Overview
What is it like to sail aboard a Sea Cloud tall ship?
Sea Cloud is unlike anything else afloat: the flagship Sea Cloud was built in 1931 as a private yacht for Marjorie Merriweather Post, and it still sails today as a working tall ship, with a crew that climbs the masts by hand to set its canvas sails when conditions allow. The fleet — Sea Cloud, Sea Cloud II and the newer Sea Cloud Spirit — carries 64 to 136 guests, making for an exceptionally intimate luxury sailing experience. Antique-furnished original cabins on the flagship, including an Owner’s Suite that was once Post’s private quarters, sit alongside more contemporary accommodations on the newer ships, all wrapped in an elegant, understated European style.
Who it’s best for
- Sailing enthusiasts and tall-ship romantics
- Travelers wanting the smallest, most intimate ultra-luxury ships at sea
- Couples seeking a distinctive milestone trip
- Guests who want boutique ports over big-ship itineraries
Popular ships
Sea Cloud
The 1931-built flagship, once a private yacht — antique original cabins and real hand-set sails.
Sea Cloud II
A larger sailing yacht built in the same tradition with more modern suites.
Sea Cloud Spirit
The newest ship, adding a spa and more spacious cabins while keeping the fleet’s intimate scale.
Cabin recommendations
History lovers
On the original Sea Cloud, request one of the antique-furnished original cabins for the most authentic 1930s yacht experience.
More space
Sea Cloud Spirit’s newer suites offer more room and a private balcony on select categories — a good pick for a first Sea Cloud voyage.
Milestone trips
The Owner’s Suite on the flagship — Marjorie Merriweather Post’s former private quarters — is a genuine bucket-list booking.
Dining
Refined, small-scale dining with one seating and open table choice in the restaurant, European-leaning menus, and wines paired with lunch and dinner. Meals also include coffee, tea, soft drinks and standard bar drinks; premium brands cost extra. Sea Cloud Spirit adds a casual lido-deck bistro for dinner, while the fleet’s lounges and lido bars set the tone for relaxed evening drinks.
Entertainment
Understated by design: watching (and often helping) the crew set sail by hand is the signature experience, alongside destination talks, a small library and lounge, and quiet evenings under real rigging. There’s no casino, no big theater and no production shows — the ship and the sailing are the entertainment.
What’s included
- Meals, coffee, tea, soft drinks and standard bar drinks (premium brands extra)
- Small-ship, high crew-to-guest ratio service
- Access to boutique harbors larger ships can’t enter
- Historic, antique-furnished cabins (flagship)
- Watersports and swim stops on calm-water sailings
Sea Cloud Cruises FAQs
Yes. Sea Cloud’s crews climb the rigging to set and trim the canvas sails by hand when conditions allow — a defining part of the experience aboard these traditional windjammers.
Very: Sea Cloud carries up to 64 guests, Sea Cloud II up to 94, and Sea Cloud Spirit up to 136. That scale keeps the experience far more intimate than a conventional cruise ship.
The ships sail the Caribbean in winter and the Mediterranean in spring, summer and fall. Depending on the ship and season, itineraries also include Costa Rica, the Bahamas, Madeira, the Azores, the Canary Islands, Morocco and Atlantic crossings.
Yes. Guests who want to participate can help with sail-setting tasks such as hauling lines and coiling them afterward. On Sea Cloud windjammers, eligible guests may also be able to climb to the first platform with safety equipment and crew guidance.