I have sailed with the Camden/Rockland Schooner fleet on and off for 20+ years and looked forward…read moreto my cruise on the Angelique. Unfortunately, it could have been better. I sailed 6 days in July 2022.
The Good - Schooner Angelique has a wonderful reputation, and mystique all her own. Fully rigged with topsails, and a relatively newer construction (1980) she is known as a 'fast sail', and with her distinctive sail color she is easily recognizable from a distance. Captain Dennis is knowledgeable and personable, and it's obvious he enjoys what he does. The sailing did not disappoint, we had a great week exploring Penobscot Bay and its many islands, and coves. It is a family business, and the owners seem to truly care. Marty was excellent as a fill in deck hand!
The Bad - Seating on deck - even though she was constructed in 1980 as a passenger vessel 'for comfort' there is a noticeable lack of seating on deck for 22 passengers. To be exact, there are only 2 benches (with cushions) for 4 moderately sized adults specifically designed as seating. Otherwise, there are lifejacket boxes to sit on strategically placed to guarantee you will be in the crew's way regardless. Envision a group of 20+ senior citizens precariously perched or standing around on a pitching deck for 6 days, all waiting to scavenge any available seating any time someone moves.
The food was mediocre at best, or just undercooked. The worst offences were ... a diluted, tepid 'fish stew' (served on the first day - leftovers?) with no fish just a layer of congealed fat coating the surface, a half-baked tomato pie - runny tomatoes with a raw bottom crust, raw tuna for tacos left out in the sun, and the infamous breakfast casserole topped with raw uncooked eggs glistening in the morning sun. The coffee served daily at breakfast was dishwater weak. When I brought this up to the captain, he was defensive. However, on day three I discovered there was another thermos of coffee in the galley reserved for the crew members - strong dark and aromatic, go figure.
The Infamous Dish Pan - Passengers were told repeatedly, "to make it easier for the crew, passengers were expected to scrub their dirty dishes before putting them in a dish pan". This was located on the floor of the deck, with a small container of water. After a few uses, the scrub water was a slurry of food. Besides the 'yuck' factor, this was a serious safety risk. Having a group of senior citizens bending over or kneeling on a wet pitching deck 3 x day is a safety hazard. Fortunately, there were no broken hips during the cruise, this time.
The Ugly - There is a serious culture problem with the crew. They clearly do not like passengers. At best, the crew were indifferent; otherwise, they were openly rude. With the exception of boarding, and disembarking (after a reminder about expected gratuities) not one crew member offered an unsolicited "good morning", "good afternoon", or "good night", nor did a crew member ask, "do you need anything?", or "how is the cruise?" - instead passengers were admonished to wash their dishes, make and strip their bed linen, and get out of the way. "You're in my way", "You can't sit there", "Do you HAVE to sit HERE?".
There are two crew members who stand out for their hatefulness:
Bradley the cook takes the cake - he openly hates his job, hates cooking, and hates passengers. First day boarding - while exploring the schooner I met Bradley stretched out in the lower main cabin, nose in phone. I introduced myself, and he responded, "I don't talk to passengers until Monday morning", it was downhill from there. Several other passengers had the same arrival experience. In an attempt to compensate, the crew instructed passengers, "Don't talk to Bradley!" Three times a day he would ring the meal bell and then proceed to lecture guests about washing their dishes and staying out of the galley.
Heidi the deck hand - infamous for never changing her clothes and her snarls at passengers. When I introduced myself, she responded "I have 28 names to remember! I'll call you what I want, you need to work with ME." For the rest of the cruise, she went out of her way to be openly rude and confrontational in front of passengers and crew, thereby demonstrating this was acceptable behavior. She bragged about having RBF and living up to the reputation, and late evenings she could be heard openly disparaging the passengers.
Like it or not, a sailing cruise is part of the hospitality business. Unfortunately, the 'hospitality' was sorely missing from the cruise.
In Addition, the crew did not work well together; during the cruise they tore two sails (including a new one), often misunderstood commands or made random decisions on their own. Understandably, the captain repeatedly lost his temper and stormed about it for hours after.
As a small business, Angelique faces many external challenges without being sabotaged by its own crew. Overall, Angelique could do better, much better.
