![]() ![]() The bathroom was minute and yet it had everything needed and more toiletries than one person could ever use. There was a small flatscreen TV with a DVR for in-cabin movies and safety drills, a hair dryer, a radio, a telephone and a safe. Plenty of closet space, great reading lamps by the bed, and a lovely porthole so close to the water that the ocean often splashed right over the glass. Literally, there was a place for everything. Yet at 118 square feet, it was masterfully designed. My Cabin #110 on Commodore deck was a pleasant surprise. Star Clipper Cabin 110-credit Monte Mathews Gleaming brass and polished woods dominate both its interiors and exteriors. Carrying just 166 guests and 74 crew, Star Clipper is likely the closest I will ever get to sailing in an enormous private yacht. As we boarded our cruise off the Costa Rican coast, the contrast between Princess Cruise’s Emerald Princess and our glorious sailing ship could not have been more apparent. Even when its sails are stowed whenever the ship anchors, Star Clipper impresses. ![]() Would I fit in with an international crowd of German, French, Belgian, American and Swedish passengers? To say nothing of a crew of Filipinos, Indonesians, Indians presided over by a Polish Captain and officers from Germany and Spain? The answer to all these questions was a resounding, Yes!Īt 379 feet long, with a beam of 49 feet, this gleaming white vessel is quite a sight to behold. But, I wondered, if the wind was our propeller, how would I take to being tossed about should we encounter stormy seas? For that matter, would my wardrobe and I fit into my cabin just above the waterline and advertised as being all of 118 square feet? Could I navigate the stairs required to travel between Star Clipper’s four decks and clamber over the ropes as the crew raised and lowered its 16 sails. I had grown used to ships as hotels, glorious carriers that take passengers from place to place with hardly a ripple in my wine glass. For one thing, Star Clipper is a sleek, four-masted schooner, the dream of owner Mikael Krafft, a Swedish yachtsman bent on recreating the glorious age of clipper ships. The Star Clipper experience promised to be unlike any of the over 30 cruises I had taken. In all honesty, I didn’t know what to expect when I happily accepted an invitation to sail on Star Clipper, one of three true Sailing Ships in Star Clippers’ fleet. ![]()
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