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Cruising Under Sail

By Don Braunagel
Cruising Under Sail

WANT TO CROSS THE OCEAN the way people used to do it—under sail? The Star Clippers line is offering a diverse lineup of such voyages, and you don’t ever have to swab the decks.

Star Clippers’ four- and five-mast tall ships combine modern, large-yacht luxury with yesteryear’s excitement of sail. The vessels can stop at ports too small for bigger liners. On the Royal Clipper, you can climb the mast—with a safety harness—for a crow’s-nest panoramic view.

The 170-passenger Star Flyer sails on 37-night Indian Ocean crossings between Athens, Greece, and Phuket, Thailand. Segments of nine to 28 nights are available. The 170-passenger Star Clipper will cross the Atlantic on 28-night voyages from Cannes to St. Maarten, with six- to 22-night segments available. (800-442-0551; starclippers.com.)

SILVERSEA HAS SOMETHING SPECIAL for hardcore cruisers in 2006. “Elegant Explorations” features nine diverse voyages ranging from 34 to 123 days, with stops at such lesser-known ports as Ilheus, Brazil; Kangaroo Island, Australia; and Kura Kura, Indonesia. Silversea offers onboard spending credits for long-term bookings, and business-class air upgrades for those who purchase accompanying optional programs.

The tours include: 45-day “Far East Mosaic” from Sydney to Bangkok; 44-day “The Spice Route,” Dubai to Las Palmas; 42-day “Vintage Mediterranean,” Las Palmas to Monte Carlo; 34-day “European Tapestry,” Genoa to Stockholm; 51-day “Classic Europe,” Athens to Copenhagen; 123-day “Ultimate Explorations,” Copenhagen to Sydney (more than 35 countries); and 83-day “Route of the Empires,” Copenhagen to Hong Kong (more than 25 countries). Silversea’s prices are all-inclusive. (silversea.com.)

COSTA CRUISES’ LARGEST LINER, Costa Magica, is the only ship sailing round-trip to Bermuda from Florida. The line is marking the vessel’s inaugural season with an enhanced Caribbean schedule, including a new Bermuda itinerary. Two seven-night sailings from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, feature two days in Hamilton, Bermuda, and two days in Nassau, Bahamas.

It and the Costa Mediterranea additionally offer alternating seven-night eastern and western Caribbean cruises and a new, seven-night southeastern Caribbean itinerary. The latter includes stops in St. Maarten, Tortola, Nassau, Freeport, San Juan, St. Thomas/St. John and Catalina Island in the Domincan Republic. The southeastern itinerary also includes a night call at the private resort of Casa de Campo, featuring fine dining, nightlife and a show in an open-air theater. (800-33-COSTA; costacruises.com.)

SEADREAM YACHT CLUB is celebrating its new Thai Spa by offering a prepaid spa package. You get up to $440 in treatments for $199. The package, a choice of four treatments from the on-board menu of 11, is available on bookings for voyages embarking October 15 to December 18. SeaDream says it has the highest ratio of massage therapists to guests of any passenger ship.

SeaDream also is offering lower prices on transatlantic and Caribbean voyages, with additional savings for “friends and family” sailing in two or more staterooms. Special 14- or 21- day back-to-back voyages also get discounted rates. Prices are all-inclusive. (800-707-4911; seadreamyachtclub.com.)