Sea Cloud II, as its name suggests, is the second of Sea Cloud Cruises’ three windjammers. A three-masted beauty that accommodates 94 passengers and sails in the Mediterranean, Adriatic, Atlantic and Caribbean, the ship delivers the nostalgia and romance of traditional sailing and the luxury of a 21st-century private yacht.
Overall score 8/10
Style and Character 8/10
Small and perfectly formed, Sea Cloud II’s beautiful craftsmanship and décor make for a deeply sophisticated environment. The decks, all agleam with polished brass handrails and teak floors, are the hub – the places where guests gather for morning coffee, for the buffet lunch, for pre-supper cocktails and for after-dinner nightcaps. At all other times, it’s where guests go to soak up the sun, catch up with new friends and to admire the 23 sails catching the breeze, when wind conditions allow.
The sea-facing loungers that line the decks are ideal for quieter, more introspective moments, as is the library. The dining room is formal, but not intimidatingly so. Tables can’t be booked, so everyone has a chance to nab a window seat.
Overall, Sea Cloud II is more akin to an intimate, personal and private yacht than a cruise ship.
Cabins 8/10
Accommodation is in keeping with the rest of the ship: elegant, traditional and reassuring – think curtains you pull open, and showers that provide powerful hot or cold jets, but which don’t try to transport you to a rainforest. This suits Sea Cloud II’s older demographic perfectly. The cabins are decorated in much the same way as the public areas: brass against dark-wood cabinets, heavy curtains and patterned carpets in navy and red, which give a gentle maritime vibe.
Meanwhile, marble bathrooms are lavish by cruise-ship standards with gold taps, toiletries by L’Occitane and spacious showers. Suites also come with baths.
Food and Drink 9/10
The food, modern European, is really good, with excellent choices for vegetarians, especially at the buffet breakfast and lunch. Dinner and breakfast are served in the restaurant and lunch – which might include whole, grilled fish, roasted meats and pastas – on the Lido Deck. Alcohol is served with all meals, even breakfast, where a bottle of fizz waits on ice alongside fresh juices and smoothies.
Dinners are four-course affairs, gala dinners are five – and none require evening dress.
Service and Facilities 8/10
Service is diligent, personal, warm and efficient. Expect your morning coffee and evening cocktail to arrive at your table almost as soon as you do. With 65 crew to 94 passengers, the staff soon get to know guests and their preferences. As you would expect from a vessel this size, facilities are limited and consist of a small gym, sauna and beauty salon.
Entertainment and Excursions 9/10
The entertainment is gentle and genteel: lectures, cocktail-making or olive-oil tasting and a keyboard player tickling away in the background while you have a drink on the Lido Deck. For one night of each sailing, there’s a disco.
Depending on where they are sailing to, passengers can add visits to wineries, historical sites, guided city walks and snorkelling to their holiday. Two popular examples of what might be offered are the half-day walking tour of Dubrovnik, which visits the Rector’s Palace and the Franciscan Monastery and costs from €100 (£80) per person, and a visit to St Lucia’s volcanic mud baths. The latter also costs from €100 (£80) per person.
Other activities include climbing the rig and helping to set the sails (both must be booked with the crew), and paddle-boarding, swimming and snorkelling off the marina platform.
Value for Money 8/10
Sea Cloud II’s rate is an all-inclusive one that includes fresh fruit in each cabin, beer and wine with lunch and dinner, non-alcoholic drinks throughout the day, gratuities and 10GB of data per passenger. Additional data costs from €20 (£17), and there is a surcharge for some premium wines and spirits. There is also a charge for excursions, details of which are released after booking, but expect to pay anything from €100 (£80) per person, to often at least double. Case in point? The wine tours available on Sea Cloud II’s Around the Iberian Peninsula itinerary, which visit boutique sherry and port cellars, can cost up to €300 (£260) per person.
Access for guests with disabilities?
With no barrier-free areas, lifts, or accessible rooms, Sea Cloud II is unsuitable for guests with disabilities. The cruise line urges passengers with limited mobility, or with invisible disabilities, to phone customer service before making a booking, to ensure they can be looked after on board.
Family-friendly?
In theory, yes, since the ship is not adults-only, but in reality, no. With no children’s club, play areas, or babysitting available, and with no elevator to help parents transport youngsters from one level to the next, Sea Cloud II wouldn’t be much of a holiday if you’re travelling en famille.