When planning our trip to Newport, it was recommended by a friend that we tour Newport Harbor aboard the Schooner Madeleine, owned by Cruise Newport.
The tour included complimentary drinks and was at sunset, a perfect photo opportunity for $60. We were in!
We decided to schedule our trip during our second night at Newport.
Madeleine Customer Service Is Top Notch!
The New England region was expected to be hit by a noreaster the night we arrived in Newport and run into the early morning of the day our cruise with the Madeleine was scheduled.
We were uncertain if Cruise Newport was going to cancel our reservation, which would have left us very disappointed.
We made several calls to Cruise Newport and they assured us that we will have plenty of notice of a tour cancelation because of the pending storm. They also let us know that event of a cancellation, we would be able to move our reservation to another day free of charge.
However, our time in Newport was limited so we didn’t have time to reschedule.
On the day of our tour, we were lucky enough not to be too impacted by the noreaster. It was just a tad windy. The major rainstorm missed Newport completely.
Finding Cruising Newport & The Madeleine at Bowen’s Wharf
We went for our first walk to Newport looking for a breakfast spot.
During our walk, we passed by Bowen’s Wharf where the Schooner Madeleine was located. We thought it was a good idea to check in with the sailing company to ensure our trip was still on that night. The staff was receptive to our concerns and walked us through the weather forecast. They let us know that the tour was most likely going to be on!
Checking in on the Madeleine at Bowens Wharf
As the day grew closer to our 6 PM departure time, we grabbed a quick lunch and made it over to the company kiosk on Bowen’s Wharf at 5:30 PM to check-in.
We checked in, gave us two tickets, and said to stick around and wait for the boarding process to begin.
The boarding process started and they asked all the people joining the cruise to line up on the dock and to watch our step getting onto the sailboat.
You were able allowed to sit anywhere on the Madeleine. They had benches on the sides of the sailboat as well as seating on the inside facing the water.
The tourists joining us on the tour were a decent mix of individuals. There were older people, millennials like us, as well as families with a few children.
Departure from Bowens Wharf
Before we departed from the Wharf, the crew members of Madeleine introduced themselves and went over some safety information.
Their biggest rule was to remain quiet and seated while the boat was navigating Newport Harbor because they needed to communicate with each other to adjust the boom and the sail. The sail boom can cause serious damage if you were to be hit by it.
Once the safety briefing was complete, Madeleine backed out of its mooring using its motor. While backing out, this was the first chance you were able to see several of the big boats anchored in the harbor and how much boat traffic there was in the harbor.
Madeleine Drink Service
After the crew navigated Madeleine into the open water in the channel, they began their drink service. They offered a selection of champagne, canned beer, soda, and water. The crew members came around and asked everyone individually about their drink preferences and gave them a plastic cup. They then supplied us with whatever we chose to drink.
Sights of Newport Harbor
We headed toward the Clairborne Pell Newport Bridge, the sun was just setting over the horizon to the West. This was an excellent time for a photo of the bridge and the sunset. Everyone was taking pictures. Unfortunately, the side of the boat we were riding on was facing away from the sunset, but we did get a nice photo of the bridge.
The crew turned the boat to the South. We passed this interesting house perched atop an isolated island. The crew members mentioned that the house is called Clingstone. It was built by Joesph Wharton in 1905 and purchased in 1960 and owned ever since by Boston architect Henry Ford.
The darkness of the night began to fall on the harbor when we were passing Fort Adams. The crew member told the historically significant of the fort during the War of 1812 as well as its role in the Newport Jazz and Folk scene. They mentioned a pretty funny story of Folk legend Bob Dylan, who almost caused a riot at the Folk Festival by playing an electric guitar instead of an acoustic guitar during one of his sets.
Finishing Up our Awesome Trip With the Madeleine
As we came towards the end of our trip with Madeleine, we were instructed to remain quiet as the crew had to communicate with each other to navigate in the congested harbor. But many of the people including ourselves were too awestruck by the millionaire Yachts that were anchored, but now lit up by beautiful neon colors serving as navigating lights.
We moored at Bowen’s Wharf, the crew thanked us and we went on our merry way to enjoy the rest of what Newport had to offer that night.
Your Weekend Final Thoughts and Rating
Overall, doing the sailing tour with Madeleine was worth every penny. It was an awesome memory of Newport that we will keep forever.
We will give this activity a 4.5 out of 5 rating.
Affordability – 4.5
Appeal – 4, might not be an activity best for young children.
Overall Experience – 5
Culture – 5
Ease of Activity – 5
If you are in Newport for a weekend, this is a much-recommended activity if you have two hours to kill.
