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The Mediterranean debut of the world’s largest tall ship

Tradewind Voyages has released the full program and prices for the Mediterranean debut of the world’s largest tall ship, Golden Horizon. Beginning in Palma on 1 May 2022, there are 23 voyages offered across the region, spanning Spain, France, Italy, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia, Greece and Turkey. The inaugural Med season concludes with the 14 night Canaries to the Caribbean Voyage, arriving into Barbados for the start of winter 2022/2023 and yet another debut for the ship. Five new collections are showcased for summer 2022: The Spain & France Collection, The Italian Collection, The Croatian Collection, The Greek Collection and the Passage to Caribbean Voyages. Prices start from only £1,799pp for seven- and eight-night itineraries. Extra incentives are offered to get clients booked by 15 December, with the 10% early bird discount available until then. Golden Horizon’s inaugural sailing in the region will be a seven-night round trip from Palma, with the Balearic capital becoming the base for three voyages in May. The ship will then operate round trips from Civitavecchia (Rome) from end May to early July, Split in July until mid-August, and Piraeus from August to October. Golden Horizon will then reposition through Palma and Santa Cruz, before heading out to the Caribbean. Voyages offered include: Riviera Delights: From learning about French fine wines and visits to Antibes and St Tropez, to experiencing the timeless glamour of Portofino and Florence, this eight-night trip takes in all the delights of the region. Runs 22 May-30 May 2022, from Palma to Rome and costs from £2049pp. Venice and the Wonders of Croatia & Slovenia: This round trip to Split takes in the glorious waterways of Dubrovnik, Piran (one of the Meds most preserved Old Towns), Venice, and Ravenna. Discover off the beaten track places such as Pula, where you can see one of the world’s most complete Roman amphitheatres and Šibenik, the gateway to two national parks: inland Krka and Kornati, a breathtaking cluster of islands and islets. Runs 21-31 July and costs from £2,549pp. Greece & Turkey’s Ancient Wonders: Explore the quaint port town of Naxos, filled with whitewashed cubed houses and beautiful Venetian buildings. Discover Kalymnos in style, with Golden Horizon the only ship scheduled to visit this island in 2022, a place renowned for its Greek sponge diving. The visit from Kusadasi, takes guests to uncover the ancient history of Ephesus, an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Runs 2-9 September and again 23-30 September, round trip from Athens and costs from £1,799pp. With a capacity of only 272 guests, the ship will take advantage of its size by visiting some of the smaller and lesser-known ports across the Med, including Sanary Sur Mer in France, Calvi in Corsica, Ponza Island in Italy and Korcula in Croatia. These will be complemented with compelling offerings across various other well-known destinations and islands, from Sardinia, St Tropez and Santorini to Havr, Venice and Kusadasi (and beyond). Commenting on the Med launch, CEO Tradewind Voyages Alan McGrory said, “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. We thank everyone for their continued support for our start up and cannot wait to host more of you and your clients on board.” Golden Horizon’s design is based on France II, a legendary square-rigged tall ship built in 1913, and is inspired by Tea Clippers and Cape Horners. Boasting five bars, impressive spa facilities, three pools, a spectacular dining room with central skylight for top-notch dining and a high staff-to-guest ratio means that first-class service is guaranteed for everyone travelling with Tradewind Voyages. Its 140 cabins all offer ocean views. The philosophy is to be powered by nature whenever possible and the intent is to sail, without using propulsion, for around 70% of each season. This post is sponsored by Tradewind Voyages.

Paul Johnson

Paul Johnson is Editor of A Luxury Travel Blog and has worked in the travel industry for more than 30 years. He is Winner of the Innovations in Travel ‘Best Travel Influencer’ Award from WIRED magazine. In addition to other awards, the blog has also been voted “one of the world’s best travel blogs” and “best for luxury” by The Daily Telegraph.

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23 Comments

  1. In a world where the cruise industry is coming up with new innovations every other day, I find the thought of cruising on a massive tall ship to be fascinating. I’m sure it won’t be possible to use the sails 100% of the time, but when they do it must be such a thrill!

    1. Yes, Kristof… and for the interior of this vessel to be as luxurious as it is, is also rather unique. I’m hoping to work with Tradewind Voyages next year some time (I was scheduled to go on a trip just recently but unfortunately it has been postponed) so watch this space…!

  2. Reading all those Hornblower novels as a young boy I thought the days of sail were long gone. I never thought that they would return and certainly not as elegantly as this.

    1. The days of sailing are still very much alive and well, Roger! In fact, I think, they are making something of a resurgence what with all the concerns surrounding climate change, etc.

  3. When somebody first came up with this left field idea, “Hey guys, let’s build the world’s tallest sailboat,” it probably seemed a very brave investment.

    Now, after all the scary data that come out of Cop 26 the question probably is “Why didn’t we think of this sooner?”

    1. Indeed. You could say hindsight is a wonderful thing, but it’s not like COP 26 told us anything new. After all, there were 25 COPs before it, so innovations such as Golden Horizon have perhaps been on the cards for some time.

  4. I’ve been on some large cruise ships before so I’m so stranger to big boats, but this ship has a very nautical and proper ‘ship’ vibe I can’t properly describe! The design feels like a tiny ship in a bottle blow up to a massive proportion. I’m currently located in France, it would be a dream to board this boat.

    1. At 162 metres long, Golden Horizon is certainly a big ship. However, by the standards of many of the world’s largest cruise ships, it is not as vast as you might think – the world’s largest cruise ship is another 200m in length, so 362m in total!

      Despite the size, Golden Horizon carries just 272 passengers. That’s tiny compared to the many thousands carried by the big cruise ships, and of course lends itself to a more intimate, personalised and exclusive experience.

  5. It was funny to open this blog post. I saw a teaser about the world’s largest tall ship and wanted to check out the Golden Horizon. So this blog post helped feed my curiosity. We have done a lot of ocean cruising but none on a tall ship. So this will definitely go on the list. With 140 cabins, the size would be perfect.

  6. I haven’t been on a cruise yet, but I am considering such options. Golden Horizon is truly a luxury ship. It is huge. The interiors look great. I think it is a fantastic option for a honeymoon trip or some other special celebration. It’s great that they offer 23 voyages across the region. If I could afford it, I would choose Venice and the Wonders of Croatia & Slovenia.

    1. I don’t think the Golden Horizon is what you’d call your typical cruise. I am hoping to go on board in April or May next year, so watch this space…

  7. What a beautiful luxurious way to explore cities via these giant cruises. I would love to take a seven-night round trip from Palma or can opt for a Turkey cruise trip. Loved their decor and lavish preparation for each trip.

  8. What a beautiful sight it would certainly be. A ship that too the tallest in full sail. Love to be on it. Sailing holidays are picking up again which is good to see.

  9. What great news. I have done cruise trips and it’s a super-luxurious way of exploring places across the globe. Golden Horizon seems absolutely promising with the world’s tallest cruise ship tag. I loved the routes and fact that they are going to cover a few lesser-known places. I must think of a cruise trip soon.

  10. Exploring cities through these magnificent cruise ships is truly an exquisite and opulent experience. I’m enchanted by the idea of embarking on a seven-night round trip from Palma or perhaps indulging in a captivating Turkey cruise. The decor and extravagant arrangements made for each journey are simply delightful.

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