BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS
By David G. Molyneaux, editor
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.
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.
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. Sometimes, you need to get out of their way.
In an age of boxy cruise ships that look like floating hotels, the sleek Royal Clipper is a wonder. 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.
The romance of the voyage and the joys of sailing lure vacationers aboard.
Continue reading "With 42 sails unfurled, Royal Clipper cruises for tiny towns and empty beaches" »
