Facebook fans, Mike and Connie, shared these beautiful sunset photos from their recent cruise aboard Royal Clipper.

If you have a favorite sunset photo we'd love to see it, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The island of Tinos, Greece, is often considered the most-visited Greek island — by Greeks! While there, Star Clippers guests likely will feel like a local, with 90 percent of visitors hailing from somewhere else in Greece.



While on the island guests may want to visit the Church of the Megalochari or Panayia Evangelistria, overlooking Tinos Town, the port. The ancient icon is viewable by the public, and is believed to have particularly potent healing powers. Because of this, Tinos is sometimes called the "Little Lourdes of Greece," after the famous French shrine.



Around the church complex guests will find a variety of museums and galleries including the Archeological Museum of Tenos.



Wandering through the islands cruisers will note hundreds of dovecotes, complex and beautiful structures intended to house pigeons or doves, dotting the island as well as lovely fountains adorning many of the villages.



Another shoreside option in Tinos is to stroll through one the many picturesque villages. Tinos is blessed with 10 historical footpaths covering 63 kilometers, which connect most of the villages and several of the beaches. The paths are marked with numbers and there are signposts at intersections that tell you which way to go and how long it should take you to get there.

Bernd Schröter, director of hotel operations at Star Clippers headquarters in Monaco, shared this yummy recipe with us.


Schröter started his carrier at the age of 14 and went on to worked 10 years as a chef, five years as an executive chef and 12 years as F&B Manager around the world in South America, Europe, the Middle East and Sri Lanka.



Since 2000 he's been in charge of Star Clippers' hotel operations. He is a member of Eurotoques and the Chaine des Rotisseurs.



Broccoli Cream Soup with Chili Cream


Ingredients for 4 persons:


100 gr finely chopped onion

300 gr diced broccoli

1 tsp of olive oil

200 ml of vegetable stock

50 gr of cream cheese (5% fat)

Salt, pepper and sugar to taste



Chili Cream
100 ml fresh whipped cream

1 tsp of finely chopped red chili peppers

3 tsp of croûtons




Decoration
4 Italian bread sticks

4 slices of smoked ham



Preparation
Heat the oil and sautée the onion until it looks transparent. Add the broccoli and let the mixture cook a little bit before adding the vegetable stock. Cover the pan and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.



Mix the soup in a blender with the cream cheese and season to taste (salt, pepper, sugar)



Mix the chopped chili with the whipped cream.



Wrap a slice of ham around each bread stick (leaving half the bread stick free)



Serving suggestion
Pour the soup into a warm soup plate or bowl and garnish with some of the chili cream, sprinkle with croûtons and decorate with one ham bread stick.



Accompany with fresh or toasted baguette.



Chef’s tip:
Strips of turkey breast or sautéed chicken liver also work well as a garnish

We asked, what does “lazy jacks" mean and where did the term originate?


According to, Origins of Sea Terms, by John G. Rogers, "lazy jacks" are lines rigged from high on a mast to the boom on a fore- and after, to facilitate dropping or scandalizing a sail quickly. It is probable that this device was invented by Hudson River sailors, whose sailing cargo boats were occasionally hit by squalls and sudden shifts of wind.

It is generally claimed that the name has its origins in the colloquial reference to British sailors as "Jack tars" "lazy jacks" would therefore point to reduction of manpower and effort that lazy jacks provide.

Gail and John Tremel shared these great photos and note while at the helm aboard Royal Clipper.

We are Gail and John Tremel sailing on the Royal Clipper in 2006 two days out of Barbados sailing to Rome. It was a great crossing almost perfect. We are going to sail the Royal Clipper again in September 2010, Venice to Rome.

If you’d like to share your favorite photo at the helm, send it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Sailing into Coiba Island, Panama, guests on board Star Flyer will find themselves in a UNESCO World Heritage site. The largest of a group of 38 islands off Panama's southwestern coast, Coiba features an unusual marine environment in largely intact condition similar to the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador or Costa Rica's Coco Islands.



The region's rich biodiversity was noted in 1991 when the Panamanian government granted the islands and their surrounding waters national park status. The park now covers more than 430,000 acres, making it one of the largest marine parks in the world.



A water temperature that varies little from 80 degrees Fahrenheit year-round has allowed a great number of marine species, especially corals, to flourish. This is the perfect port of call to take advantage of Star Clippers' wide variety of water sports. Divers on board will be delighted to discover that the waters around Coiba Island harbor no fewer than 760 species of marine fish, 33 species of shark and 20 species of cetaceans.



Nature enthusiasts also will marvel at the variety of birds, animals and marine species found nowhere else in the world. Endemic species include the Coiba Island howler monkey, the Coiba agouti (a small rodent) and the Coiba spinetail bird. The island also is home to many plant and animal species that have largely vanished from the mainland, such as crested eagles, scarlet macaws, spider monkeys and the yellow-billed cotinga.



Through the years, Coiba has seen many changes, from its early rulers the Cacique Indians to Spanish rule, which arrived in the 1500s and included tales of Vasco de Nunez Balbao, the famed Spanish explorer. In the early 20th century the island also served as a penal colony to some of the country's hardest criminals.



Guests can explore what little remains of the former penal colony, but its existence proved to be beneficial to the island — its population's fearsome reputation helped to preserve the island's pristine condition, which remains almost completely undeveloped outside the bounds of the prison camp.



Star Flyer will call at Isla Coiba on a seven-night Panama to Costa Rica cruise Nov. 14, 2010 and on seven-night Costa Rica and Panama sailings from Nov. 28, 2010 through March, 6, 2011.

Today’s challenge is: Lazy Jacks. Do you know what this phrase means and how it originated?



Sailing Lingo aims to test your knowledge of the peculiar and sometimes indecipherable language of sailing. We pose a question and see who can answer it most accurately in the comments on the post. The following day we’ll post the answer to the question and save you some Googling!

We recently asked our Facebook fans to share their favorite picture of themselves at the helm and we received these two beauties!

If you'd like to share your favorite photo at the helm, send it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Star Clippers has changed its seven-night Cote d’Azur sailing following the World Motor Sport Council’s decision to move forward the Monaco Grand Prix by one week. The itinerary change will give guests an opportunity to be in Monaco for the Grand Prix on May 16, 2010.



It will be the first time that the 170-passenger Star Flyer's schedule has coincided with the Monaco Grand Prix. Guests will be able to tender ashore for all the racing action.



The Monaco Grand Prix, a Formula One race, has been held annually since 1929, and is widely considered one of the most prestigious automobile races in the world. The race is held on a narrow course laid out in the streets of Monaco, with many elevation changes and tight corners as well as a tunnel, making it one of the most demanding tracks in Formula One.



The revised itinerary, which originally was to sail from Monaco to Cannes, France, now embarks in Cannes May 15. The ship will anchor in the bay of Monaco and following the race will continue its Mediterranean voyage calling at Corsica, Elba and Portofino, Italy, before returning to Cannes May 22.

Tomorrow, November 26, is Thanksgiving Day in the United States. Star Clippers Blog will not publish tomorrow or Friday, but we will be back Monday, November 30.



Best wishes from all of us to you and yours.

Yesterday we asked, what does “Irish hurricane” mean and where did the term originate?


Congratulations Wayne! You're right, an "Irish hurricane" does refer to calm seas. We hadn't thought about spilling a Guinness, but in our book, that certainly would qualify as a sailing mishap on a par with a hurricane.



Sometimes referred to as Paddy's Gale, the term Irish hurricane began appearing around 1803, when the epithet "Irish" was used ironically in many ethnic slurs based on Irish persons' alleged backwardness.



Some examples include Irish apples for potatoes (1890s); Irish pennant for a dangling rope (1840); Irish dividend, a fictitious profit (1867); Irish clubhouse, jail or police station (1904); Irish confetti for bricks and stones (1913), and Irish ambulance for a wheelbarrow (1931). A great number of these expressions are of American origin, including the use of Irish to denote “fighting spirit, especially in an Irish person.”

Today’s challenge is: Irish Hurricane. Do you know what this phrase means and how it originated?



Sailing Lingo aims to test your knowledge of the peculiar and sometimes indecipherable language of sailing. We pose a question and see who can answer it most accurately in the comments on the post. The following day we’ll post the answer to the question and save you some Googling!

Stuart, a recent guest, shared these beautiful photos of Royal Clipper from his Mediterranean cruise.

Marmaris, at the junction of the Aegean and Mediterranean seas, is located in southwest Turkey. Its Mediterranean climate, characterized by a hot and humid summer, is perfect for Star Clippers' guests ready to take in everything the seaside resort town has to offer.



Sheltered by a gorgeous backdrop of pine-clad mountains, it's easy to see what makes Marmaris a popular cruise ship and yachting port. Fueled by a tourism boom in the 1980s and '90s, the modern full-service marina is full of sleek boats. Here guests also will find ferries running to and from the Greek island of Rhodes.



The town's many coves and inlets provide excellent opportunities to swim, dive or practice a water sport in the beautiful turquoise sea.



Marmaris plays host to some the liveliest nightlife on the Turkish coast, with countless bars and restaurants found near the palm-lined marina.



Before heading off to sample some of the incredible nightlife, guests may want to explore the restored castle of Suleyman the Magnificent and its appealing cobblestoned old quarter.



At Ataturk Park guests will uncover frankincense trees which are rarely found elsewhere in the world and feature a delightful aroma.



A small market district in the center of town is a great way to spend an afternoon haggling for a good deal. A tasty souvenir is a caam ball made of pine-scented honey, locally produced in this area of pine forests.



Star Flyer will call at Marmaris during its 2010 seven-night Turkey's Turquoise Coast sailing on July 24 and Aug. 7, and its 14-night Grand Mediterranean sailing on Aug. 21.

Porthole's Readers' Choice Awards have been announced and Star Clippers' flagship Royal Clipper was named best tall ship!



This marks the publication's 11th annual Reader's Choice Awards. Winners are announced online at www.porthole.com and in the November/December issue, on newstands now. Votes were submitted online and via mail-in ballots.



“Tall ship sailing is a unique and adventurous experience, and knowledgeable cruisers know that Royal Clipper is a top-notch choice,” said Bill Panoff, publisher and editor-in-chief of Porthole Cruise Magazine. “I congratulate Star Clippers on this much-deserved win.”



Inspired by the legendary Tall Ship, Preussen, Royal Clipper has the proud distinction of being the largest and only five-masted sailing ship built since her predecessor was launched at the beginning of the 20th century. With her complement of 42 sails, Royal Clipper is a splendid sight to behold.



Thank you to everyone that voted and made Star Clippers a winner.

Yesterday we asked, What does "lucky bag" mean and where did the term originate?




From the early days of sailing, the lucky bag was a colloquialism for the ship's lost and found. At the end of a journey sailors would reach into the lucky bag and retrieve treasures believed to have been lost at sea by other sailors.



More recently, the lucky bag holds two meanings in the U.S. Navy:



1. Its a small storeroom or large locker where the master-at-arms stows articles of clothing, bedding, personal items and other miscellaneous objects found on deck.



2. It also is the term used for the United States Naval Academy yearbook dedicated to the graduating classes. A traditional Lucky Bag has a collection of photos taken around the academy and photographs of each graduating officer along with a single paragraph written by a friend describing the individual. Each year every midshipman and graduating officer receives a Lucky Bag and it's archived by both the U.S. Naval Academy and the USNA Alumni Association.

Today's challenge is: Lucky Bag. Do you know what the phrase means and how it originated?



Sailing Lingo is aimed at testing your knowledge of the peculiar and sometimes indecipherable language of sailing. We pose a question and see who can answer it most accurately in the comments on the post. The following day we’ll post the answer to the question and save you some Googling!





Nautical lingo or sailing terminology can seem like an arcane and esoteric language, but it’s alive and well, and often can be found in our everyday vernacular.

It's said dolphins swimming with the ship are a sign of good luck. Here's a video of some dolphins swimming alongside Royal Clipper's bow.



Sailing lore considers dolphins a sacred friend of fishermen since they have the good fortunes of man in mind and their presence indicates that you are under their protection.






http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCP8alzZ6Gs

Huguette Lubrano, Star Clipper’s shore excursion manager, captured this beautiful photo while in Golfito, Costa Rica. The scarlet macaw is just one of the many wildlife species that can be seen while exploring Golfito, Costa Rica.



Star Flyer will begin calling at Golfito, Costa Rica, in November 2010.

Star Clipper guests will enjoy this lesser-known French Riviera spot located a short 30 miles from Marseilles. A quiet town, Sansury features a pretty harbor lined with palm trees and pastel colored houses and is an inviting place to spend the day discovering.



Shielded from the wider Mediterranean by a bay, the town is circled by hills and its laidback pace offers cruisers a chance to drink an espresso alongside locals at a cafe, watch the fishing boats bring in their catch, head for the nearby beach at Port-Issol, or wander through narrow, car-free back streets lined by boulangeries and boutiques.



Those interested in exploring the architecture will want to stop by the 13th century tower that was once part of an important defensive system for the town during the middle ages. Within town, guests will find Saint Nazaire, a ninth century gothic church and a short, but beautiful, drive away is the Chapel Notre Dame de Pitié, a 16th century chapel.



Sansury dates back to the 16th century, but is probably most well-known for the few years before World War II when it became the capital of German literature in exile. Some of those (German and English) who made their homes here included: Thomas Mann, Joseph Roth, Franz Werfel, and Arnold Zweig, as well as Aldous Huxley, D. H. Lawrence and Frieda and Sybille Bedford.



Divers on board will definitely want to take the plunge and explore the waters off Sanary-sur-Mer where French Oceanographer Jacques Cousteau developed the diving equipment that is still crucial to deep-sea diving today.




Star Flyer will call at Sanary-sur-Mer during its 2010, seven-night Ligurian sailings.