On this seven-night Caribbean voyage out of Barbados, Royal Clipper anchors off such off-the-beaten-path hideaways as Terre-de-Haut, a tiny French island with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants that's part of the Iles des Saintes archipelago. Just as notable: Royal Clipper's relatively small size as compared to modern mega-ships allows it to access destinations that often are off limits to bigger vessels. Still, the experience is about more than the novelty of traveling on a cruise vessel powered by the wind. They also can pop into the bridge to talk sailing with ship officers. Later in the cruise, Carlson and other passengers will have the chance to help hoist the sails. While it's modeled on an iconic sailing vessel of old, the Preussen, it was built just 17 years ago and features such modern comforts as cabins with marble-lined bathrooms, a spa and three deck-top pools.īy far the biggest of Star Clippers' three ships (the other two are nearly 80 feet shorter and carry just 170 passengers a piece), Royal Clipper offers a taste of what crossing the world's oceans was like before the arrival of propeller-driven vessels. But it's no relic of the grand age of sail. In a cruise industry increasingly dominated by floating mega-resorts that carry thousands of vacationers and are chock full of gee-whiz attractions, Royal Clipper is an anomaly - and a throwback to a bygone era.Ĭarrying just 227 passengers, it's a true clipper ship of the sort that famously sped across the world's oceans in the 1800s. "I'm just waiting for Johnny Depp to walk up." "It feels like I'm on a real pirate ship," says Furger, one of dozens of passengers out on deck to take in the spectacle as Royal Clipper sets off for nearby Guadeloupe. RELATED: Sailing to French Polynesia on a Windstar ship Lucia, made all the moreso by the blasting of the triumphant theme song from the movie 1492: Conquest of Paradise across the deck from loudspeakers. It's a dramatic beginning to the ship's departure from St. Moments later the giant rectangular mainsails begin to come down, and the massive Star Clippers ship - four decks high and 439 feet long - catches the wind. Soon the first of a dozen triangular staysails lining the middle of the vessel begins to unfurl. Like in a scene out of one of the Pirates movies, officers barks out orders as the crew pulls on thick ropes connected to massive sheets of sailcloth. is standing near the wheel of the world's largest full-rigged sailing ship, Royal Clipper, watching as more than a dozen deck hands scramble across its teak deck to set the sails. The 25-year-old alumni association staffer from Madison, Wis. Lucia - Jenna Furger is having a Pirates of the Caribbean moment. For passionate travellers and sail cruising connoisseurs, the 439 foot Royal Clipper offers a sea-going experience like no other finding an undeniable balance between the grandeur, adventure and tradition of classic sailing and the superb facilities, cabins and conveniences associated with the finest modern yacht.View Gallery: Photo tour: Sailing ship line Star Clippers' Royal Clipper She also combines beauty with comfort by offering every onboard luxury you could wish for. For all the characteristics that she possesses from the grand age of sail, Royal Clipper is as new as tomorrow, and boasts state-of-the-art navigation systems to prove it. With her complement of 42 sails, which have a combined area of 56,000 square feet, Royal Clipper stands out amongst her peers in more ways than one. Until today… Influenced by the German tall ship Preussen, which graced the seas for eight years before it was involved in an accident in 1910, the Royal Clipper has the proud distinction of being the largest and only five-masted full-rigged sailing ship built since her predecessor was launched on her maiden voyage from Bremerhaven. Neither before nor since had the world seen such a magnificent sailing ship. The legendary Preussen dominated the seas, only to be gone in a few short years. In 1902, the largest, fastest sailing ship the world had ever seen was launched.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |