In a fantastic daily choreography, teams of skillful deck hands climb rope ladders to do tightrope walks along spars and unfurl sails by hand. We’re suddenly sailing in stillness, beneath dozens of huge white sails that billow from three tall masts.
We slip through time and space aboard Sea Cloud Spirit, a barque-rigged sailing yacht whose classic lines and elegant woodwork would be familiar to travelers in the Gilded Age. But this is a new ship with all the technology, amenities and gourmet treats of the best at sea today.
And our round-trip from Venice is unique in itself. The Sea Cloud Sprit, carrying at 136 guests, is one of the few cruise ships small enough to still be entitled to dock along the Guidecca Canal in the heart of Venice offering dramatic arrival and departure sailings past iconic Piazza San Marco. We’re aboard the first of a series of nine-night round trips that include a night aboard the ship in Venice.
Our route along The Enchanting Croatian Coast is visiting uncrowded, unforgettable medieval towns built of stone where we’re invariably the only cruise ship in the harbor.. After a first day under sail, we reach Sibenik, which doubled for the fictional city of Braavos in Game of Thrones. Then the spectacular walled town of Dubrovnik, followed by Korcula, the birthplace of Marco Polo. On and on, to Vis and Hvar; another leisurely day under full sails, then Rovinj with its maze of ancient cobbled streets before returning to Venice for a final day and night.
Shore excursion highlights include the waterfalls and wading pools of Krka, tastings at wineries and olive oil plantations. A highlight is a special rooftop sunset cocktail party in Dubrovnik, where Sea Cloud can anchor in the inner harbor until 11 p.m., long after the passengers of large ships that had to dock many miles away have left the city.
While we can reach a speed of 14 knots under sail power in the right wind, we’re in no need of speed on this itinerary. While the crew are clambering up the rigging or on deck managing the hundreds of lines that keep the sails taut guests can relax on padded deck chairs and big shady clamshells. You get a fresh appreciation for the saying knowing your ropes as you watch these expert seamen tug the lines, coil them across the decks and loop them with precision on belaying pins while you sip a coffee or cool drink and nibble on fresh baked goods and fruits from an ever-changing breakfast buffet on deck.
Several days feature the morning under full sail and arrival at our destination in time for lunch and an afternoon of exploring. Want to try your hand at climbing the rigging to the crow’s nest for the view from the top of a mast? Remarkably, a lot of guests opt to strap on safety harnesses for an ascent into the rigging. But it requires first passing a fitness test that includes standing on one foot for at least 30 seconds, proving your agility doing chin-ups and having your blood pressure checked. Intriguing, but the view from on deck is spectacular enough for me, thanks.
There’s much more to the Sea Cloud experience than lounging under beautiful sails. There are daily presentations of the history and culture of the places we’re visiting and special performances including concerts by guest local performers and on this cruise a classical pianist playing Sea Cloud Spirit’s Steinway & Sons grand piano. And a crowd favorite show one evening features the crew singing sea shanties.
A refreshing retreat is the full-service spa with a wide range of beauty and massage therapy choices. On days in port, a swim platform can also be deployed to let you experience a dip in the Adratic Sea. Use caution, though, because even on a hot summer day the water temperature is bracing. There’s a sauna to warm up in—and it even has clothing-optional hours, if you’re so inclined.
The tasty, inventive cuisine throughout the day is a story of its own, with memorable dinners served either on deck or in the gracious dining room. This is your yacht, so days in port ou have the option of enjoying a four-course menu in the dining room or having it served on deck. The crew is ultra-charming and always eager to please.
A Sea Cloud voyage is truly unlike anything you could experience on any other luxury ship.
Some details: Sea Cloud Spirit will be sailing in the Caribbean from St. Maarten, Panama or Costa Rica in the winter of 2025-26 and is charting wide-ranging spring and summer itineraries in the Med for 2026.. Smaller sister ship Sea Cloud II includes itineraries from Venice in 2026. Voyages on Sea Cloud include all meals with exclusive wine and beer selections with meals, water sports, port charges, gratuities and welcome bottle of champagne upon embarkation.
There are no U.S.-style plugs, so it’s a good plan to bring adapters for the European two-pin plugs. While it does have an elevator, the ship has many stairs and high doorsills that make it impractical for wheelchair access and many shore excursions require tendering ashore.
