Wednesday, April 10, 2024

Star Clippers Review: Sailing the Caribbean on the Star Flyer

star clippers cruise

The marina also serves the passenger tendering operations in areas without port infrastructure and facilities (piers, quays, wharves, terminals). When the ship is anchored (at sea), passengers are disembarked via tender boats or Zodiacs (inflatable high-speed boats also used for landings). Each ship has 2-3 outdoor swimming pools (on Sun Deck) which are filled with seawater and open only if weather permits.

Cabin Bed

The Star Flyer and Star Clipperships have two teeny plunge pools (one at the stern and one mid-ship) withseveral blue sun loungers sprinkled around them. Paneled in dark wood, it’s a beautiful room, used mostly by guests who want a quiet place to read or play cards. Or you can seat yourself at one of the bar tables with stools scattered along the deck sides. At night, we loved feeling the power of the sea as it slapped againstthe hull outside our porthole and rocked us gently to sleep.

Star Clippers opens bookings for all cruises until March 2025 on their 3 tall sailing ships

If we had to mention the ship’s color palette, we’d say it’s navy blue, crimson, and yellowish gold. The colors reveal themselves in things like the carpet, the dining room upholstery, and the carpet and bedspreads in the cabins. Our Star Clippers review proves that there truly is a cruise for everyone. A small ship with Star Clippers can accommodate up to 170 guests, and its sails allow you to feel nature’s gentle push on the open water.

Related Cruises

Eight are deluxe deck cabins (suites) which have marble bathtubs and doors that open directly onto the outside deck. All Star Clippers’ cabins and suites feature TVs with DVD players, a closet for hanging clothes, a decent amount of drawers and storage space, and hair dryers in the private bathrooms. When they need to power up their engines, the ships use only high-quality, low-sulfur gas oil. When you choose a Star Clippers’ cruise, you’re making an environmentally friendly choice. There was a short daily port talk to discuss the port we’d be visiting the next day and answer any guests' questions. The excursions very much differ from port to port and itinerary to itinerary.

Dining on Star Clippers

There is a budget for every cruiser on Star Clippers, whether you have $2,000 to spend per person, $3,000, or $5,000, for example. Dress code is very casual, though some passengers tend more toward "casual elegance" in the evenings. "No flip-flops or sandals" in the dining room is another request that isn't strictly enforced.

Royal Clipper Deck Plans

These voyages grant travelers the opportunity to explore a diverse array of exotic ports across multiple Mediterranean countries, all while indulging in the authentic ambiance of a tall sailing ship. Star Clippers Ltd (starclippers.com) is a Sweden-based (Monaco-headquartered) company and "tall sailing ship cruise" travel brand with a fleet of three luxury motorized sailing yachts. All vessels are fitted with computer-controlled sails in addition to the diesel engines. It’s modeled after a classic Clipper ship (not one in particular, simply a Clipper ship in general, during the classic days of sailing). Though it can take a minute or two to get used to the vibe of this classic vessel, if you’re accustomed to sailing on modern cruise ships, you soon realize the beauty of her details.

star clippers cruise

On the brighter side, if you enjoy rubbing shoulders with folks from around the world (and maybe even practicing your high school French), the polyglot passenger list more than makes up for that slight annoyance. Guests tend to stick with people from their country, especially in the beginning, due to the common language and cultural similarities. (Or other outdoor areas; the smoking policy isn't strictly enforced on the ship's outer decks.) There's no smoking allowed in any indoor locations, though.

Also badlyhit by Hurricane Irma, Dominica is the lushest and greenest of the Caribbeanislands. Pinney’s Beach just happens to be one of the best beaches in Nevis (the bright yellow beach umbrellas of the Four Seasons Nevis are found here). Star Clipper, for example, sails Phuket, Malaysia and Singapore from November to the end of April. Everything from fresh fruit salad, lox and cream cheese, smoothies, pancakes, bacon, baked beans and sausages is on offer.

I Spent Seven Days on a Sailing Cruise Ship in the Caribbean - Cruise Hive

I Spent Seven Days on a Sailing Cruise Ship in the Caribbean.

Posted: Tue, 02 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Royal Clipper Itinerary

Star Clippers Royal Clipper Cruise: Expert Review (2023) - Cruise Critic

Star Clippers Royal Clipper Cruise: Expert Review ( .

Posted: Wed, 12 Jul 2023 17:07:34 GMT [source]

The brand's newest vessel (under charter) was planned to be Flying Clipper (now Golden Horizon). However, the 5-masted sailship (2019-built) was instead chartered to Tradewind Voyages UK. The sailing cruise ship experience gently reminded us of our American Eagle Schooner experience with Maine Windjammer Association. But most of the similarities stop at their sails and beautiful craftsmanship since their size, crew, and where they sail differ greatly.

Gratuities (onboard tipping) is not included in the fares (suggested EUR 8 pp per day). Above-deck lookout stations (mounted on each mast) are equipped with safety rails and comfortable lounge seats to allow passengers 360-degree observation. Access to these stations is via climbing the masts - with supplied safety vests and dedicated deck crew supervision and assistance. We signed up for excursions in some ports while we simply walked around on our own in others.

For this reason, we won’t get into the details of our excursions other than to say they were well orchestrated. Twice for embarkation and disembarkation in Puntarenas, another time in Golfito, and once more in Quepos. One such instance was when we were on our way back to the ship in a tender boat when a wave from the wake of another boat splashed over us. We either took off our shoes to go into the water barefoot or went in with our water shoes on. Massages are extremely affordable at €60 for a 60-minute massage.

In the Caribbean, for example, Star Clippers’ ships sail with the wind some 70% of the time. Then after a quick lunch back on the ship, we tendered to a narrow strip of sandy beach for some swim-and-snooze time. Our 7-night roundtrip cruise itinerary on the Star Flyer covered several of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean. Still, several onboard activities are offered, some of which you can only do on Star Clippers’ ships.

Check out our travel tips and resources guide for airline booking tips, ways to save money, how to find great hotels and other crazy useful trip planning info. Sailors in blue-and-white striped T-shirts and white pants handle ropes, use winches and flex a lot of muscles to unfurl the sails. So we simply enjoyed a swim, followed by chill time at one side of the cove, where boulders offered shade. Our ship anchored off Deshaies, a small fishing village and home to a few casual seafront restaurants, cafés and T-shirt shops. The most picturesque port we dropped anchor at was Terre-de-Haut, one of a cluster of tiny islands that make up Iles des Saintes. After boarding the Star Flyer in St. Maarten the previous afternoon, we were happy to have a low-key day in Nevis, the first port-of-call on our cruise.

No comments:

Post a Comment

The Best Masonry Contractors

Table Of Content 410.0502: Composite Mortar Repair, Small Area (1 s.f. ±) Design-Build and Masonry Construction 090.0101: Stucco Assembly – ...