Ahoy shipmates! Unleash the sails, pull the anchor up and follow your dreams into a journey of a lifetime!
I was given an amazing opportunity to visit the stunning Star Flyer which is only 115 meters long and carries just 166 guests. Life onboard is blissfully relaxed, much like travelling on a private yacht! Below was my Journey of a lifetime.
Day 1
An early start from Heathrow with Air France via Paris, we finally arrived in paradise! St Martin, the island has a border one side being Dutch and the other French. We were met by the St Martin tourist board who had fantastic expertise and knowledge of the island.
We stayed 1 night in a place called Phillipsburg in the south of the island at the Holland house hotel, the hotel was beachfront facing, and I had a very spacious sea view room which had stunning views of the bay and ships coming into the port, arrival time was the afternoon so we had a hotel tour and seen the facilities at the hotel which was very boutique. The evening soon arrived and we had dinner at the hotel, which was freshly caught fish and succulent steak, we were looking over the great bay before hitting the hay for an early start the next day.
Day 2
We woke up bright and fresh and had an amazing breakfast at Holland house beachfront, with lots of vibrant fruits and fresh dishes, we walked around Phillipsburg and saw the colourful shops and town centre. We stopped for lunch at a place called Indigo, which was beachfront and in a very small bay.
After a full lunch, we then were off to a rum shop called Toppers, where we were introduced to the CEO of the company and Topper himself who was 85 and loved his rum! This place had a vibrant atmosphere! We ended the day on the French side of the island at a hotel called Grand Case Beach Club! I had a two-bedroom deluxe room with massive space! This had an upstairs and a downstairs with a kitchen, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and beautiful scenery! We had food at the hotel which was delicious! We headed into the evening for a few drinks.
Day 3
Today we looked around a few hotels Oyster Bay Beach, Orient Beach Hotel, Villas and many more which were pure luxury! All hotels were set in prime locations to beaches which are all public, we finally boarded on the legendary Star flyer in the evening and had a fantastic sail away party with the music Vangelis-Conquest of paradise being blasted on the top deck, whilst the elegant sails were blowing in the wind, an iconic moment on the ship. I had a CAT 4 cabin which had a porthole and was a cozy cabin this also had a private marble bathroom! I didn't spend much time in the cabin as I was always on deck or out and about exploring! We had a lovely meal in the evening dining room (Clipper deck) and were welcomed aboard by the captain and crew!
Day 4
We arrived at a place called Nevis, we had a breakfast buffet in the restaurant on the ship to make sure we were fuel ready for our day fuel of activities! The breakfast had a variety of hot and cold food, we were met in Nevis by a kind taxi driver who took us to the unique four seasons hotel which was out of this world. The grounds of the hotel were kept pristine and the Christmas decorations sparkling!
In the evening onboard, we had an amazing 6-course meal which had a variety of food to please all dietary needs on board. We then headed to the evening fashion show on board which all crew was involved in and made all guests on board welcome to join in, this was very fun!
Day 5
Today we arrived in Dominica, we got up for breakfast then we climbed the crow's nest and had amazing panoramic views around us, to top this fab experience off we had the Royal Clipper sailing next to us which was magical! After an adrenaline morning climbing, we had another fabulous lunch and then headed off to Dominica. We visited the Cabrits Resort & Spa Kempinski which was on amazing grounds and had stunning rooms, we spent the rest of the afternoon on the beach in Dominica. Dinner was 6 courses yet again! Which had plenty of variety followed by more fun entertainment on board.
Day 6
We were heading to Terre-de-Haut Island, which is the easternmost island in the Îles des Saintes, part of the archipelago of Guadeloupe. We had a stroll around some shops and had a coffee looking out at the beautiful ocean, in the afternoon we headed on a different tender which took us to a small beach where we went snorkelling, paddle boarding, water skiing and kayaking which was all FREE! After a long day participating in water sports, we had a quiz night onboard after dinner which our group won! And we were given a bottle of champagne, the entertainment on board is very minimal but highly sociable and the crew are always joining in.
Day 7
Overnight we sailed to Guadeloupe where the TV Programme ‘Death In Paradise’ was filmed. We went ashore to the small town and looked at some of the sights of the film. We had lunch on board the ship which was Italian themed and had pizza and pasta a variety of foods and catered for all dietary requirements. I spent the afternoon relaxing in 1 of the 2 pools on board.
This was a great place to speak to repeat and new guests of Star Clippers onboard, we all shared travel stories with each other. We watched a very impressive sunset before the evening meal and onboard talent show.
Day 8
We arrived in beautiful Falmouth Antigua; this was a highlight of the trip for me as I got to swim with stingrays! The excursion started at 8am where we headed to Sting Ray City, a speedboat drove us about 3 miles out to sea where we got into the water to see these magnificent creatures! An experience that I will remember for a lifetime! The stingrays would be swimming around you and were very friendly! After the excursion, we headed back to the coast where Star Clippers put on a beach BBQ. In the evening we saw a steel band who played many reggae classic songs, which made a fantastic ambience on board towards the end of the trip.
Day 9
The famous St Bart's or Saint-Barthélemy Island, we had breakfast after a choppy night at sea, the ship anchored at 10am, and we chilled out by the stern pool before going into St Bart's. St Barts is a French-speaking Caribbean Island and is known for its white-sand beaches, designer shops and high-end restaurants.
We had a look around the harbour and the ships which were docked which looked very expensive! After a stroll, we stopped for a drink and absorbed the ambience around us, with a cheeky ice cream before heading back to the stunning Star Flyer. It was a very chilled afternoon with more passengers socialising and making friends for life. We had a fantastic evening in the restaurant with the crew singing and dancing with baked Alaska running around the restaurant. A very good way to end sailing!
Day 10
We finally arrived back at St Martin where we disembarked the ship at 8am, we had the rest of the day before our flight in the evening so went to Îlet de Pinel (a Small picturesque island featuring beaches with sunbathing, snorkelling & relaxed bars) we had an amazing meal at Karibuni restaurant and chilled before travelling back to UK.
Overall, do Star clippers treat you like a star?
Yes! The service on board is fantastic, the crew remember your name from day 1. The ambience on board is very chilled and social. If you love sailing and want to learn absolutely anything about tall ships this is definitely the experience for you.
For more information on Star Clipper contact me on 01823 335111 or email me [email protected]
