Royal Clipper

Image: AI-generated.

Royal Clipper: five masts under sail

Delivered in 2000, the Royal Clipper is a five-masted full-rigged ship with 42 sails and 5,000 m² of sail area. The operator’s press kit names the Merwede shipyard in Rotterdam as the place of construction. Flying the Maltese flag, the ship is registered in Valletta. It is 134 metres long and 16 metres wide; its four guest decks are named Sun, Main, Clipper and Commodore. The operator lists capacity for 227 guests and a crew of 106, including 20 crew members assigned to the sails. At 4,425 gross tonnes, the ship combines the form of a large sailing vessel with the operation of a cruise ship.

Sailing, motor assistance and views

In normal conditions, the Royal Clipper sails under wind power. When weather or sea conditions require it, two engines provide assistance. The rigging is therefore more than a design feature: guests can climb the masts, secured by safety equipment, as far as a crow’s nest and experience the ship from above.

The public spaces also reflect the ship’s maritime concept. A three-storey atrium creates a striking interior, while the dining room offers open seating. There are three pools on the open deck. At the stern, a watersports platform can be lowered to sea level. The Captain Nemo Lounge has underwater portholes.

The Mediterranean and the Caribbean: itinerary examples

The published sailings show a seasonal shift between the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. During the European summer of 2026, an 11-night voyage from Venice to Civitavecchia was scheduled for 29 August to 9 September 2026. It called at, among other places, Rovinj, Å ibenik, Dubrovnik, Kotor, Monopoli, Syracuse, Lipari, Sorrento, Ponza and Palmarola; disembarkation in Civitavecchia was scheduled for 9 September. A full day at sea fell between Monopoli and Syracuse. This specific itinerary describes a single departure, not every Mediterranean voyage.

For winter 2026/27, a seven-night round trip from and back to Bridgetown was published for 5–12 December. It included, among other places, Rodney Bay in St Lucia, Cabrits in Dominica, Falmouth Harbour in Antigua and Terre-de-Haut. On St Kitts, the schedule included a morning call in Basseterre and an afternoon beach stop at South Friar’s Bay on the same day; a beach stop was planned on Martinique. The itineraries show how the Royal Clipper combines port calls with time at the beach. Individual routes and port calls depend on the specific departure.

Design and delivery

The historic tall ship Preussen served as the model for the design. The operator’s press kit gives July 2000 as the delivery date.