Star Flyer

A Tall Ship That Actually Sails

Star Flyer is a four-masted barquentine that carries 16 sails and up to 170 guests across the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, and beyond. She is not a replica or a theme park attraction, she is a working sailing vessel, and when conditions allow, her engines are shut down and she moves under canvas alone. The silence that follows is what most guests remember longest.

Built in 1991 and modelled on the great clipper ships of the 19th century, Star Flyer blends genuine tall ship character with the comforts you would expect on a premium voyage: air-conditioned cabins with private bathrooms, open-air dining on the Clipper Deck, cocktails at the Tropical Bar, and an atmosphere that is effortlessly unhurried.

Life Under Canvas

On Star Flyer, the sails are part of daily life. They are raised and trimmed by the crew as wind and weather permit, and guests who want to understand what is happening are welcome on the open bridge at any time. The captain and officers share the art of navigation freely, something you will not find on a conventional cruise ship.

Water sports are woven into the rhythm of each voyage. When the ship anchors in a sheltered bay, the boarding ladder goes over the side and guests swim directly from the hull. Snorkelling equipment, kayaks, and stand-up paddleboards are brought out from ship’s stores at no extra charge. The experience is unceremonious and genuine, there is no pontoon, no ticket desk, no queue.

Destinations and Itineraries

Star Flyer sails itineraries that suit the nature of a tall ship: island chains, sheltered anchorages, historic harbours, and open-water passages where the sails fill and the hull moves through a following sea. The Caribbean programme covers the Leeward Islands, the Windward Islands, and routes that would be impossible for a large vessel to navigate. The Mediterranean season brings the Aegean, the Adriatic, and the western basin, coastal sailing at its finest.

Because Star Flyer carries only 170 guests, she visits ports and anchorages that remain closed to mass-market ships. Many stops are tendered ashore in small boats, maintaining the exploratory character that defines the Star Clippers experience.

On Board

The public spaces on Star Flyer are designed around the pleasures of being at sea. The main dining room offers open seating at one sitting, guests sit where they choose, join new tables each evening, and eat well without formality. The library is stocked with sea charts and books about the regions the ship visits. The Tropical Bar, open to the stars at night, is where friendships form over sundowners as the anchor chain rattles down in a quiet cove.

This is a sailing cruise for guests who want to experience the sea rather than merely cross it. Star Clippers operates Star Flyer alongside her two sisters, Star Clipper and Royal Clipper, each offering a variation on the same essential promise: genuine sail, genuine places, genuine company.