With the Power of Wind: Sea Cloud Cruises is on Course for Success in 2023
Sea Cloud Cruises has started the first complete year of travel after the pandemic with great success, and a similar high demand is expected for Mediterranean cruises from spring to late autumn 2023.
The interest in travel on the three Sea Clouds is not only due to guests’ catch-up demand according to CMO Daniel Schäfer: “Apparently, wind power as a propulsion system and the principle of sustainable tourism that we have been promoting for more than 40 years are in trend.”
After a successful Caribbean season and the Sea Cloud Spirit’s premiere in Miami, the three Sea Clouds will begin their Mediterranean season one after another.
The Sea Cloud Spirit has already started its Europe program on March 18th with one of three trips around the Canary Islands. Mid-April, it will then move via Casablanca/Morocco to the Mediterranean before heading to the North and Baltic Seas in early summer.
The Sea Cloud II will start its Mediterranean trips on April 24th in Malaga, and the Sea Cloud will follow in Athens on June 20th.
Before the late start of individual voyages, Sea Cloud Cruises’ flagship will perform a series of charter cruises. The company has seen high demand for these cruises, where private or corporate clients charter one of their ships entirely, according to CMO Daniel Schäfer.
The market has changed – travelers are looking for the “ocean experience”
According to the Sea Cloud Cruises CMO, the current demand shows that the experiences of the past years have changed the travel market: “The pandemic has sensitized many to a more careful approach to nature.” Outdoor activities and the “ocean experience” have gained much higher importance: “Our ships with their open decks and outdoor activities are naturally very well positioned for this,” says Schäfer.
Awareness has also been strengthened to engage with the people in the regions visited and their culture. The principles of sustainable tourism, which Sea Cloud Cruises has been following for so long, are now highly valued. “Our current booking numbers honor this today,” Schäfer is convinced.
The Sea Clouds as a “blueprint for the future of cruising”
The German environmental organization NABU confirmed this when the Sea Cloud Spirit made its first call in Hamburg in June 2022. The environmentalists stated that the large sailboat was a blueprint for the future of cruising, and Sea Cloud Cruises shows that wind power is a practical alternative to fossil fuels. More and more coastal cities are closing their ports to large cruise ships or reducing the number of calls. This benefits small and sustainably operated ships like the Sea Clouds. Sea Cloud Cruises is one of the few providers that can still dock near the old town in Venice.
Futuristic motor sailers lead new customers to the original of traditional windjammers
In the market, there are now several projects for cruise ships with wind-assisted propulsion. However, CMO Daniel Schäfer does not see new luxury ships such as the French hotel group Accor’s three-masted “Orient Express Silenseas,” equipped with rigid sails, as competition. Instead, he sees it as a gateway to the original, traditionally hand-sailed windjammer for those who have tried sailing there. Sea Cloud Cruises is already seeing increasing demand from a new group of guests.
Schäfer has announced that the company will focus the concept on the “50-plus” generation, with expanded sports programs on board and on land, a changed music concept, and wellness programs.
Like with wind power and sustainable tourism, Sea Cloud Cruises wants to set another trend. Daniel Schäfer defines the goal as follows: “Sailing is becoming a lifestyle”.
