Although we tend to present the most well known ports of call with the most "sizzle" to our clients to entice them to book their group on a ship in Europe - sometimes we overlook the more quaint, lesser-known places that may be even more appealing. My cruise on Star Clipper is a perfect case in point. Your clients are most likely not as familiar with places like Agropoli, Lipari, Taormina, Sorrento - if indeed they have heard of them at all. However, ports like these are extremely manageable, and in some ways even more interesting than their "glamorous" counterparts. Call them quaint - but to visit them is a way to really get to know the destination. They are much less commercial and trafficked, but every bit as interesting. And, after you leave, you feel that you have really gotten to "know the locals" and experience everyday life in a faraway place.
Star Clipper is roughly a 150-passenger authentic sailing ship. When the sails go up each day and we depart one glorious sun-soaked port for the next, music from "Christopher Columbus 1492" plays over the sound system, and everyone is out on deck to witness one of the most beautiful sights on earth - a ship at full sail. Instantly, you have something to say to the passenger next to you at the rail...."Isn't this fantastic?"
The ship itself is very intimate. I highly suggest a charter over a group booking because passengers tend to be pretty close together on this ship. The cabins are basically all the same, with a handful that are either inside, or too small (to be used for staff) that I would limit incentive winner use to 150. Fortunately, the dining room accommodates the entire ship in one seating, which you would expect on a ship of this size. The most memorable meal by far was a lunch barbecue that they held on the Tropical Deck. This is the only covered deck onboard, and it serves as a "multi-purpose room" for gatherings, entertainment, cocktail parties, etc. If at all possible, I would highly suggest an on-deck meal more than one time during the cruise. It is a great deal of fun and should be repeated. Considering the size of the ship (and consequently the size of the galley), I think the crew does a very good job with the food. True, the selections are limited - so don't expect what you would see on a more traditional ship. However, there was a wide array of fresh ripe fruit, vegetables, salads and desserts. Main courses are limited - but still well prepared and served to order. The only food items that I found disappointing were the afternoon and midnight snacks. They would need to be improved and amended for a charter. Since there is no room service, the passengers did tend to get hungry at 5 pm following a shore excursion or visit - and that afternoon snack became more important that it would on a more typical cruise, where food is accessible day and night. A nice touch however, was the a large, continually replenished fruit bowl, and coffee/tea service, available 24 hours a day just near the bar.
The cabins on this ship seem larger than they are, due to the skillful way they were constructed. You do have portholes instead of picture windows, but that seems to add to the charm and character of the ship. There is plenty of storage space for clothing and personal items. Remember, no need to bring anything even slightly dressy onboard. You will never need a sports jacket, cocktail dress, etc. It is not even casual elegant. It is "casual casual" - making for an extremely comfortable environment all around. There are three television channels that play news and movies - but only at certain hours - so the place to be for entertainment is definitely out on deck with the other passengers. One night, there was professional entertainment brought on in Sicily. The other nights, it was more like Club Med-style diversions, such as trivia contests, a crew fashion show, and a piano player/singer. If you have a spare cabin on a charter, a comedian would be a nice touch!
I am often asked how this product compares to Windstar. If you take a look at the pricing structure, you answer your own question. A typical Windstar charter is about $140,000 per week MORE than a Star Clipper charter. That is about $900 per person MORE on Windstar. Do you get what you pay for? Generally, that is the case. However, if you have a client with a tighter budget, who wants to charter and have total exclusivity, visit some amazing ports of call, and is willing to sacrifice certain luxuries for a down-to-earth all around good time, Star Clipper is an excellent value. With a three-ship fleet, the company does some wonderful itineraries, r/t Athens, r/t Rome, r/t Cannes, r/t Phuket (Thailand), r/t Barbados and r/t St. Maarten, and visits ports that other cruise ships pass by.
A few final notes...
I had the distinct pleasure of hooking up with a most congenial DMC/ground operator while in Rome. It turns out that they handle a majority of the cruise lines who dock at Civitavecchia. Having met with the owners of the company, I was impressed by their professionalism, knowledge and attention to detail. I would highly recommend them the next time you do a cruise or land program in Italy. Here is the information:
Perry SchiavoMarco Schiavo
Inter Trav Corporation
50, via Sicilia
00187 Rome (Italy)
Tel (06) 42881642 or (06) 42881472
Fax (06) 42820075
e-mail: inttrav@uni.net
Another company to consider, also with a very knowledgeable and congenial owner is DDP Incentive Management. Although I did not get to know Dario as well, he had some wonderful advice and information before and during my trip.
Dario De PaolisTel (06) 5431288
Fax (06) 5413980
e-mail: ddpinc@ddpincentive.it
I hope this information is useful to you in future planning.
