The most beautiful ship on the water: Sailing into a new Golden Era on Sea Cloud Spirit

Champagne etched with the ship’s own silhouette, sails set by hand, and nights of sea shanties and DJ sets under Mediterranean stars – Sea Cloud Spirit proves the golden age of sailing is back, and more luxurious than ever.

It’s late afternoon in Tuscany when I first see her: a three-masted giant gleaming white against the blue of the Mediterranean. Within minutes of stepping aboard Sea Cloud Spirit I’m handed a glass of the ship’s own champagne; the bottle itself etched with an illustration of the very vessel I’m standing on. Moments later, we’re gliding out of Livorno’s harbour, teak decks shining, sails unfurling into the sun. By the next day, I’ll find myself in a dinghy circling her from every angle, life jacket strapped on, as though I’ve slipped inside a painting: the stillest sea, the purest sky, and the most beautiful ship on the water at its centre.

A special sailing ship

From the moment you step on board, the balance between heritage and modern luxury is clear. The champagne poured on arrival isn’t just any fizz  – this is Sea Cloud’s own Pommery, the label illustrated with the very vessel you’re standing on. Inside, the interiors are more luxury hotel than cruise cabin: gloss-dark woods, fine cotton sheets, bathrooms with jacuzzi jets, and balconies that feel made for champagne-at-sunset toasts. Yet outside, rope coils and salt-smoothed teak remind you that this is a working sailing ship – a combination that feels genuinely rare. Sea Cloud Spirit carries 28 sails in total, spanning more than 4,000 square metres – and every single one is still set entirely by hand.

Sea Cloud Spirit is the newest jewel in a fleet already steeped in maritime legend. Her older sister, the original Sea Cloud, was once the private yacht of American heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post, and the Spirit carries that same golden-age glamour into the present. Despite her classic stylings, she’s surprisingly young – launched in 2021, with a main mast rising nearly 190 feet, she is the largest full-rigged ship of her kind afloat. Sea Cloud Spirit truly combines all the authenticity of a hand-rigged tall ship with the indulgence of a five-star hotel. Where mega-ships resemble floating cities, Spirit feels more like a private yacht… with all of the polish and none of the pretence.

I’ve sailed with many cruise lines – but this is something else entirely. With just 69 cabins and space for no more than 136 guests, and with almost a three-to-two crew–guest ratio, it’s one of the highest levels of service you’ll find at sea.That small scale also makes the service strikingly personal – within hours, staff know your name and your favourite wine – and it allows for a kind of agility you’d never find on a vast cruise liner. One afternoon, we detoured to chase a patch of perfect Mediterranean sunshine; another, the crew launched Zodiac lifeboats for a spur-of-the-moment photo safari so guests could admire the ship in full sail from the water – a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Life on deck

Days aboard Sea Cloud Spirit are a relaxed magic. Reclining in a deck chair, glass of wine in hand, I’d watch as the sails – vast beyond imagination until you’re standing beneath them – caught the wind and propelled us silently across the Mediterranean. Crew members clambered up impossibly tall rigging with an ease that drew admiring glances from passengers, their shadows stretching across the deck.

At times, the silence feels otherworldly: if you want a break from the outside world, there’s no better way to do it than here, at sea. Then, punctuating the stillness, the ship would tilt gently and the sun would blaze across the horizon – despite the five-star service, this was real seafaring after all. 

From sea shanties to dancing under the stars

While the days here are serene, nights became unforgettable. One night after dinner, the crew surprised us with a sea shanty performance on deck. Our favourite bartenders and cabin stewards appeared with lyric books in hand, encouraging us to join in as they belted out classics under the stars. As we belt out ‘We Are Sailing’ together, here, luxury was stripped of stuffiness – and the communal fun is something I’ll remember forever.

Later, as if the Mediterranean itself had ordered a change of pace, the deck transformed into a makeshift dance floor. Our DJ spun pop tracks, passengers kicked off their shoes, and suddenly the world’s most elegant sailing ship gave way to an impromptu party. With only a handful of guests on board, it felt intimate, easy-going – a night under the stars to remember.

Five-star luxury at sea

Step inside and the spirit of sailing adventure gives way to the comforts of a world-class hotel. My cabin, a junior veranda suite, wouldn’t have looked out of place at the Corinthia in London – dark, glossy woods, fine cotton sheets, gold detailing and huge, plush beds perfect for relaxing after a day of seafaring – not to mention the marble-clad bathroom with a jacuzzi bath. Plus, not only do huge windows fill the room with light, but there’s nothing like waking up to beautiful vistas of the ocean – or your next port – in full view. On the balcony, plush chairs overlook the endless sea – the perfect stage for sunset champagne, the bubbles chilled, naturally, in an ice bucket waiting for me on arrival.

Elsewhere, the on-board indulgences were more superyacht than traditional tall ship. A gym crowned the top deck with floor-to-ceiling windows framing the horizon, while a swim platform opened directly onto the Mediterranean, ready for a spontaneous dip. There’s also a full spa with a Finnish sauna, steam bath, and even a beauty salon – touches more often found on land than aboard a traditional tall ship.

Meals were just as impressive. Breakfast meant freshly squeezed juices alongside made-to-order omelettes, fresh fruit, cheeses and pastries – and Pommery champagne, of course, for extra sparkle to a morning. Lunch was a sun-drenched affair on deck, with live cooking stations serving everything from lobster paella and freshly grilled sea bream to sizzling cuts of world-class steak. Dinner brought the most elegant buffets I’ve ever seen at sea, each night different – a highlight being spectacular raw tuna sashimi sliced to order, straight from the giant fish. Each night’s delicacies were paired with fine wines into the night, and was proof that dining on board matched the setting: lavish and unforgettable.

Exploring Bella Italia in style

The itinerary itself was a star, too. We travelled on the Taster Cruise to Bella Italia – a five-day taste of Tuscany’s most picturesque spots, starting in Livorno, winding along the Italian coast via Elba, Viareggio and Portofino, and ending in Monte Carlo. Throughout the summer, Sea Cloud Spirit sails the Mediterranean on a mix of taster and longer itineraries of up to 14 nights. By November, she crosses the Atlantic and spends the winter months in the Caribbean, chasing the sunshine through to March. If this was the taster, consider us hungry for even more.

We started in Tuscany’s lively port of Livorno, where we lingered late into the night over seafood and wine, then slipped quietly into Portoferraio on Elba, the island’s pastel waterfront glowing in the evening sunset. Viareggio turned out to be a hidden gem – a chic beach town of elegant bars and cafés strung along the Italian coast – while Portofino dazzled exactly as it should, our smaller ship able to glide into the iconic harbour in its rightful place alongside the private yachts. Though we opted to explore each stop at our own pace – with each port easily walkable from the ship – the Sea Cloud offers plenty of tours to explore each destination even further, with options ranging from wine tasting, to boat trips and hiking endeavours.

By the time we reached Monte Carlo, disembarking into a marina lined with superyachts, the contrast was clear. Where the giants loomed impersonal, our arrival felt graceful and cinematic. And if this was cinema, then to sail into the world’s most glamorous harbour on a vessel under full canvas was a finale that couldn’t have been scripted better.

Who you’ll sail with

On a ship this size, you quickly get to know fellow travellers. Most were well-travelled couples, others multi-generational adult families or solo travellers. Many were retired and indulging in bucket-list adventures. One American pair had just come from the northern lights in Norway. A Monaco couple laughed that they were “taking the cruise home.”

Guests came from the UK, US, South Africa, Germany and beyond, but what united them was a love of the sea and tall ships. Many had sailed countless times before; some even joined the crew climbing rigging. Yet the atmosphere was casual. Meals and cocktail hours were convivial, but privacy was always an option – sociable when you want it, private when you don’t. The ultimate definition of luxury.

The Luxe Review verdict

I boarded Sea Cloud Spirit not knowing what to expect from a tall ship – but it exceeded every idea I had of luxury at sea. As polished as any five-star hotel, and with sailing so smooth it sometimes didn’t feel like we were moving at all. Sea Cloud’s voyages are also shaped by a sense of respect for the seas – the cruise line avoids heavy fuels in favour of cleaner marine gasoil, limits waste, and keeps to smaller, less crowded ports whenever possible.

And while the ship itself was spectacular, from its luxe teak cabins to its vast sails, it was the little moments that proved unforgettable: singing under the stars with crew, detouring to chase the best sunset, and slipping into Portofino’s harbour as though arriving on our own private yacht.

Sea Cloud Spirit doesn’t just recreate the golden age of sailing; it redefines it for the modern traveller. And after five days aboard, one truth became clear: life at sea has never looked like this.

Go there… 

Sea Cloud Spirit – Taster Cruise to Bella Italia: Five-day sailing from Livorno to Monte Carlo via Elba, Viareggio and Portofino. From €3,495 per person, including all meals, wines with lunch and dinner, and gratuities. 

Other itineraries: Sea Cloud Spirit sails the Mediterranean through summer, with cruises from 4 to 14 nights. In November, she crosses the Atlantic for her Caribbean season, running through March. More info and booking at seacloud.com