Five masts, 227 guests, and yes, you can climb to the crow’s nest.
Star Clippers runs the real thing: three square-rigged tall ships that sail when the wind cooperates, with the canvas going up to the ship’s own anthem on the first night out. Royal Clipper is the five-masted flagship for 227 guests; Star Clipper and Star Flyer carry 170 each. Summers are the Mediterranean and the Greek Isles, winters the Caribbean, with the Grenadines and Windwards from Barbados and the Leewards from St. Maarten, plus Costa Rica, the Panama Canal and Indonesia in between. It suits sailors and would-be sailors, couples who find big ships exhausting, and anyone who wants to climb a mast or lie in the bowsprit net over open water. SmartCruiser shows every Star Clippers sailing with taxes and fees included, SmartCruiser picks first, and SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit per cabin on sailings where Star Clippers allows it.
Three ways to sail with Star Clippers
Pick one and the list below filters to it. Same sails and the same deck, three different waters.
Caribbean under sail
- 7 nights from Barbados to the Grenadines and Windwards, or from St. Maarten through the Leewards
- Bequia, the Tobago Cays, Iles des Saintes and Jost Van Dyke: anchorages big ships cannot enter
- Water sports off the ship’s own platform: kayaks, paddleboards, snorkeling, sailing dinghies
Best for: sailors, snorkelers, couples who want a beach every day and no crowds
Mediterranean and Greek Isles
- 7 nights from Cannes, Rome, Venice, Athens or Malta, May to October
- Amalfi, Bonifacio, Hydra, Dubrovnik and the Cyclades, tying up in the small harbors
- Royal Clipper in the Western Med; Star Clipper and Star Flyer in Greece and Croatia
Best for: a Mediterranean cruise with 200 people on board instead of 4,000
Costa Rica, the canal and ocean crossings
- Winter runs along Costa Rica’s Pacific coast and through the Panama Canal under sail
- Spring and fall transatlantics, 14 to 20 nights of open-ocean sailing
- Indonesia and Thailand on Star Clipper’s Asia seasons
Best for: serious sailors, the canal on a small ship, a once-in-a-lifetime crossing
Star Clippers deals: SmartCruiser picks first
Every Star Clippers sailing on all three ships, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings, bonus onboard credit or a Special SmartCruiser rate we hold on that departure. Below them, every other sailing with full sorting.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery Star Clippers sailing
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Where Star Clippers sails
Trade winds in winter, the Med in summer, crossings in between. Pick a region and the list above filters to it.
Lines you may also like
Small ships, big sky. These are the lines our Star Clippers guests also sail.
When to go
The ships chase the wind: the Caribbean trades from November to April, the Mediterranean from May to October.
Star Clippers questions we answer every day
What is included in a Star Clippers fare?
Your cabin, all meals, the sailing itself, and the water sports from the ship: snorkel gear, kayaks, paddleboards, windsurfers and sailing dinghies at anchor. Drinks, gratuities and shore excursions are extra. Port taxes and fees are already in every price we show.
Who sails Star Clippers, and what is life on board like?
A mix of Europeans and Americans, mostly 40s to 60s, who want the sea rather than a resort. There is no casino and no production show; there is a piano bar, a deck barbecue, stargazing from the bowsprit net and the chance to help haul a line or climb to the crow’s nest with a harness. Children are welcome but there is no kids program, and the cabins are compact.
Do they really sail, and will I get seasick?
Yes, the sails are set whenever the wind allows and the engine helps keep the schedule. You will feel more motion than on a big ship, especially on open-water days; Royal Clipper has anti-roll tanks and the Caribbean trade-wind runs are generally gentle. If you are prone to seasickness, bring your usual remedy and book a lower, midship cabin.
Is there a dress code?
No formal nights, ever. Shorts and a polo at dinner on deck are fine; most guests change into something a little nicer for the dining room, but a jacket is never required.
Do I need a passport?
Yes, for every Star Clippers sailing, valid for at least six months past your return. The Caribbean voyages start in Barbados or St. Maarten rather than a US port, so a passport is required even for those.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price on this page includes cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses. Drinks, gratuities, excursions and flights are extra, and we quote the total before you book.
Talk to a Star Clippers specialist
Tell us which season and which ship, and we price every Star Clippers sailing cabin by cabin with the bonus onboard credit included. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.