Our first full day onboard Royal Clipper, and we enjoyed breakfast buffet style and is was very comprehensive to say the least!

It was then time for a second safety briefing and an introduction to the captain and his crew. Next up was a tender into Ponza. We were greeted by a pretty harbour with brightly coloured buildings, full of shops, bars and restaurants. After a lovely walk around the harbour and back streets we headed back to the ship and enjoyed a fabulous lunch of beef stew, garlic rice and pea soup but not all together lol!

After a quick nap to recharge our batteries we headed to the marina platform of the boat for some swimming, they lower a platform down so you can easily navigate getting on and off the ship. They have floating sun beds attached to a rope, noodles, snorkels and masks are provided if you want them and the sea was the perfect temperature to cool us all off from the 33 degree heat.

Before we knew it, it was time to dress for dinner. Lamb chops, seafood soup, snail ragout, melon salad and cheese cake were our choices and once again the service was excellent.

The entertainment tonight was firstly a fashion show highlighting some of the clothes on offer in the onboard shop, crew and passengers were the models which made for a very entertaining show. Then the night finished with an old school disco with Jay, playing some great tunes which went down very well, especially when YMCA came on!

A great first full day on Royal Clipper!

Today we arrived in Sorrento, Italy on Royal Clipper!

After a lovely lie in , we missed the buffet breakfast by about 10 minutes so we headed to the piano bar where pastries, bread and fruit are available until 10:30. After a bit of brainstorming and planning for our group cruise in May 2025 with Dan and Tony we headed for the tender to take us into Sorrento. Sadly a rain storm had come in but by the time we headed off to the tender it had thankfully eased a lot!

Sorrento is situated on top of a steep cliff meaning an elevator or a very long walk is required to take you to the top. We opted to pay 2 euros 20 return per person seemed like good value. Sorrento has a labyrinth of ally ways full of bars and restaurants, and also very narrow hair pin roads which was entertaining to watch! After a long walk around the pretty streets we selected one at random and settled in for a fabulous dinner of lasagna and tagliatelle. with a wine and a large beer it cost 50 euros including tips, and it was delicious!

Back in the elevator we headed back to the port to wait for the next tender, we were glad one wasn’t immediately available as the sunset was pretty spectacular and seeing the Royal Clipper from the tender in the sunset then the lights coming on was pretty special!

Back onboard the entertainment was a local folk group who had the tropical bar dancing and singing along, it was very entertaining. A day that started off wet and windy turned into another fabulous day cruising on the Royal Clipper. Tomorrow we arrive in Amalfi!

Today, we are in Amalfi, another stunning port of call on our Royal Clipper cruise!

We were up in time for breakfast again, it’s becoming a theme lol, we both headed to the egg station, omelette and fried eggs were our choices, with lots of tea served by our excellent waiter Riel.

On the tender, and it was a little bumpy but still fun! It’s another hot one, and we headed up the hill out of Amalfi for some fabulous scenic shots before heading back into the main town.

It was mega busy, but it’s easy to see why, lemons seem to be a recurring theme in the shops, bars, and restaurants, and they were all busting at the seams with them.The reason being, Amalfi lemons are one of the most impressive lemon varieties from Italy and among the most highly prized lemons in the world! Carole found a Christmas bauble, shaped like a lemon, of course, and after fighting the crowds and the heat, we headed back on board with another bumpy tender ride!

Back on board, and it was American BBQ lunch in the tropical bar with a quite spectacular spread laid on. Some relaxing by one of the 3 pools was interrupted by sail away, and Carole volunteered me to help raise one of the sails. Thankfully, lots of other guests joined in, but it was a lot harder than expected, but it so great to see the sails go up!

Off the front of the ship is a net you can lie on for the most amazing views of the ship and the ocean below, I climbed on with all the grace of a baby elephant but it was so worth it, I even managed to see a few dolphins!

The night ended with a fabulous sunset, a sail light show where all the sails are lit up in bright colours under a beautiful Italian sky. It was quite a sight to see!

Our final day of our Royal Clipper and the first time that we have actually docked in port on this cruise!

But before we docked and headed out to explore Gaeta, I took the last opportunity to climb the mast. I can’t deny I was a little bit scared but was so glad I mustered up the courage, as the view was absolutely fabulous!

Gaeta is a coastal city to the south of Rome and dates back to Roman times. We were in port from 12-5, and there was a complimentary 20 minute shuttle bus ride from the port. Sadly, it seemed that the majority of places were closed, and after a long walk around in the heat, we headed back to the ship. If we came back to this port in the future, we would definitely book an excursion.

We got the shuttle back to the ship, and then it was time for our last sailaway, which on the Royal Clipper is fascinating. They still use a proper old school wooden wheel to steer away from the dock, and we’ve never felt more like pirates, lol! The sails going up when sailing away are always accompanied by music, which is the haunting Conquest of Paradise by Vangelis, which really does add to the experience.

As there was no sea swimming from the marina platform today, as we were in port, we spent our last early evening in the pool and the bow of the ship watching the sun starting to set before doing the thing we hate most, packing our suitcases!

Our final dinner included possibly the best bloody mary prawn cocktail we’ve ever had. In fact, I had two! With excellent service from our waiter Riel, it was another very enjoyable meal.