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My taxi dropped me off at the new cruise ship pier at
Phillipsburg, St. Maarten around 3pm. The new pier is very
impressive for a small island and obviously a major investment in
both money and confidence in the cruise industry. I started to
walk down between the big cruise ships berthed on either side. The
"Disney Magic" was berth on the left, opposite was the Majesty of
the Seas and in the distance down beyond the Disney Magic was
berthed the Westerdam, but the thing that had caught my attention
was the big crowd of people gathered on the pier way down -
opposite the aft end the Westerdam.
I gradually drew closer, intrigued by the gathering of tourists on
the pier, wondering what was holding their attention.
As I drew abreast of the bow of the Westerdam I was able to see
past the stern of the Majesty of the Seas and slowly one after
another, huge brown steel masts and square rigger style booms came
into view. I eventually arrived at where the crowd had gathered, as
I then knew, to admire this beautiful sailing ship berthed at the
end of the dock. Dwarfed by the modern style of cruise ships, the
Sea Cloud II nevertheless had captivated the attention of the
group.
It was hard not to admire her sleek lines, the newly varnished
teak and polished brass and the lines of a by gone era. Masts that
reached 174ft into the sky, to support the huge 30,000 sq ft of
sail area which the ship could set, 27 sails in all.
As I arrived at the gangway, I heard someone in the crowds say
with envy, "he's going to sail on her…." It was with satisfaction
that I climbed up the gangway to be met at the top by the 2nd
Officer and several of the crew.
Its hard to describe ones first impression of a ship of this
nature. It is like nothing else most people have ever experienced
when it comes to a cruise ship. Small by modern standards, just
384ft in length, nevertheless by the standards of sailing vessels,
she is a behemoth.
Spotless teak decks stretch as far as one can see, an abundance of
highly polished brass, more varnish and bright work than you could
ever seemingly maintain and everywhere you look, racks of
stanchions loaded with sheets, lines and all the running rigging
that is required to handle the sails.
Standing on the Lido Deck and looking up at the masts, one is
immediately aware of the miles upon miles of rope, cables and so
on that make up the standing and running rigging, one wonders how
the crew know which rope does what. Huge winches seem to be
everywhere, but as I was to find out, much of the muscle used to
run the ship is supplied by the crew themselves, the winches only
do part of the job.
Passing through the interior of the ship on the way to my
stateroom, I was pleased to see how well the designers and
shipwrights had captured the flavor of the by gone age of sail.
The ship is in every respects brand new, with every modern
amenity, but has a comfortable feel of luxury, style and good
taste everywhere one looks. The abundant use of hand crafted wood
and antique style lamps and fittings impart a captivating charm.
My stateroom was extremely generous. I was on deck two and gather
that whilst all the cabins on this deck are pretty much the same
size in terms of square footage, it seems extra large due to the
fact that it was in an area where 3 cabins on either side of the
ship side had been reduced in width to accommodate the stairwell,
mast and so on, but the length of the cabins had been increased to
make up the required square footage.
There was more than adequate storage space and drawers for
personal articles, as well as a beautifully crafted cabinet
enclosing a TV/Video and a bar refrigerator. Other nice touches
were a full length mirror adjacent to the cabin door and a large
one above the drawer unit, a combination safe and an initial set
up for the bar where also in evidence. My cabin had three large
brass portholes which supply adequate light during the day.
The bathroom was a masterpiece, crafted in marble, soft tones to
match the decor, gold trim and classic sink and plumbing fittings
a generous shower and an almost silent flush toilet system.. The
bathroom had plush engraved Sea Cloud towels, bath, hand and
shower mat, and as one would expect, a quality amenity kit was
placed ready for use. There was also a hair dryer and finally, two
soft white monogrammed terry robes and slippers at arms reach.
The ship can accommodate 96 guests in 48 cabins. There is one
handicap cabin, but the ship was never seriously intended for
handicapped guests, and rightly so in many ways, as it would be
next to impossible to navigate a wheelchair when she is sailing
hard on the wind. That aside, there is no elevator or wheelchair
access onto the decks and so on. The ship is "small" and has to
comply with the very strict new Solas regulations, hence the steps
into and out of the interior of the ship (just to point out an
obvious problem) are very high and there is no room for a
wheelchair ramp.
The cabins on deck three, the Promenade Deck, are deceptive in as
much as they appear larger at first sight, but as they are
enclosed by the exterior deck they are in fact once again almost
the same size as those on deck two. They do suffer from a certain
amount of lack of privacy as guests strolling the deck can look
into the cabins, but they are very light and airy with their large
windows.
Located mid-ship on the Promenade Deck are the ship's office,
Purser's office and the reception. Going aft from here down a
central passageway with staterooms on either side, one soon
arrives at the ship's boutique, stocked with quality logo items
and other souvenirs of the voyage. Passing through here one enters
the dinning room.
The dinning room is full width and situated almost at the very
stern of the vessel, sadly it does not have any view out of the
stern, but large windows bring the outside in. The dining room is
conveniently accessible from two areas: inside from the Promenade
Deck or outside from the Lido Deck. A selection of different sized
tables allows various table options from family groups to romantic
couples. The furniture is delightful and the light color scheme
very soft and relaxing. The walls are hung with artwork and the
whole generates a feeling of relaxed well being.
On the deck immediately above is the Lido bar. Due to SOLAS
regulations the only meal currently served on deck is the
occasional BBQ, but the company is looking into ways to
accommodate simple dining options. The Lido Deck is well laid out
for entertaining and sunbathing. Solid teak deck furniture,
tables, chairs and sun loungers abound and a large canvas awning
offers shade.
Going forward on the Lido Deck one can walk all around the
exterior of the ship, the only deck that is fully open. Located
amidships on this deck is the lounge, delightfully decorated and
furnished it also features a Steinway piano and bar for evening
entertainment.
Moving forward one comes to another deckhouse, the location of the
two Owner's Suites and the Library. The suites are very generously
proportioned and include a separate sitting area etc. The library
is perhaps one of the loveliest areas on the ship, with lots of
glass, a wood inlaid wind rose on the floor and views forward. A
well stocked selection of books and videos as well as a computer
for guest use make this an inviting and cozy space.
Forward on deck 2 - the "Cabin Deck" - are the ship's hospital,
water sports platform, gym, sauna and restroom. The gym is
adequately sized and well equipped with top brands of the latest
in popular equipment. There is an additional restroom located
nearby.
The ship is of a high quality throughout, the carpeting was
designed and custom made to fit the areas and carries the Sea
Cloud style through all interior areas of the ship.
Sailing:
During the days we were underway the winds where very light, but
nonetheless the crew did break out the square rig sails on the
forward and main mast - it is a sight to see. The deck crew have
to climb aloft to release the gaskets so the sails can be dropped
from the booms, they then return to deck and using the various
running rigging tighten the sails and set the boom into the wind
so the sails fill and drive the ship. I am told that underway she
will always have an engine running, but seriously sailing in a
stiff wind she can reach speeds of 8 to 10 knots.
Cuisine:
Sea Cloud cruises has always had a reputation for haute cuisine
and the Sea Cloud II is following the tradition. Though very
European in content menus can be developed according to a
charterer's needs and taste.
Breakfast buffets have the usual selection of bacon, scrambled egg
and sausage, but the majority of the buffet are European cold
cuts, cheeses, soused herring and so on. There was a selection of
fresh fruit and cereals but the fruit juices served where not
fresh Florida style and appeared to be from concentrate.
Lunches and dinners (as well as breakfast) are all served in the
dinning room. Lunches are buffets and consisted of hot entrees,
vegetables plus a selection of cold meats and salads - the same
meats served at breakfast. A delicious fresh soup is also
available and changes daily. There were pastries and fruit for
desert.
Afternoon tea with pastries and sandwiches are served in the
Lounge daily from 4 to 5pm.
Dinner is silver service, five courses and in our case a very
limited choice, although I imagine on a scheduled cruise there
would be a least three choices. Portions are small (European
sized) and nicely presented. Good quality European wines were
freely poured and are offered a complimentary basis with both
lunch and dinner. Beer and soft drinks are also included free of
charge throughout.
One evening we had a BBQ on deck which I gather is going to be the
norm on a week-long cruise - weather permitting - it was an
excellent evening and a very nicely presented and cooked meal with
everything from Maine lobster tails, king prawn, ribs and meat of
every type. A complete salad bar and deserts where in abundance.
The crew dressed the Lido area in Palm fronds and exotic cocktails
were passed freely.
The down side
When I cruised on the ship - she had just arrive from Europe. The
crew where tired, they were still undergoing training and it
showed. I had the impression that the service staff where short
handed, perhaps they need to add additional crew to handle the
level of service expected.
Technically they were still working some bugs out of the systems.
The air conditioning was feeble and would be hard put to cope with
tropical conditions. There was a persistent odor of badly vented
sewage tanks and probably the most annoying, what appeared to be a
discharge valve that crashed very loudly for extended lengths of
time during the night.
The telephone system was either not operating or, as there where
no instructions nor where the phone extensions marked, myself and
others where unable to make calls. The television system appeared
to be non-operational, each TV had on-board VHS playback, but I
did not see a tape library anywhere on the ship.
Generally speaking, the ship was working well and the problems
mentioned are easily rectified. I would expect that within a few
months the bugs will be out of the systems and the ship will be
working very well.
General specs:
Length: 384 ft
Beam: 53 ft
Draft: 18 ft
Height of main mast: 174 ft
Total sail area: 29,676 sq. ft
Number of sails: 24
Main engines: 2 x 1240 KW.
Top Speed: 14 knots
Range: 10,000 miles
Gross Tonnage: 3.849
Cabins: 46
Suites: 2
Electrical on board: 220v/50hz
Satellite communication: E-mail/fax/telephone/telex
Contact numbers for the ship:
Dial the appropriate satellite ocean access code - then dial
Tel: 3 248 953 10
Fax: 3 248 953 11
E-mail: seacloud2@seacloud.com
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