Malta, Sicily & Greece on Star Clipper - Star Clipper
Holiday Highlights
- Follow a local guide through the citadel in Victoria on Gozo Island, the fortified city of Vittoriosa and the 16th-century city of Valletta on Malta.
- Spend time in the picturesque towns of Nafplion and Monemvasia.
- Explore the ancient sites in Epidaurus, Pylos and Syracuse's Archaeological Park of Neopolis with guided tours and uncover the ancient temples of Hagar Qim and Ggantija.
- Marvel at the natural beauty of the Maltese coastline with visits to Dwejra Bay and the Blue Grotto.
- Choose a visit to the Acropolis or Cape Sounion before ending your adventure across the Mediterranean and Aegean Sea in Athens with a one-night stay.
What's Included
- The price of this holiday is per person, based on two people sharing a twin/double room and cabin. The price includes:
- Scheduled flights to Malta, returning from Athens from selected regional airports
- 3-night pre-cruise hotel stay in Malta and 1-night post-cruise hotel stay in Athens with breakfast
- 6 nights in your choice of cabin or suite on Star Clipper with ocean views.
- All visits and excursions mentioned including sightseeing in Malta and Athens
- Full breakfast, buffet lunch, afternoon tea and à la carte dinner daily whilst on Star Clipper (lunch excluded on shore excursions)
- Attentive service from an English-speaking crew and knowledgeable local guides
- All transfers between the airport and hotel* and hotel to port
- All port charges (worth £165pp) and airport taxes
- Services of our experienced and insightful Cruise Director and Tour Manager
- Porterage of one item of luggage per person
- *Transfers are not included for guests booking their own flights.
- Please note that in the event of unsatisfactory weather conditions the captain reserves the right to alter or reschedule the itinerary. Availability of watersports is subject to weather conditions and local authority regulations.
- Please note due to the size of the ship there is no lift between decks; therefore a reasonable degree of mobility is required to negotiate the stairs and overall design.
Itinerary
Day 1
Arrive in Malta Say hello to the sunshine as we arrive in Malta and transfer to our hotel. The rest of the day is to enjoy at your leisure. Thanks to its location just south of Sicily, between Europe and North Africa, Malta has 300 days of sunshine - it's almost impossible to have a bad day weather-wise. For those who love to fly and flop, you can spend the rest of the day settling into the hotel or head to the beach. A Maltese "beach" can be anything from golden sands to rocky shore and many locals prefer the latter (not a lot of sandcastle builders, clearly). Malta's waters are bath-warm - perfect for swimming. Those who want to kick-start exploring can do so in the local area. The golden-hued towns and cities are filled with centuries-old buildings showing a mix of Arabic and Italian influences - seemingly teetering on the edge of decay. The cobblestone streets - clearly built before cars - dare you to explore their twists and turns. In the bars, cafés and restaurants, you'll meet the locals - often described as charismatic and jovial - who have a welcome-at-any-age chattiness. And they always have a good story to tell. While you're there, don't miss your first taste of Maltese Cuisine. Look out for Lampuki Pie (fish pie), rabbit stew, Bragioli (beef olives), Kapunata, (Maltese version of ratatouille), and widow’s soup - they're all local favourites.
Day 2
Marsaxlokk This morning we will head to the seaside village of Marsaxlokk (try sounding it out before you say it out loud), in the southeast of the island. This quaint village is the epitome of traditional Mediterranean life. Life here is slow-paced. From the waterfront cafes and restaurants, you can watch the fishermen painting their boats, fixing their nets and selling their fish. The echoing hum of chattering voices drifts from elderly men gathered on benches along the esplanade, smoking cigarettes and telling stories. Mdina After a short drive we will then visit Malta's old Capital City Mdina or, also known as the Silent City after Valletta became the new capital of Malta – we will walk through the fortified city with its narrow streets and beautiful palaces - home to the Maltese nobility. Valletta Our next stop is Valletta, built on a rocky peninsula surrounded by the sparkling waters of the Mediterranean, sits one of Europe's smallest capital cities. Tucked away behind towering bastion walls, we'll tour the honey-glow limestone streets of Valletta beneath painted wooden balconies, baroque columns and curlicues. From the five-millennia-old "Fat Ladies" (fertility figures, not a scathing indictment of the local diet) to tunnels from WWII, there's plenty of history here. During time at leisure, you could visit St John's Cathedral with arguably one of the most dazzling baroque interiors - intricate marble floors, gold leaf carved walls and fine paintings (and don’t miss the two Caravaggio paintings in its oratory). Packed into this tiny city are several Michelin-starred restaurants, rooftop venues with panoramic views, shabby-chic bars spilling out onto limestone stairways (some with live music) and specialists in Mediterranean and Maltese cooking. As you enjoy lunch independently, you can people-watch in the cafés that line the narrow streets and squares. Included experiences: A guided tour of Marsaxlokk, Mdina & Valletta.
Wyndham Grand Athens
Grand Hotel Excelsior Malta
Combine this with the very best state of the art safety features and superb facilities of a modern cruise ship: 81 spacious, sumptuous cabins displaying traditional decor, leather and dark hardwoods; the finest cuisine in an elegant dining room; a highly skilled and caring crew - and you have the Star Clipper!
It is the smaller sister ship to the Royal Clipper and when its 16 magnificent sails unfurl you are immediately overwhelmed by a remarkable sensation of being completely in tune with Mother Nature – a rarity in the modern world. With just 162 passengers and 74 crew on board, the atmosphere is very intimate – more like a private yacht than a cruise ship. Life is wonderfully informal and low-key, whilst the small scale of the ship and the open restaurant seating promotes a relaxed and extremely sociable ambience.
Everyone loves the experience of being on deck – the ropes, stays, winches, the polished mahogany and gleaming brass of the ship’s bell are all a living testament to its maritime heritage. On the Star Clipper guests are encouraged (should you so wish!) to help raise the mainsail and just like the Royal Clipper, the bridge is always open for a visit. Being smaller and lighter, the Star Clipper is also more responsive to the wind and sea: you feel the surge of the breeze, breathing life into the canvas above and sense the deck gently tilt as the sleek gleaming hull slices through the waves under the ever-watchful eye of the skilful captain.
There are two small salt-water swimming pools, plenty of deck space with sun loungers, chairs and a shady spot to cool off. Enjoy a long refreshing drink or your favourite cocktail from the open-air Tropical Bar, the ship’s social hub. The library with its leather armchairs is the perfect place to immerse yourself in a good book or you can relax in the tasteful lounge and piano bar chatting with your fellow passengers. You can climb the mast (in a safety harness!), lie in the bow netting or participate in the free water sports available at each port of call (where possible and subject to weather conditions and local authorities. Certified scuba divers can also dive at each port, at extra charge). Evening entertainment is simple and ‘home-made’ by the crew and officers - there’s no formality here and you’ll feel completely relaxed and unwound.
To enjoy our Mediterranean cruises to the absolute full, we have included a wonderful range of onshore tours and visits along the way, visiting the most fascinating places of interest. But perhaps the memory that may stay with you the longest is the simplest – that of the balmy summer evening breeze on deck, with the masts soaring above into a velvet night sky of silent stars over a moonlit sea.
To learn more about sailing on our tall ships see our Life On Board page.