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Emma’s & Sarah’s Blog Monemvasia, Katakolon & a day at sea...

Aboard Royal Clipper

Monemvasia, Katakolon & a day at sea...

Aboard Royal Clipper EMMA

and the attentive crew members checked us in. We

Saturday:

received our sea pass and were escorted to the cabin

It was Saturday morning and we were off on our

with a cocktail in hand. Arriving in our spacious

royal adventure! A short 3 and a half hour flight from

cabin, we soon found our way to the chilling bottle

London to Athens and we were soon in our speedy

of champagne, complimentary for all returning

private transfer to Pireus port. You can expect this

passengers.

transfer to be around 45 minutes, depending on traffic.

The driver handed us a cool refreshing bottle of water each, and enlightened us on the sights as we passed.

You may choose to do a pre-cruise stay here in Athens before joining your tall ship. It is definitely something we would recommend, for at least a night or two. St George Lycabettus is a centrally located 4* hotel, and a room overlooking the Acropolis can be requested at time of booking. Explore the Greek ruins and discover the tongue tingling tastes that Athens has to offer. A short transfer will then take you to Pireus port for

We sipped on champagne as we read the welcome

embarkation.

letter and information left on our beds and then prepared for the plentiful cuisine that awaited us at dinner. Before dinner, a drink from Manilito and his team at the Tropical Bar was in order and after a cool glass of prosecco we headed to the dining room.

Dinner was a six course a la carte affair and just some of the dishes on the menu this evening were stuffed bell peppers, snail ragu, lamb chops and antipasti.

However, if these options do not get the taste buds tingling, steak, chips and a pasta dish of the day are always alternative options. A delicious and delicate

Embarkation starts from 4pm, and is a smooth

watermelon sorbet was our pallet cleanser of the day

and seamless process. After dropping our luggage

and a blueberry cheese cake finished the magnificent

off at the port, we were greeted by a sea of smiles

meal off delightfully.

If you still have room after dinner, tea and coffee are

clippers beauty and complete uniqueness was clear

also served at the table. Evening meal time is a casual

to see. She was a true sight to see in comparison to a

affair about Star Clippers and you are welcomed to

cruise liner that had also docked for this port. She was

sit where you want and with whom you want, on this

sleek, elegant and classy, floating on a bed of ink blue

occasion we sat with a lovely couple from Finland.

water; steady...

Following dinner we headed up on deck with a

Monemvasia is a beautiful port with small arch ways

cocktail of the day in hand to watch the sails rise to

leading to big finds. As you walk across the bridge

the haunting sound of Vangelis, Conquest of Paradise.

and through some of the boutique shops here, you’ll

Sail away is a mist aboard Star Clippers, and Manilito

suddenly find yourself in a walled cobbled community

and his team set up a champagne bar on deck where

of old buildings and bustling shops. As you hit the

many passengers chose to purchase a glass of chilling

centre of this small town, you will reach a square

champagne for just 7.50 euros. After a magical sail

where you can sit back, relax and enjoy the panoramic

away experience we headed to our cabins after a long

view of the mountainous landscapes, clear skies and

but wonderful day.

Royal Clipper.

As we came back aboard the ship we straight away saw the cocktail of the day “sea breeze” so, of course, indulged in a tall glass of fruity tropical deliciousness.

(Change this sentence). When back on board we decided to look at the views on the top deck. Here we laid on the sun beds and read our books and listened to music for an hour before heading downstairs to get ready for dinner.

The dinner menu was fantastic! I ordered the filo fish pastry to begin, followed by the apple and carrot ...

SARAH

and then the pork medallion - THE best pork I have

Sunday:

ever had. It was tender and melted in your mouth

Today I woke to steady waters, a warm breeze and

and was covered in a delicious mushroom sauce on a

from a great night’s sleep. We met at 9am for breakfast

bed of potato. The flavours were great. We wanted to

where there was an array of fresh fruit, cereals, hot

try the vegetarian option as this too looked to be an

breakfasts and the famous egg station. I had a salmon

amazing dish - vegetable tempura served with boiled

omelette and a selection of fruit before we headed

rice and soy sauce. Emma and I shared this between us

off for a safety drill test. We all met at our stations and were introduced to the heads/managers of each department of the ship including the sports team, spa staff and the chef!

After the drill had finished we got a quick snack at the lunch table and made our way to the tender boat. The tenders are spacious and comfortable and all the crew were very careful when helping board all passengers.

As we made our way to Monemvasia port, royal

and it was a good decision! A crunchy exterior with a

Katakolon, this seaside town is located on the south-

soft batter underneath mixed with various vegetables

west coast and is known as the gateway to Olympia,

dipped in soya.

the ancient location where the Olympics were originally located .

We docked alongside the harbour in Katakolon and a brief walk saw us in the streets which make up the heart of this town. Shopfronts boasting handmade wooden utensils, fresh white clothes and olive oil filled the busy streets. We walked around the town and absorbed all it had to offer before enquiring about a tourist train. For 6 euros we enjoyed a half hour guided tour around the farmland and vineyards of Katakolon. The shacks and farmland resembling

From here we attended the fashion show, Emma and

a time of simplicity a sure juxtaposition to life back

Sam got involved and captured on camera. The crowd

home. The train stops first at a vineyard where for just

were loving every moment. Such a nice way for both

2 euros you can try their homemade wine and explore

crew and passengers to be part of the fun together, a

the vineyards and processes, before hopping on the

true clipper family. All the departments got involved

next train to come along, around 30 minutes after.

and the crowd clapped and cheered. We then had a

The second stop is at a hotel, this time of year mostly

cocktail at the bar and has a quick game of “darts”, of

desolate, apart from a few locals enjoying a cold beer

course, this wasn’t actual darts but rather a board with

on the sea front. It boasts panoramic views of the calm

sticky panels whereby we can throw the ball to stick on

blue sea and a deck bar that overlooks these waters.

the panels and win points... Sam won.

Again, you can hop off for half an hour until the next train, or a 5 minute stop will get you a few good

EMMA

pictures. The windy streets back down to the harbour

Monday:

found us weaving around farmland, free ranging

Today we awoke to the sun streaming through the

chickens and lambs graze on the grass and families

curtains and the gentle hum of the ship. After a

wave from their gardens.

delicious omelette freshly prepared in front of us in the dining room, we made our way up on deck for mast climbing! This was something I had been looking forward to. To climb the mast to the crow’s nest you must wear closed toe shoes, aboard our last voyage on Star Flyer I had neglected to bring any appropriate footwear - so come prepared! Unfortunately, we arrived too late and just missed out, however, there are always numerous opportunities to do this aboard each sailing.

We headed to the piano bar for a cup of tea from

Back down at the town we stopped off at a quaint

the 24-hour complimentary tea and coffee station

roadside cafe and enjoyed a chilled drink whilst people

and talked about the day ahead. Our next stop was

watching and taking advantage of the free Wi-Fi!

On making our way back to the ship we passed the

After an evening of dancing and drinks flowing,

bus stop and ticket point for Olympia. You can visit

we called it a night and headed to our cabins. This

this ancient town for an afternoon of exploration

evening we sailed through the night and all of the

for just 59 euros. A 35-minute coach journey will

following day on our way to Taormina. A gentle

take you to Olympia where you can see the ancient

rocking motion soon sent us to sleep and prepared us

Olympics were once held. We headed back to port

for the day at sea to come.

where Royal Clipper stood in a bold league of her own, among three large cruise liners, her elegance and

SARAH

beauty outstanding and her rich mahogany elements

Tuesday:

gleaming in the afternoon sun.

Today was our day at sea! Days like these are a real opportunity to explore the ship and experience a true day on the waters as sailors did many years ago. After a breakfast filled with fruits, bread, syrup covered waffles and a delicious cup of coffee we made our way to the top deck to take in the fresh air and the panoramic views.

I spent the morning reading my book, relaxing and speaking with other guests about their fantastic experience aboard Royal Clipper and previous sailings they’d had on the other two smaller ships. I took a walk around the entire ship; past the excursion desk,

An afternoon of relaxation under the beaming sun

through the dining room and towards the sloop shop

was in order, we found ourselves lost in the books

where I browsed at all of the lovely items you can buy

we had chosen from the library at the beginning of

on board. Here, there was a wide selection of clothing

the trip and slowly sipped a cocktail of the day as the

and accessories; striped t-shirts, umbrellas, scarfs,

afternoon passed us by.

hats, jewellery and much more. A luxury for those

Meeting in the Tropical Bar before dinner is a popular

who forget to pack that extra pair of shorts! You can

trend aboard star Clippers, it is the social hub of the

also purchase souvenirs here; keyrings, books and

ship and boasts not only an array of drinks but also

artwork prints are available.

plays host to a variety of low key entertainment.

After a delightful lunch, it was mast climbing time…

We headed to dinner already knowing the flavours

As head photographer and bag lady, it was down to me

that would fill our mouths this evening. My choices

to get the perfect shot of Emma and David skilfully

being the rum and lime sorbet and honey glazed chicken among many others. Finished off with a delightfully light Panna Cotta, we headed up on deck for yet another magical sail away.

Tonight’s entertainment was a music quiz, and as many times as Gabor, our Cruise Director, said it was just a game, all teams were as competitive as the next!

We finished in an average 5th place, with 1st place winning a bottle of prosecco!

climbing the ropes – the pressure was on! They were given a safety harness, strapped in and glided upwards towards the crow’s nest where they were both greeted by a member of the crew who aided them in standing and of course, taking photos. This is the best place to view the ship and the incredible views. This activity is completely safe and is a must-do for those who don’t mind heights.

There were plenty of other activities going on during the day at sea including, morning yoga, water gymnastics and boules. As the sun was out I decided to take a short walk to the bar and rehydrate with a nice refreshing glass of water. Here, I saw passengers participating in knot tying whereby they were given various different types of knots to practice and master.

After more lying in the sun, we decided to check out the gym and spa facilities. I was impressed at the size of the gym and equipment available but even more at the porthole within the steam room itself. As I sit back and relax I can see brightly coloured fish swimming by – I’m under the sea in a steam room!

gentle lapping of the waves against our porthole as we navigated our way to Taormina port, Sicily. Although not a usual disembarkation point, this was to be the end of our journey and adventure aboard Royal Clipper. We tendered to shore with other passengers ready to explore the day on this large Italian island.

We said our goodbyes to the crew members and passengers, whom after just 4 days aboard we had become friendly with, getting to know each other’s stories and backgrounds, and some promising to stay in, though.

Royal clipper stood tall gleaming above the turquoise jewel that is the Adriatic Sea, as we tendered to shore and started our journey back home. Until next time...

For dinner, we were seated at a table of four where we were able to chat about our time board Royal Clipper so far. Dinner was delicious as usual; I had a tomato and pesto soup for my starter with salmon and vegetables for my main and a chocolate parfait dessert.

The pirate-themed evening concluded with a team competition with various tasks involved to earn some serious points and of course, we won! A good way to end a perfect day.

Wednesday morning arrived and we woke to the