Tradewind Voyages has released its full program for the debut of the world’s largest tall ship, the 272-passenger Golden Horizon. Beginning in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, on May 1, 2022, the sailing ship line will offer 23 Mediterranean voyages this coming spring and summer, before a 14-night “Canaries to the Caribbean” voyage that repositions the ship to Barbados for the start of the 2022-2023 winter sailing season.
“After a tumultuous past year for the travel industry, we are thrilled to be back on track and able to confirm an exciting schedule for summer 2022,” said Alan McGrory, CEO, Tradewind Voyages. “We thank everyone for their continued support for our start up and cannot wait to host more of you and your clients on board.”
The line had previously planned to start cruising this 2021-2022 winter season in the Caribbean, but in late October, it cancelled those 17 voyages planned between December and April. Tradewind Voyages said that decision was made due to guest concerns about accessibility to certain islands and resistance to traveling in bubbles.
Now that the line is back on track with an inaugural spring/summer 2022 line-up, here are some highlights.
Mediterranean Voyages
For its Mediterranean season, Tradewind will offer separate “collections” of voyages including the “Spain and France Collection,” “Italian Collection,” “Croatian Collection,” “Greek Collection” and “Passage to Caribbean Voyages.”
Guests will venture ashore at port destinations in Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia, Spain, France, Italy, Greece and Turkey. The ship’s size will allow calls at many smaller and lesser-known ports including Sanary Sur Mer in France, Calvi in Corsica, Ponza Island in Italy and Korcula in Croatia
Golden Horizon’s inaugural sailing in the region will be a seven-night round trip from Palma de Mallorca, the Balearic Islands’ capital, which will be the base for three voyages in May. The ship will then operate round trips from Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy, between the end of May and early July 2022; from Split, Croatia, from July through mid-August; and from Piraeus, Greece, from August to October.
The sailing ship will then head for Palma de Mallorca and Santa Cruz before sailing to the Caribbean. A sampling of the new line-up of Mediterranean voyages includes:
"Riviera Delights": Departing May 22, 2022, this eight-night itinerary from Palma de Mallorca to Civitavecchia (Rome) will include port calls at Antibes and St. Tropez on the French Riviera as well as Italy’s Portofino and Florence.
"Venice and the Wonders of Croatia & Slovenia": Sailing roundtrip from Split on July 21, 2021, Golden Horizon will call at Dubrovnik, Croatia; Piran, Slovenia; and Venice and Ravenna, Italy. At Pula, Croatia, guests can view one of the world’s most complete Roman amphitheaters, while at Sibenik, Croatia, they can head out to two national parks, Krka and Kornati.
"Greece & Turkey’s Ancient Wonders": Two voyages, departing September 2 and September 23, 2022 from Athens, Greece, will include a call at Naxos, brimming with whitewashed houses and beautiful Venetian buildings. Golden Horizon also will visit the Greek island of Kalymnos, known for sponge diving and rarely visited on cruise ship itineraries. In Turkey, a Kusadasi calls offers the chance to explore ancient Ephesus, an UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A Grand Sailing Ship
Golden Horizon’s design is based on France II, a legendary square-rigged tall ship built in 1913; the ship also takes design inspiration from historic vessels known as "tea clippers" and "Cape Horners."
Guests will stay in 140 oceanview cabins. Onboard public spaces will include five bars, spa facilities, three pools and a dining room with central skylight. The line promises a high staff-to-guest ratio.
While the ship is capable of motorized propulsion, Tradewind Voyages plans to use the ship's sails (wind power) as much as possible so guests can enjoy the full sailing experience -- estimated to be approximately 70 percent of the time each season.
Currently, Tradewind Voyages is offering a 10 percent “early bird” discount for bookings made by December 15, 2021. For further inquiries in the U.S. and Canada, advisors can email to [email protected].