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Cruise West Antebellum South Cruise Review: Spirit of Nantucket

April 2006

I want to take a few moments and share some of my impressions from my recent cruise on the Intracoastal Waterway through the Antebellum South on the Nantucket Clipper.

This itinerary is packed with unique and incredibly interesting ports and activities. It offers something for everyone!!! Cruising out of the small city of Jacksonville was pleasant, a nice starting point for what was to become one of my all-time favorite cruises. I assumed the highlights would predictably be Savannah and Charleston so thought I would relax and catch up on some rest the first few days of the cruise. Wrong! The second day of the cruise we arrived in Fernandina Beach, Florida – a beautiful town, reminiscent of the Florida Keyes only without tons of tourists. It was a quaint community loaded with history and a very subtle warmth and friendliness. I developed a quick personal connection and started dreaming about returning to spend a summer here some day. The excursion to Cumberland Island was listed by many as the highlight of their entire cruise. The next day Jekyll Island provided a step back in time to the turn of the century when billionaire families came south to their country cottages. History came to life as we toured the grounds and homes of the Jekyll Island Club, shrouded by pristine and peaceful beauty. After a day of exploring and cruising the Intracoastal Waterway, we arrived in Savannah - a favorite port for all. I became fully immersed in the history of this beautiful city with the added enjoyment of excellent shopping, fantastic famous cuisine, and pre-civil war architecture, which offers an unfolding history lesson for all that meander from square to square of this beautiful city! Beaufort was one of the best kept secrets of the South, a sleepy community full of homes listed on the National Historic Registry offers a step back in time for anyone who walks a block in any given direction. In this same town you can find everything from fudge and candy shops, to art galleries, book stores and an old fort dating back to 1680 - all within easy walking distance of downtown. The grand finale was Charleston, a city filled with churches, and of course history, and true Southern style and hospitality. Charleston is also the home of Fort Sumter where the first shots of the Civil War were fired. We visited a plantation and gardens, giving a visual of how life would have been before the war. We had plenty of time to explore the Market and walk around historic downtown Charleston.

The ship was very comfortable. The Nantucket carried us from one life-changing experience to another throughout this special journey. I left the ship a few pounds heavier from the fabulous cuisine onboard. There are two evenings where some guests choose to get a little “gussied” up, but the choice is left to each to decide how dressed up they would like to get. Another highlight was an insight to the regions we visited as well as an educational overview of the flora and fauna of the areas we were cruising through from our onboard naturalist!