"Best holiday and birthday ever"

Best holiday and birthday ever. An intense experience with strangers who become like family. Pure uncomplicated adventure. Will be booking another trip with Maybe Sailing.

"Brilliant Crew, lovely ship, amazing sailing"

I just took the RYA Competent Crew course on board Maybe and had a hell of a good time! Thanks to a brilliant, funny, knowledgeable and very patient crew, I learned a ton and had a lot of fun (though not much sleep!)
I'm very much looking forward to go back sailing on Maybe (next trip already booked!) - Thank you again and see you very soon!

"Laurence - TS Maybe - Cork to Gosport Sept/Oct 2018"

Had this trip booked for me for my fiftieth birthday by my partner. Have never sailed before in any form or shape. Some of my friends questioned the gift and wondered if my partner didn't like me very much or just wanted to get rid of me for a few days. I was a little apprehensive myself.
The trip was amazing.
It was enjoyable and challenging in equal measures and an experience i will never forget.
Some of the highlights included steering by moonlight, being surrounded by dolphins, sitting astride the bowsprit at 3.00 in the morning, having weird dreams and listening to the many brilliant and funny stories the crew shared with us.
Some of the challenges included gybing the sails at 5.00am, remembering everyone's tea or coffee order and then being able to make it with the boat rocking like Elvis and eating breakfast whilst the contents of the kitchen cascade around you.
All of it - brilliant fun.
Of course it would not of been the trip it was without my fellow rookies and a superb crew and skipper. Many thanks to them all for making it such a memorable experience.
Good Luck TS Maybe in all of your future races - i shall be keeping track of your success's.

"Disappointing human and ship issues"

A selection of highlights:
do you want to be greeted by an antagonistic hospitality manager?
do you want to miss seeing a polar bear feeding on a whale carcass?
do you want to have to stand on the door step and toilet step to avoid getting wet feet in the bathroom?
do you want to be woken in the early hours of the morning by hearing the crew say the steering's gone and talking about being ready to change the sails to avoid rocks when you're around 80 degrees north?
do you want to feel shore landings are not always well controlled?
do you want to feel worried by the rifle being tested while a small party was on shore with no explanation?
do you want to spend several days at anchor?
do you want to be so far from land you can't see it for half the trip?
do you want to disregard the fragile environment on the small amount of landings you do?
do you want to be kept awake by inconsiderate noise levels?
do you want to receive personal attacks and be criticised by the company for daring to suggest 6 out of 9 guests agreeing on issues means something was wrong?

If that is what you wanted then this was the trip for you!

"life changing experience"

life changing experience, beyond my expectations

I had an awesome time with Blue Clipper and her crew. They are professional, and they taught me so much about life and about sailing. I am definitely taking lessons back to my sailing life as well as my personal and professional life. :)

The Blue Clipper is a spectacular boat, truly luxurious and I felt comfortable and completely safe the entire time. The crew helped me to experience once in a lifetime experiences like climbing the rig, the bowsprit, etc. and feel like a true pirate while still observing safety as a top priority.

The captain and first mate did an incredible job of letting us know what is happening and why; they told us daily where we are, where we're going, how long it will take to get there, and what weather and wildlife we are likely to encounter along the way.

The hospitality was out of this world. I truly felt cared-for. Once, my dad and I were going out for a hike. We had no expectation that food would be provided for us, and planned to pick up sandwiches in town on the way out. Katie, hospitality manager, realized that we did not have food and the team packed us a beautiful lunch on the way out the door.

I whole-heartedly recommend this experience. Go into it with an open mind, and embrace the adventure. You will have an amazing time, and learn so much more than sailing.

"Awesome Sailing Adventure"

Just finished an awesome sailing adventure onboard Blue Clipper. My daughter and I had a blast. The crew were professional and fun and encouraged us to be involved as much as we were comfortable in the operation of the ship. The ship was beautiful and comfortable and the meals by our cook Chris were outstanding. The scenery along the north coast of Norway was breathtaking and the places we stopped along the way ranged from rugged hikes along the coastal mountains and beaches to fascinating towns and anchorages. The weather was damp and cool most of the time, but the warmth of the crew and other passengers more than compensated for it. We learned a lot about sailing and the local wildlife and geography from the crew. Can’t wait to sail on a Maybe Sailing ship adventure again as soon as I can.

"Already planning my next trip!"

I took part in the Tall Ships Race from Norway to Holland on Maybe and had the most amazing time. I was super seasick for two days but the crew looked after me and were so kind and fun that I barely noticed I was ill. It was a shame the race was cut short due to unfavorable weather, but that is not the companies fault, and the crew made sure we sailed as long as we could and kept us busy and occupied when we were under motor.
I couldn't believe the two watch leaders were only my age, they were so competent and professional - big shout out to Dave and Inge! Titch (1st mate) and Meg (skipper) were also wonderful, and we had a lot of laughs as a crew. I'm already planning my next trip with Maybe as I can't wait to get back out to sea!

"As a grandmother in her late seventies…"

As a grandmother in her late seventies I was a little apprehensive about taking on the trip on Blue Clipper from Svalbard to Tromso. I need not have worried. All the crew, led by Captain Chris, were very helpful and looked after me wonderfully. I would particularly like to thank Chris in the galley for all the wonderful meals. He is an unsung hero. We were extremely fortunate to see a polar bear, walruses, whales, porpoise and dolphins, not to mention the bird life, and we had enough sailing to turn us into useful members of the crew. The scenery was stark but stunning and we too were involved with the plastic research. I look forward, Meret, to hearing the results. Please pass on my thanks to out watch leader, Dom, and all the crew for a wonderful trip which my granddaughter Emma and I both enjoyed.

"With Maybe Sailing, I wasted time, hard-won money and opportunity"

With Maybe Sailing, I wasted time, hard-won money and opportunity to pay tribute to Arctic as appropriate.

In July 2018, I made a 2-week Svalbard explorer trip with Maybe Sailing. Embarking on Blue Clipper full of enthusiasm, I finished my trip completely depressed by the course of events. Confusingly advertised adventure didn't meet my expectations, misleading description and photos borrowed from another travel operators misled at least 6 passengers from 9. In the beginning, it was not such a drama: the very first Maybe Sailing expedition covering Spitsbergen with Blue Clipper, error is human and a sort of crash test is inevitable. Being completely transparent, guests shared their regrets with the skipper and the first officer, before complaining to Maybe Sailing. The reaction of Maybe Sailing was beyond all expectations and completely outrageous.

Experienced travelers from different countries having covered Alaska, Canada, Russian Siberia, India, Antarctic and many other destinations, including sailing on tall ships, were looked down upon as having to many expectations and being frustrated to not to see a polar bear at the first attempt. Dissatisfied customers were accused of plotting to cause a detrimental effect on the company for a some unknown goal, their complaint was qualified as a "concerted attempt to interpret unconnected circumstances and events", "a complete fabrication". Apparently, Maybe Sailing has nothing to improve and acts strictly on the basis of best practices, all the rest is subjective and can be explained by clients' fault, mitigating circumstances and weather. Passengers have been made accountable for the unpleasant experience, Maybe Sailing pointed a finger at its own paying guests: "an extremely fussy eater", "some of the guests not fit enough to make longer excursions", a watch deserter; long and unpleasant list of barely masked personal attacks. It is deplorable that such discourse infantilizes worldwide travelers. Furthermore, the Maybe Sailing reaction intimidates complaining people with technical details in order to point out their "complete lack of knowledge of the vessel" and a "profound lack of knowledge and reasonable common sense" underlying their allegation.

Weather conditions are also blamed, even if apart few days, the Arctic summer remained true to itself, and Maybe Sailing confirms that the "weather and sea conditions for the approx. 700 mile voyage were favorable". Another explanation is a lack of wildlife, which is completely normal when you are miles from the shore. Maybe Sailing kindly reminds me, an experienced 33-year old backpacker, that a "Tall Ship sailing is demanding both physically and mentally, with sometimes uncomfortable conditions on board, this may not have been to the taste of some guests". Maybe Sailing "opened my eyes" on the fact that I should sleep at Radisson Blu and go to the Zoo.

If you really have a problem with your voyage - count on Maybe Sailing to explain you why it's your fault!

Yuliya, a world citizen

"Tall Ships Race 2018"

Sailing on Maybe beat all expectations! This wasn’t my first tall ships race, but it was definitely the most memorable. I’ve had the best two weeks ever, and I’m already planing to sail with Maybe again in the near future.
The crew on Maybe were absolutely fantastic, and I’m extremely grateful for everything they have done. They are such caring, friendly people who have inspired me in so many ways. I have learnt so much this voyage, and it’s because of them.
I definitely recommend Maybe Sailing, you can also expect a warm welcome, and by the end the week you will be a pro tacking team!!!
Thanks again and Love you guys!
Layna Thorn