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Itineraries and Ports of Call: Caribbean - Southern
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Royal Clipper Review
Royal Clipper, the largest square-rigged sailing ship in the world, joined Star Clippers' three-ship fleet of sailing vessels in 2000. Mikael Krafft modeled the striking five-masted clipper ship after the Preussen, which in its day (1902) was the largest, fastest, fully rigged sailing ship on the seas. Royal Clipper's blue and white checkerboard hull mirrors the pattern of this classic merchant sailing ship, with its faux gun ports painted to frighten away pirates.
It doesn't take much imagination to feel like a pirate onboard Royal Clipper, the ultimate sailing experience in today's cruise market. From our first sail away, it was obvious that our Captain loved to show off the ship's sail power. Watching 42 sails unfurl one by one is an impressive sight. The sounds of squeaking lines, hundreds of yards of Dacron flapping in the wind, and symphonic background music are the stuff of daydreams. I totally agree with Captain Enge that feeling the wind propelling this large a vessel is truly an awesome experience. It was just as exciting on the last day as it was on the first.
The chance to sail (not motor) from port to port is what a cruise on this unique vessel is all about. If there's a downside, it's that you may not get to see your own ship under sail. The Captain tries to schedule a photo op via tender. Unfortunately ours was cancelled due to heavy swells.
Ultimately, Royal Clipper offers an experience that's a bit of a blend of Windjammers' sailing ambiance and Windstar's more upscale onboard atmosphere. Add to that a European feel -- the ship attracts an international passenger base and, indeed, not only issues announcements in three languages (English, German, French) but also uses the Euro as its standard currency.
 Read Complete Royal Clipper Review
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Star Clippers Ships: Royal Clipper • Star Clipper • Star Flyer
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