Dear Sailing Friends

DEAR SAILING

FRIENDS…

“I MUST DOWN TO THE SEAS AGAIN, TO THE LONELY SEA AND THE SKY, AND ALL I ASK IS A TALL SHIP AND A STAR TO STEER HER BY...” JOHN MASEFIELD - SEA FEVER

I love this quote about what it means to travel—I feel it simply and concisely sums up my own complex and long-held feelings about the magic of sailing. Travel is a gift that allows us the luxury of viewing the world through a new lens, one coloured by a heightened understanding of other cultures and lifestyles. Travel highlights the similarities as well as the differences in each new place we visit, and provides us with fresh perspectives.

Similarly, to sail the globe on board an authentic tall ship is to gain a new perspective on what it means to “cruise.” Star Clippers’ sailings offer an experience that is both modern and classic, but never ordinary, and certainly inimitable. Our tall ships embrace the romance of sailing the open ocean, using wind charts to navigate to small ports and harbours that larger ships can’t access. At the same time, we’ve made sure our modern ships offer guests all the comfort and amenities you would expect from a luxury yacht.

The 2022 and 2023 seasons will see some exciting changes to our sailing itineraries. Star Clipper, which has been sailing in Southeast Asia, will be joining her sisters in the Mediterranean in April, marking the first time in five years that all three ships will sail together in this beautiful part of the world. Our Med sailings are some of the most popular, so we’re very pleased to able to offer more options for our guests here. This also means that all three ships sail the transatlantic crossing —another very popular itinerary that sells out quickly—and we look forward to welcoming new travellers and loyal guests alike on one of these incredible journeys.

I’m also thrilled to announce that for the first time in eight years, Star Clippers will be calling on ports in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, as well as Panama and its famed canal, starting November 2022 as the Star Clipper sets sail for Central America. Seven-day sailings round trip out of Puntarenas call on favorite Costa Rican towns as well as ports in Panama or Nicaragua, depending on itinerary. These new sailings take guests to tranquil beaches like the ones on idyllic Isla Tortuga, Costa Rica and “deserted islands” such as Isla San Jose in the Pearl Islands, a 44 square kilometer slice of paradise. Nature lovers will adore the port town of Quepos, Costa Rica, located near the magnificent Manuel Antonio National Park, where they can encounter monkeys, sloths, and nearly 450 species of birds that call the park home.

No matter what part of the globe you choose to visit, we promise you a unique, intimate cruise experience not possible on a larger ship. While on board, embrace the nautical life and help raise the sails and learn to tie a proper knot. Pass an afternoon relaxing in the hammock-like bowsprit net, suspended over the blue water, or climb the mast to the Crow’s Nest for the ultimate panoramic view. While on board, we encourage you to do everything, or nothing at all.

To our new Star Clippers friends, we’re grateful you found us, and we look forward to welcoming you on board soon. To our long time Star Clippers family, thank you, and I offer you a warm welcome back.

Until then, I wish you fair winds and a following sea.

Mikael Krafft CEO & President, Star Clippers