Pirating the Caribbean

FULL SAIL: The magnificent Royal Clipper sails to smaller ports than larger cruise ships.

The bartender at Basil’s Bar gave us a curious look as we pulled up a stool. “Where ya from, mon?” he asked in a rhythmic Caribbean accent. “We’ve come from the Royal Clipper,” we offered, trying to gain some stature. “Is Mick around?”

He laughed heartily—we were obviously day-trippers. With the ice broken, shaken, and stirred, we surveyed the sun-drenched patio hoping to spot some of the rock stars, British royalty, or business tycoons who hang at this Caribbean institution.

We had only a few hours to take in the mystery of Mustique, a secluded 1,400-acre private retreat of barefoot luxury. The small island comprises 85 private villas—think Mick Jagger, Tommy Hilfiger, the late Princess Margaret—a small village, a grocery store or two, and a boutique.

Once our rum punches were drained, we headed back to the speedboat that carried us across turquoise waters to our own luxury digs aboard the Royal Clipper, which was anchored in a bay off Port Elizabeth, Bequia.

The Royal Clipper is not your Kathie Lee Gifford-style ship. It’s no floating Las Vegas with casinos, nightclubs, and gilded elevators that move up and down 10 stories of cramped cabins. Oh, contraire. The Royal Clipper is the only five-masted sailing ship in the world. (The nightly sail-away ceremony, during which the crew hoists the 42 sails, is a sight to behold.) The 439-foot ship carries just 227 guests and successfully combines the tradition of legendary magnificent sailing ships with the accommodations of luxury yachts: marble bathrooms, direct-dial phones, and televisions with in-house video.

To escape the February doldrums in Dallas, we basked under the sun, sea, and skies of exotic St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Because of its small size, the Royal Clipper anchors in secluded ports far from where the big cruise ships docks. Every morning we looked out our portal to see deserted pristine beaches or quaint villages. Once we disembarked, we weren’t met with lines of hawkers pushing overpriced handicrafts—just friendly greetings from shopkeepers and locals walking to work.

But getting off the ship was difficult. The gentle rocking of a sailing vessel encourages a blissful, deep sleep, and the rich mahogany cabin walls, accented with burnished brass fittings, create a sleeping chamber that’s hard to leave. All but six of the ship’s 98 cabins are outside, and 14 deluxe suites have private verandahs. But the ports of call and day-excursion packages are just as splendid.

Day One: Carriacou
Enjoy a lazy day on the beaches of this tiny island or a snorkel safari to Sandy Island, a small spit that allows only 25 people on shore at a time.

Day Two: Grenada
What an idyllic mix of tropical landscapes: terraced gardens among the mountains, rainforests, and rivers that fall away to white sand beaches. The highlight is the Spice Road Tour, which winds through farms where the aromatic scents of vanilla beans, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger waft in the balmy air. Be sure to sample some wonderful West Indian Creole cooking.

Day Three: Tobago Cays
Here I discovered heaven on earth. No fishing, no jet skis, no tourists—just powder-white sand beaches and palm-studded shorelines with some of the best diving and snorkeling in the world. After a short snorkeling trip to Horseshoe Reef, we spent the day kayaking and picnicking under the coconut trees. After dinner we retired to the Clipper’s top deck, where we found ourselves alone under the horizon-to-horizon starry sky.

Day Four: St. Vincent/Bequia
Earl Halbich of Fantasea Tours was our host for the day, and he led us on a speedboat tour up the leeward coast of St. Vincent, pointing out spots like the cove of Willilabou, where Johnny Depp and crew filmed Pirates of the Caribbean: the Curse of the Black Pearl. Dolphins raced beside us as we headed north to hike a nature trail in the rainforest, which led to a magnificent waterfall. That afternoon he jetted us to Mustique for a trip to the famous Basil’s Bar.

Day Five: St. Lucia
We anchored early in Marigot Bay and took a water taxi to the local market. After days of solitude, we were overwhelmed by the crowds surrounding the stalls, so we returned to the ship where we lazed away the rest of the day sunbathing on the top deck, with St. Lucia’s lush rainforested Pitons mountains providing a spectacular backdrop. Our only exercise was curling glasses of rum punch.