You know I am a big fan of Sea Cloud Spirit; an experience I have said is “Nautically Sexy“. Well, it was quite a schlep from Lake Tahoe to San Juan, Puerto Rico, to board the Sea Cloud Spirit for the third time and an even bigger schlep to return from St. Maarten, but it was worth it! (NOTE: Those ports are easily reached from the East Coast and Midwest, so don’t let my kvetching put you off!)
With Sea Cloud being relatively new to the North American market, having a very German-centric past-guest history, I had made a number of suggestions to Sea Cloud that I thought would better align itself with the North American luxury market. And, while they were just my opinions, I know Sea Cloud’s owner and management sort of used them to take a deep dive into who to make this wonderful product better. And they have done a great job!
Before I delve into more of a travelogue I want to mention some of the improvements…you know: The Little Things!
- A sincere effort to have English as the primary language onboard while still properly servicing its German clientele and without losing the wonderful multicultural experience.
- Now highspeed internet is included (10 GBs). If you need more, the cost is minimal, and unless you are working or uploading lots of videos, that is more than enough.
- The cuisine has not only been upgraded but has also been made to align more with North American expectations. Prime rib, duck, great salads. along with it famous fresh fish, at lunch was just the start.
- The breads and pastries are vastly improved, and even Chef Pagan loved the curious mini-rolls, which have an explosion of taste and wonderful texture.
- A variety of shore excursions are included, and all I heard were compliments.
- Service levels have notably improved while keeping the personal charm of Sea Cloud’s informal and friendly approach.
Some other aspects of the Sea Cloud experience that show its consistent excellence are how pristine the ship is maintained, how well the suites and staterooms are serviced, and, of course, The Sails!
Now, with that out of the way, let’s get to how this sailing experience played out; noting that I was forbidden to set foot in the ocean due to a recent surgery, so it was not as experiential as I might have liked.
That said, making up for that on this sail, Celebrity Chef Mario Pagan, was featured. He did present a five-course dinner, a great cooking demonstration, and the main course of the Farewell Dinner, but for me, that wasn’t the real treat. It was that he and his wife Bibi were incredibly charming and a lot of fun.
Nils Lackner, Sea Cloud’s Sommelier and lecturer, was also featured. Nils was not only involved in creating some wonderful pairings for Chef Pagan’s dishes but also the Welcome and Farewell Dinners; Nils gave two great wine talks/tastings that were the most approachable and, importantly, focused more on the wines, their history, how to care for them, etc. rather than focusing on tasting notes. The guests were fully engaged!
Sea Cloud did a fantastic job with its Beach Barbecue at Norman Island, British Virgin Islands. I thoroughly enjoyed my cabana watching a small sea turtle bobbing his head up through the day while sipping on some wonderful roses before enjoying a couple of lobsters, Argentinian sausage, sirloin steak and more with Chef Pagan and his wife. (Oh, how I wished I could have gone snorkeling with Sea Cloud Spirit’s resident biologist!)
Independently, in Nevis I headed over to Sunshine’s; a favorite spot of mine last visited in 2019 with my girlfriend…this time settling for Nils. Just like the last time, I was well and truly stung by the Killer Bee drinks, but only after enjoying a feast of lobster, ribs, jerked chicken, and more. The fact that there was a continuous rain/downpour didn’t dampen our spirits (a double pun).
In St. Johns, Antigua, I did spend time at Jolly Beach with Nils and another very nice travel agent couple and wound up at a rundown shack of a place that had delicious curry goat and, aided by a couple of Hurricanes (if you know, you know), wound up singing Bruce Springsteen karaoke while wiggling my feet in the sand under a cheap popup tent.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that dining al fresco on Sea Cloud Spirit is a real treat. Depending on the day, it may be a buffet or plated (sometimes with the option of dining al fresco or in the restaurant). For me, the buffet wins out every time!
Chef Mario Pagan guided our visit to St. Barths. He rented a car so that we could visit as many places as possible in one day. We started at Le Serano for a morning Billecart-Salmon champagne toast before heading over to Eden Roc’s Sand Bar for a surprisingly delicious Salmon & Oyster Tartare, a Lobster Cobb Salad, along with a Vicent Gaudry Sancerre…and an Ice Sundae.
With Nikki Beach right next door, we had to stop in for a cocktail before heading over to Cheval Blanc for some more wine. With it being time to return the car, we headed back into Gustavia for a final drink – I admit I was “drinked out” – settling for a beer at Le Select Local Bar before heading back to the Sea Cloud Spirit. I heard dinner was excellent both in presentation and flavor, but I admit I missed it.
With all that positivity, there were a couple of misses…and you know I will always call them out when it matters. With this sailing starting in United States waters and the first port also being there, modifications to the Sea Cloud experience were obvious…and I knew they had to be. US health regulations on ships are very strict, especially when it comes to refrigeration, food temperatures, buffet controls, etc., and some of the signature on-deck experiences could not be enjoyed until we departed them. On a short cruise, that had an impact.
Unfortunately, the hotel manager – who Sea Cloud replaced mid-cruise – didn’t do his job properly, and that negatively impacted the on-deck experience by not having as much on-deck dining on the Lido and not causing the canvas sides to be lifted so that the Caribbean dining experience and breezes were not being fully enjoyed. I am sure there were other issues, but suffice it to say, I think a bit more in the way of required protocols and less hotel manager “discretion” should be in place.
One other item, which has been an ongoing debate, is air conditioning in the dining room at dinner. This baffles me because it has not been an issue on any other ship I have sailed on, nor was it an issue anywhere else on the ship, at breakfast or lunch. Why there is a “push-pull” between North Americans’ use of air conditioning and Germans’ dislike of same is mind-boggling. Sea Cloud is a very special experience, but if they want the North American market to love the product, its passengers need to be comfortable. My solution: The same as it is on every other ship: If you are too cool, put on a sweater. Geez!
One thing I do want to mention somewhat unrelated to this sailing, but alas, part of my travelogue: Flights!
Because the airlines have become so unreliable, I now try to have at least two hours between connections. On my return from St. Maarten, it was just barely enough. My United flight to Chicago was on time and actually landed a few minutes early (thankfully!). As we taxied to the gate, I received notification that my onward flight to San Francisco would start boarding in 80 minutes. Heck, 1 hour 20 minutes should be no problem. Wrong! I then received a text from United that the time to get from International Gate M35 to Domestic Gate 20 was 94 minutes.
I bolted off the plane (delayed due to my being in Row 23) and I must have walked a mile to Immigration…watching seemingly every gate emptying more passengers ahead of me. When I got to Global Entry line, there was a 20-minute wait. Fortunately, I used the Global Entry Mobile App, so I had my photo taken while I was just off the plane and I was pulled out of line to the front. Whew. Then, I had to wait for my luggage to recheck. Then I had to take the train to the right terminal. Then, fortunately, I had Clear with TSA Pre-check, so I was able to use the empty line rather than the one winding back and forth.
Yes, I did make it. But how a less nimble person, no less the elderly or a family with small children, could manage just the distance is mindboggling. Add to that most people do not have Global Entry or Clear (no less TSA Pre-check) so I shudder to think of the number of people that missed their connections.
In short, the airlines need to do better when giving flight connections that are minutes, not hours, when they know certain airports are as bad as Chicago…which I now add to Heathrow and Charles-de-Gaulle as airports requiring no less than 2.5 hours to connect.
Reflecting on my sailing…it is not a cruise!…and noting that the Caribbean is not my favorite destination (I didn’t mention each port because, well, for me, they kinda blend together), Sea Cloud Spirit and its staff and crew made it a truly enjoyable, relaxing, delicious, friendly, and warm experience. This ship has truly become a home away from home for me. And, coming from me, hopefully, you can appreciate how unique and special Sea Cloud Spirit is!
