We dropped bags at the truck, walked across the expanse of concrete at the Bridgetown dock in the sun after a visit to the Mount Gay Rum Factory, gave our names at the bottom, and up the small gangway we went. The check-in process (at 4 pm) was painless, as everything is done online nowadays. In fact, the day we boarded the ship my boyfriend and I did a couple of turns to the music! The excitement of finally meeting the Royal Clipper with a glass of rum punch in my hand after more than a year of planning was beyond! Oh, do leave your high-heels at home as they can damage the teak decking. The public area where we gathered all day is called Tropical Bar, an beautiful open air space that has a nice size dance floor if you were so inclined. We were entertained primarily by a young couple, Joanna and Jerry, who sang beautifully (and especially talented hip-hop dancers in the talent contest!). Guests were all ages, although our particular cruise tended to attract a mature crowd. ![]() At dinner, men are asked to wear long pants and no flip flops, and they ask you not wear your bathing suit only on the inside corridors, but otherwise we were comfy all week in T-shirts and shorts. The day to day life is easy, and the dress code very relaxed. ’92 brought the sister ship Star Clipper, and in 2000, the five-masted Royal Clipper, holding up to 247 passengers, was born.īut you can read all about the stats yourselves…I want to share more of the emotions of boarding and sailing for a week with a diverse staff and visiting intimate and unique ports of call. Mikael Krafft became enthralled with these ships as a young lad, and his vision of creating passenger versions became a reality in 1991 with the Star Flyer (150 guests), launched in 1991 in Belgium. The last voyages with cargo on the square riggers of old ending in the 1940s. This is a lovely vessel, crafted in the image of the clipper ships of the early 1900s. I hope this review will help you in deciding if this kind of cruise experience is for you, or if you might be better suited for the big ship experience. I am a frequent cruiser, having boarded and fallen in love with no less than 30 ships now. It didn’t hurt that we left just before a massive snow event in Cincinnati, the home town of most. ![]() My group of 19 were not seasoned sailors, for the most part, but each and every one of us enjoyed the week in the Grenadine Islands immensely. I heard many of the sailing enthusiasts on board remark how pleased they were that, despite her size, she truly rocked like a sailing vessel should. Romantic? To be sure! Exciting? The dramatic unfurling was done on my cruise for the first time at night in Bridgetown, Barbados to beautiful music and it took my breath away! And if you sailors are wondering if she feels like a sailboat…the answer is yes. Star Clippers largest vessel, the Royal Clipper, has 42 sails and in the Caribbean she rarely has to use her engines.
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