Royal Clipper Review
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Second cruise on the Royal Clipper (first was 5 years ago) and, if anything, better than the first. A truly magnicent jewel of the sea!
Embarkation at Bridgetown , following an overnight stay at the Sugar Cane Club, was efficient and speedy. No sooner had we received our key cards and a drink at the tropical bar than our luggage was at our cabin and we could prepare for the voyage. Lifeboat drill, an excellent dinner and we were on the upper deck for the sailaway. Just as I remembered from the first cruise and actually even better - the light show and Vangelis' wonderful music were spectacular. Back at the cabin, Conrad our cabin steward had turned down the bed and left chocolates, a nightly ritual - brilliant. Sea was quite choppy the first night, more than I recalled from our first cruise, but we slept well.
Breakfast and lunch are buffet service, excellent choice of dishes and a chef preparing eggs to order at breakfast, roasts and salmon at lunch. Dinner was served at the table by a marvellous team of servers and there was a really good selection of reasonably priced wines. Drink prices overall were very good, better than other cruise lines and hotels ashore. Service every day was impeccable, every crew member had a smile and a greeting, a credit to Star Clippers. Anita, the hotel manager, is a real star.
Cabin Review
Really nice cabin on the Clipper Deck, next door to one of the owners' suites. Reasonable size, good bathroom (unlike a previous reviewer, we had constant hot water). Conrad our steward looked after us really well, some lovely towel art!
Port Reviews
Barbados
Stayed overnight prior to cruise, Sugar Cane Club on west coast is an excellent hotel
St. Lucia
Familiar with Rodney Bay as we have stayed on the island on previous occasions. Marina is a fair distance from the town, we used a local bus, only EC$1.50 each way. Good supermarket if you forget any essentials.
Iles des Saintes
Nice little town, good selection of shops and cafes.
Antigua
Know Falmouth harbour very well from previous visits. Was able to use free wi-fi while ashore, a bit quicker than the ships. A lovely island, well worth a longer stay.
Martinique
Lovely quiet beach, bit remote from the capital, no chance of an excursion there as the stay wasn't long enough.