For staters, their food was fantastic! the service was never slow. we always had something to do such as: sitting on the widows net, mass climbing, going to an island, go to the bar, listen to live music, and go to the marina. the overall ship was fantastic. my kids loved it as well. dining was also fantastic. the menu was never the same one day, but if you didn't like what was on the menu you could also choose something off another menu that you could eat any day. The activities on the ship was endless. I think the safety was great. at the beginning of the cruise they had a lesson on what to do and when to do it. the emergency exits were marked clearly on the inside of your cabin door. when we wanted to go on an island we had to show our cards and climb down a ladder. it was so much fun. i highly recommend this cruise. I would for sure go on this cruise again. Read Less

Second cruise on the Royal Clipper (first was 5 years ago) and, if anything, better than the first. A truly magnicent jewel of the sea! Embarkation at Bridgetown , following an overnight stay at the Sugar Cane Club, was efficient and speedy. No sooner had we received our key cards and a drink at the tropical bar than our luggage was at our cabin and we could prepare for the voyage. Lifeboat drill, an excellent dinner and we were on the upper deck for the sailaway. Just as I remembered from the first cruise and actually even better - the light show and Vangelis' wonderful music were spectacular. Back at the cabin, Conrad our cabin steward had turned down the bed and left chocolates, a nightly ritual - brilliant. Sea was quite choppy the first night, more than I recalled from our first cruise, but we slept well. Breakfast and lunch are buffet service, excellent choice of dishes and a chef preparing eggs to order at breakfast, roasts and salmon at lunch. Dinner was served at the table by a marvellous team of servers and there was a really good selection of reasonably priced wines. Drink prices overall were very good, better than other cruise lines and hotels ashore. Service every day was impeccable, every crew member had a smile and a greeting, a credit to Star Clippers. Anita, the hotel manager, is a real star. Shore excursions - didn't do many as we like to be independent, but the scenic railway on St Kitts was a must. Fabulous scenery, free drinks and a small choir providing plenty of atmosphere on the train. The beach BBQ in Antigua was another high point. Dominica was a little unnerving, the Clipper was the first ship to anchor since the devastating hurricanes and there is much work to be done to restore the island to its former natural beauty. Entertainment and sports - again faultless. Steffi, the cruise director, certainly knows her job, always available for help and advice and made sure everyone had a great time. Entertainment was low key, a fashion show, talent night, music quiz. Alex provided the music and song, a real hard worker, as were all the crew. Guests and crew took part in the talent show and showed there is a lot of hidden talent out there. A steel band came on board in Antigua, the real sound of the Caribbean. A word about Captain Sergey, this man is a superb skipper and a true gentleman, his talks about his experiences at sea are not to be missed! All in all, a cruising experience to be highly recommended, we are booking for next year in the Meditteranean this week! Read Less

We spent three days in Barbados prior to boarding the Royal Clipper for our cruise around the Windward Islands. Our first ever cruise so we decided to do it in style. Some confusion initially on arrival at the port for embarking, a “man with a van” wanted to take our luggage to load onto his truck. We hadn’t been advised of this so there was some concern if it was legitimate as he wasn’t wearing any ID and no Star Clippers rep for about 10 minutes. But all was well in the end as they were taking the luggage to the boat so we didn’t need carry it on board. Bit of paperwork to complete before going over to the ship (could be sent to passengers in advance to complete?) but considering the number of passengers and the confined space in the terminal it went quite smoothly. First impression of the ship was WOW!! Shown to our cabin and had been anticipating cramped quarters but was pleasantly surprised and not as cramped as we thought considering the size of the ship. Enough storage in the cabin, bathroom adequate with plenty of toiletries provided and kept topped up throughout the cruise. The ship definitely has the WOW factor, mixing the old classic cruise liner decor with the requirements of modern living. Public areas were kept immaculately throughout the cruise and it was great to see ongoing daily maintenance which helps keep the ship looking fresh for her age rather than old and tired. When the ship is decked out in all her sails, she is a sight to behold - which on this cruise was over 50% of the time. On a balmy night departing Barbados at the start of the cruise, the sails being set as Vangelis' Conquest of Paradise is played was a truly magical start to the cruise. The quality of service by everyone throughout the cruise was fantastic. A special mention does have to go to the waiters and the cabin stewards for whom no request was too much trouble. Cabin was always immaculate and always a cheerful welcome whenever we bumped into him. Waiters were attentive without being intrusive and always very friendly. Considering you are at sea and a captive audience was pleasantly surprised to find the bar prices were not extortionate. We went on a shore extension at each stop one was offered including reef riding in Antigua and river tubing in Dominica which were the two standout excursions of our trip. The organisation of the excursions was fine. Considering the devastation to Dominica caused by last years hurricane, which was evident everywhere you looked, the fact that the local supplier of the river tubing (Wacky Rollers) was able to organise such a fun excursion was nothing short of miraculous. If your entertainment requirements require big production numbers, then this isn’t the boat for you. The steel band that came on to perform for an hour in Antigua were however fantastic. With the sea and sails and the Caribbean as your backdrop, what other entertainment do you really need. The pleasure of climbing the rigging up to the first viewing platform was a great experience and one everyone should try. The facilities available for water sports at the beach stops and off the marine platform at the back of the boat were good. We had read some reviews with negative comments before we went and consequently had some reservations, which in our experience were completely unfounded. In summary a magical, memorable, marvellous cruise onboard a beautiful, graceful queen of the sea. Read Less

Recommended by family contact who works in the travel industry . We hate the idea of those monster cruise ships and the Royal Clipper with around 200 passengers was the biggest we had ever been on . It suited us very well although we are not fanatical sea and sand people and there were plenty of beach stops . We had no difficulty finding compatible fellow passengers , mostly Americans who don't like Trump ! The ship is something unique ; for the less ambulant there are a lot of stairs which can cause problems when there is a lot of 'rock and roll ' .The ship has a pleasant lounge , a library , a so -called tropical bar which is the main gathering place , a spa and gym , massages and Turkish bath on offer , and a capacious dining room ,( a bit cramped ; some tables were difficult to access . The food was excellent ; quality rather than quantity was the name of the game and the head chef , from the Philippines , did us proud . The quality was excellent , sourced in USA apparently , Three meals a day were supplemented by snacks at 5 pm and just before midnight . Coffee , tea and fruit were available all day ; wine was not part of the deal but was reasonably priced .Entertainment was a bit homespun ; the talent evening was mostly provided by the crew , plenty of water sport on offer for those who wanted it . The ship has 3 young people on board whose job it is to provide this . You can even climb the rigging up to the crows nest if you fancy it , and learn how to tie nautical knots , visit the bridge and the engine room if you like . The crew are lovely , officers and other ranks alike . Maybe it all starts with the charming captain , a Russian from Estonia , who learnt his skill with tall ships in the Soviet navy . Service is excellent and always with a smile . Our ship could access smaller ports than the monster liners and the few excursions we did were all very enjoyable , in particular the train trip round St Kitts . A voyage to remember ! Read Less

We heard from other people how nice it was and we dislike the idea of cruises with thousands on one ship. We wanted something more intimate and that is what we got. Most things were great. The only thing we need to mention is that our shower was never hot. Just lukewarm. We slept well every night and woke refreshed. The meals were great. So much variety. The crew was always helpful and courteous. We went up the mast and on the hammock. That was so much fun! The excursions were very interesting and informative. We got a true picture of life on all the islands we went to because we asked the local people so many questions. The weather was interesting as well. Rain almost every day, but it did not last for very long. Beautiful weather, beautiful scenery and we met some interesting people on the cruise. Thank you Scolopamine!!!! We highly recommend this cruise. Read Less

We chose this cruise because we were kind of "burnt out" on the big ship cruises. The idea of sailing - really sailing - as well as a smaller group of passengers (175) was really appealing to us. The food was fantastic. The crew members were attentive without being smothering and the service was impeccable. I was amazed that the crew knew us by face/name by the second day. We were not constantly hounded to purchase something which was our experience on the big ships. There was definitely more of a family feel to this trip. There are no elevators so this is not a ship for those with mobility issues. The public rooms are beautifully appointed and comfortable. It was so easy to lose track of time and really disconnect from the world. WiFi onboard is a bit spotty but that was OK with us. When we were in port, there was generally free WiFi available to send quick updates to families and friends. The evening meal is an opportunity to get together with new friends and also to be placed at a table with people you haven't met yet. There were several "singles" taking the cruise and because this is such a small group of passengers, they didn't seem to feel left out or lonely at all. Just about all of the tables are 6-8 seats so this makes for nice mixing of new people. If you need a casino or lots of shopping on board, this is not the cruise for you. The last day almost felt like the last day of a really fun summer camp, everyone exchanging emails with new friends, many people taking the same cruises each year and meeting up. This was without a doubt the most fun I've ever had on a vacation. We will be back! Read Less

We stayed for a week in Barbados before boarding, which we found to be better rather than rushing straight onto the boat. We stayed post cruise also. We arrived at the cruise port about an hour before 4.00pm (boarding time) and found the line for checking in. We were given a temporary card and then could board from 4.00pm. When we boarded we had to queue to get our proper cards and do the financials etc. Our bags came within an hour. Before we sailed we had to go the safety briefing with our life jackets. This was repeated the next day in the morning (without life jackets). The boat is very interesting - great if you love sailing. If you get sea sick then it won't be for you! it moves all the time so everyone is staggering around constantly but that's part of the charm. You also move in bed a lot! when going up and down decks the stairways are narrow with sprung doors at the end - it's quite amusing watching people being eaten by the doors (especially when they've had a drink or two...). It's not a luxury cruise - it is a replica of a sailing ship and is just that with some nice touches. Cabins aren't big like you get on a normal cruise ship but adequate for 2. We were able to stow our bags under the bed and were able to put all our clothes away. The bathroom had a good shower, with toiletries but no hair conditioner (not sure why!) It was kept immaculate by our steward Sonny. Dining is communal so you always sit on a table with other people. We met some interesting people. Breakfast and lunch are buffet style. There are sandwiches and snacks (sort of afternoon tea) at 5.00pm daily. Dinner starts at 7.30pm. There was a good menu choice about 6 courses (if you wanted). there are standard choices of a pasta dish or steak if you don't want any of the daily main courses. There are no 'formal' nights as its not that type of cruise. you could wear anything except shorts in the evening. Entertainment is a bit ad hoc, but fun. We had a crew and passenger talent show, passenger fashion show (modelling clothes from the shop), a music quiz night. Otherwise there was someone playing and singing on the piano or playing music to dance to. We didn't use the gym (neither did anyone else when we went down there). Didn't use the spa either. shore excursions are a bit expensive -we just sorted ourselves out when we got ashore. You can get snorkelling equipment on the second day which you keep for the duration of the cruise. They have the marina platform with paddle boards, kayaks etc and these were taken ashore a couple of times when we had 'beach days'. Drinks are fairly cheap (in comparison to normal cruise liners) and you don't get a 'service' charge added on. A cocktail was about 5 euros, beer about 4. The staff on the ship are the best - they are a small team so you get to know them and they you. It's all very informal and they seem to enjoy working on the boat. There are plenty of sun loungers for everyone (they were never full anyway) as you don't have any 'sea days'. You stop somewhere every day (sometimes 2 places a day - which can be a bit of a rush). Our best day was in Tobago Cays as this was our beach bbq. They took everything off the ship and took it to the beach (bar as well!). Getting on and off the ship was nearly all by tender bar one place. Fellow guests tended to be on the more mature side but there were some younger people but no kids. Passengers were mainly from the UK, USA and Germany. My one gripe was that the tv channels were all in French (don' t know why as there were hardly any French people on the ship!). I like to have the tv on when getting ready etc, so it got a bit annoying after a while. But hey - if that's my only gripe then it's not too bad! they raise the sails every time you depart somewhere so they are up and down all the time and they play the Vangelis music so it's quite stirring! They have you helping with the ropes on the odd occasion. You can go up the mast - they did that about 4 times (weather permitting of course). we didn't go in the plunge pools - the water seemed very cold when I stuck my hand in and I didn't really see anyone in them. The sea was warmer! In comparison, we have sailed on the Wind Surf which is more luxurious as it's modern, however it is like comparing apples and oranges.... You are going on a sailing ship not a luxury yacht so you are going for the experience. If you are happy staggering around like you are drunk for a week (which is quite funny as everyone does it) then it's the cruise for you! Would we go again - of course! Am off to book it now..... Read Less

My second Clipper cruise...first was Star Clipper and that was so unique and amazing that I wanted to spend Christmas on the Royal Clipper out of Barbados and tour the Grenadine islands. As I was alone I booked a smaller stateroom and while they do sell it for two I found it perfect for one ... well designed with wood paneling, great bed, lots of mirrors and quite a large bathroom...all marble. I was very forward so I did hear the anchor but I didn't care much. There is a lot of stairs going up and then down a bit and up some more but you get used to it. The grand dinning room, at the lowest deck was a touch of Paris with an Atrium up to the top deck and the sky light is actually the bottom of the pool. A white grand piano sits like Juliet on a special balcony so it can be heard at all levels and he had another on deck for the after noon buffet. There is a piano bar, a shop, a library, top deck bar and plenty of sun beds....no need to HOG and reserve them. The tenders to shore are great and the back of the Royal drops down to the ocean like a draw bridge and you can swim off it and they have lots of fun water toys. They feed you four times a day and I mean really feed you. Great buffet breakfast with Egg station...Buffet Lunch...both in main dinning room and then the on deck Buffet they set up everyday on deck at 5 p.m. The bars are great on deck and inside the Piano Bar. The Christmas decor was wonderful with trees and garlands...music and ginger bread houses and Yule logs....l ate so much I felt like ballast. There are a lot of shore excursions to choose from but I felt those on excursions were always at the foreground...we would stop at, not very nice ports so they could board a bus while we had nothing to see in port....I didn't like the split days...a stop in the morning and then move to someplace else in the after noon. Too rushed....some stops you could do without (except to board a bus) others Like Martinique we had too little time and had to rush to see anything. One fabulous beach day they dragged everything from the ship and had a huge BBQ on shore while we swam and sunned...all delicious...they even bring the desert. Each time we leave port and they start raising the sail they play the most magnificent music...classical with a Male choir ... WOW...it is so moving and makes you feel like a Viking off to war...I wanted to throw a spear at somebody. The mail pool of three where bar patrons can see you through under water windows was very nice. We could even climb the mast for the most amazing photo Op. Then there are nets at the front figure head you can just lay there like a fish in a net with the water rushing below. Now for the best feature....THE CREW...I have never seen such a hard working group and always pleasant, smiling and helpful, and remember everything has to be lugged up and down countless flights of stairs...from the kitchen which is somewhere underwater and all the way to the top deck...up and down...My room attendant was fabulous and I felt very pampered...everything perfect always. As the tips are based on Per Person they get a bit cheated when there was so many solo travelers it literally cuts they tips in half...so as I was alone I doubled my tip (not much ) and ensured he would earn the same as if it were two. The sing songs, the talent show, the Christmas Carols, the Steel Band who came aboard for a couple of hours...the Campaign party...the Lobster, the Turkey, and all the specialties to eat...you can't go wrong and as I said....This is NOT Disney Land at sea. This is a fabulous, luxurious, unique cruise under sail and you need this in your memory for every. Thanks to all on the Royal. Read Less

Star Clippers has many repeat customers including ourselves. That said, there are still many things that they could easily fix that would much improve the passenger experience. Boarding was a chaotic event. We arrived about an hour before boarding time (4 PM), and saw empty tables in the terminal and people waiting on the few seats. There was a pile of luggage blocking about half of the tables with two chairs behind them. My husband decided to sit in one of the seats behind the tables and I chose to stand, because I correctly anticipated a chaotic boarding process. At 4 PM, they began the boarding by issuing a temporary card to the ship. Then we went on the ship and got a permanent card and gave a credit card. For us it was a smooth process, because we were second in line, but for others, it meant standing in line a long time. Another example of organizational deficiency (and lack of organizational memory) was getting the snorkeling equipment the next morning. Snorkeling gear was to be given out from 11 AM to noon. I paused to ask the tour director a question and got in the queue right at 11 AM. It snaked around the room at the stern of the ship and down a stair and out of sight. Much of the time, I was standing in the sun. By noon, I was in the stairwell in the queue and saw one of the sports team that was distributing the equipment leave. When I finally made it to the desk, I realized that the Swedish woman at the counter didn't understand the conversions between US, English and metric shoe sizes. I was given fins that were meant to be used with booties and asked for others. They were out of mediums and fortunately, I got the last size small that was the correct size and type for me. The woman two place in line behind me said that they shut down operations right after her and told the remaining people to come back the next day!!! In all, I stood in line to get the fins for an hour and 20 minutes. The excuse was that the sports team had just joined the boat, but obviously Star Clippers doesn't provide the team with adequate information to do their job. That said, the sports team did a good job of offering kayaks and standup paddleboards on the beach. When I was getting set to try paddleboarding for the first time, the Swedish woman alerted me to the fact that I still had my waist pouch on (which contained my cell phone). The process for returning the snorkeling equipment was also flawed. The time listed in the program to do so was in the middle of our time on an excursion. When my husband returned the fins for me the prior day, he gave them to the tour director, who didn't give us a receipt, even though I had been required to sign for the fins and told that there would be an 80 Euro charge if they were not returned. A sane way to handle the snorkeling equipment would have been to ask people prior to sailing what equipment they wanted and have it waiting in their cabin. Then only those who needed to exchange the equipment would have had to go to the sports team pickup counter. The tour director was hard to find outside of announced meetings (to which she was often quite late). The process for signing up for the excursions was also last century and uncomputerized. On prior Star Clippers Cruises, I think the tour director posted a list of excursion participants the night prior after the sign-up sheets had been collected. In this case, no lists were posted and we were told that we had to make note of which excursion we picked and the time (which often changed). Again, there should have been an option to prebook excursions. The tour director's talks on the port stops were erratic. I didn't discern a pattern as to when a port talk was provided and when one wasn't. However, since she was so hard to find, I found it ironic that she kept the English-language passengers waiting for 15 to 20 minutes, because she was elsewhere answering some passenger's question, when she was scheduled to be giving the disembarkation talk. The daily program often had unused space that could have been employed to provide useful information. Also, many of us were unaware that the Captain's dinner was that night, because it was listed on the front page with a dark picture of the ship on top of it making it very difficult to see the word "Captain's". The last night when we were eager to pack and get to sleep, we were kept waiting 70 minutes after we were seated at dinner before we were served our first course. In hindsight, they were trying to keep everyone there and in their seats until the hotel captain gave his infomercial. With no alternative place to eat, we were unhappy hungry and tired captives. In general, the table service at dinner was erratic with long waits to order wine and/or to get the remains of a bottle of wine. In some cases, we were eating our second course before we got the wine. Even though the excursions were booked right up to the evening before, the tour descriptions had significant errors and omissions. On one tour, we should have been warned that besides the main guide and driver, there were guides at several stops, who were working solely for tips. On another tour, one of the prime attractions was going to the sulfur springs and taking a mud bath. We were given 25 minutes, which with the queue to get to the mud was much too short. Then we were driven for 20 minutes each way to a crafts village that the entire tour group refused to visit. It we have been given an hour at the sulfur springs, the group would have been much happier. Internet access for 1 hour was offered for 6 euros and 4 hours for 18 euros. If you went on and off the internet much of the time was taken up by getting in and out. Also, except at odd hours (early morning, late night, meal times), the internet speed was painfully slow. I'm accustomed to ships offering a news summary daily. Star Clippers offered news summaries in English, German and French, but the English version was so European-centric that no news was reported on the attempted bombing of the NY Port Authority and only one mention was made of the huge wildfires in California. At least one day, the news files were not updated. On many ships, English news is provided both for the US and for the UK. Between meals there was a nice selection of teas and brewed coffee, but no decaffinated coffee. Except for two mornings, when I was told they were out of decaf coffee, I was able to get it at breakfast. Bathroom toiletries included shower caps, and narrow vials of shampoo, bath gel, and hand lotion and small round bars of soap. The vials tended to fall out of the soap dish in the shower and had to be shaken hard to get the contents. Large refillable containers on the wall would have been preferable and more ecological. Also, with numerous beach stops, I really, really wanted hair conditioner. None was available at the ship store, so two of the staff volunteered to let me have some of theirs. The star clippers people who decide on the toiletries for a tropical cruise with numerous beach stops, must be bald! This was our 4th time to use Star Clippers and our 5th week on one of their cruises. It always takes a while for the memories of the deficiencies to fade before we are enticed to try them again. This crusie was much better than two of the others that we took. Notably, when we were in the Mediterranean, I picked a cruise, because I wanted to see Stromboli. I had to skip the Captains dinner (and dinner itself), because the sail-by was scheduled during that dinner. Read Less

You travel on these ships for the romance of sailing child-free, and the barque Royal Clipper is indeed a beautiful ship. You don't choose these cruises if you are someone who needs constant professional entertainment or you want to be chatting continuously on 'anti-social' media. In 2001 we sailed the Greek Islands on the same cruise line's barquentine Star Flyer and had a wonderful trip. We wanted to try to recapture that experience on the Clipper, a larger fully square-rigged tall ship. Unfortunately that didn't quite happen. At the beginning we were caught for two days in a violent Mediterranean storm (force 10) and some people were injured. Broken glass and crockery everywhere. This took the edge off the cruise for some fair weather sailors like us. The crew did their best but passengers should have been told to remain in their cabins until it passed. They weren't, hence some injuries, a couple of them quite nasty. There was a skilled professional nurse on board but no doctor. The rest of the 12 day cruise was uneventful weather-wise. However, except for the last night the ship had to motor to maintain schedule. There was precious little sailing. Some officers seemed to take passenger comments offered in a spirit of co-operation as criticism. There was an edge of defensiveness. This was explained by repeat travellers who suggested the owners are very tough on staff about passenger complaints. If so that would certainly affect crew morale. The stewards, waiters and staff with whom we had regular contact were all very kind and attentive. The food, which is all important, was the key disappointment on the Clipper. I was reminded of an upmarket version of the plant canteen buffet lunches experienced during my career. Breakfast and lunch were the best meals. The exception was the Captain's Dinner. The main courses offered that night were lobster and a fillet steak. Those at our table ate the lobster as a starter and the steak as our main. A steak on any other night was of the 'minute' variety. (Pronounce that as you will.) Another passenger, a chef who owned restaurants in Europe, gave his spin on this circumstance. He said the food problem was not the skill of those in the galley but that they had an insufficient budget to prepare anything really first class other than on the night of the Captain's Dinner. That made sense, but if it is so it represents a dramatic change of policy from the experience we had enjoyed previously on the Star Flyer, where every meal was a culinary delight. It seems the management is cutting corners on a key item. For the money we expected Captain's Dinner quality every night. We thought the house wines were low-end, and costly for their quality. Let's face it, eating and drinking are still mankinds' second greatest pleasures. That said, the highlight of the on-board cruise for us was definitely the many nice people we met and the kindness of the staff with whom we had direct contact. We were satisfied with the excursions we took. They fulfilled our expectations. There was no opportunity on this cruise for water sports, a function of the weather and the itinerary. Read Less