03 May 2024

Cruise

We offer a wide choice of cheap flights to Europe together with Europe hotels, tours and self-drive itineraries.

Other Europe Reviews

My VIP voyage:
On the Ship where every one knows your name

With a crew member to nearly every passenger, Caroline Hendrie is pampered in the Mediterranean.

Mediterranean Cruise - Portofino, one of the favourite ports

Mediterranean Cruise - An open-air bar on board

Mediterranean Cruise - Caroline Hendrie on board

1 Portofino, one of the favourite ports 2 An open-air bar on board 3 Caroline Hendrie on board

THE GUESTS MINGLING on the terrace sipped bellinis and nibbled canapes, wafted by a warm breeze and music by a young violin-and-cello duo. We all sighed at the romance of it all.

Bougainvillaea framed the view of the sparkling turquoise sea dotted with white yachts far below and the beautiful craggy green Ligurian coast.

I half expected Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster to appear on the balcony, because here we were enjoying a sumptuous reception at La Cervara Abbey, the very private venue near Portofino they had chosen for their wedding.

We had started with a tour of the beautifully frescoed 14th Century chapel and cloisters and formal gardens with fountains, box hedges and columns covered in jasmine.

This memorable afternoon was a special feature from Yachts of Seabourn – every cruise has an ‘exclusively Seabourn experience’, a complimentary excursion beyond the reach of ‘ordinary’ tourists.

Attentive service

We were on a one-week Mediterranean cruise from Monte Carlo aboard Seabourn Legend, one of identical-triplet small luxury ships (seen as the runaway ship in Speed 2), where just 200 passengers are pampered by almost as many crew.

Somehow they managed to greet us all by name – even when passing in reception or on the stairs, and never were we allowed to carry our own plates the few steps to our tables at the breakfast and lunchtime buffets in the Veranda Cafe. This attentive service was something the mostly North American passengers particularly appreciated, along with the chattiness of the multi-national waiters (who do not expect tips).

Adding to the conviviality is the open bar policy creating a cocktail party atmosphere in the lounges and in the Sky Bar on deck, which would extend to dinner, where wine flowed and no one had to sign the tab.

My partner Michael and I loved the flexibility of life on board. In the main dining room we could roll up for dinner any time from 7.30 to 9.30 and be seated at a table for two – something unimaginable on a traditional cruise ship with thousands to feed.

The one black-tie night was very much optional, with no ship’s photographers chivvying us to pose for souvenir portraits.

We became regulars at the more intimate, alternative evening restaurant, ‘2’ (which takes only 40 diners and where booking is essential), where we could sit outside.

The menus changed nightly with themes such as Bistro as we sailed from Corsica, and Trattoria from Elba. The Tastings menu was a series of 11 exquisite little dishes bursting with flavour and complementing each other perfectly.

One night we decided to ‘eat in’ – the full, five-course main restaurant menu served in our cabin. On another night, we gave our stomachs a rest and ordered simpler fare from room service and watched a DVD.

Gifts on arrival

Our suite was a pleasure to lounge around in, thanks to the clever French windows, which gave us the benefit of fresh air and big views, without losing cabin space to a balcony.

On arrival, we found huge bottles of J&B whisky and Tanqueray gin beside the mini-bar stocked with soft drinks and mixers. At our request Rita our cabin stewardess, who had greeted us with champagne and canapés, changed these to wine we chose from a list of about a dozen, and still water.

We also appreciated the walk-in wardrobe and a proper bath. On one day at sea, I spent the afternoon reading and watching the antics on the somewhat choppy water from the comfort of our sofa.

The crew set up a ‘marina’, a platform at sea level from which you could go round in small circles in a pedalo, take out a kayak or windsurfer, or – very popular this one – straddle a giant plastic banana and be dragged around by a speed boat.

In the morning we had enjoyed a cookery demonstration led by the Swiss executive chef Markus Gerber, who lives in Oxfordshire when not at sea.

And while sampling his frothy artichoke cappuccino with sauteed shrimp, we agreed with the Australian couple next to us how relaxing it was not to have the clashing choices of countless activities offered on big ships.

Our favourite after-dinner sound was the heartfelt music of classical guitarist, 21-year-old Leeds University graduate Tom Sitton, in the Midnight Sun Lounge, where he also played at teatime.

Dance music was by Oasis (not the Brit-pop band, but a much boppier ensemble with Speedy Gonzales from the Philippines on guitar), and a duo called Everest on deck or in the Club lounge which also has a small casino.

Very sociable

Loudspeaker announcements were kept to a minimum, though it was always a pleasure to hear from the cheery Norwegian Captain Erik Lun d Anderssen, who was very sociable and would table-hop at tea and in the Sky bar, meeting us all.

One night there was a film show on deck, another an ‘Evening Under the Stars BBQ’ which was a magnificent buffet. We shared a table with a Swiss couple based in Vancouver, seasoned cruisers though still only in their 40s.

The relative smallness of Legend meant that in every port of call we could dock close to the action and just to stroll into town.

In Calvi on Corsica we took an interesting Sunday morning walking tour (great value at £15 each and only 12 in our group) and saw the remains of the house where Christopher Columbus was born, unfortunately reduced to rubble in a bombardment by Nelson in 1794.

On Elba we took another expertly guided tour, on a coach, to see Napoleon’s summer residence and museum. But mostly we explored on our own and returned to the ship for lunch or flopped in caramel leather armchairs for afternoon tea.

With so much food and drink on offer, it wasn’t surprising that the running machines in the small gym were very popular. The spa too was busy – some people had massages every day. I had a soothing facial, expertly applied by Lianne from South Africa while most passengers were on trips to Florence or other Tuscan tours.

In 2009, the Seabourn fleet is joined by the first of two newly-built 450-passenger ships, to be followed by the other in 2010.

I’m sure the enthusiastic crews will manage to make the welcome just as warm, even though they will have more than double the number of names to remember.