Star Clippers Cruises

Dining onboard Star Clippers is a casual, yet elegant experience that allows you to enjoy delicious meals in an intimate setting. Unlike most other cruise lines, there is no pre-set seating times or arrangements in the dining room, allowing you to sit where, when and with whom you want.

Breakfast onboard Star Clippers Cruises' ships is served from 7:00 until 10:00 and consists of an extensive buffet, featuring continental options, traditional cooked choices, an omelette station and of course fresh fruit, juices and cereals. As with all meals, teas and coffees are readily available and freshly served by the attentive and amiable team of waiters.

Lunches also work with a buffet format, with a wide choice of fresh dishes available from 12:30 to 14:00. Typically around 4 different main options will be offered, along with a carvery station, where a choice of suckling pig, beef, lamb will be served. Rice, pasta, veg, salads and side dishes are always also available to accompany the main courses. A truly magnificent dessert buffet is also served at lunchtime with fresh cakes and pastries as well as traditional puddings.

Dinner is a more formal affair, centred around a six course menu typically including a range of seafood and meat mains such as Chateaubriand or Lobster tails. Wines are available by the bottle while iced water, teas and coffees are readily available. Dinner is served from 7:30 to 9:30 usefully, with the menu being displayed shortly before the mealtime. If any of the options on the menu don't suit, steak frites, and a pasta dish of the day are always available.

In addition, once a voyage, a special themed deck lunch takes place, where typically local themed dishes will be served in the deck bar area, with a backdrop of live music.

Entertainment onboard a Star Clipper may not be as glamorous as that of larger cruise lines, yet evenings are still elegant and sophisticated.

In the bars, receptions, libraries and lounge areas, there's a genuine social vibe, with the smaller amount of passengers promoting a friendly and open environment. Here you can sit back with a drink in hand, enjoy live music or chat with like-minded guests.

While there are no specially dedicated kids clubs or spaces, Star Clipper Cruises are more than happy to welcome the whole family onboard. With the opportunity to help the crew out on deck, climb the mast and explore beautiful destinations, this is a holiday that's bound to be memorable even for the youngest guests.

Sailing to some of the most picturesque ports around the world, the combination of stunning destinations and a classic sailing experience makes a Star Clippers voyage truly special. With sailings to the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Southeast Asia and the Panama Canal, as well as ocean crossings, you can travel all over the world.

Having a deck area festooned with sails, masts and several miles of rope, there's much to do and see going on onboard Star Clipper Cruises' ships. The bridge area, complete with ships wheel and navigation equipment is open to see 24/7, which provides a fascinating insight into the navigation and challenges of steering such a vessel as you're free to watch the captain as he guides the ship in to position as the ship moors up each day. If you prefer to be even more hands on, the crew will happily welcome you into the team hoisting up the sails ready for the off!

What's more, each ship boasts a swimming pool, meaning that you can take a splash in the water when you feel like cooling off.

Accommodation

The Cabins on Star Clippers Cruises are on average smaller than those on the huge cruise liners, but thanks to clever design, storage space is ample and the layouts work well. Well furnished with plenty of brass and teak, they are cosy and well-appointed and feel like a refined way to travel. Beds are comfortable and normally are twins which can be arranged as a double. Bathrooms generally feature showers, wash hand basins and WCs, although some of the larger suites offer a bath.

Star Clippers Cruises' cabins are insides without windows, outsides with portholes or suites which have a small balcony area. TVs and DVD players (reception offer free DVD rental) are available in each cabin. Generally though, on a star clippers voyage, not a great deal of time each day is spent in the cabins, especially since the ports of call visited are easily accessible and often quite different to those encountered on larger ship cruise itineraries.

Dress code

In general, the dress code onboard a Star Clippers Cruise ship is casual both during the day and in the evenings. However, if you wish you can dress up for mealtimes and once a cruise there is a Captain's Dinner providing the perfect opportunity to don some of your finer clothes.