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Just back from our trip on the Star Flyer (Athens to Venice) and everything went perfectly (except the heat). No mechanical issues, cabins were cool on the hottest days, great service & meals the entire cruise! I asked several, and they do not work strictly for tips.

The wine list was decent and reasonably priced. They were always willing to cork and store our unfinished bottle at dinner and would usually bring it out the next evening without needing to be asked.

I always rec selecting the cabin nearest the center of the boat. Less motion if seas are angry, and less curvature of the walls shrinking your cabin size. The deck map will also tell you what cabins have ship structures that impact the cabin size/shape.

No & No

Doubtful since tall ships are mostly wood. I don't remember any metal surface in our room. Curious, what it the world do you want to hang on the wall?

Star Flyer Cat 2 room had room under the bed for 2 checked bags + a carry-on bag. Packing cubes make things much easier. There was room to hang quite a few items in the closet + there are a few hooks by the door.

I think Don meant to quote/ask about the mud baths. Several in our group did them. They encourage you to strip down to nothing. Those we talked to kept their swimsuits on. They suggested tight "biker" shorts would be the best thing to have on instead of a loose swimsuit.

We did this exact cruise. From my fading memory: 1. Ephesus / Kusadasi, Turkey: The ship offered several tour options. Be sure to choose the option that includes visiting the Terrrace Houses @ the Ephesus ruins. Tour is excellent! Similar to visiting Pompeii. The tour returns to Kusadasi and the group is walked over to a shop where they demo the making of Turkish rugs. Interesting, but went on quite long, and was an extended sales pitch. Unless you're thinking of buying a rug (several thousand $$, just excuse yourself after watching the demonstration & shop the local market on your own until boarding time. 2. Patmos: The top attraction is visiting the final residence of John & see the cave where he wrote Revalations. This was the one tour we did not enjoy. Stretched what should take a few hours into the entire day with a lot of dead time. I would strongly recommend hiring a driver/guide to take you directly to the Cave of the Apocalypse & from there to the hilltop monastery. Easy to explore on your own & you'' do it in 1/3 of the time. Once on the dock, very easy to find a driver/guide. 3. Amorgos: Visiting the White Monastery built into the cliff is a must ( a serious climb!) & the ship's tour includes a great walking tour thru the inland whitewashed village (a maze of streets). Tour returns to the harbor town with lots of time for shopping/beach. IMO, sticking with the ship's tour is the best option. Several did an ATV rental and cruised the island after the tour ended (very little traffic). 4. Mykonos: No help here. Strong winds prevented us from reaching Mykonos and we spent a day on Paros instead (which proved to be our favorite island of the whole trip!). We rented a UTV and drove a complete lap of the island with beautiful stops everywhere. It was a great consolation prize. 5.Spetsai Small island that doesn't require a tour. Meant to be the laid-back stop before returning to Athens. Rent a small beach cabana. Dining/shops are all within a block of the beach. Carriage rides around town were popular too.

Small ships= small passenger list with a small % on this board, so I can see how it's tough to find a tour partner here. After boarding, there is an extended cocktail hour, where a lot of mingling goes on. I think that would be your best prospect for adding to your group. It will be early enough that even those already signed-up will have time to switch. We did the Ephesus group tour & it was excellent, but I think a smaller group would be even better. It also ended with a demonstration/sales pitch for Turkish rugs in Kusadasi (interesting, but took up a lot of time). My 2 suggestions for your tour: 1. Make sure your tour starts at the top of the Ephesus ruins (it slopes the entire time & walking downhill is much easier. 2. Make sure it includes the Terrace Houses exhibit (attach to the ruins, but has a separate ticket/restricted entrance). Definitely worth it!

I got to watch a pair of dolphins swim directly below me while lounging on the net during our trip. Stayed just in front of the ship for a long time & we were moving fast! A great memory! A phone with a secure lanyard is a must!

Confirming there are none. They will provide several converters if you ask, but best to at least have one with you.

Agree. We really enjoyed the Ephesus tour. I'd recommend choosing the option that includes the terraced houses. After returning to the port, the group is taken straight to a demonstration on Turkish rug making that was interesting, but time-consuming and was primarily a sales pitch. If doing it again, I'd walk away from the group after returning from Ephesus & do the final few hours on my own. We often prefer paying for a private tour, but the variable docking times makes it a little riskier to book in advance. Plus, with the Clipper ships, you know it will always be a relatively small group.

We've only done the Greek islands, but all tours were walking tours with a local guide. Small groups, so no headsets needed. Bussed to the tour location, but not a lot of "look out the window while riding by" We did about 1/2 of the provider tours & 1/2 on on own. Usually just waited until we were on the dock and found a local tour/rental provider. Water activities are complementary and provided by Star Clippers. They'll teach you to sail their small boats and let you go off on your own with them!

We did Star Flyer in Greece and we usually were within 30 minutes of their estimates, but I'd allow for delays. The safe part of booking your tour with the ship is that the tour will wait for you. A private guide should have some flexibility to match your arrival at the dock as well. We rented an ATV for 8 hours and negotiated the start time to match when we were handed the keys, not a specific start time. We missed Mykonos due to winds, and stopped at Paros instead, which we wound up LOVING!

A noticeable difference is that sailing with such a small group makes things simpler. You'll get advance notice about all the trip's land tours, & might be asked to specify your preference for day 1/2 (can often change your mind with 1 day's notice). Once on board, there is usually a tour description and sign-up sheet in the lounge/library-usually 3 days prior to arrival. Some have a max capacity, some adjust the transportation based on the # that sign up. Example: On day 1, they'll announce the tour details for day 2-4. Usually 2 different land tours, plus options to go ashore on your own, go on the tender to a beach with water-sports provided, or stay on the boat. You go to the library to sign up (charged to your cabin). Tours may have a maximum capacity (1st come first serve), & may add another bus if 1 tour is very popular. Deadline will be 24-36 hours to sign up (we did a last minute change with no difficulty though). Since they're dealing with a group of 100 or less, its much less complicated than the thousands on a big ship.

Typically, you will get an agenda a few weeks before your cruise with tentative arrival/departure times for each port. Usually, the larger stops (like Mykonos) will have evening departures, giving you more time ashore for nightlife. Smaller islands will be earlier & you dine onboard. The wind, along with how busy the port is, may change these times. We usually had 24 hours notice if it was going to change. A choice of excursions will be offered a few days before each stop. They usually are by bus. If you want a private tour, I'd book ahead of time & just be you can start it when you dock, not at a specific time. You'll see more in a shorter time. If you don't need the guide, hiring a taxi for the day @ the dock is very reasonable & can bring you to multiple stops. Some drivers will be very helpful, some won't speak much English. For the smaller islands, we love renting our own vehicle (can often do an ATV/side-by-side) and explore on our own.