TradeWinds Cruise Club - Antigua

My girlfriend and I are well traveled. We tend to spend our vacation time engaging in various physical activities with tennis and mounting skiing being our favorite. So when the opportunity to go on a cruise arose, we have been a little skeptical. In our imagination, spending a week on a boat would be too static and, in all likelihood, boring. On the other hand, the memories of our recent trip to Hawaii suggested that there would be at least some enjoyable moments since we both like swimming and snorkeling for hours in a southern sea. So we decided to take a risk and swapped our time share for a week on a catamaran at Trade Winds Club.

From the very beginning we realized that we had done the right thing. The weather was comfortable, with a temperature around 85F. We thought we got lucky, but learned later that the weather stays more or less the same year round in that area. So we embarked on the boat, took our shoes off and the week after was the first time we needed them again.

Our boat, like other Trade Winds boats, was a small catamaran, but it had everything to accommodate eight people plus the captain and his wife. The boat in fact is sufficiently large so you can have enough privacy.

We took off the next morning and the rest of the week traveled from one island to another enjoying various picturesque scenes, swimming and snorkeling with turtles and exotic fish. On one of the days we got to water ski, and that was very good – we could happily do a couple more days. We also had a kayak on board and used it very often to exercise or to reach an uninhabited island we had plentiful on our way. We spent on average three hours a day in the water, mostly snorkeling, and you do not get bored doing this.

Our companions were very nice people, and I suspect nasty people do not go on such trips. All of them had different interests, but everybody seemed happy and able to do what they enjoyed. The food preferences were also different, but the captain’s wife who cooked for us has done her best to accommodate everybody.

When we returned back, the island looked the same, but we did not. We got a healthy tan, and generally felt more optimistic about this life than a week ago. And this feeling is probably the best indicator to make a judgment about how good the vacation was. And if asked, I would definitely recommend this trip to anybody.

The Antigua Tradewinds office is located at the Jolly Harbour Marina. Saturday afternoon you check in at the office, try on your snorkel fins, and drop off your bags. There is free time until you board the boat at 5pm. The Captain and First Mate introduce themselves, introduce you to the fellow guests, and give you a tour of the boat (and show you how to use the toilet). Once you unpack your bags your suitcases are kept in the office for the week. Each evening the Captain makes a specialty cocktail. The Captain finds a safe spot to stay for the night, and then dinner is served.

We spent the week sailing clockwise around the island of Antigua. We snorkeled every day, and the divers also dove during the week. We got a chance to swim with turtles and a spotted eagle ray. We also snorkeled/dove over shipwrecks. The waves on the Caribbean side of the island were not bad but on the Atlantic side you might want to take Dramamine. You have use of a kayak, Stand Up Paddle Board (SUP) and noodles. We were fishing but we didn’t catch anything. We had the opportunity to hike during the week. The beaches are beautiful on Antigua... You will have the opportunity for beach time. You will spend two evenings on shore for dinner. If you check out the Tradewinds website you can see a sample itinerary.

Wine is served with dinner. Alcohol is available at all times. Sheets and towels are changed midweek. Your bed is made daily. The new 52’ Cruising Class Catamarans have air conditioning. This is usually the class boat RCI exchangers trade into. The air conditioning for the Cruising Class is run at night at the discretion of the Captain. If you get a member referral you can pick your class of boat.

I would suggest that if you love the ocean and have a sense of adventure, then trying a Tradewinds sailing is a must. It is a unique and special way to experience the Caribbean.