Star Clippers Sailing the Caribbean: Treasure Islands in BVI January 2026
- Feb 16
- 7 min read
Greetings, Sailor! As a travel advisor who loves to write about the adventures I have experienced during my well-traveled life, it is a pleasure to share with you some impressions of my latest journey in January of 2026. What matters most to me is that you get a clear idea of what it is like to take a voyage of this kind. Maybe your curiosity is more about the destinations we visited than the mode of transportation. Either way, enjoy!
This was our 3rd sailing with the Star Clippers cruise company, and we have now sailed on all three of their beautiful and unique cruise ships. With a capacity of 170 if all heads are in beds and 72 crew, we love the size of the Star Flyer and the Clipper, her sister. The Royal Clipper can sail with up to 227 passengers. The wonderful thing about these ships is that 80% of the time while traveling from port to port, they are truly sailing! It's such a wonderful feeling being up on deck or in the netting while moving without a motor. And yes, they actually have to mend the sails now and then, and have the machine on board to do so right there on deck.
Before we embarked on this Caribbean sailing, our group of 26 sailors slept in the Atrium Beach Resort and Spa on Sint Maarten on Friday night. I highly suggest this resortas it is on a beautiful beach and not far from the airport for an easy transfer. Island taxis are plentiful, and it was the most economical way to move my group, hands down. Honestly...taxi ride with locals added to the fun!
You will love the award-winning Captain's Rib Shack, a short walk from our hotel. We had a blast celebrating a birthday here, and the owner even had a delicious chocolate cake made for the birthday boy! (And did not charge me!). I arranged for all in our large group to order in advance by emailing them a week ahead.
My advice for my own travelers on the day of embarkation, since we were not allowed to board until after 4pm (sailing at 10), was to enjoy the hotel, pool and beach, maybe the restaurants nearby, into mid afternoon and then travel to the port of Phillipsburg, which is about a 30 minute drive. The traffic on island can be gnarly! Check-out was at ten, and I suppose everyone was so anxious to get NEAR the ship, that most all of our group of 26 decided to taxi over to Phillipsburg early.
Here's the thing, tho. The port city of Philipsburg is a very short taxi or hot walk away from the area where you leave luggage and check-in, and without a ship card, You may NOT shop at the pier shopping area. There are people riding around the port shopping area in golf carts yelling at you to LEAVE! Crazy. You would think they would want us to spend money there. Fair warning...stay in town or near your resort area before coming to the pier if sailing with Star Clippers in St. Maarten! Otherwise prepare for a long sit in an uncomfortable chair with nothing to do. Grin. I tried to tell them. We kept pretty busy in town, so it was all good.
Rather than chronicle each day of our 7-night Treasure Islands cruise sailing around the British Virgin Islands, I prefer to give you some of my favorite stories and memories of the journey. You can look up the itinerary HERE in the link. Of course, reach out if you would love to learn more or to book your own cruise week, as I LOVE to sell Star Clippers almost as much as I love to sail with them!
What to Expect on Your Star Clippers Cruise
Let's talk about what is unique about this kind of a cruise.
No fancy attire needed! Just know that they do not love jeans, flip flops, or shorts in the dining room for men AND women. One of my female sailors came to dinner the first night wearing some very casual cropped pants and a t-shirt, and she was asked to change. Everyone dines at the exact same time (7:30). Menus change a bit each night, they have a few items that are always available, and they do a nice job with special dietary needs. Groups of a certain size will be assigned tables (up to 8 persons is the largest, and there are quite a few bench seat booths for 6). Otherwise you may speak to the maitre D after boarding to arrange a table location to see if they can accommodate your wishes.
Breakfast and lunch are buffet style only, and sometimes lunch is up in the area by the Tropical Bar on busy port/beach days. You can find an early light breakfast in the Piano Bar before the dining room opens at 7:30 or 8am, and late at night, same area, you may find snacks. There is also a self-service coffee/tea here at all times. There is always a carving or omelete station at breakfast and lunch, which is nice.
With the exception of a pre or post cruise transfer for groups, you do not pre-arrange any of the tours offered by the ship, but instead you will sign up in the library any time after boarding, putting it on your ship account. This cruise line does not offer help with flights.
The Euro is the currency on board, and cash tipping is highly discouraged. You can add a gratuity to your bar tab each time, and they DO have a bell they can ring when it is a good one! :). Adult beverages and bottles of wine are very reasonably priced, too.
Ladies, leave your heels at home. In rough seas, it is challenge enough to simply walk around, and the teak decks cannot handle any spike-style heels.
The ship will keep your passport during the cruise. I suggest you take a photo of it prior and also have another form of ID with you, along with both a debit and a credit card. The islands pretty uniformly took US dollars as payment. On the morning of disembarkation we received our passports back, then right next to us was immigration officer to ask questions and stamp our passports. Easy peasy. your account will close the night before disembarkation when the last sailor head leaves the bar.
Service is with a smile. Even the crew responsible for sailing and ship maintenance were pleasant to engage with (though some did not speak much English). Your cabin steward will attend your space twice a day, and you may alert via a card hanger on the door. One evening before bed, we had a nice star gazing session up on deck with a crew member. He knew his stuff, like a good sailor should!
There is a cruise director on board. Peter was extremely knowledgable about martime history and our ports of call. His European accent was strong, and I personally had a bit of trouble understanding his story-telling, but on your cruise be sure to read your daily, as they still print and leave in the cabin the night before. Each has a QR code where you can download the history to learn on your own. Fun!
The cabin space is tight, but there is a place for everything! Most cabins have room under the bed to stow your luggage, there are lots of hangers and narrow closets, shelving holds your folded sweaters and shirts, and the bathrooms and shower spaces in most categories are comfortable, even if both of you are there at the same time. The upper categories, of which there are only a few, have doors to the outdoor deck, but most open to hallways. The two smaller vessels have no private balconies, but Royal Clipper has several. The experience here is all about being with your fellow sailors, to be sure. Note to bring along an extension cord (no convertor needed) with addtional ports, as sometimes the only outlet is quite far from the head of the bed. Also, the person on the "inside" of the full size bed will have to climb out the bottom or over the partner to get out. In most cabins the beds may be split into twins.
Entertainment in the evening flollowing dinner is primarily from your ship crew, and they usually also have a "White Night", "Pirate Night", and a talent contest. This is always a hoot, as some of the crew get involved with dancing, singing, and even some comedy. Sometimes when in port in the evening, you will have locals come aboard. Once during this cruise we had some really good steel drum musicians. And ALWAYS the ship's entertainer is a talented pianist and singer, for the baby grand and electric keyboard.
We happened to be visiting Soper's Hole, Tortola on Monday evening...the night Indiana was playing for the National collegiate football championship. As we had an IU graduate with us, as well as a couple from Bloomington, we had to watch! Several in our group followed us ashore to visit a popular bar called Pusser's that overlooked the harbor and our ship. What a fun memory we created as we watched them win!
The memories of this voyage are special, and everyone along with us truly enjoyed each and every day. So many lovely island beaches were visited. One of my most special experiences was exploring The Baths in Virgin Gorda, a must-book excursion offered by Star C. Our Captain had us anchor very early so that we could disembark via the tender boat at 7 am, allowing our group to arrive at this fantastic national park before the masses. Guided by a joyful guide, we had two opportunities to swim at separate stunning crescent-shaped beaches. In betweeen was a fun and slightly challenging hike in and through the huge, smooth granite boulders that create small pools of water and stunning caves. This is a must-do experience!
We already have another private group sailing scheduled...this one from Malaga, Spain to the Canary Islands in November on the Star Clipper to celebrate my life partner's retirement with friends. This is a new itinerary for the company, with a sail past Gibraltar and down the northern coast of Africa. I am most excited about stoppping in Morocco a couple of times (Casablanca and Safi), and we plan a stay in Marakesh post cruise. Excited!
Again, reach out if you would like to have a conversation. We are passionate about curating adventures for travelers, and would be honored to work with you, or to simply answer any questions you may have about the Star Clipper company. And as always, thanks for reading!
Peace, Bobbie Murphy of Active Travel Pro
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