Spend Christmas or New Year on a tall ship cruise

Spend Christmas Day snorkelling off the white sands of a tropical island in Central America, in the yachting enclave of Antigua’s Falmouth Harbour or in Iles des Saintes in the Caribbean. Tall ship sailing specialist Star Clippers is offering spectacular Christmas and New Year itineraries on each of its tall ships, two of which will be in the Caribbean and one in Costa Rica. All the ships will be festively decorated and a traditional Christmas will be celebrated on board, adding to the atmosphere in all the ports.

Christmas departures

The stunning, five-masted flagship Royal Clipper, with a capacity of up to 227 guests, will be sailing a seven-night round trip from Barbados through the Windward Islands, departing on December 22nd. Christmas Day is spent anchored off Antigua, in beautiful Falmouth Harbour, a popular yachting enclave. The 7 night cruise costs from £1,390pp, including all meals on board, excluding flights.

The 170-guest, four-masted Star Clipper sails on December 22nd from St Maarten on a seven-night Leeward Islands itinerary, spending Christmas Day in Iles des Saintes, a stunning anchorage popular with private yachts, usually with a great festive spirit over Christmas. The 7 night cruise costs from £1,255pp, including all meals on board, excluding flights.

The third ship in the fleet, Star Flyer, will be sailing the coast of Costa Rica over Christmas 2012 on a seven-night voyage from Puerto Caldera, departing on December 23rd. Christmas Day will be spent on the tropical island of Isla Gamez, Panama, with soft sand beaches, superb snorkelling and protected waters for dinghy sailing, windsurfing and kayaking, all complimentary on a Star Clippers ship. The 7 night cruise costs from £1250pp, including all meals on board, excluding flights.

New Year Departures

Royal Clipper will spend New Year on a seven-night Grenadines cruise, round-trip from Bridgetown, sailing December 29th. On New Year’s Eve, the ship will be in St George’s, Grenada, sailing to sleepy, uninhabited Tobago Cays the following day, where guests can relax in the sunshine or snorkel over dazzling reefs. The 7 night cruise costs from £1,490pp, including all meals on board, excluding flights.

Star Clipper departs Philipsburg, St Maarten, on December 29th for an seven-night Treasure Islands cruise, spending New Year’s Eve in Virgin Gorda, where all the yacht clubs will hold big parties, and moving on to Soper’s Hole and Norman Island on New Year’s Day. The 7 night cruise costs from £1,355pp, including all meals on board, excluding flights.

Star Flyer sails out of Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica, on December 30th, for a seven-night cruise along the Pacific coast, spending New Year’s Eve at sea, with a special party on board to toast the New Year. The 7 night cruise costs from £1,90pp, including all meals on board, excluding flights.

To book, call 0845 200 6145 or visit www.starclippers.co.uk.