General Question on Star Clipper Cruise Tours

[donaldsc]

This post is directed to CCers who have done previous Star Clipper cruises.  We are doing  a B2B Star Flyer cruise in the Greek Islands but these questions are more general than specific to the Greek Islands. I will preface these questions with the comment that we almost never take cruise company tours.  We usually do DIY tours that we have set up on the CC Roll Calls for our cruise or join cruise groups that other people have set up.  Sometimes we will find a small group cruise on the WEB.  We are doing the Northern Cyclades and the Southern Cyclades from 1 October to 15 October.

 

I have not been very successful with Roll Call tours for these cruises.  I realize that with a small ship such as the Star Flyer the likelihood that people who will be on the cruise with us are not likely to also be on CC.  That said - the CC Roll Calls for these cruises has been totally dead.

 

1) I have looked at the tours listed for our cruises and they do not look exciting to me.  It seems as if there are too many people on the tours.  I am used to small group tours with maybe 8 or 10 people max.  What do those of you who have done the Star Clipper tours think of them?  Do you end up sharing a bus with 30 or 40 of your new best friends?  Do they get slowed down by people who are barely mobile?  Do you end up spending time in shops?  If these is a meal do they take you to a tourist restaurant or to some sort of a local place?  Did you feel rushed at times?  In other words what did you think of the Star Clipper tours.

 

2) I am trying to set up private tours by groups such as ToursbyLocals.    The problem is that the ToursbyLocals tour leaders as well as other tour leaders want to know when the ship will dock.  We will be on a sailboat and the people at Star Clipper have made it clear that docking times can not be guaranteed.  I understand that.  The people at Clipper Cruises have told me that the arrival time is dependent upon the wind, the weather, the tides and the captain.  However are the actual docking times usually fairly close to the times on the itinerary?  If they say that the dock is supposed to be in at 12:00, can I assume that most of the time it will be in between 11:00 and 13:00 or am I being optimistic.    

 

3) Subject to all the parameters that I mentioned in 2), how often to they completely miss ports?

 

4) For some ports I might be willing to do a ToursbyLocals type tour if it was just the 2 of us although this will drive up the cost.  If I went on the ship with 2 people on a 4 or 6 person maximum private tour what are my odds of filling it once I am on the ship.  If I somehow made my tour availability known after we boarded am I going to get in trouble with the hotel department on the ship because I am trying to sell private tour spots on board.  I know that people on other ships have gotten into trouble and the practice is usually frowned upon.  Has anyone tried it on a Clipper Cruise ship?

 

5) For those of you who have done the Greek Islands on Clipper Cruises - what are the chances of just getting off the ship and finding a decent guise on the dock.  I am especially worried about Santorini  where there are 7 ships in port on the day that we will be there.  It could be a total zoo,  

 

6) Does anyone have any tour operator recommendations for the ports on the Northern Cyclades and also the Southern Cyclades cruises.  Also any suggestions for our days in Athens.  I am especially looking for wine tasting tours if possible.

 

Sorry to be long winded.  Thanks for any information.

 

DON

 

 

 

 

Edited July 29, 2022 by donaldsc

[FWFrog]

Hello - we have done a few Star Clippers.  In fact, we were to be on the second week of your itinerary but have shifted for this year and will return next year.  I can share some thoughts.  Like you, I like to plan my own tours and have often use Tours by Locals.  So, I think I can relate.

 

When we do a Star Clipper, I reset my expectations.  I do not find the ship tours to be anything more than ordinary, but also very relaxed.  This seems to align with the nature of the typical Star Clipper passenger.  They are not on the cruise for the shore excursions and most just wander around in the port cities.  We also had some last-minute changes to our itinerary that required us to cancel a pre-planned tour. 

 

We made many friends on our last SC cruise.  On more than one occasion, they joined us for last-minute plans in port.  For example, a large group followed us on the train for an excursion to Seville from the Port of Cadiz.  In Gibralter, we joined with another couple and hired a guide outside of the port.  Last minute plans seemed to fit better with our sail-mates.  

 

I have spent much time in Athens.  The city is easily reached by the HOHO bus, metro, or Xpress bus.  All have stops near the cruise terminals, although it is a bit of a walk to the Metro.  Athens is very easy to navigate and there's a pretty standard set of sites.  I always recommend touring on your own and using the Rick Steve's Audio walking tours.  They are perfect for seeing the Plaka area, the Acropolis, and the Forum.

 

Hope this is helpful!  Enjoy - - we would have committed to sharing tours!  Maybe another time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[RSSNewsmaster]

These look like good suggestions, Don. Our group of four are booked on the Star Flyer for the Oct 8-15, 2022 Northern Cyclades cruise. We have no idea how to find out about available shore excursions. I don't see anything on the website and we haven't received ANYTHING from Start Clippers other than our paid-in-full passenger confirmation invoices. We would appreciate tips, or links, or contact info to find out about the Star Clippers, Roll Call, and ToursByLocals excursions that you mention. Thank you in advance!

Ray

[mapsd]

13 hours ago, RSSNewsmaster said:

These look like good suggestions, Don. Our group of four are booked on the Star Flyer for the Oct 8-15, 2022 Northern Cyclades cruise. We have no idea how to find out about available shore excursions. I don't see anything on the website and we haven't received ANYTHING from Start Clippers other than our paid-in-full passenger confirmation invoices. We would appreciate tips, or links, or contact info to find out about the Star Clippers, Roll Call, and ToursByLocals excursions that you mention. Thank you in advance!

Ray

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.

[Solent Richard]

On 8/11/2022 at 7:39 PM, mapsd said:

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.

 

We too visited Patmos, and though not on Star Clipper, took the ships excursion (Courtesy of a local  coach company) We found it most enjoyable and certainly didn't take a full day.

 

My Photograph/Camera records indicate that we were actually on the excursion just over 4 hours.

 

Anyway, that visit to Patmos is covered on my cruise blog which anyone is welcome to view. You just need to scroll down to the 'Itinerary section to find the coverage for Patmos...

 

https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2014/10/03/europa-2-raising-the-bar/

 

[robbie21]

Star Clipper cruises do require a reset of expectations.  Planned port times can vary.  Also, sometimes their shore excursions can be a little different than other cruise line so ask the cruise director what to expect.  If you don't like what's on offer there will always be taxi drivers hanging about quite willing to take you wherever you want.  If you don't have a specific destination they will usually give you a general tour of the area or even suggest what is best to see. We have had some outstanding tours this way.

 

If you are a type A planner 😉 you can google taxi companies ahead of time.  They often have stock tours, and prices. You call them when you are ready.

 

Finally, you can simply walk about in the port or even stay on the ship.  In some ports they will have the water sports team put out the sailboats and kayaks.

 

Relax and wing it 😁