Arabella Cruises                        Photo Gallery

NEWPORT, RI -- For sailing enthusiasts, romance seekers and travelers who enjoy soft-adventure getaways, Arabella, a newly created 160-foot luxury schooner with capacity for 40 overnight passengers, offers seven-day sailing voyages throughout the British and U.S. Virgin Islands. The cruises are available late December through early May.

     Combining the timeless thrill of travel under sail with the high-tech amenities of a modern mega-yacht, Arabella is the only U.S. Coast Guard and SOLAS approved passenger sailing cruise yacht in the Virgin Islands. Each excursion combines the islands' finest sailing, swimming and snorkeling with fun-filled and relaxing day trips and unique dining experiences. Arabella embarks from St. Thomas on six-night, seven-day sails to the most beautiful bays in the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, including St. John; Norman Island; Jost Van Dyke; Tortola and Guano Island; Virgin Gorda; Peter Island; Colebra; and Vieques. The schooner's intimate size creates a new level of personalized guest service and permits access to unique destinations that larger ships cannot negotiate.

     Arabella features 20 air-conditioned, en-suite, yacht-style staterooms, each with satellite television, viewing portholes and state-of-the-art communications capabilities that allow guests to conduct business from anywhere on the sea. She also houses an on-deck hot water spa, a traditional salon and bar, "water toys" and sports equipment available for use during stops at pristine, tropical lagoons.

     Following each day's sail, Arabella's guests arrive at an exquisite beach or charming village and each evening they enjoy a unique dining experience -- ranging from a visit to the well-known Bitter End to authentic Caribbean-style cookouts on the sands of idyllic hideaways.

     "The Arabella represents the next generation of luxury adventure cruising," said Don Glassie, founder of Atlantic Stars Hospitality, the yacht's parent company. "Our guests explore well-known sights, but they also visit incredible, undiscovered spots that they might not have had a chance to experience otherwise." He concluded, "Our guests return home feeling both relaxed and invigorated after having enjoyed the full range of fun, excitement and natural beauty that the Virgin Islands have to offer."

     Rates for the Arabella cruises, based on cabin type, range from $1,295 to $2,195 per person, based on double occupancy and include all daytime meals, four dinners ashore, and optional excursions. Each cruise is scheduled for Sunday 4 p.m. departure and returns to St. Thomas on Saturday at or before noon. Upon completion of her Caribbean season, Arabella offers five-night spring cruises during the month of May along the Sea Islands from Charleston to Savannah before she heads north to New England where she features five-night summer and fall excursions from Newport to Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard and Cuttyhunk.

     Arabella is part of the Newport-based Atlantic Stars Hospitality Group. Other Atlantic Stars properties include: The newly opened Park South Hotel in New York City and its bistro, The Black Duck; the Avalon and South Seas hotels in South Beach, Miami; the Harborside Inn, Jailhouse Inn, Yankee Peddler Inn and Newport Gateway Hotel in Newport; and the Pequot Hotel in Martha's Vineyard. Atlantic Stars also operates several cruise vessels, including the schooner Madeleine and motor yacht Rum Runner II, which offer day trips around Newport Harbor and Narragansett Bay.

     For additional information on the Arabella or other Atlantic Stars Hospitality Group properties, please call (800) 395-1343 or access the company's website at AtlanticStars.com