Sailing the Mediterranean
My latest adventure was something unlike anything I’ve ever done before! I love Europe… it’s probably one of my favorite places to travel to, and I could go over and over again without getting tired of it. There’s always something new to explore, and new foods to eat. But I’ve never done it by boat, and I’ve never been ANYWHERE by sailboat.
—Enter Sea Cloud Cruises —
I recently learned about this unique product at an annual travel conference. I like to travel to lesser known destinations, and doing the “touristy” things hasn’t ever really been my style. So when I heard about a company that boasts of “off-the-beaten-path” travel, I was all ears. I’m really glad that I took this opportunity to experience the product myself because it’s very much for a specific type of traveler, and it’s important to know if it’s the right fit for you before you climb onboard.
5 Things to Know About Sea Cloud Cruises
1. The ships are very small.
You will be sailing with between 64-136 passengers. There are 3 ships in this fleet, and they vary by age and size. We were on the newest, and largest of the ships, which had both a small gym, and spa. We enjoyed the sauna, steam shower, and also scheduled treatments during our stay. One thing to note is that this is a European brand, so you may want to check out the hours that bathing suits are required if that makes you more comfortable when using those facilities.
If you have ever traveled by river cruise, I would say this has a lot of similarities in more ways than one. You can be from your room to the gangway in just a few minutes, making it easy to run back when you forgot something before you get off the boat. The evenings are similar as well in that it starts with a cocktail hour with the drink of the day, which runs right into dinner. I personally think the food on Sea Cloud is better than the river cruise food I have experienced. I was also very well fed!
2. You dock in the heart of most cities
Let’s talk about how easy it is to get on and off the boat. In many cities, you are docking right in the heart of the city. Some require a tender, but transfers to/from run approximately every 1/2 hour, and sometimes even on demand. So you truly have the freedom to see the city on your time. When we were in Palamós, Spain (my favorite stop), we got off in the morning for a small group hike from a nearby town, popped back onto the ship for a quick refresh and change, and then went right back into town for lunch and shopping. It takes literally seconds to get onboard. You just swipe your boarding card, and voilà - you’re on.
Saint Florent, Corsica
Calvi, Corsica
Palamós, Spain
Camino de Ronda Trail
We love opportunities to hike and see something not everyone can see, and the hike of Camino de Ronda did not disappoint! This is an old smugglers route that runs all the way to France! The water is strikingly clear and blue, and the views were unreal.
3. You’re going to enjoy amazing cuisine
Food - it’s the key to my heart. This item might not be important to some (I recently met a lady that said they hit the ground running when they travel, and if you don’t put food in your pocket, you won’t eat if you travel with her, ha!), but that’s not ok with me.
The chefs onboard the Sea Cloud fleet are top notch. We also had the privilege of experiencing one of their culinary sailings, which means we were sailing with a Michelin Star chef, and the Michelin sommelier of the year! Because the ship is so small, and there are only about 150 guests onboard, we got to spend a lot of time with them. Michael Collantes, and his wife, Jill, even allowed us to tag along on a self-guided food tour in Palamós where we just sat back and let him do the ordering. YUM.
Michael also prepared the best soup I’ve ever had in my life at one of the dinners onboard, and on a separate evening - he prepared the entire 5 course meal (4/5 courses pictured below), paired with wines by our Michelin sommelier, Benjamin Coutts. Perks of sitting with the wife of the chef - you can order multiple entrees without question.
4. Enjoy unique destinations with small groups
The beauty of sailing by a small vessel is that you can get into ports that most big ships cannot. We noticed that when we were in Marseille, France, the big cruise ships were miles from the center of the city. Whereas we were right downtown and could be sitting at a restaurant in the heart of the city in a short 5-10 minute walk. The cruise line also has a few unique excursions per stop to choose from if you would like to do an organized tour. We participated in both snorkeling in Corsica, and a hike in Palamós. We were with a group of about 8-10 for both excursions, which is extremely special. Outside of these excursions there were wine tours, city walks, e-bike tours, and more.
5. Be sure to bring things to keep you busy
I knew this experience would be much different than a large cruise ship, but I wasn’t prepared for having so much free time. When aboard the ship, it’s about the sailing experience, relaxing, and simply being on the water. It’s NOT about being entertained. If you read - bring a book… or three. If you don’t, start reading. Just kidding… there’s board games in the lounge, or a small gym if you’re on either of the larger vessels. For those sailing on Sea Cloud Spirit, book a spa treatment, check out the sauna, or mingle and make new friends. Don’t expect casinos, shows, or anything else that you’ll find scheduled throughout the day on a large ship.
A few things that they DO offer to keep you engaged include climbing the ropes. I took (and passed) the short fitness test, but due to rough water, we weren’t able to actually do it. I was pretty upset… I was ready to have my time to shine and channel my inner Captain Jack Sparrow! However, the crew still climbed around and put the sails up and down, which was fun to watch.
The crew climbed up and secured the sails (literally hanging over the edges of those beams)…
…and I was just watching from below, sippin’ on some ginger ale, and trying not to get sea sick.
We were also able to sign up for a tour of the “bridge,” which is where the the captain navigates from the bow. They took about 20 minutes to tell us about all of the different controls, and let us ask questions.
One last point I want to make is that you need to be flexible. These ships are small, so when the water is rough, it can make for a rocky journey. The captain had to re-route us a couple of times in order to make our trip more comfortable. One of our stops on the island of Corsica was just a small adjustment, which allowed us to still partake in our scheduled tours if we had them. But our stop in Italy was completely removed because our small vessel wouldn’t have been able to get into that port due to the weather (thanks to the hurricane that had happened in the US the week prior). It was disappointing, since we had a food tour scheduled (and you know me - I never say no to a meal), but that’s how things go when you travel! It’s important to be able to roll with the punches, and choose to live in the moment and enjoy where you are.
Overall, we had a fantastic time. It was fun to travel in a new way and see a variety of destinations in such a short timeframe. After our time with Sea Cloud, we got off in Barcelona for a short 24 hour visit before flying home, which we packed full of action (and food)! Stay tuned for our “24 hours In Barcelona.”