Cruise Line: Star Clippers
Cruise Ship: Star Flyer
Cruise Destination: French Polynesia
Cruise Dates: July 6, 2008 - July 13, 2008
Guest Contributor: Retired 50
Three of us sailed on a 7 day cruise on the Star Flyer (of the Star Clipper line) in French Polynesia (Tahiti) in July 2008.
As with most things, there was both good and bad. The good news was this is a small ship with a maximum of 170 guests. There were only 109 aboard which allowed for lots of intimacy.
We made several new friends from both the USA and abroad. You could pretty well get to know everybody if you wanted to. It is also a very casual, relaxed ship. Leave your tux, jacket, ties and formal wear at home. Pack accordingly.
The food was very good and plentiful. There was a good variety except the breakfasts were all pretty similar. The service was very good. Our cabin steward and dining room waiter were top notch. The shore excursions were very good. Some of them were cancelled at the last minute due to attendance or weather but that's probably normal. The water sports were very good except it was sometimes hard to find pool towels. The diving was excellent. The rented diving equipment was fine and worked properly. Most everyone was very social and nice. There were very few children aboard (which could be good or bad). There are lots of stairs and no elevators. Most of the guests were non-Americans but everyone seemed to speak English. The crew is multi-lingual. The daily announcements were in several languages.
The bad news is the cabin for 3 was extremely small. It was so small that we had to buy another cabin after we got there. Had the ship been full, it would have been a miserable trip. The tiny cabins seemed to be a common complaint. Even the nicer cabins (on the main deck) had complaints of the lack of privacy and the noise from everybody always milling about. At times the ship rolls noticeably and that motion makes some people very uncomfortable. Take extra medications because they are super expensive on shore. Pack as light as possible because there's not much room for your luggage.
There was very little sailing (without the engines running) which was disappointing since I'm a sailing instructor and the cruise was billed as "An authentic sailing experience." The ship stayed on schedule for 7 days and did so because they put some of the sails up and then motored. I was expecting to be able to help crew but working areas were roped off and the crew did everything themselves. The Captain wasn't overly friendly to a colleague which I found disappointing. Many of the officers seemed bored. They promised to raise all 14 sails and then let the passengers take pictures from the tenders which they never did. They allowed you to climb the mast (to the crow's nest) but the line was really long and most were turned away when the allotted time expired.
While the cabins were non-smoking, the decks were not. There was lots of cigarette, cigar and pipe smoke in the public areas. The heavy smoke made it uncomfortable to watch the evening entertainment or wait at the gangway for the shore excursions. (I guess this wouldn't be bad if you are a smoker but we're not.) The 2 pools were slightly larger than bathtubs and filled with saltwater, sometimes.
The literature said that all financial transactions were in Euros. This was true aboard except that you could charge everything to the room and then pay by credit card, and even include the crew tips if you wanted to. They didn't say that the local currency is Pacific American Francs. The locals take Euros and American dollars but the exchange rate varied among vendors. Be forewarned.
Also, If you plan to say a few days on the Islands before or afterwards, take plenty of money as hamburgers were $24 (each, American) at our hotel on Tahiti. Three lunches and three dinners for a group of 4 Australian friends cost them $2,000 (American). When you factor in the high food costs, the Star Clipper becomes an even better value. (Drinks are extra onboard but the water tastes fine and nobody got sick.)
Overall the trip was great but because of the miniscule cabins, I doubt we'd sail with them again. If you're a party of more than 2, forget the triple cabin and do something else. Also, it seemed that everyone we talked prices with paid a different amount or had a different promotion, so shop dilligently.
Cruise Ship: Star Flyer
Cruise Destination: French Polynesia
Cruise Dates: July 6, 2008 - July 13, 2008
Guest Contributor: Retired 50
Three of us sailed on a 7 day cruise on the Star Flyer (of the Star Clipper line) in French Polynesia (Tahiti) in July 2008.
As with most things, there was both good and bad. The good news was this is a small ship with a maximum of 170 guests. There were only 109 aboard which allowed for lots of intimacy.
We made several new friends from both the USA and abroad. You could pretty well get to know everybody if you wanted to. It is also a very casual, relaxed ship. Leave your tux, jacket, ties and formal wear at home. Pack accordingly.
The food was very good and plentiful. There was a good variety except the breakfasts were all pretty similar. The service was very good. Our cabin steward and dining room waiter were top notch. The shore excursions were very good. Some of them were cancelled at the last minute due to attendance or weather but that's probably normal. The water sports were very good except it was sometimes hard to find pool towels. The diving was excellent. The rented diving equipment was fine and worked properly. Most everyone was very social and nice. There were very few children aboard (which could be good or bad). There are lots of stairs and no elevators. Most of the guests were non-Americans but everyone seemed to speak English. The crew is multi-lingual. The daily announcements were in several languages.
The bad news is the cabin for 3 was extremely small. It was so small that we had to buy another cabin after we got there. Had the ship been full, it would have been a miserable trip. The tiny cabins seemed to be a common complaint. Even the nicer cabins (on the main deck) had complaints of the lack of privacy and the noise from everybody always milling about. At times the ship rolls noticeably and that motion makes some people very uncomfortable. Take extra medications because they are super expensive on shore. Pack as light as possible because there's not much room for your luggage.
There was very little sailing (without the engines running) which was disappointing since I'm a sailing instructor and the cruise was billed as "An authentic sailing experience." The ship stayed on schedule for 7 days and did so because they put some of the sails up and then motored. I was expecting to be able to help crew but working areas were roped off and the crew did everything themselves. The Captain wasn't overly friendly to a colleague which I found disappointing. Many of the officers seemed bored. They promised to raise all 14 sails and then let the passengers take pictures from the tenders which they never did. They allowed you to climb the mast (to the crow's nest) but the line was really long and most were turned away when the allotted time expired.
While the cabins were non-smoking, the decks were not. There was lots of cigarette, cigar and pipe smoke in the public areas. The heavy smoke made it uncomfortable to watch the evening entertainment or wait at the gangway for the shore excursions. (I guess this wouldn't be bad if you are a smoker but we're not.) The 2 pools were slightly larger than bathtubs and filled with saltwater, sometimes.
The literature said that all financial transactions were in Euros. This was true aboard except that you could charge everything to the room and then pay by credit card, and even include the crew tips if you wanted to. They didn't say that the local currency is Pacific American Francs. The locals take Euros and American dollars but the exchange rate varied among vendors. Be forewarned.
Also, If you plan to say a few days on the Islands before or afterwards, take plenty of money as hamburgers were $24 (each, American) at our hotel on Tahiti. Three lunches and three dinners for a group of 4 Australian friends cost them $2,000 (American). When you factor in the high food costs, the Star Clipper becomes an even better value. (Drinks are extra onboard but the water tastes fine and nobody got sick.)
Overall the trip was great but because of the miniscule cabins, I doubt we'd sail with them again. If you're a party of more than 2, forget the triple cabin and do something else. Also, it seemed that everyone we talked prices with paid a different amount or had a different promotion, so shop dilligently.