a maze of thick ropes, securing the sails so we can harness the wind and be on our way.
Most cruise ships get going when the crew pushes some buttons to fire up the engines. But , which debuted in 2021, isn鈥檛 most cruise ships. It鈥檚 a traditional tall ship: a three-masted, square-rigged windjammer that combines the romance of sailing with a modern cruise experience.
The tall ship with its sails unfurled to harness the wind.
Sea Cloud CruisesThe 136-passenger vessel has a lot of the trappings you鈥檇 expect on a floating vacation, including a spa, lounge, fitness room, restaurant and outdoor bar. There鈥檚 evening entertainment, afternoon tea service, on-board lectures, shore excursions. But this ship鈥檚 elegant frame and intimate size give private yacht vibes, and the majesty of the sails further sets it apart from your typical cruise. So does the opportunity for passengers to play Jack Sparrow and climb the rigging.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a different feeling when you鈥檙e moving by the power of nature,鈥 says our captain, Vukota Stojanovic, a Montenegrin who started his maritime career as a deckhand on cargo vessels. 鈥淢any people around the world use sailing ships instead of motorboats, which in some ways are easier to handle. They do it because of the feeling. The feeling of sailing cannot be replaced.鈥
Stojanovic says he uses wind power as often as possible. But when the weather, time constraints or other factors make this impractical, a pair of diesel-electric engines will help get the ship from A to B. But even with the sails furled, Sea Cloud Spirit is a sight to behold. And when those sails are set, she looks like a proud peacock with feathers billowing in the wind.
Germany-based Sea Cloud is one of the few cruise lines to offer these kinds of sailing trips. At , half of its six-vessel fleet has sails. Another company, , owns three tall ships, the largest being the five-masted Royal Clipper with a capacity of 227.
In an era when new cruise ships are reaching enormous, record proportions, sailing on a smaller vessel feels like a throwback to the glamorous days of yore. Sea Cloud Spirit鈥檚 oldest sister, the 64-passenger Sea Cloud, was built as a luxury yacht nearly a century ago for cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post.
One of the guest cabins aboard the 136-passenger聽Sea Cloud Spirit.
Sea Cloud CruisesOn our round-trip sailing from San Juan, Puerto Rico, we call on Antigua, St. Barts (Saint Barthelemy), and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands. In the BVI, we stop at Virgin Gorda for a trek to its famed Baths. This photogenic labyrinth of giant granite boulders and powder-blue water can draw quite a crowd. Many come by ferry or take a tender from the big ships docked at the island of Tortola. But our nimble vessel is small enough to get much closer to the shores of Virgin Gorda. We practically have the Baths to ourselves.
Our days are spent hopping from one island to the next. We swing by the French West Indies for a stop in St. Barts, originally inhabited by the Indigenous Arawak people and then the Caribs. Now, it鈥檚 a vacation hot spot for the rich and famous. I鈥檓 content to window shop and wander the manicured streets.
A view of Gustavia, St. Barts, at the harbour.
Sean Pavone / EnvatoArriving in St. John, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, we learn that strong winds have put the kibosh on our kayaking shore excursion. Luckily, we鈥檙e only a short stroll away from hiking trails in Virgin Islands National Park. My husband and I head for the park鈥檚 forested hills and follow the signs to the secluded Honeymoon Beach for a refreshing dip in the sea.
On the southern end of the BVI archipelago, we anchor among the yachts and sailboats in Bight Bay. A short tender ride drops us off at Norman Island, our sandy playground in the protected bay. We snorkel among parrot fish and hawksbill sea turtles before sitting down to a beach barbecue lunch. A musician plays the steel drums while we tuck into a plate full of grilled lobster.
Post-lunch, we join one of the ship鈥檚 lecturers, German author and naval history expert Ingo Bauernfeind, on a hike on this privately owned, uninhabited land mass 鈥 the supposed inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson鈥檚 鈥淭reasure Island.鈥
鈥淲henever you can go on a hike and get away from the harbour towns, you should do it,鈥 Bauernfeind says as we stand on a ridge, our ship bobbing in the bay below. 鈥淭his is what it was like when the earliest sailors arrived here. Quiet and beautiful.鈥
That鈥檚 also how I鈥檇 describe what it鈥檚 like being nearly 17 metres above the teak deck on Sea Cloud Spirit. I get up there by scaling the rigging, a vertiginous rope ladder of sorts that鈥檚 used by the crew to raise and lower the sails.
Sea Cloud recently began letting passengers climb to the lowest platform on the mast. But first, you need to pass a few tests. Hang from a bar for 10 seconds. Stand on one foot for twice that amount of time. Get your blood pressure checked by the ship鈥檚 doctor.
A crew member climbing the rigging. Cruisers also have the opportunity to play Jack Sparrow, if they can pass the tests.
Sea Cloud Cruises鈥淣o do-overs. If you fail, that鈥檚 it,鈥 the second officer says to about 30 of us hopefuls gathered on deck. It feels a bit like 鈥淪quid Game鈥 at sea.
Unlike 鈥淪quid Game,鈥 we all make the cut.
Wearing a safety harness, I huff and puff my way up the ropes and hoist myself onto the wooden perch. I鈥檓 rewarded with a panoramic view of the Caribbean Sea 鈥斅燼nd a taste of what it鈥檚 like not just to sail, but to be a sailor.
Lori Rackl travelled as a guest of Sea Cloud Cruises, which did not review or approve this article.
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