Star Clippers Jan 2010

The past ten days or so have been tumultuous as I have been writing about the murder of one of the passengers on the ship I was traveling on. It had to be reported, of course, but it did sidetrack me from writing about the cruise. So, I hope to wrap up that topic today and then write some more about the cruise itself. A suspect has been arrested in the murder and Star Clippers has decided …

Read moreMy thoughts on how the cruise line handled the murder of one of its passengers

Jan. 19-20: Antigua and St. Kitts The past two days have passed very swiftly on the Royal Clipper. On Tuesday, we were on the island of Antigua. As usual, we anchored away from the city center (St. John) at Falmouth Harbour. What this means for passengers is that when you go ashore, you really won’t find much except for a few small stores and restaurants which cater to yachtsmen. As usual, the ship ran two tenders: One …

Read moreWe spend tranquil days in Antigua and St. Kitts but these are overshadowed by the murder onshore of one of our passengers

January 18: The island of Dominica Our second day aboard the Royal Clipper, flagship of Star Clippers, we visited the small island of Dominica. However, we did not anchor until noon so we had a restful morning at sea. While many just read and napped in chaises, others were busier. A group of six or so were taking scuba lessons in the pool. Others opted to climb the mast to the first crow’s nest. Still others climbed …

Read moreSmall island of Dominica is a perfect stop for a Star Clipper ship

Jan. 16-17: Our Royal Clipper adventure begins On Saturday, we headed to the cruise terminal at 1:30 p.m. because we had to be out of our condos by then. Thus, we were at the pier two hours before boarding at 4 p.m. However, Barbados has a lively cruise port with an array of shops that pretty much kept us busy in the interim. We even managed to get a quick lunch at a snack bar. Boarding went …

Read moreOur Royal Clipper adventure begins and on our first day we have a wedding

Our stay in Barbados is all too brief, but we have been enjoying the small community of St. Lawrence Gap where we are staying. The main road through “The Gap,” as the locals refer to it, is only about a mile and a half long so everything here is accessible on foot. All beaches in Barbados are open to the public and there are many small access points if you search for them. But many folks head …

Read moreSt. Lawrence Gap: A charming community on the Caribbean island of Barbados

Our Star Clippers cruise adventure has begun! Yesterday, the eight of us flew to Barbados and we all arrived safely, with all of our luggage, within a couple of hours of each other. As we came from San Diego, Michigan and Florida, that was pretty remarkable. On this trip with us are several relatives. There are our daughter Paula Palazzolo and her husband Sam, my sister Beth Brewer and her partner Tim Wilbur, my husband’s brother Carl …

Read moreWe arrive in Barbados and settle into the White Sands Beach Villas, which we are really enjoying