We first became aware of the Clipper Line in April 2015 whilst in Port de France Martinique. We saw the Royal Clipper in dry Dock and it was love at first sight. Yvonne’s comment was “we are going to sail on that vessel some day”.
And we did. in January 2016. We were in Barbados doing a housesit and found out that the Royal Clipper sailed into and out of Barbados. A quick search and a screaming last-minute deal and we were off for a cruise in the southern Windward Islands and we Loved it!
These were the Islands on our itinerary:
- Union Island – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Grenada
- The Tobago Cayes – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Kingstown – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Bequia – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Fort de France – Martinique
- Anse d- Arlet – Martinique
- Marigot Bay – St Lucia
- Soufriere and the Pitons – St Lucia
- Barbados
Strangely enough, we had already been to most of these islands whilst housesitting, so we already knew people in Grenada, Bequia, St Lucia etc. Which was perhaps why we enjoyed it so much? Here’s the link to our blog post on the Royal Clipper
Lets Do it again!
We swore when we left, that we would have to do another Clipper Cruise somewhere. It took a while until we figured that a cruise in the Mediterranean, around the Greek Islands would be a great candidate.
Our friend Jane had already said she would be interested if we were thinking of another cruise. We asked and the answer was an emphatic “Yes!”
Exploring Athens
On August 1, 2024 we flew from Dublin Ireland into Athens, and waited at the airport for Jane who was coming in from Vancouver via Paris a little later. Then it was into Athens, where we stayed right by the Parthenon.
We spent a few days seeing the sights and it was hotter than the hubs of hell.
Setting Sail
Then it was off to the Athens Port of Piraeus on August 3rd to board the Star Clipper and get settled in. As with all the Clipper vessels leaving Port is a BIG event. As the sun starts to set, the sails come down, the lines are cast off and off we sail. This magical moment is accompanied by the sound of Vangelis’s 1492 Conquest of Paradise, plus the sound of Champagne corks popping. Because we were past guests, we had received a complementary nicely chilled bottle. With grins stretching from ear to ear, we toasted to our Greek Island adventure.
August 4th was a full day at sea. We were up early, to enjoy both the tranquility and the wind in our faces. Our reward was catching sight of dolphins cavorting off our bow. We also explored the ship a little more. It is a smaller vessel than the Royal Clipper, rigged differently too, but it still had a small pool and sun loungers for those seeking sun or shade.
Our itinerary was of the Northern Aegean islands, which we had chosen over the more usual destinations as we thought these islands might be a little quieter. Plus, it was marketed as a Yoga cruise with an onboard instructor for daily Yoga classes. We were therefore a little surprised that there was no mention of Yoga in the daily schedule. This was eventually bought to the attention of Peter the Cruise Director. Who had not been advised by head office of the ‘Yoga Cruise’ and therefore had not arranged to have an instructor on board. By day 3 he had persuaded one of our fellow passengers (who was a Yogi) to give a daily class, so kudos to him for that.
First Port of Call Dikili Turkey
On August 5th we arrived in the port of Dikili Turkey.
Cruise description – The town features lush olive groves, thermal springs, and a relaxed atmosphere. Historical attractions include the ancient city of Atarneus and picturesque stone houses. Dikili’s waterfront promenade offers vibrant markets, seafood restaurants, and cafés., Dikili is an ideal destination for travelers seeking tranquility and authentic Turkish charm.
In other words, not much happening here, unless you went on the tour to the historical ruins.
We had (pretty much as usual) decided against the scheduled tours, so we disembarked and wandered around town, which was very quaint and quiet and thankfully fairly shady.
Mahvelous Myrina
August 6th we arrived in Myrina, the capital of Lemnos Island, Greece. It was a lovely town and our plans to go to the Venetian castle were aborted, as it was way too hot. Therefore, we spent a few hours walking through covered streets, window shopping and then succumbed to trying some of the ice cream on offer, and were soon joined by a couple of our fellow passengers.
What time is it? – you decide
We decided to go swimming in the afternoon, and this is where one of the biggest differences between the two Clipper ships was really felt. The Royal Clipper being a bigger boat and of different design, had a swimming platform at the stern. Which was fabulous, as you could just jump in and out at will.
With the Star Clipper, if you wanted to go swimming, you were taken closer into shore on a Zodiac. Getting in the water was easy, getting out not so much. It amazes me that there was nothing that remotely resembled a ladder to help guests get back in from deep water. The only foot hold available was a small ledge on the side of the engine. Mike got back in first to help us ladies and managed it fairly easily, but it was not so easy for the rest of us, just getting your foot up high enough to that little ledge was one challenge, the other was levering yourself up on it. Jane had some problems, only exacerbated by our young skipper’s impatience and attitude. With some pushing and pulling we got her back on board and then it was my turn, which went rather more smoothly. None of us were impressed by our skipper to say the least.
Skiathos Greece
August 7th we arrived in Skiathos – It is a very scenic little island and part of the Mamma Mia movie was filmed here. We skipped the tours and went into town with some of the group we had met on board for nibbles and a wander around.
In the afternoon we decided to go for a swim on a local beach, after first checking that we would be getting in and out of the boat at the beach, not in deep water. We were dropped off at the beach, but forget the beautiful white sand beaches of the Caribbean, Greek beaches are usually rock, pebble or gritty sand. Nonetheless it was nice to get off the ship and go for a swim. The same Zodiac skipper as before promised to be back to pick us up in an hour, and off he went.
We had a pleasant swim and found that we had some fellow passengers on the beach with us, so it was nice to just sit and chat, although there was not much shade to be had. An hour and a half go by and no sign of our zodiac. Another half hour goes by and one of our companions’ phones the ship and request our ride back (thankfully the number is on all the boarding passes). Eventually the zodiac comes into sight, bringing two more passengers to the beach and to collect us.
Marooned on a Greek Island
But our wait was not over, apparently no one is allowed in the zodiac without a life vest and the only ones he had with him is those worn by the two passengers he just bought out. After some incredulous discussion, we decide the lucky two to be Jane and another lady and off they go with a promise to come back for us immediately.
We wait, and wait some more, and then eventually, there he is tearing back at break neck speed. Thankfully with enough life jackets for all 8 of us, we pile in, hot, sweaty, thirsty and a little sun-kissed. We’re not done yet though; our skipper seems to be having problems steering the boat and is unable to back out through the cordoned off passage.
Apparently, something has broken and with no steering capability we are going nowhere! No problem, he will just radio in and they will send out another Zodiac. No answer! Tries again no answer! He then tries to phone the Cruise Director and again no answer. We have now been marooned on the beach for over 4 hours! He tries yet again and finally manages to connect, hurray our ride is on its way!
Our one-hour swim and beach session was almost 5 hours by the time we got back onboard. We barely had time to get showered and changed before dinner, made for a good story though.
Skopelos -Mama Mia!
August 8th was Skopelos. If the name sounds familiar its probably because that’s where most of the Momma Mia movie was filmed. This was the one place we had chosen to do a tour and yes it was the Momma Mia tour. We had a blast and all of us thoroughly enjoyed crossing the island, singing along to the tunes and seeing where it all happened. We all hiked up the narrow little trail to the tiny chapel, perched high on a rocky outcrop. We then visited the famous beach where a lot of the action happened, including the guy’s dancing on the dock with snorkelling gear on. Sadly, it’s no longer a pristine, untouched beach, it was wall to wall sunbeds and bars. But the next beach over was still relatively unspoilt, so we went to explore. This is when I managed to put my foot in a hole and turn my ankle. At first it wasn’t too bad, but by the time we got back to the ship, we thought it best to get it iced and the ship’s nurse to have a look. He bound it up and cautioned me to rest it.
Guests of Honour
Today was also Captain’s Dinner night. Everyone dresses up a wee bit more and the menu is usually a little fancier. There are always the lucky few, who get invited to join the captain for pre dinner drinks and to join him at his table.
We were flabbergasted to find we were in the lucky few, a printed invitation waited for us in our cabin. We were also invited on the Royal Clipper, but we know that was because our friend knew the Cruise director on that ship and had set it up. But this time we had no idea why. Maybe it was to make up for the ‘beach stranding’, but apparently not, none of our fellow stranded had been invited.
The captain was a personable man from the Ukraine and was very interested to know that we had been on the Royal Clipper. He kept asking what we thought of it, and what was the biggest difference between the Royal and the Star Clipper. I managed to be diplomatic and not tell him that we much preferred the Royal, she was bigger, more comfortable, the food was better and they didn’t leave us stranded on a beach with no shade for over 4 hours. We got the distinct impression that he wanted us to tell him that we preferred the Star Clipper, but sadly I could not oblige.
Perfect Poros
August 9th Poros was our port of call. It looked very pretty with its pastel-colored buildings but with my gimpy ankle, I left it to Jane & Michael to go exploring. I found a book and some shade and enjoyed the peace and quiet on board.
It was also another swimming day, and it was here where Jane took advantage of the watersport equipment on board and had a go at Stand-up Paddle Boarding. Before we knew it, she was on her feet and having a whale of a time.
Round Trip
August 10th was our last day. We were back in port; we said fond farewells to some new found friends and disembarked after breakfast. We took an Uber to Rafina as it was convenient for getting to the airport the next day for our flight to Croatia.
We had a wonderful time and would recommend the Clipper Line to anyone, but to be honest I think it will be the Royal Clipper again next time.
Next Stop Split Croatia – No Wait Mikonos!
The next leg of our adventure was soon to begin, but Greece had one surprise left for us. We boarded our flight to Split, Croatia via bus, and were comfortably settled in our seats when the second bus load arrived. Before we knew it, there were people complaining that others were in their seats, including us apparently. Before I pulled my boarding pass out, the problem had been resolved. The second bus load of passengers was supposed to be going to Mikonos, not Split. They had been brought out to the wrong plane! They were quickly rounded up and herded off, and we were away, although later than planned. That’s a ‘first’ for us in all our years of travel and we got quite the giggle from it.
