Questions

[AlanM03]

My wife and I have been cruising on cruise ships for about 10 years now and we are thinking about trying out a tall ship cruise like Windstar, starclipper or windjammer. The one issue that concerns my wife is the movement of the ship. She is prone to motion sickness and takes bonine when we cruise. Do these tall ships move alot more than the cruise ships? What is the average age group of those who cruise the tall ships? What is a typical day like on one of these ships. Any information is appreciated. Thanks......

[DoctorTom]

We were on the Star Clipper in December. The ship is great, and we had a great time on her. The ship sails most of the time, and has all the movement of a sailboat. The movement is much more than on any cruise ship. It was a great sensation, being "rocked" to sleep at night, and eating dinner while heeled over, catching the occasional moving glass, but I think someone prone to seasickness might not be happy. We had one dinner when several passengers were missing because of sea sickness.

 

There were a wide range of ages on our sailing, from honeymoon couples to people in their 80s, but most people were in their 40s-60s. About half the passengers were European. No children.

 

The days seemed to revolve around eating, port excursions and watching the ship sail. Very impressive when they raise the sails! Lots of time to lie on deck, and lots of open deck chairs. Evening entertainment was decidely lowkey - listening to the piano player, talking in the bar, and several nights of organized games. We had a great time, and would definitely sail on them again, but I think you need to enjoy the "sailing" part of the equation.

[dogandcat]

We have just returned from back to back cruises on the Royal Clipper. I also suffer from motion sickness but had no problems on this ship because of cabin selection and using meds when needed. A cabin in the middle of the ship on Commodore Deck worked for me. Cabins 130, 129, 128, 127, 124, and 123 are the ones we generally book. I feel that cabins with the third bed above on the wall (125, 126 and all the others with a triangle on the deck plan) are not the best choice. It is difficult to read in bed in these cabins.

Meds: Yes, this is a sailing ship and there was some motion, especially the last night from Martinique to Barbados. Also, some motion on the first night out of Barbados. I used the scopolamine patch these 2 evenings. It is best to put it on 4 hours before the ship starts sailing. Some people used the wrist bands with electrical impulse and others used oral medication. Do not let motion be an issue for you on any cruise- there are ways to deal with it. This was our 43rd cruise (on large, medium and small ships- including a voyage to Antarctica across the Drake Passage).

Typical Day: Read through different post and threads and you will learn about the "magical moments" on the Royal Clipper. The sails were the focal point of our 14 days on the Royal Clipper. Every day there is a new port of call- you can do shore excursions or your own thing. Most days there is a tender to the beach and some days they do a "snorkel safari" from the ship on the zodiacs.

[vinceygirl]

First ask yourselves what do we want from this vacation?

 

Windjammer, I have sailed 9 x's and never not had a wonderful vacation. Having said that I'll break it down.

 

1. Acommodations - One word basic. If you require a lot of creature comforts don't bother. You will get a clean and comfortable spot to catch a few zzzz's

do your daily routine and store your " stuff "

 

2. Meals - Wholesome and filling. Never had a bad one. If gourmet is a necessity

stay home or book an all inclusive on some island.

 

3. Beverages - Complementary Bloody Marys Virgin & Hi-octane early am,

Rum swizzles upon 1st boarding and everyday @ 5-ish with snacks, wine with dinner,out of pocket expenses it's cheaper for me to drink top shelf and fancy umbrella drinks here than it is at home.

 

4. Atmosphere - Friendly and family like very casual - barefoot really does mean barefoot. Be as inclusive or reclusive as you choose.

 

5. Entertainment - Stars, sailing, breath taking scenary and time alotted to actually enjoy your time on a given island, making new friends, history and a few surprises as well. No piano bar here.

 

6. Excursions - Reasonably priced & diverse based on your preference and physical abilities.

 

7. Average age - Best guess late 20ish - to 60ish but have sailed where the youngest was 18 & the oldest 80. Age didn't matter the 18 yr old was my niece who is now 25 and she had the time of her life and wants to take her children when they are old enough.

 

8. Motion sickness - I have been lucky not once. Others yes but not debilitating and there's always the scop patch, ginger candy, crystalized ginger and pressure point bracelets if necessary. plan ahead if you think this might be a problem.

 

9. # of passengers- the smallest 64, largest I believe 130. No herd mentality here getting on and off the ship, little if any wait to board the launches. very

intimate you will most likely meet everyone of your fellow passengers either @ dinner, the bar, on the launch, or just shooting the breeze. It's great.

 

I realize WJ's are not for all. For me it is a no brainer I like the fact that the most serious decision I make for the day is what bathing suit to wear. People are from all walks of life. Some are professionals others your everyday worker no one cares. Those that can sail every few months and some save and fit this in to their budgets every couple of years. The crew are the absolute best and will go not only the extra mile but above and beyond. I have always been treated with utmost respect & courtesy. I sail alone & with friends but never feel out of place when I do go alone. The feeling and exhiliration of sailing on a tall ship never leaves. The image of those sails raising for the 1st time will just creep into your thoughts when you least expect it and before you know it your next sail is scheduled. Happy Sails. If you want to ask me any questions feel free to e- mail me sandyf2@verizon.net Also you can visit www.jammerbabe.com and follow the threads for more info. And no I do not work for WJ but I do love their product.

[Beach Hunter]

We took the Star Clipper out of St Martin in March 2004. I do suffer from motion sickness and was very sick the first night after we sailed all night the 10 miles to St Barts. I took a pill that morning and it helped. After that I spent very little time in the cabin. I did not take any more pills nor did I get sick again. My solution was to rise early every morning, quickly go up on deck and watch the horizon. I had some nice conversations with other like mined passengers. We had a cabin near the front of the boat so the motion was more than in the center. If I had taken dramamine I might have been okay.

 

Really enjoyed the ship and the small number of passengers (159). Got to met most of them, except the French. If you want to enjoy the feel of a real sailing ship this is it. While moving, we were under sail about 95% of the time. It also gets you to smaller ports that the big ships cannot make.