Twenty-three sails by hand, and a name confusion to clear up
First things first, because it causes errors on our own site: the Sea Cloud II
is a ship distinct from the Sea Cloud. She is neither a refitted version nor a
second deck of the same vessel. The Sea Cloud dates from 1931 and is currently
laid up in a yard. The Sea Cloud II was built in Spain in 2000 and is sailing.
We add a warning that concerns us: on our site, the route running through the
line's name swaps the two ships. If you arrived here by a link and the content
does not match the name you were after, that is why. The fault is logged and being
corrected.
The ship
One hundred and seventeen metres, four decks, 44 cabins, 88 travellers. A
three-masted barque: two square-rigged masts and one gaff-rigged, twenty-three
sails, around three thousand square metres of canvas depending on the source. The
mainmast rises more than fifty-seven metres above the waterline. The rig is worked
by hand as often as conditions allow.
The hull belongs to a German owner, who sells his own departures in 2026 and
2027 and announces new European routes for 2027. The line charters her. So there
is no exclusivity.
Two honest reservations. No passenger lift is confirmed: only a service lift is
documented. And the line's technical sheet and the owner's contradict each other
on the ship's length, in a ratio of one to one and a half. We use the owner's and
do not repeat the other.
The other ships in the fleet
The Lord of the Glens sails in Scotland. The National Geographic Orion covers the South Pacific and Asia. The Connect
sails the Rhine. The National Geographic Resolution covers the polar regions.
Charter, ownership and licence
This ship is chartered. The line owns twelve hulls — the twelve carrying the
National Geographic name — and charters ten others from local owners. This one
is among the ten.
What that changes for you: the trip is built by the line, but the ship, her
crew and her upkeep answer to her owner. The same ship may be sold under other
banners, with different inclusions. Compare line by line rather than by the
ship's name.
Finally, a point that comes up constantly with clients: National Geographic
does not own the line and does not organise the trips. It is a brand licence
agreement. What the magazine contributes in practice are lecturers and
specialists aboard many of the expeditions.
Arranging this trip from Quebec
International air travel is not included in the expedition fare. Some internal
flights essential to the route are, when the itinerary states it explicitly.
Plan a night ahead before embarkation, two if the time difference is large.
That margin is used exactly once, but on that day it saves the trip. Keep the
return day free as well.
We build the complete file — flight, expedition, hotels, transfers, insurance
— under the protection of Quebec's compensation fund for travel agency
customers. One call is enough to check what the season really allows.
