Anyone found a cruise comparable to Windjammer Barefoot Cruise experience?

I know you said a charter is out of the question, but have you considered a catamaran instead of a monohull? Much more stable, and perfect for sailing the BVI.

Hi. Great timing on your question. I went on a windjammer cruise to the BVIs a 4 years ago and was bummed when they went out of business.

A group of former die hard windjammer passengers recently started a new company Island Windjammers which sounds like they are re-creating the Windjammer experience. They are sailing from Grenada to the Grenadines, which is the itinerary that the WJ Yankee Clipper sailed. I never hit that itinerary with WJ, although I wanted to as I heard it was amazing. I'm going to try and sail with Island Windjammers this winter or spring.

Their website is www.islandwindjammers.com

Thanks for the reply jeffego. I got on the sailingshipadventures.com website and found other former Windjammer ships that you can book. It lists: Legacy, Mandalay, Polynesia and Yankee Clipper. The itineraries are different than when they were with Windjammer though.

I wish I had known about these sites sooner. I own a vacation house at the Lake of the Ozarks in MO with a friend and we always sit around and bitch about not being able to take a Windjammer cruise anymore.

I'd like to hear how the sailing is from Grenada to the Grenadines. I've heard that the BVI is where the boys go to play and the Grenadines are where the men go to sail. If that is really the case I'll have to leave my husband, who is prone to sea sickness, home and go with my friend instead.

Hi Paula,

I haven't been yet to the Grenadines, but it is supposed to be some of the best sailing waters around. And apparently the island windjammer people are loving their ship. I've been following updates from their maiden voyage on their facebook page. You can get there from a link at the bottom of their site: www.islandwindjammers.com

It sounds like they are having a great time! I'll be booking a trip this winter.

Hi,

The Liberty Fleet of Tall Ships offers windjammer cruises from the Nassau, the Bahamas on the 125-foot Liberty Clipper. They have week-long cruises offering a very relaxed atmosphere and are a lot of fun.

You can check them out at
www.libertyfleet.com

Tell your husband "slacks" can be khaki and missing Star Clippers is the worst decision he will ever make. There is not a company/ship like them in the world - the big one (Royal Clipper) from Barbados does great visits and has a real sailing experience that Windjammer never gave. WJ was fun but let's not kid outselves - this was not state of the art sailing. Star Clippers is. Clippers are not snooty or fussy - just because people barfed on WJ ships and fell overboard (instead of diving) doesn't mean you can't enjoy
something that is the best it will ever be.

I was Marketing and PR Director for Windjammer Barefoot Cruises from 1990 to 1998. it was great company under CB (aka Capt. Mike or Capt. Burke). It was really a shame that the kids put it through some serious mis-management. They were always fast and loose with the books but things must have really got messed up after I left. It's a shame because it really was the best product in the Caribbean. I absolutely loved the product...

Michael - did you hear how the company went down - CREW deserted....SHIPS deserted...............SO SAD. Legacy rotted away and used for scrap....Yankee Clipper in the Trinadad boat yard sinking, Poly - acquired by their original company - she's back in Europe (smile)....Mandalay in the Galapagos -but not sailing those islands- a lot of work has been done to her which is great - maybe she'll say again some day....Don't know if you know - but I'm sure you would like to know - Capt Casey passed away as dis Capt Neil. S A D.

Yup. Heard all that. I've got a ton of former employees (Capt. Max, Capt Stuart a bunch of pursers and office staff) on my Facebook friends list... I also spoke extensively with the writer from Cruise Critic when he was writing his "end of the company" articles...

good to find all this info... took my first and only windjammer cruise on the yankee clipper thru the grenadines 8 years ago... just found my poster I had stored away, with the map of everywhere we went. It's signed by Capt Julian? second mate Blaze... Chief Mate David Thom... and the Purser/1st mate... but I can't read his signature.

What a truly laid back crew and fantastic voyage. Still remember the black sands of St. Vincent and the seven sisters of Grenada... I always wanted to go back. Thank you all for sharing this info... looks like there are some good alternative choices for going again.