Choose a Cruiseline or a ship
Question or 
quote?

Ask an agent

Ships of Star Clippers

Royal Clipper

Royal Clipper

126 Cruises availables
Star Clipper

Star Clipper

101 Cruises availables
Star Flyer.

Star Flyer

113 Cruises availables

Star Clippers: real sailing ships, square-rigged

Three sailing ships make up the fleet, and they often leave on the same day: the choice turns less on the date than on the cruising region. The number of departures currently on sale is shown at the top of this page. Royal Clipper and Star Flyer and Star Clipper share the calendar. On a fleet of three the choice turns less on the date than on the basin, and the three calendars read better side by side than one ship at a time.

The three ships

Star Flyer, from 1991, and Star Clipper, from 1992: two four-masted barquentines carrying about 166 passengers, built in Ghent. And Royal Clipper, from 2000: a five-masted full-rigged ship, about 227 passengers and 42 sails, built in the Netherlands. The line was founded in 1989 by Mikael Krafft, a Swedish shipowner, and remains family-controlled: his son Eric became executive chairman in July 2026, when a chief executive from the expedition trade took over.

Royal Clipper and the Preussen

She is inspired by her, she is not her replica, and the line does not claim otherwise. The Preussen was the German five-master of 1902, sunk in the English Channel in 1910; Royal Clipper is the first five-masted full-rigged ship built since. That is already a great deal, and it is more honest than the word "replica" you read elsewhere.

Do they really sail

The line writes that all three sail wherever possible and use engine power when the wind is short, so as to keep to schedule. It publishes no percentage. The figures in circulation come from a single editorial source, not from the line, and we will not invent one. What is established, on the other hand, is that guests may help the crew raise the sails without any obligation, and that a climb to the first crow's nest is offered when the weather allows. The exact conditions — harness, age, weight, waiver — are published nowhere: have them confirmed in writing before promising that climb to a teenager.

Who these ships are not right for

Anyone prone to seasickness: they have no stabilisers and heel under sail, which is the whole point of the product. And anyone who needs a wheelchair: no elevator, no accessible cabin, most calls at anchor by tender, sometimes with a wet landing. The contract of carriage does not write "not accessible"; it obliges the guest to declare their condition, allows the line to require an able companion and reserves its right to refuse boarding. It falls to your advisor to say this plainly before booking, and that is what we are doing here.

Two practical details

Shore excursions are booked on board only, not in advance: a guest used to arranging everything from home should know that. And if you want a larger sailing ship, with an elevator and accessible cabins, look instead at Windstar Cruises — knowing that half its fleet has no sails at all.

Frequently Asked Questions

Three: Star Flyer from 1991 and Star Clipper from 1992, two four-masted barquentines, and Royal Clipper from 2000, a fully square-rigged five-master. The number of departures currently on sale is shown at the top of this page.
Yes, which is why it is better to read their calendars side by side than one ship at a time. On a fleet of three, the choice turns less on the date than on the cruising region: Caribbean, Mediterranean or Asia.
Star Flyer, from 1991, and Star Clipper, from 1992: two four-masted barquentines carrying 166 guests, built in Ghent. And Royal Clipper, from 2000: a five-masted full-rigged ship, 227 guests, 42 sails, built in the Netherlands. The line was founded in 1989 by Mikael Krafft, a Swedish shipowner, and remains family-controlled.
No, and the line does not claim it is. She is inspired by her: the Preussen was the German five-master of 1902, sunk in the English Channel in 1910, and Royal Clipper is the first five-masted full-rigged ship built since. That is already a great deal; it is not the same thing as a copy.
The line writes that all three sail wherever possible and use engine power when the wind is short, so as to keep to schedule. It publishes no percentage. The figures in circulation come from a single editorial source, not from the line, and we will not invent one.
The line writes that guests are welcome to help the crew raise the sails, with no obligation, and that a climb to the first crow's nest is offered when the weather allows. The exact conditions — harness, age, weight, waiver — are published nowhere. Have them confirmed in writing before promising that climb to a teenager.
Anyone prone to seasickness: they have no stabilisers and heel under sail, which is the whole point. And anyone who needs a wheelchair: no elevator, no accessible cabin, most calls at anchor by tender, sometimes with a wet landing. The contract of carriage does not write "not accessible": it allows the line to require an able companion and reserves its right to refuse boarding.
We will not say it in the line's place. What the fare covers changes here from one departure, market and cabin grade to the next, and we have not measured it departure by departure. Ask your advisor for the written list of the exact departure before booking, not after. One useful detail meanwhile: shore excursions are booked on board only, not in advance.
Yes. This page shows the departures we carry online, and our inventory does not always cover the line's full catalogue. Call us with the date and region you found: in most cases we can book it for you.
It depends on the departure and the market, not on the line. On these small fleets the working language on board is almost always English. If French matters to you, say so before booking.
On ships carrying one hundred to three hundred guests, yes: there are few cabins and the best go early. Talk cancellation terms through with your advisor before you decide.
Your agency, and it alone. Voyages AquaTerra operates under a licence from Quebec's Office de la protection du consommateur, your payments pass through a trust account, and the compensation fund for travel agency clients covers your departure. That holds whichever line you choose.
Ask an agent
1-866-628-6241
Entrez le code de sécurité