2025 bucket list: Why tall ship cruising with Riviera comes top

Tall ship cruising represents more than a singular voyage. Stepping foot upon the gangplank whispers an invitation to adventure – where time slows and the spirit soars, powered by caramel rigging and billowing sails.

Whereas modern travel radiates with the soulless nature of confined cityscapes, tall ship cruises provide a breath of fresh air, crafting travel that dances with the elements, rather than facing definition from them.

Propelled by nature’s good graces, you become part of a story as timeless as the ocean itself, treading in the footsteps of humanity’s greatest adventurers.

Except, while Sir Robin Knox-Johnson and Dame Ellen MacArthur had to face unfathomable hardship and traumatic pressure as solo-seafarers, you can instead look forward to afternoon tea and cultural excursions.

It’s the chance to blend the allure of maritime tradition with modern comforts; knowing you can sip a perfectly brewed cup of tea at 4pm, instead of rationing biscuits during an Atlantic gale.

Cruising on a tall ship isn’t just a venture towards the horizon, but a chance to absorb travel in its’ purest form – the hum of engines replaced by the rhythmic creaking of timber, complimented by the charismatic waft of overhead canvas and glittering sapphire waters.

Almost as though lifted directly from history, every moment aboard these majestic vessels feels like a living page from the journals of nautical heroes.

Offering such an experience showcases an understanding of excitement at its’ most uncontaminated. There are no feverish waterslides. No tumultuous buffet queues. No scrambling for sun loungers at 6am. And Riviera Travel can take you there.

Riviera’s tall ship fleet
Riviera Travel presents three exquisite tall ships that offer an intoxicating mantra of historical romance and contemporary luxury: Royal Clipper, Star Flyer, and Star Clipper.

Each ship deserves status as a masterpiece, an outstanding tribute to the craftsmanship of yesteryear. Rich hardwoods, polished brass, wrought-iron fittings, and marble inserts festoon the sort of detail reserved for period dramas. It’s The Onedin Line, except Star Clipper’s teak decking remains less wooden than the acting.

Besides evoking the mystique of antiquity, Riviera Travel’s tall ship fleet combines functional ornamentation with the decadence of contemporary cruising.

Picture yourself aboard the original Royal Clipper, a floating palace that boasts a Guinness World Record as the largest square-rigger ship in service, her polished corridors and towering masts embodying the very pinnacle of elegance.

Or how about Star Flyer? A younger sibling with all the charm of her predecessor, featuring airy cabins and voguish spaces to bask in the sea breeze. For the more intrepid soul, Star Clipper channels the true spirit of stimulation with her tall, proud masts slicing against the sky.

And of onboard services? Well, you won’t feel the need to stumble around uttering “why is the rum gone?” – there’s a well-stocked bar ready and waiting. After all, enjoying a snifter of rum after lunch doesn’t make you a tippler; it makes you a pirate.

Camaraderie flourishes on each of Riviera Travel’s tall ships, as guests join the ranks of explorers and seafarers who have chased the compass for centuries. As you lean into the trade winds and gaze out at infinite space, your worries will dissolve as the liaison with your soul ignites a journey of self-discovery.

It's time to write your own chapter in the grand history of ocean exploration, lounging in sailing nets as Riviera Travel’s attentive crew cocoon you from modern stresses.