January 7, 2005  Email this  Print this
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TRAVEL
Love for Sail
(Page 2 of 3)
by Sean O’Neill
Small wonders
Sailing cruises chart courses that are often miles apart from giant cruise ships' routes. For example, they may visit such quiet beaches as the ones on Mayreau Island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which are studded with secluded coves and colorful local shops. Bigger ships tend to dock in large ports, such as Nassau in the Bahamas, that can absorb thousands of tourists without sinking.
On most sailing cruises, you can now skip the slacks-and-skirts dress code at dinner -- shorts or jeans will do. And although no one goes sailing for the food, many galleys now serve up gourmet fare, from caviar to risotto. And instead of accepting assigned seats, you can usually choose your tablemates.
Skip Travelocity and the other major online travel agencies. They don't supply the best deals on sailing cruises. You can often find discounts of up to 25% off the standard rates quoted in this story by booking trips through your travel agent or the cruise lines' Web sites. You can also find discounts at online agencies with a sailing-cruise niche, such as Small Ship Cruises (www.smallshipcruises.com) and Windjammercentral.com. And cruise deals abound at Cruise Compete (www.cruisecompete.com), where 99 travel agencies vie to give you the best prices for dates and itineraries you specify well in advance or at the 11th hour. Many of the trips on Cruise Compete's site will likely come from these top sailing-cruise lines:
Star Clippers (www.starclippers.com). This fleet uniquely offers true tall-ship sailing (the masts tower from 197 feet to 226 feet above the waterline). And the snorkeling opportunities are the best that sailing cruises offer, says Anne Campbell of CruiseMates.com. The food is so-so, and most passengers wear button-down shirts and khakis at night. Ships depart from ports in the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and Phuket, Thailand, and can accommodate from 170 to 227 passengers.
The showcase ship, with five masts and 42 sails, is the 439-foot Royal Clipper. A typical itinerary is a seven-night sail departing from Bridgetown, Barbados, with stops in Tobago Cays, Martinique and other ports. For the cruise from March 5 to March 12, prices start at $1,575 per person, double occupancy, for an inside cabin, and rise to $4,600 per person, double occupancy.
Windjammer Barefoot Cruises (www.windjammer.com). The 58-year-old cruise line sails ships that are most like the ones you see in pirate movies. Some cruises even have a pirate theme, such as the one Stotts and Mirgon went on, complete with cannons and crew dressed in costume (bring your own parrot). And the venerable cruise line has been shucking its couples-only reputation by adding children's day programs to several summer itineraries.
When they say "barefoot," they're not kidding. Stotts and Mirgon ditched their shoes and dressed in beachwear the whole trip -- which might have earned 20 lashes on a megaship or even another sailing cruise. The casual attitude extends to itineraries and meal schedules, which can be spontaneous. A typical itinerary includes a day at a beach. Expect a cash bar so that you can sunbathe without resorting to sobriety.
Windjammer's five motored sailing vessels can carry 64 to 119 passengers. The ships' cabins are the most Spartan of these four sailing-cruise companies, says Campbell, who notes bunk beds and cramped storage. Cruises depart from Miami or island ports and run from three to 15 days in the Caribbean. Prices for six-day trips this spring to the Virgin Islands range from $800 to $1,600, double occupancy, including meals. Visit the company's Web site for early-booking and last-minute deals, such as "buy one ticket, get one free."
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