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Responsible Travel Policy

We believe in traveling the world responsibly, greenly, and with the smallest impact possible, and invite you to take a look at our guiding policies:

Our goal is to provide Tall Ship sailing experiences in the Bahamas. Liberty Fleet of Tall Ships provides a greener alternative to the traditional cruise industry with our windjammer cruises. Our carbon footprint and environmental impact are continually assessed and minimized as able. As an alternative to the massive cruise ship industry, we provide week-long vacations and charters aboard our beautiful tall ship schooners, using the power of the wind and the natural beauty of the water and creating vacation experiences that cannot be duplicated. Because of the intimacy of our charters, we are able to connect with locals everywhere we go, allowing us a unique and personalized relationship with the areas that we travel. From the protected waters of the Exumas Land and Sea Park to major historic ports along the eastern United States during our transits, our sailing adventures take you closer to nature than any other cruising experience.

Environmental Practices

  • Support of the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, a part of The Bahamas National Trust – the only known non-governmental organization in the world with the mandate to manage a country’s entire national park system.
  • Education in “leaving only footprint and taking only pictures.” We are aware of the impact that snorkeling plays in the tourism industry of the Bahamas and we constantly advise and educate our guests about safe practices when observing wildlife.
  • While we don’t often fish, spearfishing for Lionfish is a favorite in the Bahamas. These invasive creatures are not indigenous to the area, and have been destroying reefs for the past decade. Locals don’t often eat them due to the stigma that they are poisonous (they are, but only the spines). Our crew endeavors to teach local fisherman and guests about how to clean and eat these fish safely.
  • We depend on the pristine beaches of the Caribbean for all of our trips. We have a no-tolerance policy when it comes to trash.  Not only do we practice leaving only footprints but we also routinely collect any trash we discover on our journeys. This is in keeping with our goal to have a minimal as well as beneficial impact on the local marine environment.

Economic Practices:

  • We are locally dependent for almost all of our supplies thus participating in the local economic schema.
  • We provision our ships with local food whenever possible. You can often find our cook wandering down the dock looking for local lobster and fish!
  • We employ a local family as partner and advisor who assists in everything from local custom and government ambassadorship, guest transportation, to cleaning services aboard our vessel.
  • Our trips are unique, and mostly off the beaten path, thus we depend on local knowledge and friendships in order to create the best guest experiences possible.

Advice to Guests of Liberty Fleet:

  • Conserve Water – We intentionally make our own water aboard one of our vessels to avoid any negative impact on local water supply. On both of our vessels we practice and encourage water conservation through shortened showers, reuse of towels when possible and on-demand-only linen changes.
  • Minimize your impact – We do provide bottled water on board, but recommend that all travelers bring a water bottle. The Bahamas does not practice recycling, and every effort counts in keeping our cruising grounds clean.
  • Buy Local – While most of our guests will be tempted to purchase souvenirs and gifts in Nassau, we try to steer our guests to more remote locations such as Governors Harbour and Gregory Towne where one is more likely to find hand crafted items that stimulate local economies and assist local families.

Practicing what we preach at the Home Office:

  • The majority of our employees utilize public transportation to and from the office.
  • Our office is Recycling Friendly.
  • We minimize our paper use, printing only necessary items.
  • Our booking process is completely paper-free. Everything can be done online!
  • All staff practice energy conservation by turning off lights and computers when not in use.