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Sea Cloud Cruises readies to sail in the spring

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The Sea Cloud fleet will expand to three with the addition of the new Sea Cloud Spirit, center
Sea Cloud Cruises announced March/April sailing dates for Sea Cloud II and Sea Cloud and said the maiden voyage for the new Sea Cloud Spirit will be announced soon.

On March 17, Sea Cloud II is scheduled to sail from Las Palmas on seven-day trips around the Canary Islands. Two weeks later, Sea Cloud is to start its voyages through the Greek Islands.

'Our team has put together a program that meets the high demands of our guests, even if we still have to start our season under COVID-19 conditions, as is currently foreseeable,' Managing Director Daniel Schäfer said. Safety and hygiene measures will be in place.

Reliability and safety

The Sea Cloud ships will be resuming operations almost one year to the day after they were forced to shut down for the pandemic. The company said demand has been strong over the last few months, but Sea Cloud made a conscious decision to resume voyages later than other operators.

'In addition to our principle of "quality over quantity," reliability and safety are our top priority,' Schäfer said. 

Round-trips and new program offerings

Sea Cloud II's weeklong Canary Islands cruise will combine the experience of a journey under full sail with exclusive excursions delving into the nature and culture of the destinations. These include new active options such as exploring Lanzarote with environmentally friendly electric vehicles, whale watching off La Gomera and catamaran tours off Fuerteventura.

Sea Cloud's Aegean

Flagship Sea Cloud — turning 90 in 2021 — will resume service April 2 in the Aegean Sea. It will sail round-trip Piraeus on two different routes through the Cyclades.

Explaining why the company opted for round-trips instead of its usual open-jaw sailings, Schäfer said: 'In the event that there will be COVD-19-related restrictions for a longer period of time in the coming year, we can already meet all applicable requirements from the moment we arrive.'

Fresh air

'On a tall ship, a significant part of the daily life takes place in the fresh air,' Schäfer noted. In addition, the cabins and the public areas are ventilated with fresh air from the outside. Occupancy is limited to 64 to 94 travelers.

A flexible cancellation policy will continue to apply to all bookings in 2021. As long as COVID-19 remains an issue, bookings can be cancelled up to six weeks prior to the start of the journey for a processing fee of $25 per person.

Sea Cloud Spirit nears completion

Meanwhile, Sea Cloud Spirit is nearing completion at Metalships & Docks SAU in Vigo, Spain.

After a COVID-19 interruption, work on the 452.7-foot/138-meter tall ship is back on schedule. The vessel has capacity for 136 passengers and combines the classic beauty of the 90-year-old Sea Cloud with modern elements of a five-star cruise ship.

'We remain true to our commitment to traditional seamanship,' Schäfer added. Sea Cloud Spirit travelers will get the same sailing experience as the two other vessels offer.

The maiden voyage date will be announced later this year.

The new spring brochures (German and English) are available here.