Imagine going on a cruise…and finding it full of people who hate cruises. It’s a paradox, isn’t it? And yet that’s exactly what I experienced on my first cruise with Star Clippers, a weeklong Caribbean adventure aboard the Royal Clipper.

It began on embarkation day in Barbados. We were standing on the Sun Deck, gazing up at the Royal Clipper’s five towering masts, when one of our fellow passengers nodded toward two massive cruise ships in the harbor. “Aren’t you glad we’re not on one of those?”

“We are SO glad we’re not on one of those!” I laughed.

This moment repeated itself again and again throughout the trip. Even when a medium-sized cruise ship popped up somewhere, someone would inevitably point to it and say, “Boy, am I glad I’m on this ship instead.”

I’ve done one large cruise before, and while I had fun, I knew the whole time that large ship cruising is not my thing. But I’ve done two small ship cruises before — to Antarctica in 2018 and to Eastern Canada in 2019 — and I learned that small ship cruising is VERY much my thing.

Cruising on small ships means you’re able to visit tough-to-reach places. You’re unlikely to experience crowds anywhere. It’s much easier to get to know your fellow passengers, and the atmosphere is much quieter and more intimate.

For years, I’ve been wanting to try a small ship cruise in the Caribbean, especially one that visits tiny, hard-to-reach islands inaccessible to big cruise ships. And in my research I found Star Clippers, with their three stunning tall ships and their Grenadines itinerary.

I reached out to Star Clippers and they generously offered to host me and Charlie on their weeklong cruise. I gave them plenty of feedback on our experience, and you’ll find that honesty reflected in this detailed review.

This post was published in February 2026, and our trip took place in December 2025.

Sailing on the Royal Clipper

What I soon learned was that the Royal Clipper is the main character of the trip. THIS is why people book these trips! They are in love with the ship and how it makes you feel.

In 2001, the Guinness Book of World Records certified the Royal Clipper as the world’s largest square rigger in service.

The Royal Clipper is the largest of Star Clippers’ three ships, with a capacity of 230 passengers; we had 199 passengers on our trip.

And that small size makes a big difference. You don’t have to deal with some of the drawbacks of large ship cruises — fighting for deck chairs, endless corridors, crowded excursions led by umbrella-waving guides.

One important thing to know is that the Royal Clipper is not designed for the same level of accessibility as large cruise ships. Many disabled travelers choose large cruises for their elevators, wide corridors, and step-free access throughout the ship, but the Royal Clipper is not built that way.

There are no elevators on board, and many of the staircases are steep. Some of the doorways involve holding two doors open in different directions while stepping over a threshold step, which even I found challenging.

Additionally, many of the doors are heavy (I caught my finger in the bathroom door one night), and going ashore requires walking down gangway steps and climbing into a tender rather than stepping or rolling onto a pier.

For that reason, I don’t recommend cruising with Star Clippers if you have mobility challenges. The ship is beautiful and the experience is unique, but accessibility is not its strong point.

That said, if you ARE comfortable with stairs, uneven surfaces, and an active ship environment, the Royal Clipper offers experiences you will never in a million years find on a large cruise ship.

Here are a few of the ways you can enjoy this tall ship environment.

Mast Climbing

One special thing that Star Clippers offers is a chance to climb the mast to the crow’s nest. (Me: “There aren’t…laws against this?”) As soon as I learned this was a thing, I knew I had to take part!

Mast climbing is usually offered two times during the journey; it was offered four times on ours, only when the ship was anchored. Around five people go up at a time. You put your camera in a sealed bag on your back, put on a harness, clip yourself in, and climb the rope ladder to the crow’s nest.

From the crow’s nest, you have panoramic views of the ship and whatever islands are in the distance. Once you’re up there, you can take your camera out and take as many photos as you’d like before going down again.

Was this scary? There are times that I don’t love heights, but I didn’t think this was scary at all! My harness was secure and the experience felt well-managed. Overall, the exhilaration was well worth it.

(Another thing: a lot of photos in this post were taken with my Insta360 camera. I absolutely LOVE traveling with this camera, but I think it’s at its very best on ships and boats. You can get so much more out of a selfie with a 360 camera than your phone.)

Swimming Off the Ship

But my absolute favorite activity onboard was swimming off the marina platform in the back of the ship. The sports team opens the platform on occasion while the ship is anchored.

The crew puts out a rope attached to several floating rafts, and you can dive in the water, take a nice swim, or just lie on the rafts and float away. Either way, the highlight is getting to take in views of the Royal Clipper as you swim.

Just being in the sea and looking upward at that spectacular ship — the masts, the lines, the gold lettering on the bright blue — is an experience. You belong on that ship.

I had two swim sessions — one in Martinique and one in St. Lucia — and they were SO full of joy. Especially in St. Lucia, because we had a magical setting with panoramic views of the Pitons.

If you’re comfortable swimming in deep water, I highly recommend you make time for at least one swim off the Royal Clipper.

Photo Safari

And on the final day of your sailing, if conditions are good, you’ll get to take part in the photo safari! The crew gathers people into the tenders and you slowly circle the Royal Clipper as it raises the sails.

Our photo safari took place in Soufrière, St. Lucia, with the Pitons rising dramatically in the background. This was the most beautiful place we visited over the past week, and getting to photograph the most beautiful ship against such an iconic backdrop, bathed in golden Caribbean light, felt like a gift.

Everyone on board was in a great mood, and it was the perfect way to commemorate our beautiful week sailing through the Caribbean. I brought my big Sony camera, my iPhone, my Insta360 camera, and my Osmo Pocket 3 video camera, and I used them all nonstop.

Exploring the Royal Clipper

Royal Clipper Cabins

One big difference from a traditional mega ship is that cabins on the Royal Clipper are on the smaller side, and only a few have balconies. I know a lot of people are serious about their balconies, to the point that they wouldn’t go on a cruise without one, but again, the Royal Clipper isn’t a typical kind of cruise.

Our Category 2 cabin had a double bed with one side against the wall, a chair, and a small desk. There was ample storage space for our suitcases under the bed, and we had enough drawers for all our clothing. Housekeeping is excellent, and cabin stewards clean your cabin twice per day.

Practical tip: be careful with the reading lamps above the bed. They can be opened and adjusted into different positions, but the default position is right where you put your head, and cabin stewards reset them into this position after cleaning your cabin. I hit my head on those metal, angular lamps more than once.

Our bathroom was small but functional, with everything we needed, including soap, shower gel, shampoo, and conditioner.

One thing about the bathroom is that the floor can get QUITE wet, especially if you shower while the ship is sailing, but sometimes even when it isn’t. I suggested to Star Clippers that they add a squeegee to each cabin — it would make it so easy to sweep up all that water after showering.

I definitely appreciated the amount of bathroom storage space — especially once I realized the mirror was a vanity that opened and kept things securely behind it!

The ship uses European electrical outlets throughout, so bring an adapter if you need one.

Communal Spaces

If you’re looking for a place to hang on the Royal Clipper, you have a few options. The Sun Deck is home to three swimming pools, lots of beach loungers and umbrellas, a bar, and lots of places to hang out and take in the views.

The next deck is the Main Deck. Here you’ll find the Tropical Bar, which feels like the main hanging-out spot on the ship, which is covered but has open sides.

There is also a small library, which is nice and quiet and has a selection of books in many languages, and the Piano Bar. There is an observation lounge, which was the meeting space of one of the charter groups on our sailing, and there are a handful of cabins.

The next deck is the Clipper Deck. This deck is mostly full of cabins, including ours. There is also the Sloop Shop, selling a variety of Star Clippers-themed clothing and some small souvenirs, and the Excursion Desk, where you can sign up for excursions.

The next deck is the Commodore Deck, where you’ll find the dining room and more cabins. On the end of the ship, you’ll find the marina platform (swim platform).

And one floor further down, you’ll find the Captain Nemo gym, lounge, and spa. The gym has a few cardio machines and some free weights; the spa has a hammam.

What kind of people cruise with Star Clippers?

On our trip, most of the guests were from the US or UK, with a smattering of other countries represented. We met a few German speakers, and our cruise director Monja did the announcements in English and German. The literature we received each day was in English, German, and French.

Age-wise, most guests were between age 55 and 75. However, people tended to be in decent shape, as you need to be able to climb a lot of stairs and hold heavy doors in order to navigate the Royal Clipper.

There were a handful of younger people on board. Some were traveling with their parents or families; there were a few younger couples and friend groups as well. Charlie and I ended up bonding with two of the younger couples, one from the US and one from the UK, and the six of us “young’uns” hung out a lot!

Are kids allowed on Star Clippers? They’re technically allowed from the age of six months, but there are zero child-centric facilities on board, so it’s not a popular choice for young families.

As for diversity, I’m sure there were plenty of queer people on board, but I didn’t notice any queer couples, and you could count the people of color on one hand.

You should also know that some of your passengers may be part of an outside group. As we embarked, we learned that an American Bible study group made up a good percentage of our fellow passengers.

Now, I’ll be honest — when I first heard this, I was a bit apprehensive. I wondered whether having a religious group on board might affect the overall vibe of the ship.

Honestly, it didn’t affect the vibe whatsoever. Everyone was friendly, respectful, and entirely nonjudgmental. In fact, the two best friends we made on the ship were part of the Bible study group! It was a good reminder not to make assumptions.

Overall, I found the passengers on the Royal Clipper to be interesting, well-traveled, and great conversationalists. I always say that no matter where you go around the world, 98% of people are wonderful and the other 2% are not, and that was certainly true on our journey.

Food and Drink on the Royal Clipper

Now, one of the most important aspects of any trip is the food, and this is where Star Clippers shines. We found the food to be excellent across the board.

Star Clippers serves three meals per day. There is a breakfast buffet from around 7:30-9:30 AM, a themed lunch buffet from around 12:00-2:00 PM, and a plated multi-course dinner in the evenings from 7:30-10:00 PM.

In addition to the three main meals, they serve a simple continental breakfast in the Piano Lounge from 6:30 AM-10:30 AM, light snacks in the Tropical Bar from 5:00-6:00 PM, and late night snacks in the Tropical Bar from 11:30 PM-12:30 AM.

Food

I found the breakfast buffet to be pretty typical: hot trays of eggs, bacon, sausage, and beans for the Brits; lots of pastries and baked goods; yogurt and its many accoutrements; lots of fruits; an omelet station with eggs to order.

Every day, the lunch buffet had a theme: seafood, Italian, Asian. There would be trays filled with themed dishes — meat, fish, and vegetarian options — along with interactive stations like carving or pasta stations, and plenty of salad stuff.

The buffet food wasn’t fancy, but it was tasty for the most part.

But my favorite part of lunch was the dessert buffet. THE DESSERTS WERE SO GOOD. And there were so many of them! Piña colada mousse. Eclairs. Chocolate cake. Silky cappuccino cups. Tiramisu. All in little portions so you could try them all.

I also quickly learned that most desserts didn’t make multiple appearances, so, well, I HAD to try everything!

Dinner is a more formal affair, with multiple courses. Most people dress up a little nicer than their day clothes, and men are required to wear long pants.

Servers sit you at tables with other guests, and I found this was the best way we got to know our fellow passengers.

Each night, you can choose between two appetizers, one soup, one palate-cleansing sorbet, four main dishes (at least one meat, one fish, and one vegetarian), and three desserts (one is always a different kind of ice cream). You can also order a salad of the day or cheese plate for one of your courses, and they offer two wine bottle recommendations.

We would usually get an appetizer, either the soup or the sorbet, the main dish, and the dessert.

Here is a sample menu:

The single best thing we ate on the Royal Clipper was this plate of roast beef. It was so tender, so flavorful, and I was impressed that every single plate was cooked to the proper temperature.

Charlie and I were having dinner with a father and son from the US that evening, and all four of us got the roast beef. Then as we finished, our server grinned and said, “You want more beef?” I declined, but the three guys all said yes.

Well, our server brought them not just a little bit more beef, but A SECOND PLATE. They were as happy as clams.

(And as soon as we learned this was a thing you could do on the Royal Clipper, we may have ordered second plates once or twice more.)

While the food quality at dinner was excellent, I felt like the beef dishes were the best of the bunch. Every steak I had was exemplary. Charlie, for his part, loved the lamb dishes as well.

While the food was delicious, it was very Eurocentric, so don’t expect global cuisine. I would have loved more international dishes than a single Asian-themed lunch (especially since our chefs were from the Philippines and Indonesia and could probably turn it out!).

Does Star Clippers cater to dietary restrictions? They do. We got to know a vegan guest who had been on several Star Clippers cruises, and in her words, “They’ve gotten a lot better over the years,” and “I can get by.”

At dinner, you always have the option to order a consommé, pasta dish, or steak frites if you don’t like anything on the daily menu. We tried the steak frites one night and enjoyed it.

One random tip: try to have dinner with someone celebrating a birthday! Every night, the servers sang to those celebrating birthdays and brought them a chocolate birthday cake to share with their table mates. One night we happened to be eating with someone celebrating a birthday — and that cake was SCRUMPTIOUS.

Drink

Star Clippers doesn’t offer drink packages, which makes them different from traditional large ship cruises. And I think that’s a good thing, as it keeps the binge drinkers away.

So everything is à la carte, but the drink prices are extremely reasonable. On our journey, soft drinks were €3, beers were €4-5 each, house wines were €4. Cocktails were €8, the cocktail of the day was €7, and mocktails were €5.

You can also order wine by the bottle, and we were delighted to see that they weren’t marked up very much. One night, we ordered a bottle of one of our favorite Italian reds, Brunello di Montalcino, for just €42. That would probably cost €35 at the vineyard.

And if you order a bottle and don’t finish it, they’ll put your name on it and save it for next time.

Filter coffee and tea are included for free, but espresso-based drinks are extra (€2 for espresso, €2.50 for cappuccino). These coffees are made with Nespresso pro capsules. Charlie and I found this disappointing, as Nespresso is mediocre coffee, but because George Clooney is in their commercials, people think it’s fancy.

I think it would be wise for Star Clippers to invest in a real espresso machine with decent beans, and I talked about this with their team. I think this is an easy way to uplevel their service for a fairly low cost. Charlie and I would have bought two or three coffees each per day if they had been better.

Activities and Entertainment

Once again, the Royal Clipper isn’t a megaship — don’t come here if you’re expecting constant activities all day. People come on the Royal Clipper to soak up the vibe.

There were a few daily activities, though. Each morning, there was a yoga class and a “morning gymnastics” session (a bodyweight workout adaptable for all fitness levels) before breakfast.

Occasionally, during the morning or the afternoon, the sports team would offer mast climbing or swimming off the marina platform. Never both at the same time, as each activity required the full sports team.

Captain Sergey did a few “Story Hour” sessions, telling stories from his life at sea. There was an engine room tour one day (Captain Sergey: “I don’t understand why people are always so interested in this, but you can go see the engine room…”), which gave me a deeper appreciation for the hardworking crew.

There is a spa on the Royal Clipper, with a variety of massages, facials, and body treatments available, as well as a hammam.

On our day in Tobago Cays, the crew did a barbecue on the beach for everyone.

But there was always organized entertainment in the Tropical Bar after dinner. One night, it was a pirate party! Everyone dressed up in their most pirate-y outfits (I wound my sarong around my head; Charlie bought a black bandana in St. Vincent, and the ship had plenty of props to pose with), and we played goofy games for prizes.

One night there was a talent show (both crew and guests participated, and obviously, the Filipinos dominated the karaoke!). Another night, a fashion show. Other nights, just music and dancing.

But the most special event was a Grenadian steel band performance. We were anchored in Grenada until late in the evening, so the ship was able to host a local band.

And they were so fun! Starting with “Dancing Queen,” they played a variety of pop songs on the steel drums, and you couldn’t keep people off the dance floor.

Star Clippers Grenadine Islands 7 Nights Itinerary

Star Clippers’s Grenadine Islands 7 Nights itinerary starts and ends in Bridgetown, Barbados. (This cruise does not enter any port in the US, so keep that in mind if that’s important to you.)

What I love about this itinerary is that most of the ports are small, intimate, and inaccessible to larger ships. We anchored at sea and took tenders in at every port except Fort-de-France, where we docked at a pier.

Here is the itinerary:

• Day 1: Embark in Bridgetown, Barbados (afternoon)
• Day 2: Union Island, St. Vincent and the Grenadines (afternoon)
• Day 3: St. George’s, Grenada (afternoon)
• Day 4: Tobago Cays, St. Vincent and the Grenadines (all day)
• Day 5: Kingstown (morning) and Bequia (afternoon), St. Vincent and the Grenadines
• Day 6: Fort-de-France (morning) and Grand Anse (afternoon), Martinique
• Day 7: Marigot Bay (morning) and Soufrière (afternoon), St. Lucia
• Day 8: Disembark in Bridgetown, Barbados (morning)

Here’s an overview of the destinations and what we did each day.

Barbados

We spent four days in Barbados before our cruise, and I’m SO glad we did. Barbados is an island with a million things to do, as well as some really nice white sand beaches. No matter what kind of trip you want to have, you can have it here.

That said, we found Barbados to be staggeringly expensive compared to other Caribbean islands, so keep that in mind as you plan your trip. (How expensive? At one cafe we got a breakfast sandwich, an order of waffles, and two cappuccinos and our bill came to $50 USD.)

My favorite experiences in Barbados were taking a Barbados food tour, which was fun, educational and delicious — I highly recommend it! I took a full day around-the-island tour, which was good for photo ops and getting to know a lot of the island (Rihanna’s childhood home is included!).

We also enjoyed beaching and swimming at Dover Beach and spending Friday night at the Oistins Fish Fry, an island tradition with lots of food, drinks, and music.

We decided to stay in a budget hotel for this portion of our four-week Caribbean trip, and chose the Melbourne Inn. Let me tell you — this place doesn’t look fancy, but its punches way above its weight! Comfortable rooms with balconies, a surprisingly nice pool area, and the friendliest, most wonderful staff.

And it’s in a perfect location near Dover Beach, close to a grocery store, and walking distance from The Cake Lady, THE best spot for coffee, cake, and breakfast!

I highly recommend adding a few days in Barbados before or after your trip. But keep in mind that if your cruise leaves on Saturday, as ours did, you might want to come beforehand so you can experience the Friday Night Fish Fry.

My friend Nicola’s website Next Stop Barbados was an excellent resource for planning our trip.

Embarkation

On the first day of our cruise, we were able to drop off our luggage at the Star Clippers stand at 12:00 PM, with boarding beginning at 4:00 PM. Charlie and I dropped off the bags promptly at noon and took a taxi from the port to Harrison’s Cave for their drive-through cave tour. It was a fun tour and we paid for the driver to wait for us, which was a stress-free way to get back on time.

The cruise terminal in Bridgetown has an outdoor bar that serves both food and drinks, as well as a handful of shops. There is free wifi if you need it.

Once boarding began, we made our way up the gangway onto the Royal Clipper, accepted a glass of champagne, and queued into the Piano Bar for check-in. This was where we handed over our passports for the week, the crew ran my credit card for future expenses, and we received our cabin assignment and ship card, which doubles as your room key and onboard ID.

Next came a very important step: signing up for excursions at the excursion desk on the Clipper Deck. Unlike large cruise ships, Star Clippers doesn’t offer advance excursion booking; you simply add your name to the list after boarding.

Sign-ups are first-come, first-serve, and they close two days ahead of time. I recommend signing up right away, as popular excursions — like our top priority, the catamaran trip in Tobago Cays — fill up quickly.

We unpacked, watched the safety video, had welcome snacks in the Tropical Bar with our fellow passengers, took a tour of the ship, and enjoyed our first dinner on board.

But the real magic happened after dinner, when the Royal Clipper set sail for the first time. The crisp sails unfurled against the inky blue sky and we stared at them in awe.

I was completely unprepared for the sheer majesty of sailing on a tall ship. Right then and there, I realized that this was why people travel with Star Clippers again and again.

Union Island, St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Union Island was our first stop among several in the Grenadines, and if you’re looking for a laid-back island that’s off the beaten path, it’s a great spot. There is almost nothing on Chatham Beach, where we docked for the afternoon.

We were directed to land on the beach and turn left, and at the end of the beach we would find a decent snorkeling spot. The beach was strewn with stones, but the snorkeling was excellent — I was surprised how many cool fish we saw!

There was a small bar on this side of the beach dishing up cocktails (cards and Apple Pay accepted, which surprised me!).

Top tip: Apparently there is a really cool bar with a hot tub on the right side of the beach as you land. Our friends discovered this after a tip from Captain Sergey, but we didn’t hear about it from anyone on the crew. So make sure you don’t miss it! I wish we had known about it.

St. George’s, Grenada

Grenada is the spice island of the Caribbean, with colorful homes tucked into the wild, jungly hills. We decided to take the Chocolate and Falls excursion, which included visits to a waterfall and a chocolate factory.

To be honest, this was the one excursion we regretted taking. It was a very long drive in a small, cramped bus (though I appreciated the lovely scenery), and road works and accidents along the route delayed us even more.

Our first stop was Concord Falls, with a waterfall flowing into an emerald-green pool. We watched a local man jump in from the top. And while that was cool, he aggressively hounded everyone in the group for tips. I actually put a tip in the box, and on the way out he glared at me and said, “I didn’t see you give me a tip.” “I DID TIP!” I sputtered.

By the time we got to the Diamond Chocolate Factory in Victoria, it was closed for the day and we couldn’t see any production. We did a quick walk through the garden and they gave us chocolate samples to try in the gift shop. That was it.

The chocolate was delicious, especially the nutmeg chocolate, and we bought some bars to take home. But overall, the excursion fell short of expectations, and that sentiment was shared by many of our fellow passengers.

On a brighter note, I did hear that people on the snorkeling excursion had a fabulous time, so if you’re taking this trip, that might be a better fit for you.

Full disclosure: Star Clippers did list the driving time on the excursion sheet, and it’s not like they could have predicted the delays, which added an extra hour of driving time. I did give the Star Clippers team specific feedback about this excursion.

Tobago Cays, St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Now, if you dream of crashing on a desert island in the Caribbean, Tobago Cays is the place for you! These islands feel straight out of Robinson Crusoe, with pristine beaches and very little development.

Charlie and I love a catamaran trip, so we booked a catamaran sailing excursion with snorkeling. This turned out to be the best excursion of our trip!

After landing on the island of Petit Rameau, we boarded the catamaran and sailed off for some snorkeling. The waters were choppier than I expected, and the catamaran crew had us wear bright orange vests for visibility. The snorkeling wasn’t as good as Union Island, but we did see a few cool fish.

Top tip: there are several catamarans that do this excursion, and they all look identical. Make sure you memorize the name of your boat so you know which boat to swim back to!

Next, we landed off the island of Mayreau and swam to shore. And I fell in love with this tiny island! A perfect, quiet, sandy beach with wooden shacks dishing up freshly caught fish and rum punch. The vibes were immaculate. We didn’t have much time here, but I’d love to return for a full day.

Finally, the catamaran sailed back to Petit Rameau, where the Royal Clipper crew had set up a beach barbecue with burgers, sausages, chicken, fish, a bar, and all the fixings. We ate outside at picnic tables (though only half of them had shade).

From that point on, we had plenty of time to swim, stroll the beach, and gallivant. A second group of passengers went out on the catamaran excursion in the afternoon. When Charlie and I had had enough sun, we jumped on the tender back to the Royal Clipper.

Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Kingstown, a city located on the island of St. Vincent, is the capital and transit hub of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Charlie and I hadn’t booked an excursion, so we decided to just walk around the city a little bit. We strolled, visited some markets, took in the atmosphere, and tried some local dragonfruit and pineapple sodas. We would have visited the fort for the view, but it happened to be closed for refurbishment during our visit.

We did hear from a few passengers that the excursions here were excellent, including an off-road adventure and a visit to the botanical gardens. If I came to Kingstown again, I would definitely do one of those.

Top Tip: the ferry terminal in Kingstown has a cute coffee shop called Carib-Beans that served THE best coffee we had during our month in the Caribbean. Well worth a visit!

Bequia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Bequia was my favorite stop of the entire trip and the number one place I want to return to. Compared to other islands in the Grenadines, it’s fancier and more developed than Union Island or Tobago Cays, but not nearly as luxe as Mustique, a favorite of the British Royal Family.

The ship anchored in Admiralty Bay and the crew gave us the choice of taking the tender to the port or Princess Margaret Beach. We chose the beach, and headed there with our four friends.

This beach was DIVINE. Nice soft sand, clear turquoise water, beautiful views of immaculate wooden homes built into the hills. Best of all, there was actually decent shade — the beach is lined with thick, lush trees and plenty of room to stretch out beneath them.

Did I mention this beach ALSO had little stands serving up rum punch? “Day drinking in the Grenadines? We’re definitely honoring Princess Margaret the right way,” I joked as we toasted.

After a few hours of swimming and sunning, we headed back to the ship.

I would love to come back to Bequia for at least a few days. One of my blogger friends was here around the same time, and he loved exploring the island by motorbike.

Fort-de-France, Martinique

I had no idea what to expect in Fort-de-France, but this city ended up charming my pants off! Martinique is part of France, and it’s obvious from the moment you arrive, from the Renaults and Peugeots everywhere to the BNP banks and the Galeries-Lafayette department store to the scent of butter in the air.

I love visiting French overseas departments like Réunion and St. Pierre and Miquelon because you can always get classic French food mixed with fresh local produce.

We did some research on where to eat and were the first ones off the ship. Our first stop was Pâtisserie Hery, an artisan patisserie where we enjoyed authentic French pastries, including a traditional croissant and a supreme round croissant stuffed with pistachio cream and dipped in chocolate. They also serve a delicious hot chocolate.

We strolled around the city, photographing the street art and landmarks like Bibliothèque Schoelcher and Cathédrale Saint-Louis, and stopped for a cappuccino at a little cafe called Jaden Centre-Ville.

We made our way to the Marché Couvert, the city’s covered market, and tried some fresh fruit juices and bought a few postcards for our postcard wall at home.

While it rained for most of our time on shore, Charlie and I both feel like we’d like to return to Martinique and explore much more.

Grand Anse, Martinique

We actually didn’t get off the ship here. It was drizzling when we docked, so I figured we’d just chill out for the afternoon. Well, soon the sun came out, and we went swimming of the back of the Royal Clipper! Those hours were well spent.

Marigot Bay, St. Lucia

In St. Lucia, we chose the Panoramic Tour excursion, which picked us up in Marigot Bay and dropped us off in Soufrière, with some interesting stops along the way. We were practically plastered to the windows, as the scenery was so gorgeous! St. Lucia really is the beauty of the Caribbean.

In Marigot Bay we stopped long enough to eat some bananas, try some banana ketchup, and take in the view from above — and what a view it was!

Soufrière, St. Lucia

Soufrière, a town in the south of St. Lucia, is home to the Pitons, the two conical mountains that are the symbol of the island. Once rounding the view pictured above — yes, we stopped for plenty of photos — we visited two destinations in Soufrière: the Diamond Botanical Gardens and Qualibou Volcano.

Our guide, Delicia, showed us through the botanical gardens and shared her favorite local remedies. Charlie and I are actually going to try some at home! Apparently when you grate nutmeg into a bottle of vinegar and leave it for a few weeks, it becomes a good salve for your joints.

St. Lucia is home to the only drive-in volcano in the world, Qualibou Volcano. Don’t expect fiery lava here, just a lot of steam and that signature sulfur smell! You can go in sulfuric mud baths here if you’d like; I didn’t partake, but it looked fun.

Our tour finished with a local buffet lunch overlooking another view of the Pitons. Charlie took the time to get some aerial shots with his drone from here, as St. Lucia is a very drone-friendly country.

Overall, I’m glad that we chose this tour. Delicia was a wonderful guide, the scenery was spellbinding, the bus was comfortable, and the gardens and volcano were really cool. Best of all, I got killer photos of the Pitons!

The town of Soufrière itself wasn’t very exciting, so we decided to return to the Royal Clipper. Later that afternoon, it was back onto the marine platform for another gorgeous swim, followed by our photo safari, circling the Royal Clipper in the tender at the sails went up, bathed in the delectable light of golden hour.

Debarkation

Debarkation in Barbados was simple and well-organized. On our last full day on board, we settled our bill and added a gratuity for the servers and cabin attendants. That evening, we left our luggage outside the cabin, tagging our bags with the color corresponding to our chosen transfer.

We joined the bus transfer to the airport with a few dozen of our fellow passengers. You should know that the luggage is transferred separately — the luggage truck arrived about 30 minutes later. That wasn’t an issue, as Star Clippers makes sure you get to the airport with ample time before your flight.

While waiting to check in, Charlie, our friends and I grabbed pizza and milkshakes at Chefette, Barbados’s most beloved fast food chain. I have to say, that milkshake was exactly what I needed after a week at sea.

And from there, the four of us said our goodbyes and Charlie and I hopped on our flight to our next destination: the island nation of Dominica.

Kate’s Thoughts on the Itinerary

It was this specific itinerary that attracted me to Star Clippers in the first place, and I loved the places we visited. I appreciated that we visited small ports and hard-to-reach islands. I think the only port where we saw a big cruise ship was Grenada.

A few lightning round answers:

Best beaches: Princess Margaret Beach in Bequia, followed by Mayreau island in Tobago Cays.

Best snorkeling: Union Island in the Grenadines.

Best city: Fort-de-France, Martinique.

Best places to explore independently: Fort-de-France and Bequia.

Best places to explore by excursion: Kingstown and Soufrière.

Best excursion overall: Catamaran ride in Tobago Cays.

Of course, when you factor in excursions and exploration, you can have any kind of trip you want — adventurous, low-key, snorkel-y. I think we had a good variety throughout our trip.

Travel Tips for Star Clippers Caribbean Cruise

Seasickness on a Star Clippers Cruise

Do you need to worry about seasickness on the Royal Clipper or any other Star Clippers cruise? Honestly, seasickness can vary a lot from person to person, and it can be tough to predict.

I will say that a smaller ship like the Royal Clipper can often feel more queasy than a large cruise ship, but again, this is personal. Charlie and I both had a few moments of seasickness, but we got through them.

When sailing during mealtime, we found it more comfortable to sit facing the front or back of the boat, rather than the sides.

I recommend bringing non- or less-drowsy motion sickness medication at the very least. (Or take a drowsy one and chase it with an espresso martini.) Some people find motion sickness bands helpful.

Alternatively, your doctor can prescribe a scopolamine patch. I used these in Antarctica, but after a few days I experienced the rare side effect of blurred vision, so I switched back to Dramamine.

Internet on a Star Clippers Cruise

Star Clippers has internet packages available. The good news is that they use Starlink, so the internet is fast, but the bad news is that they’re data-based, which means apps running in the background can eat through your data in just a few minutes.

I personally never purchase data-based packages for this reason.

My recommendation? Get an eSIM card that covers most of the Eastern Caribbean. We used this one from Airalo. It worked in every destination except Martinique (which we didn’t need anyway, as it’s part of the EU and our Czech SIM cards worked there).

While it didn’t work while we were out at sea, we had internet access whenever we were anchored.

What to Pack for a Star Clippers Caribbean Cruise

Comfortable casual clothing. What you wear is always a personal decision. I pretty much live in merino wool year-round, so I wore four Wool& dresses for most of the trip: the Camellia dress (my favorite hot weather dress) in teal and black, and the Isabelle dress in magenta and green.

I was glad to have a Wool& tank top, a pair of Wool& bike shorts, and closed-toe sneakers for mast climbing; I mainly wore deck shoes and Birkenstock sandals while on board.

Appropriate dinner wear. There isn’t a formal night, like on other cruises, but I did find many people dressed up a bit for dinner. Women have a bit more leeway, but men are asked to wear long pants at dinner.

A lot of women wore casual sundresses or tops with skirts or slacks. A lot of men wore short-sleeved button-downs with long pants. It’s your call.

Water shoes. A good idea if you’re snorkeling or beaching. The beach we visited on Union Island had a lot of rocks and water shoes would have made it more pleasant.

Reef-safe sunscreen. I recommend you bring reef-safe sunscreen as a default when you’re swimming anywhere, and that’s absolutely true for the delicate reefs of the Caribbean.

Sun protection. A wide-brimmed hat, sarong, and a light long-sleeved shirt can be very helpful.

Reusable water bottle. The Royal Clipper has fountains in the Tropical Bar where you can fill your bottles with filtered water. Don’t add to the plastic problem.

Dry bag or waterproof phone case. While your electronics are pretty safe while on the tender, you might want to bring these for other boat trips and when you may have to swim to shore (like on our catamaran excursion in Tobago Cays).

Clothing for White Night and Pirate Night. You don’t have to dress up, and they have some pirate props for the party, but hey, if you have a corset top and ruffly skirt you wish you could wear more often, this is your chance!

Other Star Clippers Tips

Don’t do excursions every single day. I got this tip ahead of time, and I’m glad I heeded the advice. Excursions are fun, but they can eat up all your free time.

I recommend doing a bit of research and picking out 1-3 excursions that you want to do the most, and a few ports that you’d rather explore on your own. And if there are some that hold no interest for you, you can always stay on the ship and enjoy the atmosphere.

If mast climbing or swimming off the marina platform are an option, don’t wait — do them. These activities only happen if conditions are good, so this might be your only chance.

Don’t overpack. There is a reasonably priced and speedy laundry service on board, and we used it three times. Just wash what you need to be washed.

Is Star Clippers Worth It?

Well, after reading this post, you should have a pretty good idea of how much I loved my time on the Royal Clipper! Charlie and I had a blast and have been talking about this trip constantly.

In fact, we’re already thinking of doing another cruise with Star Clippers — possibly in Europe this time. We like the look of some of their itineraries visiting Corsica and Sardinia. Once again, it’s all about the small ports.

And if we could bring a group of our friends on board? Even better.

When I look back at my time on the Royal Clipper, my mind goes straight to mast-climbing, or swimming off the marina platform, and watching the sails go up at sunset. More than anything, Star Clippers is about the magic of being on a tall ship — and that experience is staying with me.

The Star Clippers Grenadines itinerary starts at €2,350 ($2,790) per person. You can find more information on StarClippers.com.

Does this look like your kind of cruise? Share away!