Summary
- A sailing adventure aboard the Star Flyer through the Lesser Antilles, with sunshine, storms, and laid-back life on deck.
- Highlights include mast climbing, water sports, and a family-like atmosphere—no traditional cruise entertainment.
- Sailing voyages on four- and five-masted ships in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and Atlantic, with week-long trips starting at €2,000 per person.
"This is very unusual"
Star Flyer's Sailing Adventure Blends Thrills and Tranquility at Sea
This is how to experience the Caribbean—even when the famed passage through the Sir Francis Drake Channel later turns mostly gray. "This is very unusual," says Sergei, the first officer on the bridge of the Star Flyer. "This is very rare," adds Croatian Captain Ante, eyeing the forecast for the next day. "This is sailing," says Peter, unfazed, always ready with an explanation, especially for the unpredictable: "When it's cold and stormy in North America, it always affects the weather here" (New York is buried in snowstorms right now), "but it will pass."
Until it does, you come to appreciate the ship—and the easygoing vibe on board—twice as much. There's a restaurant with breakfast and lunch buffets, followed by five-star à la carte dinners in the evening, where guests dine without the frantic rush of piling plates as if there were no tomorrow. A piano/tropical bar serves the lounge inside and the deck outside. A wood-paneled library offers a quiet retreat for games and reading—perhaps diving into tales of which islands Columbus allegedly landed on, or the shifting colonial claims of the Dutch, English, Spanish, and French. A musician plays the organ, piano, flute, or saxophone, subtly in the background. The crew and service staff, a colorful mix from around the world, quickly feel like part of the ship's big family—always friendly, seemingly (no, genuinely) happy in their work.
Climbing the Mast
Mast climbing is one of the Star Flyer's star attractions when the weather is fine. The brave strap on two carabiners and ascend the rope ladder up the sixty-meter masts to the first platform. From there, the view is spectacular: the deck with its blue sun loungers, the two nets at the bow where you can sprawl out, the sea below, and the sky above—once again that brilliant Caribbean blue.
That same dazzling blue greets you at Frigate Bay on St. Kitts, the southernmost stop on this Lesser Antilles voyage. Here, Serge and Ferguson, the Star Flyer's young sports team, unpack the gear—paddleboards, windsurfing boards, even a wakeboard for the skilled riders to carve circles around the four-masted ship. Meanwhile, other passengers, back from an island excursion, sip on the freshest coconut water you'll ever taste from one of the small beach huts.
Setting Sail When the Wind Calls
It's not every day you board a Caribbean cruise ship and hear Cruise Director Peter announce before departure, "The ship might move a bit tonight." What he means—hinted at by the wind in Sint Maarten's harbor under a radiant evening sun and a few scattered clouds—is that things could get rocky.
"We were under sail all night—no engine!"
The rocking turns out to be mild, a gentle breeze of 3 to 4 knots lulling you into a cozy sleep in your cabin. And the next morning, as we glide past the coast of Anguilla, Peter proudly declares: "We were under sail all night—no engine!"
Because this is nothing like what passes for a cruise today: "None of that Las Vegas-style nonsense—no shows, casinos, discos, fourteen restaurants, or waterslides," Peter says. "We're on a sailing voyage!"
The Ships Sailing voyages are offered aboard two identical four-masted clippers—Star Flyer and Star Clipper (each accommodating 166 passengers)—as well as the five-masted Royal Clipper (227 passengers).
Cruises Seven- or fourteen-night voyages in the Mediterranean (April–November), off the coast of Costa Rica, and in the Caribbean (November–April). Transatlantic crossings between seasons.
2026/2027 Offer A one-week sailing cruise aboard the Star Flyer, including full board, departing from and returning to St. Maarten. Prices start at €2,000 per person, depending on cabin size. Custom pre- and post-cruise programs and flights available upon request. Contact: [email protected], Tel.: +43 676 7004077, or visit your local travel agency.
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