We decided on this cruise because of several factors - mainly for the islands they would be visiting and the Panama Canal passage. And, we like Star Clippers cruises, as you always meet other great people who love to cruise and have a great time. This was an opportunity to be on the ship for two full weeks, as the one week cruises go way too fast.

Our cabin was fine, typical of most of the cabins, although being near the back of the ship we had the constant noise of the engines - something you do get used to. Meals were fine, but as always, breakfast seems to be the weakest meal with the buffet, although the omelets are cooked to order and good. The dinners to us are special times, to enjoy an hour or so of conversation and good food and wine, and make lifelong friends. We often met in the piano lounge and enjoyed a glass of wine and the music before dinner, and this became a popular spot for many. Casual, but no jeans or shorts for dinner, which seemed to suit everyone. And, limited after dinner activities, but they were usually fun and seemed to please everyone.

Hurricane Tomas tried to put a damper on things, but we were only slightly impacted by the large swells in the ocean. The crew and cruise director were great as always, and good to see familiar faces from past cruises. Only limited water sports activities, as the majority of this crew had not visited any of the islands in the itenerary, and was not aware of good snorkeling or diving locations for the snorkelers/divers. And, limited excursions also, but there was always plenty to do where we docked (with the exception of Aruba that was mainly closed since it was on a Sunday). Read more