Star Clipper tall ship

Yo Ho, Yo Ho, A Cruiser’s Life’s For Me

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I’m not a fan of traditional cruises. I don’t mind if you are—really I don’t—it’s just that personally, they’re just not my cup of tea. I get anxious just thinking about being in the midst of 6,000 people (like the behemoth, Oasis of the Seas) while trapped out in the open of a body of water, far from any escape route leading me back toward land. That’s exactly why I like Semester at Sea and Enrichment Voyages; the ship’s capacity is just 836 people (and many times, there are far less people than that sailing). Or the Holland America cruise we went on to Alaska; that has around 1,200 passengers and is about my max in terms of cruising.

Star Clipper tall ship

So when the owner of the travel agency with which I am affiliated invited SVV and me along on a scouting trip with her and her husband over Thanksgiving, I took one look at the Star Clipper website and needed no more information. The ship was perfect, and Carol and Steve are the ideal travel companions. (My dad has been a long-time friend and colleague of Steve’s but this was SVV’s and my first trip with our new favorite people. Hopefully, the first of many…)

But why did I love the Star Clipper so much? Let me count the ways…

  • It was small and intimate. No getting lost in the crowd. No running into people your every turn around the ship. It’s an environment that fosters meeting your fellow sailors and striking up friendship with others. On our cruise, there were 117 passengers, though the tall ship can accommodate 180.

Star Clipper cruise ship

  • There were no children. Now despite my own vow not to have kids, I love rugrats. My four- and two-year-old “nieces” are probably the coolest chicks I’ve ever known, and I have many friends’ children who I like to claim as my own. But on a vacation? NO WAY. I want peace and quiet. While Star Clippers has no policy against children, there’s no kids’ club or other activities that cater to the under-18 set, so it’s pretty much all adults, all the time. (Though that said, there were the middle-age “Howlers,” a rambunctious group on board from the Midwest who were probably more immature than any child I’ve yet to meet…)

Star Clipper adult vacation

  • You get to watch the crew raise the mast and sails each time you depart from port. They even play a Russian pirate-like music each time you take off that you will be singing in your sleep. Well, that or Lonely Island and Michael Bolton, one.

Star Clipper tall ship

  • Speaking of pirates … I will forever love Jack Sparrow, and I’m not going to lie: Being on my own real life version of the Black Pearl was pretty darn cool.
  • You stop in many smaller ports that can’t be reached by big ship. This also means, often we were the only tourists on the island (such as in Îles des Saintes and Guadeloupe), which is my favorite kind of way to explore.

Star Clipper tall ship

  • It won’t break your bank like a private charter. Surprisingly, for a ship this small and nice, Star Clipper is also really affordable.
  • Almost all the cabins are the same. Whereas on a big cruise ship, we always go for the cheapest (interior cabin on the bottom deck), which happens to be the smallest as well, I toured all the cabin levels on the Star Clipper, and aside from a handful of suites, nearly all the cabins are about the same size.

Star Clipper cabins

  • There’s absolutely nothing lovelier or more relaxing than laying on a deck chair outside and breathing in the balmy Caribbean night air.

Star Clipper tall ship

Have you ever traveled on a tall ship? Or gone on a non-traditional cruise in general?

COMMENTS
  • January 17, 2013

    Even hearing the word ‘cruise’ starts to make my skin crawl…not my thing… but this ship looks AMAZING!! I would totally do that. Especially since they play pirate music πŸ˜‰

    • January 17, 2013

      I hear ya, Rika! Which is why Star Clipper is the anti-cruise cruise.

  • January 17, 2013

    I’ve worked on two tall ships, the best being a six month voyage around the South Pacific. I maybe biased, but tall ship sailing is the coolest way go from place to place!

    If anyone is in Sydney this October, they should definitely go see the tall ship festival.

    • January 18, 2013

      Well, color me jealous. Were either ships part of a commercial line? I’ve always wanted to go to one of the tall ship festivals in New England. So freakin’ cool.

      • January 18, 2013

        Both ships owned by Sydney harbour tall ships – the Soren Larsen and the Southern Swan. They also own a ship called the Coral Trekker up in the Whitsundays – Sounds amazing!

  • January 17, 2013

    I love cruise – the traditional way with all the Mouse and his friends all around. πŸ™‚ But if we plan our anniversary trip, this cruise will be on the list. Yes, we typically travel with our kids but once in a while I too just want to relax and this ship looks so cool! Can we just at least have Captain Jack Sparrow greeted us when we board? πŸ™‚

    • January 18, 2013

      I mean, I don’t have kids and I still love that mouse. I think the Disney Cruises are an awesome offering for families, and Star Clippers are perfect for the parents who need a kid-free retreat!

  • January 17, 2013

    I have done several cruises and we like the smaller boats as well. We have looked at doing something similar to this but haven’t done it yet. Think you just won us over with the no-kids thing!

    • January 18, 2013

      I had a feeling that, like me, you would dig that aspect of Star Clippers =)

  • January 17, 2013

    I’ve never been on a small ship like this, but I’m definitely thinking this might need to go on the bucket list!

    • January 18, 2013

      I’m sure we could find one to take us around the Bahamas…DOUBLE WIN.

  • January 18, 2013
    Haidang

    So jealous you got to experience the Disney cruise in 1991! Unfortunately, I really do believe the experience is different when one goes past childhood. It must have been SO MAGICAL though in 1991 for you… I kinda wanna go on it just because (water slide that goes all over the top of the ship…come on now let’s go!!!) but….you know that but…cruises are nice BUT. lol. my first cruise was with Princess w the fam to Alaska. How did you like Holland America? I think it can get a little “sleepy” (cough cough older crowd) but we have a huge family (same w you) so im sure it was fine. Was just with my family the entire time- not big on gaining weight so easily though (those 24/7 buffets, abundant cakes, and lobster tails). Anyway, is this the cruise youre going on soon? Or is that in March? Back to where it all began right? (when SVV was your roommate) O_^. Those cabin rooms DO look huge, nice features indeed. I do kinda wanna go on the Oasis once though…what about you? Last tangent question- are you still using the Ti1? Just grabbed one from Ebay earlier today so following KL’s yellow brick road. Now for those lenses..

    • January 18, 2013

      Still using the Ti1, yep, though I think this is the year I upgrade to the Canon 7D or Mark II (*fingers crossed*). I like Holland America. I get where you think it might be stuffy, but I like that it’s low key and not too crazy with a lot of kids.

      I went on the Disney cruise when it was still the Big Red Boat, so I think a lot has changed with the new ships—would love to go down that water slide!

      • January 18, 2013
        Haidang

        Ooh, I really hope you’ll get the MARK II this year, that’ll be fun. I know you are an avid Amazoner but have you ever gotten into the secret addiction of bidding on Ebay? I find it more thrilling when you can get half off of what Amazon offers hehe. One more thing, with your $$$ equipment, i have no idea how you manage to go on and about in 3rd world countries (aka it might get stolen). Do you sleep with your camera and never leave it in a hotel room? (I would only assume so)

        • January 25, 2013

          You’re right, I do have the G11 (had to check, ha). My sister has the G12, as her 11 was eaten by a rogue wave in Hawaii, and they’re so similar I never remember which is which =)

          • January 25, 2013
            Haidang

            Also put on the list for 2013 besides MARKII that you need to finally meet&see Swifty!!!!

  • January 18, 2013

    Kristen,
    I am so glad you had such a positive experience with Star Clippers. They are one of our member vessels and I can’t recommend them enough. My own boss, a salty sailor who has circumnavigated the world on a tall ship, loved his vacation with them.
    Tall ship sailing is a unique way to see the world and the people you meet share an adventurous outlook on life. I’ve been working with tall ships for about six years and sailed on two for extended trips and it gets you hooked. It’s amazing and I love it.
    A fleet of tall ships will be in the Great Lakes this summer for festivals commemorating the War of 1812 and the Battle of Lake Erie. If you can’t get to Australia, come to the Lakes!

    • January 18, 2013

      I actually was thinking of you while we were on the Clipper! It was our first experience on a tall ship, and as expected these wannabe sailors loved everything about it =)

  • January 21, 2013

    This looks like my kind of cruise. The only one I’ve ever been on was a Silversea voyage from Athens to Istanbul, and it had a lot of these same benefits. Barely any kids, long port times, small ship (ours was around 500 people). It was so luxurious, oh my God…. I want to go back!

    I think in a few years I’ll be doing a big traditional cruise with my Dad’s side of the fam for his 70th…. I’m thinking Celebrity will be our best bet. I’m curious to see how I like it!

    • January 25, 2013

      The other Clipper ship had a deck that you could dive straight off of! I was jealous when I saw that while we toured it.

  • January 21, 2013

    Low number of passengers,no kids, and going into smaller ports the big ships can’t make it into, now this is the sort of cruise I would consider taking. Love your shots of the moon over the mast

    • January 25, 2013

      The four of us should go on one together in that case =)

  • January 21, 2013

    I’ve never been on any kind of cruise and really don’t think the big ships are my style, but this sounds lovely! I’m a snob and worry about being trapped with mediocre food, entertainment and fellow passengers, but I definitely like the concept of seeing several interesting places in the span of a few days.

  • January 21, 2013

    Never on a tall ship, but now I want to!

    • January 25, 2013

      I’m sure you will have *plenty* of chances!

  • January 22, 2013

    My parents dragged me on a Caribbean cruise when I was 14 and it was dreadful. I hated being trapped on a boat with so many strangers. Since then I’ve taken only one other cruise – an overnight in Halong Bay on the single-cabin Indochina Junk. This cruise looks interesting, especially going into smaller ports, but I fear the “Howlers” would leave me feeling shipwrecked.

    • January 25, 2013

      I’ve taken a couple Carnival cruises in the Caribbean, and they were THE WORST. When we go with my parents, we usually go on one of the smaller Holland America ships (~1,200 passengers), which are far more tolerable. Though ideally, every cruise I went on would be under 150 like this one!

  • January 22, 2013

    This sounds like so much fun! Way better than a traditional cruise

    • January 25, 2013

      Not cheesy. The only nighttime activities were hanging out at the outside bar, a little dancing to the DJ, some karaoke and TRIVIA NIGHT!

  • January 23, 2013

    Simply sailing in this clipper must be fantastic. As an ocean lover and small boat sailor as well this would be one of those trips that would totally rock. How many days was your trip for?

    • January 23, 2013

      Seven nights! I think all the Clipper trips in the Caribbean are for a week since the distances between islands are so short.

  • January 24, 2013
    Linda

    Today we booked our third Star Clippers trip in three years. We even named our dog Clipper. Does that speak for itself?

    • January 25, 2013

      NICE! That’s awesome! Which ship and route are you going on? I really want to do another Star Clippers trip in 2014, but I’d like to go somewhere different on the next. Am curious to hear which ones you have done…

  • January 25, 2013

    This ship looks so amazing. I am not really into cruising because I am really scared of travelling by water. But this ship really mesmerize me. I might consider trying on this one some time soon.

  • January 25, 2013

    Great photos, now I want to go out on a cruise ship too!

  • April 22, 2013

    Incredible. I didn’t even know that cruises on boats like that were even possible. When I hear the world cruise I instantly think of 5,000 people sardined onto a ship and I’ve never even thought for a second about doing one. You may have just changed my mind.

  • May 27, 2013

    Oh its wonderful! I have it on my bucket list to get on a Caribbean Cruise! Your blog was such a wonderful stumble.. glad to have found it. πŸ™‚

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