When you're not exploring the New World by land, you'll be sailing the seas. As in Sea Dogs, there are a variety of naval vessels in Sea Dogs II, including sloops, schooners, frigates, and galleons, each with a different speed rating, cargo hold size, and firepower. Most of your time spent sailing will have you looking at the game's 2D world map, which shows you the location of nearby islands, incoming weather patterns, and other ships. When in combat, however, the game will switch to a third-person perspective of your ship in action, and here you'll be witness to crew members running across the decks, cannons billowing smoke, and grappling hooks being thrown across the bows of the ships engaged in battle. Unlike the original Sea Dogs, close combat between two ships no longer comes down to a simple duel between the captains. Instead, you'll actually be able to see all the crew members locked in physical combat with each other on the decks of both ships.​