Star Clippers

1 · POSITION

Star Clippers is described on its own pages as the brainchild of the Swedish entrepreneur Mikael Krafft, and has offered cruises since 1991. The company says its ships filled a niche calling for the casual yet elegant style of a private yacht sailing vacation, as opposed to what it calls the bigger-is-better theory of the huge floating hotel-cruise ships. The accommodation is therefore meant to be read against a yacht rather than against a hotel. [1]

2 · THE SHIP IS THE ARGUMENT

Royal Clipper was built in 2000 and the line says she was inspired by the tall ship Preussen. She is 134 metres long, carries 42 sails on five masts to a total area of 5,000 square metres, and has a passenger capacity of 227. The company calls her the first five-masted, full-rigged sailing ship to be built since 1902. Star Flyer and Star Clipper are four-masted square-rigged barquentines carrying 3,365 square metres of sail. [1, 2]

3 · CABINS SIZED IN SQUARE METRES

Royal Clipper’s accommodation runs from inside doubles to two Owner’s Suites of 40 square metres at the stern. Between them sit 14 Deluxe Deck Suites of 26 square metres with balconies, two Deck Cabins of 14.5 square metres, and 90 outside doubles on the Clipper and Commodore Decks. Twenty-seven of the outside doubles convert to triples. The smallest categories average about 10 square metres, so the range of room sizes within one hull is roughly fourfold. [1, 2]

4 · A CREW DIVIDED BETWEEN SAILS AND SERVICE

Of Royal Clipper’s 106 crew, 20 handle the sails; the line states that the remaining 86 serve passenger needs or are on support duty. A three-deck atrium funnels sunlight into the dining room, which has open seating and a no-tie dress code, with the Piano Lounge at its head and an indoor-outdoor Tropical Bar on the Main Deck. A marina platform lowers from the stern for diving and water sports. The spa and health club has underwater glass portholes. [1, 2]

5 · ⚑ CANDOUR

⚑ The register calls these the largest sailing ships afloat. The line’s own claim is narrower and dated: Royal Clipper is the first five-masted, full-rigged sailing ship built since 1902, which concerns rig and date rather than size. The crew split of 20 to 86 is the company’s figure. Cabin dimensions and passenger numbers here are Royal Clipper’s; Star Flyer and Star Clipper, with 74 crew each, are different ships. No founding year was established, only that cruises have been offered since 1991. [1–2]