At Tradewind Voyages, they say that they want people to see the world and the ocean in a different way, with their voyages guided by the wind and the currents, a true maritime experience on their traditional yet contemporary ship Golden Horizon, fuelled by nature, with tailored itineraries to the ocean’s natural course, letting the wind and currents guide each voyage. Now those sound like “wow” experiences without any question!
With Tradewind Voyages Represented by Cruise Traveller in Australia, I took the opportunity to have a chat with Cruise Traveller’s Managing Director Craig Bowen about Tradewind Voyages’ amazing sailing cruise vessel and square rigger vessel Golden Horizon.
He also told me a great deal in my interview and my chats with him before and afterwards, about Cruise Traveller, described as Australia’s most experienced small ship cruise specialist, with Craig and his team creating small ship, expedition, luxury and boutique cruising experiences for over 15 years, featuring hundreds of amazing destinations across the globe, with his team also recognised for their knowledge, through experiencing the product first hand and with a reputation for finding the best experience for their clients.
His passion for Tradewind Voyages was absolutely palpable and it is clear that he is extremely proud to have this incredible product in his portfolio, with Craig saying everything about Tradewind Voyages is friendly and engaging and described as a brand that knows that luxury is a feeling.
What is also interesting about Tradewind Voyages approach to cruising is that their team, both onboard and ashore work to the same values, that is to act as one team to ensure their guests’ journeys are seamless and enjoyable and another that many guests will appreciate is that they do not force a charge for gratuities as their ethos is to always offer the best levels of service at every touch point.
Offering the highest standards of dining, accommodation and entertainment, the ambience onboard is nevertheless relaxed, casual, but stylish and elegant, with Golden Horizon the world’s largest square-rigged sailing vessel and Golden Horizon, a near replica of the 1913-built ocean vessel, France II, retaining the charm, adventure and romance of an historic ship.
Craig told me that guests have the freedom to explore ashore as shore excursions and not included or remain on board and use the ship as a wellbeing destination, taking advantage of the luxurious facilities and activities on offer, with Golden Horizon attracting like-minded adventure seekers for a sailing experience which allows guests to connect with the elements of the natural world, with Tradewind Voyages having created an environment which will encourage their guests to return to time and time again to share their stories and experiences.
The Golden Horizon is without doubt a sailing ship first and foremost, using the wind and currents and following the sun to allow adventure seekers to travel the world in a unique way, with their philosophy being to be powered by nature whenever possible and an intention to sail, without using propulsion, for around 70% of each season, with Golden Horizon having the latest 
technology and of course engines.
Craig said that there are only 140 cabins on board, so only 270 guests, with all cabins superbly equipped and furnished and all are outside facing, so guests can enjoy the breath-taking views and while the cabins evoke the luxury and facilities expected of a boutique cruise ship, they retaining the charm, adventure and romance of a truly historic sailing vessel and they include, Owners Suites, Deluxe Balcony Cabins, Balcony Cabins, Oceanview Cabins, and Oceanview Single Cabins
The Owner’s Suites has a living room and dining area, balcony, master bedroom with double or twin beds, en-suite bathroom with shower & bathtub, a double sofa bed in the living room for guests, a guest bathroom with shower, a walk-in wardrobe and concierge service, with 24-hour room service, a complimentary mini bar with bottles of liquor, daily canapés, a range of luxury suite amenities, twice-daily housekeeping service and complimentary laundry and pressing.
The deluxe balcony cabins have a balcony of course, double bed or twin beds, a sofa bed for sleeping one adult or two children, deluxe bathroom with a shower over the bath, 24-hour room service, complimentary mini bar, a range of luxury suite amenities and twice-daily housekeeping service.
The remaining cabins have double bed or twin beds, two portholes, deluxe bathroom with a shower, complimentary water, luxury cabin amenities, twice daily housekeeping service
There is an on-board spa and library, which overlooks the wake of the ship and a fully equipped gym and also yoga and fitness classes are available and cabins have television and Wi-Fi.
There are two outside bars, with stunning views and a classic piano bar plus the premium beverage bar, Debeljak’s, is stocked with for example, some of the world’s finest gins and whisky.
A highly experienced resident destination speaker will provide guests with engaging insights, specifically related to the voyage and ports of call including geographical, historical and cultural background specific to the itinerary and I have been told that for the Australian circumnavigation Tradewinds is securing some top quality visiting speakers specialists on Australia including historians, indigenous specialists, environmentalists, travel journalists and more!
There will be a resident pianist and musical duo to entertain guests with a repertoire ranging from jazz/swing to contemporary music, with the music complimenting the ambience on-board, inviting guests to dance away the evening and local shows, dancers and singers will help to immerse guests in the local culture and also the on-board cruise team will work to develop a full programme of activities which will likely include wine tasting, cooking demonstrations, upper-deck games, movies under the stars and quizzes…of course only if guests wish to participate.
Tradewind Voyages offers outstanding food and service, with on-board dining offers something for all tastes and preferences, including healthy eating, sustainability and well-being and alongside classic dishes, they will always seek to use local fresh produce to create menus relevant to the region.
Breakfast, lunch and daytime offerings can be traditional or light and fresh; there will always be dishes with a local flavour.
The buffet selections are designed to ensure that the most stringent health and safety standards are met and one of the highlights of the day is a full-service dinner served over two levels in the spectacular main dining room, with a selection of wines and beers complimentary during meal hours in the main dining room for lunch and dinner and more casual open-air dining offered at 
the Horizon Bar.
There is a marina platform at the stern, which is a focal point for many of the voyages, providing access to water sports equipment which includes kayaks, sailing dinghies, water skis and wakeboards and guests will also be able to enjoy swimming and snorkelling from the marina.
Many voyages will also include beach days and surprise stops, where the on-board water sports team will set up the equipment, with refreshments close at hand.
There are also three swimming pools on board, one of which is a deep dive pool where you can practice scuba diving skills and drills, aimed at both the beginner and more experienced divers, with an on-board dive master always available and will support guests as they develop these skills in the dive pool and open water.
Tradewind Voyages has just made several changes to its 2021 program, the majority not affecting Aussies and Kiwis, with Golden Horizon’s delivery now in Portsmouth on June 22, a “Scotland East to West” journey from Leith (Edinburgh) on July 6, followed by a “West Coast Gems of Scotland” cruise from Greenock (Glasgow) on July 15, a “Maritime Cities of the North West” voyage from Greenock on July 21 and a “Rounding the South West” peninsula voyage from Liverpool on July 25. From August 4, voyages from the UK will remain as previously published, starting with ‘English South Coast and Islands’ from Harwich and onwards to the Norwegian Fjords and Denmark and on to the Mediterranean
Once Golden Horizon has crossed the Mediterranean there will be three Adriatic Voyages including visits to Venice and Split, with these voyages named the “Owners Collection” as Split is the birthplace of Golden Horizon.
There are also a number of changes to the Maritime Silk Route Voyages which will be replaced by a series of collections including All Inclusive Dubai, comprising of two voyages in the Arabian Gulf and the Indonesian Islands Collection which, in turn, includes “A passage to Singapore”, sailing directly from Dubai to Singapore over 14 nights, with the Australia Voyages anticipated to be not affected.
Of course at this point in time Australians cannot travel overseas and therefore cannot book these cruises, but Australians and we hope New Zealanders can book Golden Horizon’s amazing Australia Voyages which start in December 2021 and we hope by then Australians can also book the equally incredible Indian Ocean Voyage.
The Australia Voyages include: –
| Dec 8, 2021 | 14 nts | Benoa (Bali) | Cairns | Indonesian Beaches & Northern Australia |
| Dec 22, 2021 | 15 nts | Cairns | Sydney | Great Barrier Reef & Gold Coast |
| Jan 6, 2022 | 16 nts | Sydney | Adelaide | South Australia and Tasmania Adventure |
| Jan 22, 2022 | 13 nts | Adelaide | Fremantle (Perth) | Remote Southwest Australia |
| Feb 4, 2022 | 14 nts | Fremantle (Perth) | Benoa (Bali) | Western Australia and Indonesian Islands |
The Indian Ocean Voyages include:-
| Feb 18, 2022 | 16 | Benoa (Bali) | Mauritius | Southern Indian Ocean Sailing |
| Mar 6, 2022 | 13 | Mauritius | Dar Es Salam | Mauritius, Madagascar and East Africa |
| Mar 19, 2022 | 13 | Dar Es Salam | Victoria | Tanzania to the Seychelles |
| Apr 1, 2022 | 6 | Victoria | Victoria | Exploring the Seychelles Archipelago |
| Apr 7, 2022 | 10 | Victoria | Colombo | Indian Ocean Paradise |
| Apr 17, 2022 | 14 | Colombo | Port Klang | Sri Lanka to Kuala Lumpur |
So, to check out my chat with Craig from Cruise Traveller, watch below: –
For more information on Tradewind Voyages amazing programmes, contact Craig and his team at Cruise Traveller on:-
1 800 507 777
A report by John Alwyn-Jones
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