Royal clipper movie#

Lucia Deshaies, Guadeloupe (which replaced hurricane-damaged Dominica) Falmouth Harbor, Antigua St Kitts Terre de Haut, Iles des Saints and Anse D’Arlet, Martinique.Īt St.

With the Royal Clipper at anchor, passengers tendered ashore at Rodney Bay, St.

Our itinerary that week was typical of the smaller ships that cruise the Caribbean, aimed less at cities and shopping, more toward off-of-the-usual-course islands, towns and beaches. Folks I asked said they were having a delightful time several indicated they were grateful that they had packed pills or patches to ward off motion sickness. The open top deck was the popular place to be whenever the ship was sailing during the day.

Royal clipper movie#

Then, with the triumphant theme song from the movie 1492: Conquest of Paradise as background, the ship soon was at full sail, tilted a bit to the port (left) by strong winds off the Atlantic, and moving enough that passengers needed to use one hand to hold onto something if they wanted to change seats or use the stairs down to the covered deck below. We motored out of the harbor in mid-afternoon. All meals on Royal Clipper are served in the terraced dining room My recent voyage aboard Royal Clipper began in Bridgetown, Barbados, the ship’s home port for the winter, before returning to the Mediterranean for the summer season. Why? To say you did it and to produce proof of the experience on Instagram. (Do not wear prized jewelry or carry anything in your pockets, which surely will empty into the frothy waters below to join the other cameras, cell phones and coins from voyages past.)įor the more adventurous, at least once a week when the ship is in calm waters, passengers may line up to don a protective harness, then make their own climb into the rigging to reach a platform 60 feet above the deck. Passengers, a few at a time, may lounge in the net for a thrilling ride above the sea. Most memorable on Royal Clipper is climbing onto the bowsprit net, which hangs like a hammock on either side the 53-foot pole at the “front” of the vessel. Unique opportunities on a sailing ship Royal Clipper’s deck is awash in ropes and wires, including the rigging that hold up masts and the lines used by the crew to control 42 sails You might even get a lesson in tying knots. Motor-driven cruise ships hide their operations crew below decks, but on this ship, passengers meet and get acquainted with crew members as they rest between scurries to maneuver the sails. The romance of the voyage and the joys of sailing lure vacationers aboard.ĭeck hands are the stars of the Royal Clipper show, especially when they climb the rigging to make an adjustment or repair. This ship grants passengers a peek into the past, when ocean transportation was ruled by capricious winds and sailors had none of the building materials of today - 56,000 square feet of Dacron sails, metal masts and hulls, and navigation equipment far more accurate than a gaze at the stars. In an age of boxy cruise ships that look like floating hotels, the sleek Royal Clipper is a wonder. Passengers, such as the woman at center, may don a harness and climb the rigging to a platform that is 60 feet above the deck Sometimes, you need to get out of their way. On the Royal Clipper, you will be among passengers who chose this type of cruise to revel in the motions of the sea to feel the wind as it works its magic among 42 sails that propel the ship forward and to share the open top deck with five masts and enough cordage to allow a hustling crew to raise, trim and lower the sails. That ladder moment is too late to decide whether you favor the ride and rigging of a glorious sailing ship or prefer something that is steadier, roomier, and more luxurious on a much bigger vessel. BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS-The first time that you climb the ladder from dock to gangway to board the 227-passenger Royal Clipper, you will know instinctively that your week on the world’s largest sailing vessel will be unlike any other cruise.