Star Clippers Cruise Review

I was invited on this cruise as a guest of the cruise line. The cruise line has no influence over the content of this review. This post may contain affiliate links. If you click one, I may earn a commission at no cost to you.

Star Clippers has a fleet of three tall sailing ships. These offer the traditions of an old-fashioned clipper, with all the modern comfort and luxuries of a cruise.

I could see that the ships looked completely different to any other ship I had ever experienced. So I was keen to see what a Star Clippers cruise was actually like.

First Impressions

I sailed on Royal Clipper. She’s the flagship of the Star Clippers fleet and the largest square-rigged sailing ship in the world.

The cruise departed from Civitavecchia, Italy. Check-in started at 4 pm, which meant that I was able to fly from the UK on the morning of the cruise, drop off my bag at the ship and then spend the afternoon exploring the city.

Here’s my first glimpse of the ship…

With just 227 guests on board, embarkation was very quick. I noticed that the gangplank was much steeper and narrower than on a large cruise ship, but that wasn’t the only difference…

Stepping on board, guests were welcomed by the captain and senior officers. We were immediately handed cold towels and cocktails – incredibly refreshing given the heat of the Italian summer!

Check-in was finalised in the Piano Bar and then each guest was personally escorted to their cabin by one of the crew members.

I loved the crew members’ uniforms. Some of them had navy and white stripey t-shirts and some had traditional white tunics. Both were very cool (and I later bought myself one of the t-shirts in the onboard shop!)

Accommodation

Most of the cabins on Royal Clipper are outside cabins with portholes (on Decks 1 and 2), and there are also a handful of luxury suites with balconies on Deck 3.

My outside cabin was very spacious and I loved the traditional look with the dark wood and wood-panelled walls. Stepping inside the cabin felt like stepping back to a different era.

The room had more storage than possibly any other cruise ship cabin I’ve stayed in, so you really don’t need to worry about packing light.

It didn’t affect me as a solo traveller, but another passenger commented about how the bed being against the wall meant that one person had to climb over the other, should they want to use the bathroom in the night. If that’s an issue for you, you can request your beds be set up as twins rather than a double.

In the bathroom, the bath mat was arranged in the shape of a boat. There was a lovely basket of toiletries that was refilled twice per day by my cabin steward.

My cabin was located by the stairwell which meant that I did hear people chatting on their way to and from their cabin in the morning and evening. If you’re a light sleeper, I would suggest booking a room towards the front or the back.

Dining

Being a small ship, Royal Clipper has just one restaurant, but it does have enough seats for every guest to be seated at the same time.

Being vegan, I was a little concerned about what food would be available to me. But I needn’t have worried. I submitted my dietary requirements ahead of time and was catered for very well, with lots of dishes made just for me. All of the food was fresh, healthy and delicious.

Breakfast

Breakfast is served buffet style. There’s a good selection of hot and cold items which varies each day, as well as an omelette station.

There were people of various nationalities on board our cruise and the breakfast offerings reflected that with crispy bacon and pancakes (for the Americans) sliced meats, cheese and salad (for the Germans) as well as lots of different cereals, bread and fruit.

If you prefer to eat earlier or later than the two-hour opening, there are also pastries available in the Piano Bar.

Lunch

Lunch is also served buffet style and each day has a theme such as seafood, Italian or Asian. I was always greeted by a waiter who would show me which items were suitable for my dietary needs.

There was a live cooking station offering made-to-order specialities like noodles, pasta or soup with your choice of ingredients. On Italian day, the pasta choices were bolognese or carbonara, but the chef offered to make me pasta with tomato sauce which was much appreciated and tasted incredible.

Afternoon Snack

Afternoon snacks were served between 5 pm and 6 pm in the Tropical Bar and this was my favourite time of day! Each day there was a different selection of sandwiches, fresh fruit, cookies, cake and a special like tacos or spring rolls.

Dinner

Dinner was served at 7.30 pm, but there was no requirement to arrive on time. You can sit with whoever you like, or opt to be seated with people. Most tables are for 6 or 8, with just two tables for two.

The menu had a good selection of options and the food was always incredible. Being vegan, I didn’t get a menu, but instead, each course was a ‘chef’s surprise’, which was just fine by me.

Oftentimes, vegan food on cruises is distinctly lacking in protein, but this wasn’t the case on Royal Clipper. Each meal included some sort of beans, legumes, tofu or nuts.

The other guests all commented on how delicious the food was. We noticed that the ladies were always served before the men, which is a little old-fashioned in my opinion, but that’s all part of the ethos of Star Clippers.

Dress Code

Star Clippers has a relaxed informal atmosphere and there are no strict dress codes. You can wear whatever you want for breakfast and lunch and a swimsuit with a cover-up is just fine as long as you’re dry.

In the evenings, men are requested to wear long trousers. There’s no need to wear a tie or jacket and there are no formal evenings.

There is usually one ‘White Night’ on each cruise. Most guests dressed in white for this, but you certainly don’t need to.

Suggested read: Everything I Wore On My Star Clippers Cruise (Dress Code Guide)

Drinks

I was absolutely astounded by the prices of the drinks on Star Clippers – in a good way! A glass of wine cost just €3.50, while a fancy cocktail was only €7, inclusive of any service charge.

The drinks were fantastic and everyone was amazed at how they were less than half the price they expected. You can’t get a drinks package, but you can expect to enjoy plenty of drinks without having a large bill to pay.

There’s also a water refill station so I would advise packing a reusable water bottle that you can fill up to take ashore with you to save buying plastic bottles of water.

Onboard Activities

There’s always lots to do on a Star Clippers cruise, but not so much that you feel exhausted – there’s time to relax as well.

My favourite feature on Royal Clipper is the watersports platform at the back of the ship. The aft opens up and the platform extends out at sea level so you can easily access the water for swimming and watersports right from the ship.

There’s water skiing, wakeboarding, windsurfing, kayaks, snorkels and paddleboards. Less-adventurous types like me can just relax on the floating bed or bob around with a pool noodle.

I did try snorkelling, but the water was too deep to see any fish. I did enjoy seeing the rudder and propeller though!

At certain times during your cruise, you can climb the mast and also help the crew members with the sails. I’d definitely recommend this as it’s so much fun.

At the front of the ship there’s a net that you can lie on and look down at the ocean. It’s a wonderful place to relax and when the ship is moving you may even see dolphins!

There are three pools and always plenty of sunloungers available both in the sun and the shade. One of the pools has a glass floor, with the restaurant beneath!

Royal Clipper also has an underwater gym and spa (with portholes!) There are also morning gym classes on deck for those who like to keep fit.

The ship also has an extensive library with lots of books that you can borrow.

Entertainment

During the cruise, we often enjoyed live music from the pianist and from the music duo who were very good.

Each evening there was entertainment after dinner in the tropical bar. Entertaining the guests is very much a team event with lots of crew members getting involved, as well as guest involvement too.

On one evening we enjoyed a fashion show, on another we watched the guest and crew talent show, which was very funny.

On the final night of the cruise, we experienced the traditional Baked Alaska Parade, complete with real flames!

Sailaways are always a special event with Star Clippers and it’s wonderful to be up on deck after dark as the sails light up different colours. There are also organised star gazing sessions on offer.

Excursions

A highlight of any Star Clippers cruise is the excursions. As the ships are small, they can navigate to small posts that larger cruise ships can’t reach. Instead of docking at the edge of a city and having to take a bus, you can expect to sail into the heart of smaller, more interesting destinations.

On the island of Capri, we took a tender to the beach and the tender boat took us right to the shore and we stepped off onto the sand.

There are a choice of bookable excursions in each port and I found them to be very reasonably priced compared to other cruise lines. For example, a 3-hour walking tour cost me just €35 and a 4-hour excursion that included a coach ride and cable car experience was €72.

Service

The service on board Star Clippers was second to none. Every crew member was very friendly and went above and beyond to help. With fewer guests, they have the time to chat and bond with guests. In my opinion, the service was absolutely spot on.

Is A Star Clippers Cruise Worth It?

A Star Clippers cruise offers a really special experience. Whether you choose to explore the Mediterranean, the Caribbean or somewhere even more exotic, you can enjoy fantastic off-the-beaten-path itineraries to some of the world’s most stunning destinations.

Sailing on an authentic tall ship is a thrilling experience that makes you feel connected to the ocean in ways not possible on a big cruise ship. The atmosphere on board is relaxed and friendly, making it perfect for solo travellers as well as couples who enjoy spending time in the company of new friends.

Many of the guests I spoke to had sailed with Star Clippers before, which is a testament to how much they enjoyed it. And many were also discussing their plans to cruise again with the line, on a different ship or with a different itinerary.

If you enjoy laid-back luxury on a small ship with the very best food, drinks and service and opportunities for adventure, Star Clippers is for you.

Visit StarClippers.com or StarClippers.co.uk for more information

Or, for a closer look at what to expect onboard, check out my Star Clippers vlog…

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