What do you picture when you think of sailing on a Windjammer Cruise Ship? Since this was our first cruise experience, we had no preconceived ideas about our cabin. Is this what you would expect?
Not Exactly the Ritz
We arrived at the pier for our stow away night aboard the Yankee Trader and were shown to our cabin. As you can see from this picture, our beds were actually twin bunk beds.
Not shown is the washroom which consisted of a shower, toilet, and sink "all-in-one". The one thing that stands out from our memories is that we had a problem one day, when the shower would not turn off, and had to summon someone to resolve the situation.
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Notice the beautiful wood above, which is something that we vividly remember about our cabin and public areas of the ship. Here is another example (left) of the beautiful wood on the ship.
This may be the only time in our 30+ years cruising where we had a cat as a member of the crew. The cat was quite content sleeping on one of the benches on the main deck.
Working With Crew
The Barefoot Windjammer cruises were structured for two different types of passengers - those that wanted to actively participate in the sailing adventure and those that were content to be more passive.
One night, the dinner menu was quite simple - it was the catch of the day. That meant that the crew, and any passengers that were interested, could fish for our dinner. Here are some of the fish that were caught.
As mentioned in our previous column about our first cruise, the Captain's dinner consisted of a pig roast with all the trimmings. Certainly, food was an integral part of the experience even on our first cruise.
One of the benefits and downfalls of cruising on a small ship is that you meet your fellow cruisers and build relationships during the cruise. It is therefore hard to say good-bye at the end of the voyage.
As the sun sets on the Fantome, which was sailing the same itinerary with us, we conclude our story about our first cruise.
Related:
How Our Love for Cruising Started
Making Memories
The memories from this trip have not faded over the years. Our love for cruising and the sea began that week. We love sharing our experiences and knowledge with others.
If you have not taken a cruise before, consider that sometime in your future. Perhaps you too can have lasting memories like these.
Thank you to the crew of Yankee Trader - if any of you read this story, we'd love to hear from you.
(Updated: October 24, 2021)
It was fitting that this final day at sea had a gorgeous sunset pictured above. Since today is Sunday, do a search on Twitter for #SundaySunsets. Each week people post their favorite sunset images for all to enjoy. That magic hour is our favorite time onboard a ship. If we aren't at dinner, we go out on our balcony or the open decks and watch as the sky is painted in shades of yellow, orange, and red. It is very peaceful just watching as we sail across the changing sky. What a wonderful world we have to enjoy and what better way to do so than on a ship.
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