Safely back on board, I decide to head for the ship’s library where a talk on the earliest sailing voyages of mankind is being offered up before dinner. Now I’ve attended many such presentations on other cruises and frankly, they can be boring. The library is comfortable, rich, and beautifully appointed. The stock of literature, predominantly in English and German, isn’t something to sneeze at either.

I arrive late and passengers are already comfortably assembled around the perimeter of the room. At the front with a world map affixed to the wall is Peter Kissner, a tall, tanned Bavarian with tousled blonde hair drawn back in a pony tail. He is Star Clipper’s Cruise Director. My expectations for the talk aren’t very high.

When he wrapped up at eight o’clock, and even with hunger pangs whispering, I was prepared to sit there all night, riveted by this man. I’m not the betting sort, but I’d wager that Peter has more knowledge about maritime history than academics in this field. Not only that, his storytelling ability is unmatched. We heard about Ferdinand Magellan, the first to circumnavigate the world. We heard all about the political intrigue surrounding his historic voyage, and Peter magically teleported me to the deck of Magellan’s ship where I became one of this famous navigator’s men.

I promised myself not to be presumptuous about on-board talks again.

To get your copy, call 1-800-442-0556 or e-mail brochures@starclippers.com.

Grasshopper

Ingredients:
Cacao White — 2 cl
Menthe Vert (green mint syrup) — 2 cl
Fresh cream — 2 cl

Glass:
Martini glass

Garnish:
Two cherries

Shake all ingredients with ice cubes and then pour into a glass. Enjoy!

Velvet Hammer

Ingredients:
Cointreau — 2 cl
Creme de Cacao White — 2 cl
Fresh cream — 2 cl

Glass:
Martini glass

Garnish:
None.

Blend all ingredients with ice cubes until smooth and then pour into a glass. Enjoy!

Swordfish Steak with Olive Oil

Ingredients for 4 servings
4 slices of sword fish steak
2 tablespoons of olives, halved without the stones
6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Lemon

Decoration
1 Lemon (in quarters)
12 Basil leaves
Green beans and cherry tomatoes sautéed in butter
Boiled potatoes

Preparation
Heat up a little oil in a pan, season the fish with salt and pepper and sauté from all sides so the fish is still a little glassy in the middle. Keep warm.

Add the rest of the olive oil to the pan and sauté the olives. Season to your taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Serving Suggestion
Place the boiled potatoes and sautéed seasoned green beans and tomatoes on a large plate. Put the swordfish steak on top and cover with the olives and olive oil. Garnish with lemon pieces and basil leaves.

Chef’s Tip
It’s also very nice with tuna steak or grouper filet.

Blue Moon

Yes, we know that's a lemon and not an orange!

Ingredients:
Gin — 4 cl
Blue Curacao — dash
Sweet & Sour Mix — top

Glass:
Hurricane glass

Garnish:
A slice of orange with a cherry and umbrella.

Shake all ingredients with ice cubes and then pour into a glass. Enjoy!

Fakarava, South Pacific atoll for its remoteness and beauty.

Bora Bora for the most beautiful water in the world.

Iles des Saintes for its quiet charm.

I’ve got a lot more favorites!

What is a typical sea day like for you?
A sea day is usually a little bit more calm than a port day. We usually have a morning meeting, then we start the activities. Mostly there are a lot of sport activities like mast climbing, gymnastics, aquagym, etc., but also additional programs like treasure hunts and quizzes.

I prefer to do paperwork on these days because I never leave the ship like the other days for excursions. So I have the maximum time to do the paperwork. On the other hand, its also a great day to do lectures because everyone is on board. The lectures are about historical subjects, etc.

What is a typical port day like for you?
In port we have a lot more activities and I have to be in many different places. The most important thing is that the tender service is working properly. We have tenders going in and out for excursions and everyone has to be in the right place at the right time. So I am on the ship doing paperwork, leaving the ship to meet the excursion agents, going back to the ship and writing the program, going back to shore and picking up the excursion again…

Besides that, there are a lot of water sports activities as well, either from the ship or from the beach which take place at the same time as other activities.

I don’t really have a typical day. Most of the activities strongly depend on the arrival and departure time, so I might either start with an excursion in the morning or with the conception of the next daily program or with a lecture, sports activity, dance class, quiz, paperwork … Usually I start very early in the morning and try to finish as much work as possible, then I take a little break after lunch or go out myself and then I start again in the afternoon. After the evening entertainment “the job is done” but I like to stay with the guests in the bar and talk to them.

What activities do the guests seem to enjoy?
As there is a very wide range of activities, almost every guest can find the perfect entertainment for himself or for herself — from fruit carving to knot tying. Usually the “special” activities are very much appreciated, such as mast climbing, the photo tender around the ship, engine room visit, talent show … It depends on the type of passengers, but usually they like everything that makes the ship and the cruise special and everything that is personal like the talent show. The don’t want to watch a movie on tv, they appreciate more the entertainment where they are in a direct contact with the crew.

What are your favorite kinds of activities to arrange?
I always try to find the corresponding activities for the type of passengers. I think excursions with a historical background are quite interesting, but also typical sailing ship activities like mastclimbing. I am personally very much into scuba diving and sailing in general. My favourite activity is actually being on deck when we have the sailaway. Still after many cruises its so impressive to stand on deck and listen to the sailaway music while seeing the lights fading away.