Ship Review - Star Clipper

Cruising on Star Clipper with a preview of the Royal Clipper

In most of my recent ship reviews I have written a lot about the new hardware and other new ship features in the current game of cruise ship one-up-manship.   This review is more about the experience of sailing on a true sailing ship in the unspoiled Caribbean.

While there are several lines offering sailing ships, the Star Clipper is one of the few that relies on people, not computers, to raise, lower and modify her sails.  It truly is quite a sight to see sailors, and passengers if they wish, man handle the ships 21 sails.  Don’t ask the crew the question if we are motor sailing, like the other sailing ships, as these guys love to sail their ship. Another very enjoyable aspect of sailing on the Star Clipper is don’t expect 8 am arrivals and 6 pm departures.  On most mornings we sailed into our anchorage around 10 am so everyone could enjoy watching the show of sailing and it is the same in the afternoon when you might leave at 3 pm.  All said and done you will have ample day and night times to enjoy the oldest means of sea transportation, sailing.

On my recent cruise we had passengers from 16 different countries and most of them were very enthusiastic repeat passengers.  While full capacity is 170 guests we had around 150 passengers which seems to be the perfect size for a charter by the way.  By the second evening most passengers seem to know or at the least acknowledge one another and purely enjoy the relaxed experience of silently sailing the Caribbean Sea.

Water sports and activities are a very big part of a Star Clipper cruise.  The ship offers a dedicated tender service to a beach location daily that has been scouted out for snorkeling, diving (the ship carries its own dive master which is really rare), wind surfing and kayaking are supervised by a very energetic team of young people who are there to help you enjoy and learn how to have fun. 

Other than St Maarten, the port of embarkation and disembarkation, we only saw other cruise ships of any size in St. Barts.  Star Clipper is not going to take you to the Shopping Malls of the Caribbean but instead to islands that are off the beaten track and are a true taste of the Caribbean.  If names such as Nevis, Dominica, Iles de Saintes, Falmouth Antiqua, Deshaies and St Barts are new to you think how exotic they will seem to your participants.  These islands all offer a true Caribbean experience and great access to unspoiled beaches and snorkeling or diving.  And then there is of course” tres chic” St Barts, where the private yachts are bigger than many small cruise ships including this one.

I had to comment to the Captain how well maintained his ship was.  The Star Clipper is a very high maintenance ship with all of the exterior varnish, sails and cabins that have a lot of nautical wood work.  The ship truly looks as good as new.  While the cabins are a bit smallish compared to the big cruise ships, they are very user friendly.  More than likely you won’t be in them much to begin with.  As mentioned earlier I would recommend chartering this ship for a max of 150 guests due to some funky cabins, as it is a true sailing ship.

Dining onboard has greatly improved since my last trip thanks to the input of a good French restaurant owner.  Breakfasts are buffet style with an egg station and a good mix of European and American favorites.  Lunch is buffet style as well with a variety of beach bbqs, on deck dining and some themed surprises.  Dinners are a la carte and are quite good with a nice menu variety that compares favorably to any cruise ship of solid 4 star quality.

The two swimming pools provide plenty of space for people who just want to get some sun.  The Tropical Bar is really the focal point of the ship.  This outdoor covered bar area is the social hub of the ship and a real winner both day and night.  The indoor piano bar is a more intimate area to just get away and have a quiet drink and enjoy some really nice piano music.  The nightly entertainment is provided by one artist who is multi-talented but keeps the crowd moving.  One night a local band is brought on board after dinner for a dance set.  More than enough to keep you entertained after a busy day of sun, sand and sea.

I would highly recommend considering the Star Clipper or her sister ship the Star Flyer for any charter that has high energy and is tired of the same old Caribbean shopping spree.

Now for groups I would recommend the Royal Clipper which is a 220 passenger sailing ship as well.  She is over twice as big as her two smaller Clippers but with many of the same features but only carrying 50 more passengers.  However the difference in size and space is very noticeable and groups can work just fine on this ship.  She has 3 swimming pools, a very large Tropical Bar plus an Observation Lounge that can handle private parties.  Cabins are slightly larger as well with several suite options.