As my sister and I discussed our ideas for the perfect early summer holiday escape, a few recurring themes floated to the top of our wishlist; warm and tropical, uncrowded, reasonably priced, and adventurous – but also relaxing. Was there such a thing as an adventurous AND relaxing holiday? On top of our seemingly impossible aspirations, we were both stretched for time and running late in putting together our plans together.
An all-inclusive beach resort in the Bahamas or Mexico? Relaxing but not particularly adventurous… or affordable.
A cruise ship holiday? Affordable enough, but the crowds and the queues… the endless queues.
Airbnb in the Caribbean? This could work. Until we started the planning process. Researching things to do, where to eat, stocking the accommodation with necessities – it was all taking more time and effort than we anticipated.
Dream Yacht to our rescue
We had chartered a sailboat with a group of friends in the past, and agreed that sailing was our favourite holiday type by far. But when you’re traveling as a single or couple, a private full yacht charter can be pricey and impractical. But what about a “cabin” charter?
A Dream Yacht cabin cruise lets you take a double cabin aboard a large catamaran, with a skipper and hostess to take care of the navigation and meals. Nearly everything is included in the price of the package – every meal and even snorkelling, kayaks and paddle boarding.
Uncrowded, affordable, adventurous, relaxing – a cabin cruise ticked every box. Particularly the relaxing part. No cooking, no exhausting research for places to eat and things to do.
It was perfect. If we had one small hesitation, it was the social aspect of sharing a yacht with strangers. Well, let’s call them “new friends”. As it turned out, our new friends were one of the most delightful things about our cabin sailing adventure.
Destinations, destinations!
Our most difficult decision was also the most fun. So many exciting worldwide destinations to choose from! Bahamas, Med, Caribbean and even some of our top bucket list places are offered, like Tahiti and Thailand. But we quickly narrowed the list to only the Caribbean due to our late timing and closer proximity to the US.
The British Virgin Islands or St. Martin were very appealing, but we ultimately wanted somewhere a little “less visited”. A bit more rustic and adventurous. A Dream Guadeloupe Premium cabin cruise (with a stop in Dominica!) fit the bill perfectly.
Planning our Guadeloupe cabin cruise
As holiday planning goes, I rarely experienced anything quite this easy. We booked with one call to a Charter Planner at Dream Yacht. We took a premium cabin, with optional airport transfers, and asked a few questions about what to expect. The itinerary is set by a local who knows all the best places to visit, so we could skip the hours of research. And the only additional expenses would be flights, optional excursions and gratuities.
An online downloadable Base Guide answered our remaining questions – how to get to the Dream Yacht Guadeloupe base location, local currencies, where to eat lunch before boarding our cruise.
We booked our flights, packed our bags, and took off (with passports) for the adventure of a lifetime!
Arrival in Guadeloupe
An uneventful 3.5-hour flight from Miami brought us to Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport, where we collected our luggage, exchanged USD currency for euros, and easily found our taxi driver already waiting. 15 minutes later we arrived at the Dream Yacht base marina,where the friendly office staff greeted us, stored our luggage, and shared the nearby shopping and dining secrets that would keep us entertained until boarding time later that afternoon.
At 6:00pm we excitedly made our way to our awaiting yacht. “Our awaiting yacht” – who gets to say that?? The words sound indulgent, and the yacht didn’t disappoint. We were the first to arrive and a cordial skipper Bernard and hostess Cami greeted us and showed us to our private cabin and bath, which we found to be quite roomy, with USBs available for charging our phones.
The outdoor dining and gathering areas and indoor living areas were larger than expected, with plenty of cushioned seating for lounging. And the hostess was already busy in the kitchen (otherwise known as the galley) preparing our dinner.
Rum cocktails and snacks kept us plenty happy as the other guests started to arrive. A couple and solo traveler from Germany, another couple from France. “Easy conversation” was not to be. The many language barriers had us struggling a bit, but with some help from Google translate a few of the multi-lingual folks, awkward story-telling and mangled languages quickly led to laughter and high energy for our anticipated adventures.
The perfect Guadeloupe itinerary
Following a lovely dinner at the dock with our new friends, we departed for our first stop, the small island called Marie Galante with sparkling beaches and the perfect relaxing way to start our first day aboard. But it was day 2 and 3 that I most looked forward to – Dominica!
A glorious and peaceful 4 hour sail brought us to beautiful Portsmouth Bay, where we would stay for the next 2 nights. It was possibly the least “touristy” island destination I’ve ever visited. A quiet beach with small local gatherings here and there, a few small local restaurants, swaying palms and towering lush green mountains. This, along with a stunning sunset, was the backdrop for another exceptional onboard dinner that evening.
The optional full day excursion in Dominica is not to be missed. For a very reasonable price we explored all day with a private driver for our small group. We hiked in the rainforest, swam in spectacular waterfalls, enjoyed lunch on the beach, and more.
Our other favourite itinerary stop was Les Saintes, a truly breathtaking archipelago of islands, neatly tucked away from the hustle and bustle of commercial tourism, with a tranquil and authentic Caribbean feel. The largest island of Terre-de-Haut boasts colorful colonial architecture, quaint shops, and welcoming cafes – one of those places one hopes to never leave.
Not your typical day
Several more incredible stops combined to create Guadeloupe itinerary perfection. Pigeon Island with its Jacques Cousteau underwater marine reserve, and Le Gosier (back on Guadeloupe) each brought unique experiences to our adventures, with hours of blissful sailing in between.
Each day is filled with a perfect mix of relaxing on deck, amazing alfresco dining by the sea, dinghy rides ashore for exploring, and snorkelling and swimming right from the deck of your yacht.
And when you unexpectedly run into some of your shipmates at a resort while exploring ashore, it’s all the more fun. A round or 2 of Pina Coladas, and we were all well pleased that we could rely on our skipper to be the designated dinghy driver and safely transport us back to our yacht.
Meals beyond expectations
You might think one would tire of onboard meals with the same cook and guests for an entire week. Nothing could be further from the truth. While we did enjoy one lunch (on our Dominica tour) and one happy hour snack on shore in Les Saintes, neither compared to the outstanding meals we had waiting for us on our boat. Hostess Cami never disappointed!
Breakfasts offered a variety of items each day from eggs and bacon, to pancakes, french toast and pastries – always with a selection of fruit and juices. A hot coffee or espresso was never far away with a hard working Keurig machine at hand.
Lunch and snacks were always a delight following exploring or swimming. And afternoon rum cocktails were always a hit.
Dinners were the highlight, featuring local recipes and a mix of fish, chicken, beef and pasta meals – all with table wine, and always a dessert. The coconut curry tuna was my favourite, with many close runner ups.
Before each meal, Cami would ring a small dinner bell to alert the guests that it was time to come to the table. Returning home, we found this bell to be one of the things we miss the most.
And so we’re asking ourselves, where will we sail next?
Contact our team today to start planning your very own dream sailing adventure.
