If you’ve ever looked out at the sea and thought there must be a better way to explore the Mediterranean than a floating resort full of thousands of strangers, you’re right. There is. And it sails under canvas.
Star Clippers is one of the world’s most distinctive cruise experiences: a fleet of genuine tall ships that takes a small number of guests to places larger vessels simply can’t reach. For 2027, they’ve put together their most exciting Mediterranean programme to date, with all three ships sailing from late April through October, a record 27 new ports of call, and brand-new itineraries covering Turkey, Greece, Italy and Croatia. Early Bird fares offer savings of up to 30%.
Here’s what you need to know.
What Is Star Clippers?
Star Clippers is a family-owned cruise line founded in 1989 by Swedish sailing enthusiast Mikael Krafft, who had a simple but ambitious idea: build modern clipper ships that carry guests in genuine comfort, sail to places mass-market cruises skip, and let the wind do most of the work.
The first ship, Star Flyer, launched in 1991. Star Clipper followed in 1992. And in 2000, the fleet’s flagship, Royal Clipper, entered service as the world’s largest square-rigged sailing ship in service, a distinction she still holds today, recognised by the Guinness World Records.
Three ships. No cookie-cutter ocean liners here.
Royal Clipper is the flagship: a 134-metre, five-masted full-rigged ship carrying 227 guests, with 42 sails covering 5,000 square metres of canvas. Her highest mast reaches 54 metres.
Star Clipper and Star Flyer are four-masted barquentines, each carrying 166 guests with a crew of 74. Intimate, quietly social, and built for guests who want to feel genuinely at sea.
All three ships share the same DNA: harking back to the grand age of sail, where guests on board balance grandeur, adventure and modern comforts seamlessly. You’ll feel right at home in the ship’s inviting accommodations, beautiful lounges and bars and expansive teak decks. The restaurant’s culinary creations will delight you, surpassed only by the friendly service by the warm crew who take care of everything. Big enough to have everything you need, and small enough to drop anchor in bays and harbours where larger cruise ships are simply too big to go. That’s not a marketing line. It’s the whole point.
The Star Clippers experience is deliberately low-key. There are no Broadway shows or formal dress codes. What you do get is the real sound of wind in the sails, stars at night without light pollution, and mornings waking up somewhere most travellers will never see from the water.
Guests are welcome to help raise the sails if they want to. The captain and crew are experienced square-rigger sailors who know how to make every port arrival feel like something worth remembering.
The repeat rate among Star Clippers guests sits around 60%. That tells you something.
2027 Mediterranean: Their Biggest Programme Yet
For summer 2027, all three Star Clippers ships are deployed across the Mediterranean from late April through to October, and the programme has been expanded significantly.
A record 27 new ports of call have been added, with every one of them reflecting the same principle Star Clippers was built on: skip the crowds, find the places worth finding.
These are the small harbour towns, lesser-visited coastlines and authentic communities that simply don’t appear on mainstream cruise itineraries. The kind of places where you step ashore into a market square rather than a cruise terminal.
Early Bird fares offer savings of up to 30% on 2027 sailings. If any of the itineraries below speak to you, it’s worth enquiring sooner rather than later.
New Itineraries Worth Knowing About
Turkish Riviera and the Greek Isles: Istanbul to Antalya
New for 2027, Star Clippers introduces 10 and 11-night sailings between Istanbul and Antalya, sailing through some of the most storied waters in the world.
This is the Turkish Riviera and Greek isle combination that well-travelled guests have been asking for. Think ancient harbours, Aegean light, and coastline that has barely changed since antiquity. You won’t find this in the guidebook, at least not the version everyone else is reading.
Greek Isles Round-Trip from Athens
Several new 7-night cruises of the Greek Isles are being introduced for 2027, all operating round-trip from Athens (Piraeus). These are ideal for guests who want a focused, unhurried week among the islands without the logistics of a one-way itinerary.
The Greek island experience on a tall ship is genuinely different. Anchoring off a small island rather than berthing in a busy commercial port changes everything about how a place feels. These itineraries are designed with that in mind.
Italian Treasures Round-Trip from Rome
A new 10-night Italian Treasures sailing departs round-trip from Rome (Civitavecchia) and visits the Amalfi Coast alongside several new ports in Sicily, some of the most characterful, least-visited coastline in the whole of Italy.
Sicily in particular offers something most visitors don’t find: coastal towns with deep Arab-Norman history, extraordinary food, and a pace of life that hasn’t been overrun. Seeing it from the water, arriving by tall ship, is your kind of adventure.
Croatia and Albania: The Adriatic
Star Clippers’ Adriatic itineraries to Croatia have long been popular with guests who love the Dalmatian Coast. For 2027, Albania has been added to the mix, one of the region’s most genuine and least-visited destinations.
Albania’s Riviera remains one of Europe’s best-kept secrets: dramatic mountain backdrops meeting clear Adriatic water, ancient hilltop towns, and a warmth of welcome that comes from a place not yet used to tourist traffic. These are the moments you’ll come home talking about.
Why Book Early?
Early Bird fares on 2027 Mediterranean sailings offer savings of up to 30%. Given that Star Clippers ships carry between 166 and 227 guests, available space is genuinely limited, especially on new itineraries where demand is strong.
Booking early also gives you the best choice of cabin category and the flexibility to plan around your sailing dates rather than the other way around.
The 2027 brochure covers the full programme across all three ships. Request your copy here.
Is Star Clippers Right for You?
Star Clippers attracts people who travel well and want something genuinely different. You don’t need sailing experience. Many guests have never been on a sailing ship before. What you do bring is curiosity, an appreciation for the journey itself, and a preference for character over scale.
The experience suits couples looking for something more personal than a mainstream cruise, travellers who’ve done the big European routes and want to go deeper, sailors and sea lovers who want the real thing, and anyone who’s ever thought a tall ship looked like the right way to see the coast.
Whether you’re trekking or tasting, the common thread with Star Clippers guests is that they want travel that stays with them. From the sound of the sails filling at dawn to stepping ashore somewhere the tour buses don’t go, it’s built on trust and planned with care. That much is clear from the moment you step on board.
Back Track Adventures has been helping travellers find the right journey since 1984. If the Star Clippers 2027 Mediterranean programme sounds like your kind of adventure, we’d love to help you find the right sailing.
Get in touch with our team at enquire@backtrack.com.au or call us on +61 7 3850 7600.
