In The News – "Sail" The Seas

Set sail aboard Ships with Sails! Forget your usual crowded cruise ship that doubles as a mall, a theater, and perhaps a small city. Here is a way to experience the seas without the fluff.

Star Flyer
The Star Flyer offers a casually elegant way to island-hop around the Mediterranean. This four-masted ship, 360 feet long, holds a crew of 72 and 170 passengers, many of whom will become close mates by the end of the trip. It's casual elegance aboard ship, with comfortable cabins, open-seating dining, two swimming pools and other amenities. But it's the dynamics of feeling the pull of 16 full sails trimmed for maximum speed in open water that will have passengers giggling and singing their own sea shanty. Standing on the teak deck, there's a sense of old adventure and new discovery. The Star Flyer offers island-hopping throughout the Mediterranean in the summer and heads to the Caribbean from November to April. Day trips are educationally fun, with stops at salty tavernas complete with retsina and ouzo, Greek orthodox churches, ancient Greek ruins and postcard-worthy villages and ports. Nothing beats the view of your harbored sailing vessel from atop a Greek hill.

Diamant
The 100-foot Diamant schooner visits ports in the Windward Islands. Island Windjammers' Caribbean-based Diamant is one of three tall-masted ships the company operates. Twelve passengers will enjoy a laid back version of playing adult hooky, in a truly relaxed fashion. From its home port in St. George's, Grenada, the 100-foot schooner follows the Windward Islands, visiting a selection of ports.

This Company has found the perfect mix, Good food, great cabins, and good quality. They'll have your feet on the sand 20 minutes after breakfast. You'll visit villages, walk on the beach, or see a turtle sanctuary. Underwater boat lights that will attract some interesting sea life, and a night swim with a rope swing will cap the perfect day.

Plus there's no Wi-Fi onboard, encouraging face-to-face socializing. This is less formal than certainly any large cruise ship, and significantly more relaxed than other tall-masted or alternative cruises.

Wind Star

Captain Belinda Bennett has the perfect schedule -- summers in the Mediterranean, winters in the Caribbean. In addition to being the first female and first black captain in Windstar's history, she is the first black female captain in the commercial cruise industry. She guides the Wind Star, a 360-foot yacht that feels like a personal pleasure craft. A 100-person crew attends to the 148 passengers who bunk in 73 well-appointed staterooms (plus one deluxe 220-square-foot owner's suite, complete with ocean view). And sure, the Wind Star offers a spa, a watersports platform, a casino, lounge, library, pool and absolutely gourmet dining, but its charms run deeper. It's luxury at a relaxed pace. The wind pulls and pushes the ship toward endless adventure, whether it's the Mediterranean or Caribbean. It's active travel. There are some fabulous places that cruise ships like Wind Star call at whereby you get to see multiple cities and islands you would not normally see by staying in one place.

The Mandalay
Mandalay visits less explored parts of the Caribbean. Once part of the Barefoot Windjammer empire, the Mandalay -- a 236-foot, three-masted sailing vessel built in 1923 -- was purchased by its former captain and an ardent passenger, and now sails under the auspice of Sail Windjammer. They have a love for and wanted to preserve this type of sailing. Mandalay offers an historical sailing experience to "less touristy" parts of the Caribbean that larger cruise ships usually pass by. You get to know the crew, locals and fellow passengers. Everybody leaves with a new friend. Sailing aboard the Mandalay defines "laid back," where passengers can do as much or as little as they choose. The vessel holds 58 passengers total, with a crew of roughly 20. With a flexible itinerary, there's plenty of room for adventure, exploration and relaxation. Meals often feature local delights. There are sandwiches, barbecues and beer on the beach, Bloody Marys and sticky buns for breakfast and Rum Swizzles and snacks at happy hour. A favorite spot on the Grenada trip for Mitchell includes the Tobago Cays, a protected marine park, where the ship stops for swims with sea turtles followed by a beach lunch under palm trees. An added treat is the holler for volunteer hands on deck to help raise sails.

This is not one of the floating cities on the sea where you get lost in the crowd and can sometimes forget that you're even on water, this is for those who want to feel the experience deeply, to immerse themselves into the culture of the islands and the life at sea.

Eye of the Wind
Passengers on the Eye of the Wind are invited to take the lead in sailing it. There's a unique twist to the 104-year-old, 132-foot brig Eye of the Wind. The main purpose of the company's operation is to keep the principles of sail training and the traditional way of seamanship alive, and to inspire as many people as possible with the beauty of this old yet elegant sailing legend. The Eye is internationally certified as a sail-training vessel. While all 12 passengers -- yes, a mere 12 -- can enjoy all that sailing aboard a luxury yacht offers, its real charm is its educational sail training. During a cruise, all participants who care to volunteer (and some charter cruises specifically designed for groups) literally take over the lead on board. They'll steer the ship, plan all sailing maneuvers and set the sails, all under the guidance and supervision of the experienced crew members and trainers.
It's fun and adventure in a sea breeze! 

Plan your next great vacation with Rawhide Travel and Tours. Call today (602) 843-5100 or email us at flythis@rawhidetravel.com.

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Rawhide Travel and Tours Inc
6008 West Bell Rd # F105
Glendale, Arizona  85308-3793
(602) 843-5100
rawhidetravel.com