Fantastic ship, but standards of care fell short
I have long held the ambition to sail on one of the Star Clippers, and my wife and I decided to celebrate my 70th birthday with an Adriatic cruise on Royal Clipper. Sad to say, the experience was disappointing. The Royal Clipper is a wonderful ship; the way modern fittings and technologies have been incorporated into what looks like a traditional clipper is remarkable and a credit to its designer. So what went wrong? Nothing major, but a host of minor niggles spoilt our trip. First, the condition of the ship. In the main it seemed to be well looked after, though at 26 years old it must surely be approaching a refit. The tenders used for ship-to-shore transfers are an embarrassment. Our mid-range cabin was particularly tatty: some repainting had been done, but sloppily, and the bathroom evidenced poor repairs. The basic TV worked only occasionally, as did the paid-for wi-fi. Tea and coffee facilities were absent (though a single self-service facility was provided elsewhere on the ship). The telephone handset was so grubby I hid it from view. Announcements over the ship's PA system were barely audible, which probably contributed to the absolute shambles of a life-jacket drill on the first evening. It was mid-morning on the following day before the lifeboat drill was properly explained. Next: catering. We found the food to be bland and repetitive. Dinner, which should have been a highlight, consisted of three courses with two choices for each. No coffee, petit fours or anything to raise the level above school dinners. Choices at breakfast were limited if you wanted hot food: there was bacon, scrambled egg and usually a few leftovers from dinner. Omelettes could be had but weren't worth queuing for. Milk on the ship was all UHT, but perhaps that's to be expected. Finally, crew and entertainment. We had the feeling that crew morale was not high. Many were welcoming and helpful, but others didn't seem to feel that engaging with passengers was part of the job. I witnessed a heated argument among a group of crew members on deck. The captain's efforts to jolly things along seemed forced. On a small ship one doesn't expect nightly entertainment, and there were just two musicians on board. Unfortunately neither was very good, and we would rather have sat in silence than listen to the pianist. We found out at the 'Talent Show' that other members of the crew had more ability and enthusiasm. Would I travel with Star Clippers again? Possibly, but I'd need reassurance that standards had been raised - perhaps after a refit.
By Mr S.