Aboard the three-masted Sea Cloud II, the romance of classic sailing lives into the 21st century.
Looking skyward, see crew members climb into the rigging and trim 23 sails by hand, a delicate dance of high-flying coordination. On deck, feel polished teak underfoot and see the billowing sails change with the wind.
Join an onboard community that only a ship this intimate can create: The 47-cabin yacht carries a maximum of 94 passengers, with open seating at meals, a mahogany-paneled library, a gracious lounge, and room to talk with fellow travelers over meticulously prepared dinners.
That intimacy extends to sailing with some of the world’s most respected art historians, including European paintings expert Keith Christiansen. Keith most recently boarded the ship sailing round-trip from Venice to Dubrovnik.
“I am so looking forward to our cruise to Sicily and Malta on the magnificent Sea Cloud II, which I last traveled aboard visiting ancient sites around the Aegean,” Keith said. “It is, quite simply, an incomparable way to see these glorious places, sailing across the Ionian, Mediterranean, and Tyrrhenian Seas and enjoying the setting of the sun, conversations with our fellow travelers, interrupted—with some luck—by dolphins breaking the surface of the water.”
Rika Burnham, a leading museum educator, last traveled on the Sea Cloud II on a round-trip journey from Palermo to Genoa, stepping ashore at ancient Mediterranean ports in Sardinia and Bonifacio.
“Traveling aboard the Sea Cloud II offers unparalleled respite at sea, while opening pathways to extraordinary experiences on land,” Rika said. “From bustling ports to quiet coastal villages, it effortlessly guides us to timeless works of art and majestic ancient temples.”
For Alice W. Iglehart, a historic homes scholar with more than four decades of experience as a museum educator, sailing Sea Cloud II brings back memories of “courteous, fun, and professional international crew, watching the sunrise over a beautiful, vast sea, amazing fresh food, watching and learning as the crew sets sail, and meeting so many interesting people.”
On three upcoming journeys with the Museum Travel Alliance, experience how Sea Cloud II, the sister ship of the original Sea Cloud, maintains a centuries-old art aboard a vessel made for today’s cultural traveler.
In October, join Rika Burnham and Keith aboard the Sea Cloud II as you sail from Catania to Palermo. A highlight will be viewing two Caravaggio masterworks, including The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, the only painting he ever signed, during an exclusive after-hours visit to St. John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta.
Enjoy an elegant Western Mediterranean voyage that takes you from Sicily to the Italian islands of Sardinia and Elba, as well as French Corsica. This storied route holds particular appeal for author and art historian Jennifer Dasal, who will share her expertise on this exciting adventure.
“As an art historian with a passion for French art and history, seeing Napoleon’s Elba (and the antiques and art treasures housed within) is a top draw for me, as are so many of the islands which have inspired artists for centuries. I’m excited to share my insights during my onboard lectures, which will be hosted in the ship’s elegant lounge.”
As winter takes hold in the U.S., join Alice as you set sail on a balmy Caribbean journey. Step ashore on six islands to meet working craftspeople—shipwrights, potters, street artists—and walk through active volcanic landscapes, restored 18th-century fortifications, and botanical gardens led by expert naturalists.
