Our Cabin on the Sea Cloud and First Impressions

The fore mast of the Sea Cloud, near the Bridge

Sunday, July 3 - Trip Day 4

The Sea Cloud is a wonder of a ship - built in 1931 by Margorie Merriweather Post for her husband EF Hutton.  At the time, with 4 masts and 30 sails, it was the largest private sailing yacht in the world.  It provided service in World War II to the navy, and then was sold as a private yacht for a number of years, including serving as the Dominican presidential yacht.  It was refurbished as a passenger ship in the 1980's.  It is 360 feet long with 32,000 square feet of sail and a main mast that reaches 187 feet above sea line.

We greatly enjoyed exploring the many details of this remarkable sailing ship.  Only the forward decks, including the crews quarters and the bridge were roped off, to allow for work and privacy.

I couldn't stop looking up!  And also was fascinated by the (don't say the word ropes) halyards, hawsers, sheets, stays and other lines that are everywhere on the ship.  This is the only fully rigged ship that continues to be sailed by a crew of humans (six persons for each mast with its respective set of sails).  Other masted sailing ships are now rigged and sailed mechanically.

I couldn't stop looking up - those masts and that rigging!

The hawsers were arrayed in perfect lines (used to moor the ship at the dock)

Each of these lines has a specific name, associated with its respective sail.

The helmsman steers the ship from the bridge, but Michael found the back up system

Trying to see the top of the main mast

The base of the main mast

We were very pleased with our cabin, number 34.  We have more than enough room for everything.  We have two twin beds, each with 2 large square down pillows and a down duvet comforter with linen beddings. Our empty luggage can fit in compartments under our beds, along with our life jackets.

We have a desk with lots of drawers and cabinets and a large three doored closet.  I even had enough hangers for my clothes.  We loved that we had a bowl of fruit (restocked every day), with an anthurium and refillable water bottles as gifts.  We had water and sodas in the minibar.

Our room has two large window, and the deck is low enough, that no one can look in when walking by.  It's nice to be on the lido deck, which is the top deck of the ship.

Fruit, flowers and NG/Lindblad gift of water bottles awaited our arrival

Hallway for our Cabin 34

Desk with chairs and lots of storage, including under the beds

Two large windows and comfy twin beds

The bathroom was appointed with white marble and gold fixtures, L'Occtaine products, fluffy terry robes and lots of soft towels.  Always had great hot water with good pressure for showers.

Three large closets on the right, door to our bathroom on the left

Our daily itinerary awaited us on the bed after our dinner - with chocolates, of course

The fruit was delicious - those peaches!!