Star Clippers

Star Clipper

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Operator: Star Clippers
Year Built / Last Refurbished: 1992
Length / Tonnage: 360 / 3,025
Number of Cabins / Passengers: 89 / 180
Officers / Crew: International / International
Operating Area: Aegean Sea, Middle East, Southeast Asia

The history of this very new line is simple....the owners wanted to recreate, in a modern hull, the romance and thrill of traveling on a nineteenth century clipper ship. Of course, those speed demons of the sea were constructed for the carriage of cargo...while these sleek white sailing vessels carry cargo only of the human variety. The STAR FLYER and STAR CLIPPER were constructed in Belgium in 1991 and 1992....and to my knowledge, they are the only deep sea ocean going passenger ships registered in Luxembourg....which suggests that the line received a very good tax break from the Grand Duchy.

A Star Clipper is a significant step up from the Windjammer ships....and it's more a true sailing experience than you'll find on Windstar. They are beauties to look at, with their billowing sails, long bow sprit and sharply raked sterns. They are thoroughly fitted for passenger comfort....and while passenger comfort is the key, Star Clipper asks that you not go overboard by dressing down. They would prefer you keep your sunning togs restricted to decks and your cabin... while eating dinner, for example, shorts and bare feet are no nos. At the other end of the dress code scale, jackets are not required for any on board activity. The atmosphere is otherwise breezy, light and fun....and you'll find active youthful types on Star Clipper ships....people who are happy to eschew neon lights, casinos and Las Vegas entertainment, in favor of a sailing adventure with all the comforts of the good life. A ticket on the Star Clipper comes at a price.....a seven day cruise, not including transportation to and from the departure port, will cost about $5000.00 per couple for a top of the line cabin....and yes, you could get a suite on a regular cruise ship for a lot less....but those ships are altogether a different kettle of fish.... the only way you might feel you are on a sailing ship would be if you stripped your bed and hung the sheet off the balcony....and only then, with a lot of imagination and squinting, might you think you are on a tall ship.

The lounge, piano bar and library on the STAR CLIPPER are beautifully furnished and appointed. They resemble a private club, and with the use of highly polished wood veneers, they are warm inviting rooms to socialize after a difficult dive, a tour about the town, or a roasting session on the beach. Speaking of roasting sessions....the outdoor decks are brilliantly arranged, and there's plenty of room for everyone. There's a small promenade on Main Deck that opens out to a large well area....complete with a bar. One deck above are two pools.....more than enough splash area for only 170 people.

The dining room on the STAR CLIPPER is as lovely as the lounges....charmingly appointed, airy, comfortable....it's a room that invites enjoyment of the food and the company. People who insist on a table for two may be disappointed....the tables are large, seating six or more at a time. Meals are taken in an open sitting, meaning you may dine when (usually 7:30 to 9:30 at dinner) and with whomever you choose. Breakfast and lunch are usually buffet style....and if you desire little more than a sweet roll and coffee to begin the day, continental breakfast is served at the Piano Bar. With all on board comestibles, there is an emphasis on freshness, and you may taste some innovative recipes created to remind you of various parts of the world.

You'll find that when it's time to retire to your cabin, you won't be dreading the notion that you are living in a cubbyhole....because you aren't. Even the lowest priced category fives and sixes are large enough to move about....only in standard cabins with double beds might you feel that space is at a minimum. Nonetheless, all cabins have sufficient storage space, bathrooms accented with marble, televisions and phones. Most of the superior outside cabins have two lower beds and a porthole. They are conveniently located near the dining room, and are but a deck away from the lounges and the outdoor decks. Deluxe category ones are up on Main and Sun Decks....you enter these rooms from outside decks....but except for their desirable location, they aren't appreciably larger than cabins in other categories.

The young and young at heart....who have healthy vacation funds....flock to the STAR CLIPPER when they are interested in a sailing ship trip without sacrificing comfortable surroundings. Mature children....those who can make their own fun without intruding on the routines of other passengers....are welcome. There is no dedicated children's program on board, however. The Star Clippers attract many repeaters....who will sail on nothing else...you'll find these people flocking to the ships' long ocean crossings.

The STAR CLIPPER spends her summers in ports along or near the Riviera....twelve night programs, including two nights in Paris and two nights in Nice, have a seven night cruise round trip from Cannes....the ports include Calvi, Bonifacio, Costa Smeralda, Portoferraio, Portofino and St. Tropez. And if that itinerary isn't appealing to you, here's another...also from Cannes....to Ile Rousse or St. Florent, Ajaccio, Porto Rotondo or Porto Cervo, Giglio, Portovenere and Monte Carlo. Her migration west to the Caribbean will begin from Cannes on October 3rd, ending in Antigua twenty eight nights later. This cruise has shorter segments available....Cannes to Malaga, via Menorca, Palma and Ibiza.....Malaga nonstop to Las Palmas....or Las Palmas nonstop to Antigua. Her seven day Caribbean trips vary a bit depending on weather and date of departure. A typical cruise will leave Antigua for St. Barts, Tortola and Sandy Cay, Norman Island, Virgin Gorda, St. Maarten and St. Kitts.

If you've got the bucks, and want a trip on a sailing ship, go for it! Rates for a seven day Caribbean cruise without airfare, not including any advance purchase discounts or schemes, will set you back roughly between $1,500 and $2,500 per person, depending on the cabin selected. What do you get for all that? A pleasant seagoing environment, pleasant passengers, the chance to really enjoy all manners of water sports, the convenience of getting into ports that many cruise ships skip, and a week or more of pampering by a hardworking friendly crew. It's a product that honestly isn't for everyone.....loners, those who want thousands of tons of vessel to explore, and those who live for slot machines, loud music, balconied cabins, and a daily program with activities from A to Z....might feel misplaced on STAR CLIPPER. But for what Star Clipper has set out to do....provide a high quality trip for those who appreciate the magic of sail....they have succeeded.