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Emma’s Blog Canes, Porquerolles, Sanary Sur Mer & St. Tropez... Aboard Star Flyer

Canes, Porquerolles, Sanary Sur Mer & St. Tropez Aboard Star Flyer All aboard Star Flyer!

The day started with our flight from London Gatwick to Nice, it was short and sweet and no sooner had we taken off we were touching down again. Our transfers were waiting in the arrivals hall and we relaxed and enjoyed the scenery on the short 30 minute journey. The weather was perfect, blue skies and sunshine beamed down on us and we had shortly arrived at Cannes Port.

The embarkation process was smooth and easy, just a couple of forms to fill in, in addition to the embarkation card we received in our ticket pack prior to our trip. We were handed our cabin card and made our way to the tender service provided. Our luggage was left with the crew members and this was delivered to our cabins shortly after embarking the ship. The tender vessel have a capacity of 2550 passengers, however due to the wind numbers were kept closer to the 30 mark. Less than 5 minutes on the tender and we were embarking Star Flyer, in all her beauty!

We were welcomed in the gangway by crew members and led through the tropical bar towards the check in area. We joined the short queue and completed the speedy check in process; this consisted of receiving a room key and leaving a credit or debit card for on board purchases. Following this we were welcomed with a fruity tropical drink and au d’oeuvres, all served within the tropical bar area. We enjoyed the hospitality and lively but relaxed atmosphere, and we then explored all the Star Flyer has to offer. Expansive teak decks and nautical sights filled the ship’s sun deck, and the afternoon sun shimmered off the two swimming pools on board. A short walk down to the Commodore deck and our cabins awaited, boasting royal colours of deep blue and red with rich mahogany furniture. The cabin consisted of a good size double bed, with a small seat off to the side, a TV and desk complete with a stool and large mirrors. A sea level

porthole view oozed light into the room, which was reflected off the mirrored wardrobe storage. The bathroom, a wet room consisting of a shower, toilet and sink complete with mirrored cupboard space, was a good size.

All past passengers received a bottle of champagne in their cabins on arrival, and our luggage arrived shortly after we had found our cabins. After a quick shower and change we made our way to our designated muster point for a mandatory safety drill, complete with lifejackets. We were given a demonstration of how to safely put on and secure the life jacket and also shown the procedure for abandoning ship.

Dinner followed which consisted of an appetizer, soup, sorbet, main course and dessert. Snails were on the menu, and when in France the opportunity could not be missed.

Great wine accompanied delicious cuisine and fantastic company, and following dinner we made our way up to the sun deck for the legendary sail away. The sails were raised to spectacular music and lights were strung across the sails and mast, a truly spectacular sight. It’s difficult to describe and has to be experienced in person! We set sail and although there had been strong winds that day, the sailing was smooth and no sooner had my head hit the pillow was I asleep.

The next morning we made our way down to breakfast.

Breakfast is consistently served buffet style with a choice ranging from sausage, eggs and bacon, to cereal, yogurt, fruit and even pancakes or crepes with syrup. An omelette station was located at the rear of the buffet, freshly prepared to each passengers taste. Our waiter offered us tea and coffee, in addition to the fruit juices available at the buffet. Freshly prepared toast can also be ordered to the table. Following an extremely filling breakfast we laid on the sun loungers under the beaming sun whilst we sailed to our first port of call. The Captain welcomed all guests to the tropical bar for a welcome talk, and after introducing the crew members he informed the passengers of a schedule change. Originally we

were supposed to sail towards Corsica and visit L’ile Rousse, docking for the entire day. However, due to bad weather and waves of up to 4 meters, we changed course and exchanged one port for two!

Our new itinerary for the day would be a morning stop at the island of Porquerolles, where we explored on foot and an afternoon/evening stop at Sanary Sur Mer. The weather could

have been ordered especially as we had clear blue skies and warm sunshine, a million miles away from the storm that had beat down on Corsica. Porquerolles is ideal to explore by bike and there were plenty available. We relaxed on a sandy beach and indulged in some snorkelling, before tasting the delight of a fresh French baguette and making the most of the ideal photo opportunities. A short tender service and we were back aboard the ship sailing toward our next destination.

Whilst sailing many passengers took advantage of the opportunity to climb the crow’s nest, whilst others relaxed on the bowsprit nets and took in the ocean air. Lying on the nets at the front of the ship was an amazing experience whilst sailing, and one I would definitely recommend.

We docked in Sanary Sur Mer later in the afternoon, and whilst some passengers chose to explore the town, we decided to dine on board for dinner and then explore later that evening. Once again dinner consisted of five (optional) courses, however if none of the various options were to our taste, there were additional options to order such as steak and chips, a pasta dish and a terrine. On this occasion I decided to sample the pasta dish, which was pasta carbonara. The portion was both huge and delicious; I couldn’t finish the entire plate. Dessert was a smooth mint chocolate mousse, which although I was full to the top, I could eat three times over!

We hopped on a tender across to the port and explored the restaurants and bars Sanary Sur Mer had to offer. After a relaxing drink in one of the bars, we made our way back to the ship. Many passengers were continuing their evening with drinks and dancing in the tropical bar, the social hub of the ship.

Friday morning came around and after a wonderful breakfast we docked in St Tropez beach as planned at 9am.

We hopped on a tender to the shore and disembarked into the shallow waves washing upon the sandy beach. A morning of sunbathing and casual strolls along the beach followed.

The relaxing beachfront bars and cafes opened around 11am, and there were even water sport equipment to hire such as kayaks, pedalos and canoes.

Back on board the ship we indulged in an al fresco lunch served buffet style in the tropical bar. The sun shone down upon us and we set sail for St. Tropez port. The food on board really was second to none, with options for everyone.

Lunch on this day included seasoned crumb pork, cheese and butter pasta, seafood mix, fresh bread, vegetables, a variety of cheeses with crackers, marinated chicken, a wide selection of salads and much more. Following this there were options to satisfy a sweet tooth, including fruit tarts, profiteroles with a light chocolate filling, white chocolate mousse and fresh fruit.

To accompany this delicious lunch, many passengers were ordering cocktails and drinks from the tropical bar, and many were taking advantage of the tea and coffee station, free of charge, located in the Piano Bar. Aside from these free of charge hot beverages, drinks on board the ships are extremely reasonable, with the cocktail of the day costing only €4.50 and all other cocktails averaging at around €5.50.

We set sail to the iconic music of the Vangelis whilst the sails were raised and many passengers relaxed on the teak decks as we glided through the soft waves. We soon arrived in St. Tropez port, and our first ‘port of call’ was the famous Star Clippers shop, located near the harbour as soon we

stepped off the tender. St. Tropez is easy to explore on foot, after taking in the various tasteful street artists dotted along the streets and indulging in an ice cream, we wandered through the streets and up the hills to get a panoramic view of this beautiful location. A leisurely walk down the gentle hills found us in the town square, where we took our pews in a French Café, enjoyed a cold drink and watched the various games of boules take place in the square. The men greeted each other with a kiss on each cheek, and the game was played at a slow and relaxed pace. We headed back to the tender, after a compulsory fridge magnet purchase, and prepared for our final dinner on board the ship.

The final dinner was as good as the previous and was concluded with Baked Alaska, a tradition on cruise ships, and all the restaurant staff bought the desserts in, with music, dimmed lights and sparklers. Following dinner the Captain gave a speech and thanked us all for joining him on this short voyage, and then many people then made their way to the tropical bar for drinks and a night of dancing. Others made their way back to St. Tropez port as we did not sail away until midnight. We had a couple of drinks in the tropical bar and a night of dancing followed.

Bags and suitcases were to be packed and left outside the

cabin by 4am, so the crew could take these to the meeting place at the port of Cannes by tender. We awoke to sunny Cannes and after the speedy check out process we were soon on and off a tender and back on land. Our transfers were again waiting for us, and a short 30 minute journey to Nice airport followed. This was a fantastic trip and one I would love to repeat again in the future. It is hard to imagine just what life is like on board until you have experienced it firsthand, something I would definitely recommend.

‘Because this is Star Clippers and the adventure has only just begun…’

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