Tall Ship FAQs

Sailing on a tall ship offers a unique experience incomparable with sailing on a large ocean cruise ship. As soon as you step on board you will feel the nostalgia and heritage of being on a traditional, rigged sailing ship reminiscent of luxury from a bygone era.

Our tall ships still offer a range of facilities including plunge pools, a library and beauty treatments as well as bars and a restaurant, with the whole experience truly epitomizing the grandeur and adventure from a grand age of sailing whilst being on a modern-day private yacht.

You can expect many facilities and amenities as you would on board any cruise holiday, such as a swimming pool, excellent dining and wonderful service but with the added exclusivity of being on board a stunning vessel. Please bear in mind that the Clippers are genuine sailing ships, so there are many small deck areas with ropes, steps to cross over in doorways and limited shaded places on deck. Some areas are also accessed by swing doors which can open either way and there are no lifts as all decks are accessed by internal and external staircases. You will see the crew work tirelessly to keep the ship in great condition, so there may sometimes be some maintenance work taking place around the decks.

At sea the ships will use sail power when conditions allow, however in order to maintain sailing schedules, the ships engines will often be deployed as well as or instead of sails. It is worth noting that if all the sails are up, the ship can lean according to the wind direction, you need to be steady on your feet!

Absolutely! Passengers are welcome to help the crew raise the sails if they would like to (and conditions allow), but there is no obligation for anyone to join in.

Royal Clipper is the flagship vessel and was officially recognised in 2001 as the world’s largest square rigger in service. Star Flyer and Star Clipper are sister ships and whilst slightly smaller, are equally magnificent.

The Royal Clipper accommodates a maximum of 227 guests whilst Star Clipper and Star Flyer accommodate a maximum of 166 passengers each.

Our Clipper Cruises are chartered exclusively for Riviera Travel guests, therefore you will only be travelling with other like-minded passengers who have booked with Riviera Travel. English is the main language on board.

There are approx. 74 crew on the Star Clipper and Star Flyer and 106 crew on board Royal Clipper.

As unique and traditional Clipper sailing ships, cabins are not uniform throughout - please see the individual deck plans and ship information for cabin sizes. There are several cabin grades on each ship with most cabins measuring a comfortable 12-14 sqm. They are beautifully decorated with warm and welcoming furnishings and although some may be compact, they are all very well designed to ensure you still have all your home comforts. Even the smallest cabins have a double bed (or two singles), TV, bathroom with shower and hairdryer, safe, individual climate control and plenty of storage space.

Some cabins have raised beds (outside Category 5 cabins 136, 139, 300, 301, 342 and 345 on Star Flyer an Star Clipper - they require 3 deep steps to access) with storage underneath for luggage. Main deck Cat 1 cabins and suites meanwhile also have mini-bars and baths on all ships.

All outside cabins feature port holes or windows, whilst the lowest decks especially those near the hull may experience some noise, but that is all part of the experience of sailing on a Clipper ship!

Enjoy a continental breakfast with freshly baked croissants and pastries or indulge in a full cooked breakfast with omelettes cooked to order in the dining room, the choice is yours! For lunch, savour a tempting international buffet which changes daily and may include seafood, grilled meats and salads. Make sure you save room for dinner which will be a delightful selection of courses changing nightly from the à la carte menu. In between you can have afternoon tea and midnight snacks, so you’ll never go hungry aboard a Clipper cruise!

Yes. You can dine at your chosen time in the restaurant with whom you wish, there is no fixed time or fixed seating. The Maître D’ will normally seat you with fellow passengers arriving at the same time and most tables sit 6 or 8 guests so you have a chance to meet and dine with your fellow passengers or you can opt to sit with your chosen companions. Mealtimes are usually adapted according to port timings and departure and return times of excursions.

Most dietary requirements can be met if we have advance notice. Please ensure you let us know any dietary requests at the time of booking.

Drinks are not included with your package but the well-stocked Piano and Tropical bars on board offer an excellent choice of refreshments and international brands along with an extensive wine list in the dining room. Tea and coffee are also available throughout the day.

It is not permitted to bring alcoholic beverages onboard for personal consumption, any bottles purchased on land will be stored in a secure area and returned to you when you disembark.

Whilst the Clipper ships are smaller than many cruise ships and can access smaller ports, berthing alongside some ports still require the ship being at anchor and using the ship’s tenders to come ashore. This will vary according to individual itineraries, but most sailings will have a mixture of both.

Please note you must be fully mobile and in good physical condition to disembark into the ship’s tenders or zodiacs and always accept help and follow instructions from the crew members. Occasionally if at anchor, disembarkation may involve a wet landing.

Shore excursions can range from a 90-minute walking tour to a four-hour coach tour with scenic drives and comfort stops and anything in between! It really depends on the itinerary and ship you have chosen; further details will be provided in your travel documentation. Although we have included a range of excursions designed to show the highlights of a port, it is not compulsory for you to join any tours. Just let your Cruise Director on board know and you can enjoy exploring the port at your leisure instead.

Yes, even our included excursions are optional, so if you prefer to wander at your own pace you can disembark and return to the ship as you please within call times. You will be advised on board when the ship is cleared and you can disembark. There will also be signs advising the latest time for returning to the ship. If there are a large number of guests on excursions, preference may be given for them to disembark first due to their timings and itinerary. There may also be a short wait if guests are disembarking by tender at anchor ports.

The dress code on board is smart casual. Beach or resort wear during the day is perfectly acceptable along with smart casual wear in the evening. Shorts are not accepted in the Dining Room in the evening and gentlemen are kindly requested to wear a shirt with collar and sleeves (polo shirts and short sleeved shirts are fine). There is one Captain’s dinner on each cruise where you may wish to dress up a little, but there are no black-tie events or formal nights.

All ships offer a payable laundry service on board. Dry cleaning is only available on Royal Clipper.

Gratuities are entirely at your discretion and whilst not compulsory, are much appreciated by the staff on board. A suggested amount would be €8 per person per day and these are divided among the dining room waiters and room stewards. You are free to add gratuities onto your on-board account or place in an envelope and deposit in the box located by the Purser’s office.

The preferred method of payment on board is by international credit card including Visa, American Express and Mastercard. At the time of boarding, a personal account will be automatically opened in your name and an imprint taken of your card so you can pay any expenditure on board. Any on board purchases are charged in Euros and will be added to your account to be settled at the end of the cruise. If you prefer to pay by cash, you will be asked to pay a deposit of 300 Euros in cash.

Water sports will be offered subject to time available on the itinerary and also weather conditions and local regulations. If possible, equipment such as snorkel accessories and kayaks will be available to borrow. Any water sports offered are free of charge and you will be requested to sign a waiver.

You can purchase Wi-Fi cards at the Sloop Shop on board for use of the internet. Please note that the signal at sea may be intermittent and will also be affected by sea and weather conditions.

Cabins on board work for European two pin plugs with 110V/60HZ aboard Star Flyer and Star Clipper. A limited number of adaptors are available for a deposit from the Purser’s Office. Cabins on board the Royal Clipper are equipped with 220V European plugs.

There are designated areas on the open deck for smoking. Cigarette butts must not be thrown into the sea. Smoking in cabins or in the restaurant area is not permitted.

These ships will cause no more sea sickness than on any other ship. All ships have stabilizers and the heeling of each ship under sail is kept to a comfortable level. However, if sea conditions are rough or the ship is under full sail and wind conditions are strong, the ship is likely to lean and there may be more movement than normal.

Each day your cruise director will advise of any activities offered on board and these will also be detailed in your daily programme. There are often knot-tying lessons, a chance to raise the sails (weather permitting) and even the opportunity to climb the mast to the first crow’s nest. Each ship also has a well-stocked library including reference books, novels and a selection of board games, beauty and massage treatments and deck space for sunbathing and relaxing. Of course, you will also be in port on many days where either an included tour will be arranged, or you can visit the port independently at your leisure.

There are no theatre style shows on board, but you will have fun activities organised by the entertainment team and the Tropical Bar stays open as late as guests would like. Occasionally you can also enjoy folkloric shows from local entertainers.

The minimum age limit is 12 years old at the date of departure. Any minor must be accompanied by and share a cabin with an adult aged 21 or over. Please bear in mind, there are no facilities onboard for younger guests and children are expected to behave appropriately around other guests and whilst on board the ship.

We appreciate reduced mobility means different things to different people as we understand that individual capabilities, restrictions and requirements are likely to vary considerably. Our priority is always the safety and comfort of our passengers as well as complying with strict legal requirements relating to safety of life at sea and inland waterways. In order to achieve these objectives, passengers with reduced mobility should at the time of booking provide as much detail as possible of the matters set out on our Passengers with Reduced Mobility page.

At some ports the ship may be at anchor, necessitating the use of ship’s tenders or zodiacs to transfers guests ashore. This requires descending/ascending steps to the tender platform and alighting a small tender in open water. There are also flights of stairs between decks (no lifts) and walking on often uneven terrain will be required during shore excursions. Our tall ship cruises are therefore not suitable for guests confined to wheelchairs or with limited mobility.