Star Clippers: yoga-themed sailings


The Star Clippers tall-ship cruise line, founded by Swede Mikael Krafft,  has signed up more qualified instructors for its yoga-themed sailings this summer and autumn.  They are employed to teach you to balance on one leg in the middle of the Med. 

You are seeing more corpses and happy babies on cruises these days.  As well as a lot more trees, warriors and cobras.  Muster points now have yoga mats and poop decks are full of less sunbathers in sunglasses and more contortionists in leotards posing as Half Lords Of The Fishes. 

For and aft, cruisers are performing their downward-facing dogs and Chakravakasana cat cat-cow stretches. 

Passengers can take part in complimentary, daily power yoga classes throughout eight sailings on board Star Clipper from May– October, visiting ports of call in the Western Mediterranean. An example itinerary based on 15th July 2023 departure sees Star Clipper visiting Cannes, Portofino, L’Ile Rousse, Calvi, Plage Saint Antoine, Le Lavandou and St Tropez.

Fay McCormack, General Manager of the UK GSA, says ‘Today’s ever-increasing awareness of the positive effects of yoga on mental wellbeing reaffirms why we choose to offer this service to our guests’. 

Star Clippers operates three of the world’s largest and tallest fully-crewed sailing vessels. Its 42-sail, five-masted, 134m, three swimming pool Royal Clipper, the world’s largest square-rigger, is inspired by the Preussen tall ship. It has a three-deck atrium as well as the Caoptain Nemo klounge with underwater portholes. It carries 227 with a crew of 106. 

Star Clipper and Star Flyer are both 115m and include a library with a Belle Epoque fireplace. They accommodate 116 passengers and boast a crew of 74. 

The ships can drop anchor in smaller harbours and visit ports often untouched by larger cruise ships and providing guests with the amenities and atmosphere of a private yacht. 

The line offers luxury cruises to the east Mediterranean and, in the winter, to Caribbean ports of call such as Aruba, Curacao, St Barts and St Maarten. There are also Panama canal cruises and Atlantic Ocean crossings. Costa Rica is a new destination and departures  and arrivals from Puerto Caldera and Puntaarenas. 

The new 14 night central American cruise takes in the Arenal volcano, the 600,000 -year-old Poas volcano, the Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge.  La Fortuna Waterfall, El Silencio de Los Angeles Biological Reserve and the Islas Parida and Tortuga.  

Available too in 2023 are Monaco Grand Prix  and Ryder Cup packages as well as a cruise which combines with the  Venice Simpleton-Orient Express. 

Star Clippers, which boasts more space per passengers than most compeititots,  is one of the world’s finest luxury cruise lines. Life on board on the sail-snapping,  open seas is like a five-star Pirates of the Caribbean fantasy holiday. But with A/C, whirlpools, duvets, clean sheets, flat TV screens, mini-bars, haute cuisine, music quizzes, art classes, Stugeron, Wi-Fi, waiters wearing anti-seasickness wrist bands  and no threat of scurvy. 

Or any keel-hauling on the itinerary. Hooped earrings at dinner are optional and the fleet is cutlass-free. Eye patches are not de rigeur. 

Activities on offer include kayaking, windsurfing, wakeboarding,  snorkelling with rays, waterfall hikes, zipline rides, river tubing and even subterranean trips.   As well as the chance to scale the mast to the Crow’s Nest. Supported by safety harnesses.

But if you are more meditation-minded and chilling in the bowsprit net doesn’t appeal,  there are now special yoga cruises, affording you the opportunity to be active when supine.

Don’t miss more updates, news and reviews of Star Clippers on Cruising Journal with photos, videos and cruise offers.

Kevin Pilley

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