Cruise Maven News: Royal Clipper Kicks Off New Season of Mighty Ships
There aren’t a lot of TV shows that grab my attention enough to make me sit in one place for an hour. “Mighty Cruise Ships,” which airs on the Smithsonian Channel is one of them. And apparently it’s quite popular show, too.
The second season of “Mighty Cruise Ships” began Sunday, Sept. 24 at 8pm with an exceptionally up-close view of Star Clippers’ flagship, the five-masted Royal Clipper. Don’t worry if you missed it on Sunday. The Royal Clipper episode will be aired again tonight Sept 27 at 8 a.m., plus Sept. 28 at 4 p.m., Sept. 29 at 5 a.m. and 10 p.m., Sept. 30 at 1 a.m. and Oct. 1 at noon.
Here’s a short clip of what goes on aboard this awesome tall ship:
Built in 2000, Royal Clipper is a joyous throwback to traditional seagoing ways of the late-1800s, calling to mind the grand age of sailing. Her design was based on the Preussen, a famous German five-mast windjammer built in 1902. Today’s Royal Clipper boasts five masts that reach 190 feet in the air, and 42 sails spanning nearly 56,000ft² capable to catch even the slightest of breezes.
This episode of Mighty Cruise Ships follows the guests and crew aboard the Royal Clipper as it sails a 12-night voyage along the western coast of Italy, then heads east to Greece and north into the Adriatic Sea.
I was lucky enough to have a chance to sail aboard Royal Clipper in the Mediterranean several years ago and remember like it was yesterday. The excitement and awe when the sails are manually unfurled is like nothing else anywhere at sea.
