Windjammer Angelique — Attraction in Camden

What can be better than cruising among the many islands of Maine’s Penobscot Bay going wherever the wind takes you? My wife and I just returned home from a six night cruise aboard Angelique which was blessed with steady winds (except for the last day) and warm sunshine. It’s an 8-hour drive from our home to Angelique’s dock off Atlantic Avenue in Camden so a six night rather than 3 or 4 night cruise makes more sense for us. The fact that we’ve done this annually since 2003 shows how much we enjoy it. Each cruise has a different theme (whale watching, photography, grandparents and kids, race week, yoga, windjammer rendezvous, etc) and this cruise featured the windjammers gathering at the Wooden Boat school in Brooklin, Maine. It was a real thrill to anchor with the other windjammers, some over 100 years old, and meet some of the friends we’ve made among their crews over the years. To give an idea of what else the week included, we visited Mount Desert Island and anchored in a quiet cove, and visited very remote Frenchboro, a picturesque groundfishing settlement of 61 inhabitants (including 2 kids attending the K-8 school) that is serviced only once a week by a ferry. The person staffing the general store and museum kept the facility open past normal closing time because she was happy to see us! Another night was spent anchored in Hell’s Half Acre (love the name) where, unlike all other meals which were served on deck, we had the onshore lobster boil – all you can eat. The next morning we anchored off Stonington, where lobstering and granite quarrying are the main industries, so guests could take a walk or perhaps buy a newspaper. The chef and baker deserve kudos for the varied and tasty meals and fresh baked breads and pastries, and the effort they go to to honor all dietary restrictions and requests. Captain-owner Dennis has a wealth of knowledge about the Angelique, the other boats, and life at sea. He’ll even let you helm the boat if you ask! Similarly, the deck crew are happy to share their knowledge and will gladly let you assist in setting and furling sail and raising the small boat used to go ashore. If you’d rather be less active the deckhouse is a perfect place to read or you can relax on the bowsprit and watch the world go by. We already have a deposit on our...

Wow! Went for windjammer race week as my 75th birthday gift. This is not a typical luxury cruise, it is so much more ! A wonderful way to relive ship travel in the 19th century, but in relative comfort and much better food. We had great weather. Fellow passengers were an accomplished lot. The ship is in spic and span condition. Great youthful dedicated crew featuring Pierce the rat line acrobat. Approachable captain ready to answer all your questions ( even the dumb ones) and a voluble story teller. Food ranged from simple and good to excellent, with quality ingredients. Kudos to the highly educated chef and the baked goods expert to keep us anticipating each meal. Great salads! You can paticipate in various sailing tasks, but are not obliged to. You are only asked to scrape your cutlery and plates after meals and take out your bed sheets at the end, but this is a small price to pay to help the hard working crew and if you cannot do that, somebody will help you. Cabins are on the cramped side ( possibly a problem if you suffer from claustrophobia) and require sometimes to climb in a bunk, beds are small but comfortable. All this is part of the genuine windjammer experience. No problem with deck sitting space. Common areas are great, especially the deck house, but bring plenty of mosquito repellant for the late nights, this is Maine after all. The race itself is a bit underwhelming ( compared to the America Cup) , but the congregation of windjammers is out of this world and photo opportunities abound. One of the largest tall ship fleet on the planet, all assembled in the same port in the evening. You could go from boat to boat and hear people tell stories, play music and generally be merry among a forest of masts, echo of immemorial sailors' lives. You must have a bit of an adventurous spirit, but Angelique, of relatively recent construction, is certainly one of the best sailing time...

In anticipation of my birthday on the 4th of July and a recent retirement from the military after serving for over thirty years I made a reservation for a cruise with the Angelique for July 3-9th and based on my experience with Candace and Dennis I will never book another cruise on this windjammer. Due to circumstances beyond my control including a cancelled flight, delayed flight, and misplaced luggage my wife and I were not able to make our cruise with the Angelique. I requested a credit or refund but was denied and was reminded of the Angelique’s extremely strict, unforgiving, and unsympathetic cancellation policy. It is extremely unfortunate that a business cannot make exceptions for a customer who cannot make a cruise through no fault of their own. I paid almost $2,600 for my wife and I to attend this cruise to celebrate my military retirement and birthday on the 4th of July but we could not make the cruise due to transportation issues and misplaced luggage that were out of our control. If you are looking to book a windjammer cruise, I recommend that you look elsewhere and not book on the Angelique especially if you are a...