I went sailing on a stunning clipper from Rome to Sicily - and even saw an erupting volcano

Behind the old-fashioned sails and seductive lines lies a very 21st century vessel which offers luxury few bigger ships can match.

One of the first experiences my partner Lynne and I had aboard this 360ft ship was watching the guests helping to pull up the sails as we gently moved out of Civitavecchia, the port of Rome.

This was our first leg of our 722 nautical miles mission to Sicily and back, via stunning ports. It was incredible. These hardy guests were volunteers, I hasten to add. There is no requirement to raise the sails, or climb to the crow’s nest; these are offered as a once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

This was no ordinary sail away, but then again this was no ordinary ship. It might be small beer compared to traditional cruise liners, for Star Flyer has a maximum of 166 guests and 75 crew. We had 140 guests aboard and Star Clippers, the company behind this adventure, is proud to say many are returners.

Our voyage included trips to some memorable islands and ports – Messina, Lipari and Ponza among them - and by the end of the week you knew most of the guests: some had become friends including a couple of Scottish sisters Jenny and Margaret, and lovely couples from Skipton and Embsay, and a delightful family from Huddersfield.

They joined with guests from as far away as Florida, Canada, South Africa and Austria all with one mission in mind: to redefine cruising.

Some had already tried traditional vessels with bow ties, dinner suits and captain’s tables but this was different. More casual but still a premium adventure.

One look at the menu and you know you are on a quality trip. The menus were stunning: grilled swordfish, marinated entrecote of beef, and no end of choices to suit every taste.

Essentially, top quality food is available from morning to night. Breakfast, lunch, teatime snacks, evening meal and late-night snacks. Food is all part of your package. In fact, all you pay for are drinks and excursions, plus the non-obligatory tips.

One nice touch is that every evening prior to dinner, the menu is posted in the Tropical Bar along with a plate of each starter and main course. Not only is it helpful to see what your meal will actually look like, but it's quite a social activity.

Each week there is a five-course Captain's gala dinner, featuring lobster as an option and finishing up in traditional style with a flaming baked Alaska dessert paraded round the darkened dining room.

There isn’t a dress code but shorts are banned for the evening meal.

There were many highlights: one was a sail past of Stromboli, the volcanic island in the Tyrrhenian sea, just off the coast of Siciliy. It is known to flare occasionally but we were fortunate to see it in full flow, rivers of vivid orange lava causing huge clouds of steam when they reached the sea.

A seasoned sailor was almost lost for words: he had sailed this route weekly for years and had never seen it like this. Another stop was equally fascinating: we dropped off near Pompeii, the ancient city near Naples buried after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79AD.

Another highlight was an impromptu yoga session at 7am. One of our fellow guests, Peter, was a lawyer turned yoga master from Miami. So we found ourselves on deck display our downward dogs (it felt more like dying dog at times) but it surely gave us an appetite for breakfast. If you are not lucky enough to have Peter onboard, the crew offer an early morning walk around the ships or workout sessions.

Now this vessel may look like something from the Onedin Line but it is much newer than it appears. Star Clippers was founded in 1989 by Swedish entrepreneur Mikael Krafft, initially operating two identical four masted barquentines, the 115.5 meter Star Flyer, which set sail in 1991 and her twin, Star Clipper, in 1992.

The three ships in the Star Clippers fleet are modern, high-tech, re-creations of the classic clipper sailing ships that dominated the oceans of the world in the 19th century. Today they offer passengers comfortable, crewed sailing on traditional clippers, built with safety and luxury in mind.

All have expansive teak decks, pools, informal dining, a convivial Tropical Bar and a comfortable piano bar. They are large enough to be first class but small enough to call into intimate ports, untouched by larger ships.

Cruise itineraries include sailings through the east and west Mediterranean, Costa Rica and the Caribbean, Panama Canal transits, with Atlantic crossings at the start and end of each summer season.

Each ship has two pools; massage and beauty treatments; water sports equipment; library; internet; indoor/outdoor bar; and a Sloop Shop.

There are seven grades including the luxurious Owner’s Cabin with a hot tub. Some 79 out of 83 cabins have a porthole or open onto the deck. The attention to detail is something else: the staff changed the flags and ribbons in the dining room daily and Luddel, a singer, guitarist and piano bar resident, entertained. A staff gala show was one of the highlights – what a talented lot they are. Carlos, the cruise director, was an effervescent presence who set the tone and the captain, Ante, from Dubrovnik was a fun guy who enjoyed the adventure as much as we did.

For details visit www.starclippers.co.uk. Prices for seven nights from £1,665. https://star-clippers.co.uk/star-clipper-virtual-tour/.