What a fantastic adventure!
We sailed on the Island Windjammer tall ship Vela for a 12-day repositioning cruise from Saint Lucia to Saint Kitts in January 2025, touring a selection of the French West Indies and Windward Islands. This cruise covered the greatest distance of all Island Windjammer Caribbean cruises, providing the most opportunities for sailing, while also allowing us to visit some of the most intriguing islands in the Caribbean�"islands and areas that are normally unreachable via conventional cruise ships.
We had previously cruised on all of the Windjammer Barefoot sailing vessels�"we did our honeymoon on the S/V Polynesia. After Windjammer Barefoot Cruises went under, we journeyed on conventional cruise ships (we are Platinum on Carnival). While those trips weren’t as thrilling as sailing, we have loved visiting many islands and ports. We have never had a bad cruise--we have always found ways to have fun.
The Vela is the smallest sailing vessel we’ve ever visited. It has 14 passenger cabins and a max capacity of only 26 guests �" our cruise had 17. It is a beautiful boat! There are various open areas for passenger use. There is the large forward/front deck where an overhead canopy could be used for shade. This was where snacks, as well as lunch and dinner were served, weather permitting. There is also a smaller aft deck with bench seats. The main salon and small drink area are always open, with 4 built-in tables and bench seats. Purified water, tea, coffee, soft drinks, beer, and wine are always available. Various books and board and card games, as well as other group activities (like Pictionary or painting), are housed and played in the main salon.
We booked a deluxe cabin (#5) on the Vela. Although small, the cabin was quite adequate for us. We brought two backpacks plus a large duffel bag instead of suitcases, because these soft items could be flattened and slid under the bed in the 2’x13” space. One of us uses a CPAP machine, which fit neatly on the shelf above the bed. The electrical outlet near that shelf was very convenient. There was also another small shelf above the wider lower shelf, which proved excellent for small-item storage. There was also an outlet in the bathroom, which we used to power a nightlight. The only real negative to Cabin 5 was that climbing into the upper bunk was a bit of a challenge, as there were not enough good handholds.
The food we had aboard the Vela was wonderful. Chef Robert and Cook George prepared delicious meals which were perfectly plated. A small whiteboard in the salon listed the planned meals for the day. If some item on the day’s menu was not to your taste, Robert would find a substitution if requested. With the 3 full meals, plus snacks and rum punch every day, we were always full.
Because the wind and weather greatly influence the itinerary, you never know where you will be day-to-day. Our wonderful voyage ended up being the following: Rodney Bay, St. Lucia -> Anse d’Arlet, Martinique -> Saint Pierre, Martinique -> Portsmouth, Dominica -> Les Saintes on Isles de Saintes, Guadeloupe -> Ilet Du Gosier, just south of Les Gosier, Guadeloupe -> Deshaies, Guadeloupe -> St. Louis Village, Marie Gallant Island -> Charleston, Nevis -> Little White House Bay and Carambola Beach, Nevis -> Frigate Bay, St Kitts
Some of the many adventures and excursions we enjoyed:
• Hiking & snorkeling near the town of Anse d’Arlet, Martinque
• Walking tour of Saint Pierre, Martinique (known as the Pompeii of the Caribbean)
• “Elvis Presley” (rock n roll) sail between the 2 large volcanic islands (Martinique and Dominica)
• Indian River Tour, Dominica
• Beach BBQ in Portsmouth, Dominica
• Visiting Fort Napoleon, Isles de Saintes
• Seeing flying fish, turtles, tarpon, fishing bats, dolphins, frigate birds, herons, monkeys, and more
• Drinks and hermit crabs at Chez Henri, St. Louis Village, Marie Gallant Island
• Jardin Botanique (Botanical Garden), Deshaies, Guadalupe
• Seeing and smelling the venting of the Montserrat Soufrière Hills volcano as we sailed past
• Nevis Island Tour (Montpelier and Golden Rock resorts, plus history and sights)
• Monkeys at Shipwreck Bar and snorkeling near Carambola Beach, St. Kitts
• Captain Sunshine 3-hour St. Kitts Tour: Brimstone Hill Fort, Caribelle Batik Factory and more
Notes:
• We used the AT&T International Day Pass for internet. Be sure to set your phone on airplane mode and disable Wi-Fi calling on days that you don’t want to use the pass.
• Wi-Fi is available ashore at many restaurants and through some public access
• We joined the Island Windjammers fan club on Facebook, and used it to communicate with fellow passengers.
• We arrived in St. Lucia 3 days early and stayed at the Coco Palms Resort - great location with walking distance restaurants, shopping, and a beach.
• Took the airport transfer tour and 2 other tours with Island Man Tours �" highly recommend!
• There is a door hook on bathroom doors in each cabin which allows you to secure the door in a partially open position �" this let the bathroom and contents dry out
• Take enough cash for taxis, tips, and places ashore that don’t take credit cards
• The crew is immensely helpful especially if anyone needs assistance or has mobility issues
• There are excursions and activities for folks with a wide variety of fitness levels.
• Tours and excursions set up by the liaison can often be purchased and charged to your cabin
• We stayed overnight in St Kitts at the Timothy Bay Resort �" highly recommend!
• Be sure you have adequate layover time in your return flight schedule (we missed our connecting flight due to extreme wait times at passport control).
Here is a list of the things that folks recommended and which I found most helpful on our recent cruise:
over-the-door shoe/pocket organizer for storage (many pockets!)
a small night light
a non-surge protector power strip
Sun shirts
a good hat (wide-brimmed)
a small bag/backpack to take stuff ashore.
heavy-duty water shoes
Sandals you can hike in and get wet.
Turkish beach towels (fold small, won’t hold sand, dry quickly)
a lint roller - to get inevitable sand out of your bed
a “portable washing machine” or 5-gallon heavy-duty Ziplock
