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Fall under the spell of the Caribbean trade winds aboard Sea Cloud
Return to the romantic era of tall ships on an expedition among the idyllic islands of the Caribbean—a place perfectly suited to the aesthetic beauty of sailing aboard an authentic square-rigger. Our iconic ship Sea Cloud will be a movable feast and your base for exploring some of the Caribbean’s gems and lesser-known sites. This historic sailing yacht, a souvenir of a golden age of sailing in the 1930s, is full of the glamour and the sophistication of her era. From the moment you step aboard you’ll feel the soul of the ship—as surely as you’ll feel the trade winds filling her sails.
NOTE: For expeditions departing April 2024 onward, Day 1 of our itineraries will no longer reflect “departure from the U.S.” and will reflect “arrival to the city” where your expedition begins. Durations of expeditions will remain unchanged.
Jan
Feb
From
$8,865
Prices are per person
Highlights
Caribbean
New
Antigua to the British Virgin Islands: Hidden Cays and Azure Seas Aboard Sea Cloud II
Duration
8 days
NOTE: For expeditions departing April 2024 onward, Day 1 of our itineraries will no longer reflect “departure from the U.S.” and will reflect “arrival to the city” where your expedition begins. Durations of expeditions will remain unchanged.
Jan
Feb
From
$8,865
Top Highlights
Experience the thrill of voyaging under sail on _Sea Cloud II_, watching an orchestrated frenzy of crew members going aloft in the web of riggings to hand-set 23 sails
Explore the natural wonders of the Caribbean, from remote cays and volcanic peaks to a variety of birds, reptiles, and sea turtles on tropical shores
Learn about the colonial history of tucked-away islands as you stroll through historic town squares and tour eighteenth-century forts
NOTE: For expeditions departing April 2024 onward, Day 1 of our itineraries will no longer reflect “departure from the U.S.” and will reflect “arrival to the city” where your expedition begins. Durations of expeditions will remain unchanged.
Jan
Feb
From
$7,881
Prices are per person
Highlights
Caribbean
New
Sailing St. Lucia, Dominica and Beyond Aboard Sea Cloud II
Duration
8 days
NOTE: For expeditions departing April 2024 onward, Day 1 of our itineraries will no longer reflect “departure from the U.S.” and will reflect “arrival to the city” where your expedition begins. Durations of expeditions will remain unchanged.
Jan
Feb
From
$7,881
Top Highlights
Unwind aboard _Sea Cloud II_, a romantic tall ship with every modern comfort, and observe the crew scramble high in the rigging to hand-set the sails
Discover Union Island, nicknamed the "Tahiti of the West Indies" with its dramatic volcanic landscape, turquoise waters, and local flavors
Explore two UNESCO World Heritage sites: Saint Kitts’ 17th-century Brimstone Hill Fortress and St. Lucia's iconic twin peaks, The Pitons
Discover the enchanting harmony of wind and sail. With reliable 10- to 15-knot trade winds at your back, you’ll trace the history of the islands from native settlers to colonial expansion to modern life. An integral part of what makes them so interesting is how each has settled in with some French, Spanish, and Creole mix of its own. On islands that still belong to France you’ll find everyone speaking French and shops accepting only the euro. Hike the islands and swim and snorkel the Caribbean’s colorful reefs.
Enjoy the daily ritual—each evening the entire community gathers on the Lido Deck for an expedition ritual we call Recap. As you enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, your naturalist or historian will give talks and your expedition leader will outline the following day’s schedule.
Unlocking the Hidden History of the Caribbean Aboard Sea Cloud
A journey through the Caribbean isn’t merely a vacation–it’s a chance to unlock the rich and complex history and culture of these islands that have stood as gateways to the New World and as waypoints for world exploration since they first made it onto the map.
Dominica Island: The Lesser-Known, Green Gem of the Caribbean
Dominica has earned the name “Nature Island” for good reason. Crystal-blue waters, towering rainforests, stunning volcanic peaks. On our Sailing the Caribbean aboard Sea Cloud expedition, experience the bountiful hidden beauty of this lesser-known gem.
Wherever she sails, Sea Cloud is a destination and a reason to travel all in one. Experience the epitome of elegance aboard the historic Marjorie Merriweather Post sailing yacht.
Learn How to “Lime” Caribbean Style
What is liming? It’s chilling out, relaxing, hanging out with friends for no reason other than to enjoy each other’s company.
The Sea Cloud is fabulous, and being on board and sailing is a real privilege!
Cory S.
Explore with top expedition teams
See, do, and learn more by going with engaging experts who have been exploring this region for decades. Go with an expedition leader, naturalist, historian, Lindblad-National Geographic certified photo instructor, and more.
Expedition Leader
Veteran expedition leaders are the orchestrators of your experience. Many have advanced degrees and have conducted research or taught for years. They have achieved expedition leader status because they possess the skills, the experience and the depth of knowledge necessary to continually craft the best expedition possible for our guests.
Our naturalists, passionate about the geographies they explore (and return to regularly), illuminate each facet through their enthusiasm and knowledge. Our guests consistently cite the expertise and engaging company of our staff as key reasons to repeatedly travel with us.
Our historians will share the stories, tumults, and triumphs of the people and places we explore. Their colorful personalities and passion for history, from the minutiae to the big picture, make them engaging travel tour guides and companions.
Every expedition aboard Sea Cloud offers an exclusive service—a Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic certified photo instructor. This naturalist is specially trained to offer assistance with camera settings and the basics of composition and to help you become a better, more confident photographer.
We dropped anchor in Soufriere Bay beneath the majestic Pitons. Both Pitons (“Gros” – 2600’ & “Petit” 2500’) are designated world heritage sites and are sentinels guarding the entrance to Soufriere Bay. Our excursion began inside the caldera where the hot sulfuric gasses and molten waters and rock are still quite active. St. Lucia is 238 square miles with a population of 180 thousand and is the birthplace of two Nobel Laureates. The official language is English, but everyone speaks the vernacular Creole French. Our next stop was the Diamond Botanical Gardens. Plants of every sort abound in profusion. The bamboo, the national plant of St. Lucia, can grow 8 inches a day and reach 30 feet. Our next stop was Hummingbird Beach. The snorkeling was good and is set against the sheer rock cliffs which contains the famous bat cave. We also enjoyed the hospitality and refreshing cold drinks at the Hummingbird Beach Club. Today’s lunch was a delight: pasta swirled inside a 100-kilo wheel of reggiano parmigiano cheese until fully coated. At night, our captain gave us a wonderful farewell toast to send us off safely to our homes. We boarded Sea Cloud as strangers and left as mates.
With a gentle easterly breeze this morning, we had good conditions for setting the sails as we raised anchor to depart Port Bequia en route to Carriacou, an island of Grenada. There are around 30,000 square feet of sail available to the captain on Sea Cloud and he set the majority of them today which made for a great sight with my drone’s eye view of the ship. In the afternoon we headed ashore on the island of Carriacou to enjoy some beach time on this quintessential Caribbean Island. At the aptly named Paradise Beach, guests relaxed, went for a swim, sipped on a rather potent rum punch, and enjoyed some local music while dancing on the sand.
We dropped anchor in Admiralty Bay facing the lovely village of Port Elizabeth. Bequia was settled first by the Taino and then Carib Indians. Scots were brought over quite early as indentured servants in considerable numbers in the early 18th century and have remained here. The demographics of Bequia is thus unlike many of the other islands we have visited with a substantial Euro-Afro-Caribbean population. Here there is a rainbow of racial colors all living harmoniously. Some guests had a scenic tour of the island, enjoying the amazing views from Fort Hamilton and Mount Pleasant. Then we stopped at the famous Sergeants/Boat Museum. Guests walked along main street (the only main street!), admired the scrimshaw on display at small tables selling all sorts of local handicrafts, and continued along Belmont walkway to our final stop, Princess Margaret Beach. Our final stop is always a hit – Jack’s Bar. At Jack’s, we enjoyed all sorts of fruit punches. Many loved the snorkeling and a swim. The remarkable “Kings of Strings” came on board and played while we danced to their music.
It was an early start today with a visit to the Napoleon Fort in Anse-Mire above beautiful Les Saintes Bay on the island of Terre-de-Haut in the Iles des Saintes. The bay is well protected from the prevailing trade winds and is a haven for yachts and water activities of all kinds. Our historian Tom Heffernan was on hand to provide learned insight into the history of the fort and of the island itself. Many guests wandered the narrow main street of the quaint French town at Anse Mire beach, exploring the small shops selling local products and perhaps enjoying a cafe au lait with a fresh croissant. There was time for a snorkel at the beach and then after lunch, back onboard, we had an opportunity to enjoy swimming in the beautiful, deep blue ocean next to the ship before setting sail south toward the Grenadine Islands.
In Dominica, we can do it all while learning about the history, not only of the Lesser Antilles, but of the world, as most European countries had possessions on these fertile volcanic islands. We offered a photo walk before breakfast, with the sun rising behind Morne Diablotin, the highest peak of the island. Later in the morning, the hike through the rain forest at Syndicate National Park transported us to the time when Columbus arrived at the Americas during his second voyage. The island has not changed much in more than 500 years, it is still very pristine and forested. Once back on board, Dr. Lenox Honychurch, born and raised on the island, with a PhD in history and archeology, answered many questions about his country. He has dedicated his life to save the historical Fort Shirley from the jungle and from oblivion. At the end of a good day, it was great to have the opportunity to swim, snorkel, and afterwards, to enjoy a Kubuli (the endemic beer) at Purple Turtle Bar.
There’s nothing sacrificed by having this traditional relationship to sailing. This is the height of luxury—and the height of luxury these days in many ways could be the ability to get away from it all.