Roland | July 17, 2009
Last week Cathy Herrington sent in a photo taken on her honeymoon cruise in Tahiti. We prevailed upon her good nature to send us some more, and she did. Cathy wrote that “this was our third Star Clipper cruise, one in the Med and in the Caribbean. Have loved every one of them. Looking forward to doing the Far East.”
We look forward to hearing about the Herringtons’ adventures in the Far East.
Cathy and James relax in the bowsprit netting.
Carol Mayberry Said,
July 20, 2009 @ 2:50 am
We are planning a trip to Tahiti Aug of this year. We would love to here all you can tell us about these Clipper cruises. How did you like….
the food, service, shore excursions, staff and the ship itself?
Thanks so much.
Julie Said,
July 20, 2009 @ 3:10 pm
Hi Carol,
Thanks for your comment/question. Hopefully one of our very experienced Star Clippers travelers will reply to your message and you’ll get a better idea about your upcoming vacation — which will be wonderful!
Best,
Julie
Stefania Said,
July 20, 2009 @ 4:32 pm
Carol , I can only tell you how envious I am of your upcoming cruise. It was one of the best experiences of my life. From the minute you step off the plane , and the smell of Tahiti hits you….hibiscus and Tahitian Tiare flowers are everywhere , their aroma is wonderful and something you wish you could take home with you !
The ship itself is awesome. The staff are super friendly , the barguys even remember your name and your favorite drink! My favorite hang out in the evening was the bar , I met some really nice people and you also get a chance to talk to /ask questions of the staff.
Take advantage of the water activities too , I went snorkellig off the boat and even tried a little waterskiing…although in my case in was water flailing , but so much fun! If you are not scuba certified you may want to take advantage of the the lessons available , if you are certified , sign up for dives fast they book up quickly and the diving there is not to be missed.
I loved the shore excursions I took. I went on the 4 wheel ATV ride in Moorea and the views, the great guide and the experience is not to be missed. Dont miss the chances to take the tender on to all of your destination islands and take a look around , oh , and if you can make sure to get on the excursion for the shark /ray swim …super fun!
The food on board is excellent. I gained more than a few pounds , but each meal was worth the diet I had to go on when I got back!
Dont miss the sail out from each port…watching the sails go up , listening to the music, feeling the wind…you will NEVER be able to listen to Vangelis music again without remembering…
Let me know how it goes..I hope you have as much fun as I did…I know you will!
Ann Corless Said,
July 24, 2009 @ 2:52 am
Carol – I really don’t need to add much to what Stefania said. We have been to Tahiti three times and think it is the greatest place in the world (and we used to live in Hawaii!). We did not do Star Clipper in Tahiti but recently went on two Star Clipper cruises in Thailand (my blog is posted here) which were wonderful in every way.
We have traveled on the Royal Clipper twice and were a bit anxious as to whether or not we would like the smaller ship as well.
Other than the cabins being a bit smaller and fewer public areas, we enjoyed the Star as much as the Royal. Well, I did miss the underwater spa and exercise room though!
The only drawback to the Star is that the dining room is exceptionally noisy. If you are at a large table, you can hardly hear the people at the other end. With the big central atrium on the Royal going all the way down to the dining room, it seemed to be much quieter. A hint – we discovered that the booths at the very back of the Star dining room were the best and quietest.
Meals were just as good on the Star as the Royal, although maybe not as big a selection. Probably just as well, as the separate dessert table for lunch on the Royal was incredible and I tend to go for desserts first!
As Stefania said, the most memorable parts of the cruise are being on deck when the sails go up, the music starts, and the ship slowly moves out. You will get tingles up your spine – guaranteed!
If you enjoy the Tahiti trip, I can highly recommend the Royal’s 11 night Western Mediterranean cruise. The ports were wonderful. Croatia is the best country in Europe!
In the meantime, enjoy Tahiti and the Star Clipper. And don’t forget to climb the mast!