Sea Cloud Cruises, the Hamburg based upmarket boutique cruise operator, says it has sold its river yacht River Cloud II. “The vessel will be handed over to the buyer at the end of the 2014 season. Sea Cloud Cruises will then focus all its attention on the field of ocean-going cruises with its two windjammers Sea Cloud and Sea Cloud II,” the company said in a statement. It did not identify the buyer or sale price..

“Growing competition in the field of river cruises has made marketing of the River Cloud II increasingly difficult in recent years. While the two windjammers, which are sailed traditionally by hand, have a unique selling point in the field of ocean-going cruises, and are consequently very successful in the niche, emphasizing the high quality standard of the River Cloud II in the market has become ever more challenging.”

“Sea Cloud Cruises has been a global leader in the cruise world since 1979. The 82-year-old four-masted bark Sea Cloud with its high quality standard serves as the model for all other passenger ships that are part of the operator´s fleet.