The wonderful world of island hopping in the Mediterranean
From gorging on gelato in Italy’s Trieste to exploring the archaeological wonders of Split, Croatia, this 11-day cruise on the refurbished Oceania Cruises liner lets you sail the Med in style.
What do the majority of cruise fans remember most keenly from their voyages? Is it ports, cabins, food, entertainment, decor? Maybe it’s a mix of all those elements but, in my mind, lasting memories are of the service from staff who beam genuine smiles and inject a level of fun into every moment. And it’s rare to encounter the abundance of warmth typically experienced by passengers aboard Nautica.
On my desk, I have a line-up of souvenirs from a recent voyage on this Oceania Cruises ship and they are not what you’d imagine.
I have two wine corks “planted” with flowers made from coloured Post-it notes.
Beside this floral display are two “chairs” and a “footstool” fashioned from the caps and seals of a trio of champagnes, including a vintage Pommery with an iridescent blue muselet wire cage.
Every time I look at these quirky mementos I see the jovial face of sommelier Joan, who is male and from The Philippines and wears his name badge with pride and gales of laughter.
“My mother wanted a girl!” he tells me when we first meet. I had been adjusting my glasses to see if his name was, say, Juan. “A boy named Joan!” he hoots and out comes a pair of pliers and several corks from the depths of his smart uniform and he’s off, creating my haul of souvenirs, one every second night. Not only must Joan twist and pull and strain to make the “furniture” but, he whispers, “I need to sell more champagne, and soon, too, as we still need a dining-table suite!” His colleague Paula sidles up and mock-slaps him with a starched table napkin.
My cruise covers 11 days between Piraeus, Athens and Civitavecchia, Rome, via ports in Turkey, Greece, Croatia and Italy, aboard this boutique 342-stateroom liner, recently refurbished and offering a high level of comfort.
The design and dress code are described as country club, a term that resonates with the (mostly) American passengers, but it’s more informal than it sounds. While the decor across public salons is all polished wood and brass trimmings, the outdoor venues, especially the semi-covered seating on the stern, spilling out of the Terrace restaurant, are bright and stylish.
The food is generous, fresh and at its best when supplies have been brought aboard from ports of call, especially those in Italy, and served as “market” dinners. It’s not the finest cruise cuisine I’ve tried but beyond the expected soups and steaks and souffles, consultant chef Jacques Pepin has contributed key dishes such as beef bourguignon, and any complaints would be niggling. There’s unassigned seating and tables for two so expect none of that forced camaraderie typical of many liners.
And like most premium ships, there’s a choice of two specialty dining restaurants. The leathery, wood-panelled Polo Grill is rather formal, while Italian-inspired Toscana feels more contemporary and fun; neither has a surcharge but both do get booked up, especially the latter, with trolley service, custom-designed Versace china and the likes of world-class lobster risotto. All-day gelato? The scoop-wielding servers at alfresco Waves Grill next to the pool on Deck 9 are everyone’s new best friends.
Coffee? Always an issue on ships. “Americano?” asks Marie-Kris, the early-shift coffee maker at the Barista lounge, when first we meet. I almost answer “Australiana!” but suddenly we’re both laughing. She’s clocked my confusion.
An Americano is some kind of diluted long black, apparently. I tell her I’m from Sydney and would like an extra-strong macchiato.
“I love Australians,” she says, firing up an enormous espresso machine. “You guys ‘get’ coffee.” So Marie-Kris is my date each morning as I arrive at the pip of 6.30am opening and take the coffee onto Deck 5 to enjoy the salty air and early sunshine.
Port visits are mostly half-day so the ship is a destination, too. Time to succumb to the expert hands of therapist Hoinu, who hails from the Indian state of Nagaland, in the Aquamar Spa+Vitality Center, and then to just sit on the balcony of Suite 8061 and watch waves and seagulls and passing ships.
I also spend time in the library, which proves enjoyable but lonely. Reading is old hat, apparently, but this is a charming space, like an English manor house lounge, complete with mock fireplace and faux-conservatory ceiling patterned with parrots. I spy an image of a sulphur-crested cockatoo, forever lost at sea.
The comprehensive daily newsletter, Currents, suggests a carousel of activities, from golf putting with the entertainment team to quizzes and social bridge, but our sailing is not full and I sense most passengers are perfecting the art of siesta-taking. And, why not? The freshly revamped accommodation is excellent, especially in the Penthouse Suite category, with furnished balconies and loads of space, although the word “suite” could appear to be a misnomer for just one room.
But these abodes come with extras such as pre-dinner canapes and afternoon tea, packing and unpacking if required, and the constant attendance of dedicated butlers – in my case, Manesh, who’s clearly troubled by my lack of requests for garment pressing and minibar replenishments.
Decor is all soft blue with pale grey carpets, bright bedside reading lights, cloud-soft mattress and neat sitting area. It’s elegant, perfectly sized and serviced to an immaculate shine twice a day.
Only the eighth day of our itinerary is all at sea, sailing the Adriatic from Rijeka, Croatia to Taormina, Sicily. And sometimes ports can seem like mere interruptions to a voyage. I chat to several passengers who have no intention of going ashore. Nautica is the destination. But who could pass up investigating the archaeological wonders of Split or taking a bus high into the hills of Corfu to view, among other astonishing sights, an olive tree with a girth of 20m and to imagine the Durrell family in situ, with Gerald tending his menagerie and Lawrence madly typing.
Even the tender boat crossings from Nautica’s occasional anchorages are spirited and fun, especially when there are crew members aboard (from Honduras, Colombia, Mauritius and Romania … for starters) on their days off and we compare our shopping hauls and pass judgment on other ships in port. “Why are they so big?” someone will inevitably ask as massive rear ends loom above us.
In Sicily, there’s a tour up to Savoca where there are churches galore, settings from The Godfather films to visit and take obligatory snaps, and the most delicious lemon granita ever. Too many hills and steps? Enter tuk-tuk driver Giancarlo, who scoops me up for a horn-tooting rollercoaster ride that would defy any health and safety checks. “Hang on!” he yells. And so I do, laughing and screaming all at once as we eventually screech to the doorstep of a ceramics shop and I tumble out to buy little handpainted dishes and many skeins of lemon-shaped soaps.
Later, I’ll discover cabin attendant Morris has lined up my purchases during the nightly turndown service in a perfect row, like a miniature citrus grove.
And then we cruise to Sorrento, where shuttle buses whisk us up to the city square. Along meandering alleys, I’m immersed in another universe of lemons – blended into gelato, hand lotions and Limoncello; as motifs on tea-towels, oven gloves, tote bags and clothing. The lido beach clubs are packed with bronzed bathers and candy-striped umbrellas, waiters balance trays of Aperol and Campari spritzes that sparkle like Bulgari gems.
In Trieste, there’s more gelato and the flavour of the day is summer cherry at Gangemi Dolceria, where the paper serviettes are printed with its origin: “Since 1907”. The huge piazzas are lined with rows of cafes and it’s like facing a stage, especially this Sunday morning as a newly married couple steps from the city hall and their wellwishers laugh and sing and throw flowers high into the air. An accordion player appears on cue. It’s corny and joyous and wonderful.
As the cruise draws to a close, I realise I’ll miss the rhythm and easy pace of life aboard. I’ve especially enjoyed swapping tales with French-born general manager Laurence Barasse, who runs Nautica with an intuitive touch and seems to be everywhere at once. The irony of her unisex given name in a male-dominated hierarchy causes us both to laugh, as do the titles of the ever more inventive cocktails of the day in Martinis Bar during the two-for-one Happy Hour.
Ginny Hendricks, anyone?
I don’t tell Laurence that I’ve never shown up for “comedy and magic” with Danny Buckler in the Nautica Lounge or late-night “showband” dancing in Horizons. But I have studied the info on the back page of Currents each day to see where Nautica’s sister ships might be and to plan another cruise.
Ahoy there, Regatta, Insignia, Marina, Riviera and Sirena.
On any day that week, British Columbia, Le Verdon, Karlskrona, Melilla and Bordeaux would have looked nice.
Next to join the fleet, says Laurence, will be Vista, in service by 2023 with a Grand Dining Room that will pay homage to “the beautiful age of early 20th-century Parisian society”. I can already imagine the champagne corks popping. Game on, Joan.
Susan Kurosawa was a guest of Oceania Cruises.
In the know
Oceania Cruises uses US currency and the automatic 20 per cent gratuity surcharge on purchases reflects the focus on the US market’s expectations of tips. Shore excursions are pricey but well-organised and there are easy options for DIY sightseeing in ports where the ship docks or anchors close to city centres, such as at Rijeka and Split in Croatia and Gythion, Greece. Consider an OLife CHOICE package for prepaid gratuities and a range of other costs such as specialty dining surcharges, alcohol purchases and internet access. The company operates four ships with capacity of 684 passengers each (including Nautica), and two, Marina and Riviera, with 1250 aboard. Cruises of varying length call at a selection of more than 450 ports as well as 180-day around-the-world voyages. Nautica’s 2023 voyages include Venice to Barcelona, August 13-25, from $5530 a person; and Barcelona to Valletta (Malta), August 25-September 1, from $3220 a person.