Arabella under new owner: still fantastic!

We sailed the returned-to-cruisng tall-ship Arabella 2 weeks ago, and she is still fantastic!! Prior owner took very, very good care of her while she wasn't doing cruises in 2012 and into 2013, and new owner Manhattan Yacht Club (NYC) has done a fabulous job of maintaining her as an beautiful sailing cruise ship since buying her last year. While MYC is using her as its clubhouse some of the year (!) and for MYC charter cruises, cruises were opened to the public for this winter/spring, and we couldn't sign up fast enough. We'd sailed Arabella twice before, under previous owner, and she was our favorite of all the tall-ship cruise ships.

Arabella still has gorgeous woods, highly polished surfaces, compact but well-appointed cabins with private baths and A/C controls. Can carry 40 passengers. All-American crew headed by Capt. Debbie. Wonderful crew: professional, safety-conscious, lots of fun, very helpful and each has a captain's license! Food was plentiful, hearty and very good. Amazing for the very small galley. No menus, but the options were varied. Dress onboard continues to be very casual: shorts, swimsuits, flipflops and tops.

Free rum drinks each afternoon happy hour.

For this trip we sailed the British Virgin Islands...we have been all over the Caribbean in sailing cruise ships, and this itinerary was by far the best for snorkeling, diving, beaching, checking out bars, beautiful weather, perfect sailing breezes, beautiful sailing. And Arabella DOES sail: if she is moving and there's any wind, her sails are up. A gorgeous sight, a fabulous way to vacation. We didn't experience any uncomfortable choppy seas. Arabella carries a small Pico sailboat, paddle boards and kayaks for passenger use and has dive/snorkle equipment for everyone. All free, no fee to use.

We sailed each morning after breakfast, until lunch, when we'd anchor off another small island and spend the rest of the day and the night there, including Virgin Gorda, Norman Island, Jost Van Dyck, Cooper Island, etc. Arabella sails from/to Tortolla. No organized shore excursions. Just fun in the water, hiking, visiting small island towns.

Really fun group of passengers, many of them associated with the American Sailing Association, so they knew sailing.....and no one ever complained about how/where she sailed. The only real complaint was that while the ship provided beach towels, it didn't provide soap in the cabins! Go figure.

We understand that the public sailings have gone so well, that MYC will be offering more of them. I'm hoping that MYC will consider also offering a New England sailing like the previous owners did. That was such a wonderful intinerary, too: out of Newport, RI and up to Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, Cuddyhunk, etc.

I'll be sailing our second-favorite tall-ship, Island Windjammer's Diamant (islandwindjammer.com) again in November, but Arabella beckons again, oh year. YachtArabella.com

Wow, I'm late seeing this, but as a former Arabella sailor under the old management I'm glad to hear she's back to doing sailing trips again.

I hope the public sailing trips are a success for them, as I would love to sail on her again! I'll have to keep my eye on their website.

I believe the public sailing opportunities will be offered again next winter/spring. I'm watching for them, too!

I am very interested in the Arabella because of the BVI itinerary but I am prone to seasickness. Is the Arabella very "rolly" or "pitchy" in the BVIs?

Our cruise was smooth. Arabella sailed between breakfast and lunch, except for first day, and didn't have far to go between islands. She anchored in sheltered coves/bays for the afternoons, eves and onite, and we played in the water, onshore, or relaxed onboard. I wasn't aware of anyone having any difficulties while her sails were up, but then it is true that so many on board were sailors themselves. I love sailing the tall ships, but I'm not a bonafide sailor, as in owning a boat, sailing regularly, etc.

I've been on a few cruising tall-ships that had one or two brief rocky segments--normally when there was a long run between islands, but not Arabella in the BVIs last Feb/March.

If you visit yachtarabella.com and click on Schedule, you'll get her itinerary in the BVI, with descriptions of what/when/how. Bet it makes you drool.......