Cruising the Med

CRUISING THE MED

TIANA TEMPLEMAN

A Mediterranean cruise is the perfect way to experience the best of Europe with a minimum of fuss.

Some people choose their cruise because of the ship. Others base their decision on the itinerary. Our 11-night Mediterranean cruise on Norwegian Spirit was chosen with both these things in mind. This ship is one of the smallest in Norwegian Cruise Line’s fleet and ideal for those who prefer not to cruise around Europe on a floating amusement park. The prospect of sailing on this smallis-beautiful ocean liner was reason enough for us to book. An itinerary which included an appealing mix of Mediterranean ports and an overnight stay in Venice on our wedding anniversary sealed the deal. Our cruise from Rome begins with a sea day followed by a stop in Dubrovnik. Game of Thrones has given this historic Croatian town a new claim to fame since our last visit in 2002 but we already know you don’t need to be a fan of the show to appreciate everything this compact city has to offer.

Dubrovnik was founded in the 7th century and has nearly 2000m of heavily fortified walls which were built to enclose the city and protect it from invaders. We get off the ship early to beat the crowds and head straight the ticket office for the self-guided tour of the city walls which are still standing today. It is so early that have the popular tourist site almost to ourselves as we stroll past towers, bastions, and angular fortifications, and stop for a cool drink at a café overlooking the shimmering Adriatic Sea. My husband points out familiar spots from Game of Thrones, like Lovrijenac Fort where the attack on King's Landing was filmed.

The next day we order room service and settle into our balcony to watch as Norwegian Spirit sails into the heart of Venice. Sunlight dances on the water as we cruise past mansions covered in flowering vines, grand palazzos and tumbledown houses with pretty gardens. With the Venetian government set to ban cruise ships from docking in the centre of the city in the next five years or so, we are especially grateful to be here.

It only takes 20 minutes by public vaporetto or water taxi to reach St Marks Square from the cruise port and we enjoy the scenic journey and freedom to explore all day and late into the evening. The small public ferry is near to empty for our trip back to the ship and we listen to the swish of the water and gaze at the houses lining the canal. Women are cooking in their kitchens and high above us a young boy looks out the window of an apartment. It feels as if we are watching a play without any dialogue, with the drapes on either side of the windows making each backlit scene a theatre production.

The following morning we head to one of the gondolier stations near St Marks Square before most of the other passengers on our ship have got out of bed. Venice is silent, mysterious and achingly beautiful as we step aboard a shiny black gondola to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. The only sound is the gentle splash of the gondolier’s paddle and occasional click of our camera as we revel in the peaceful early morning beauty of ‘La Serenissima’ (the most serenely beautiful one), as Venice is often known. Our overnight stay is one of many highlights on this enjoyable Mediterranean cruise.

The other is the ship itself which is unpretentious, casual and fun. Aside from the evening we dine at the elegant specialty restaurant, Le Bistro, we wear casual clothes to dinner and revel in the friendly, holiday mood onboard. Norwegian Cruise Line doesn’t offer set dining times which means we can come and go as we please, and aren’t tied down to eating in the main dining room each evening. We start most nights with a drink at the Bollywood-inspired Maharini’s Lounge or cosy Henry’s Pub followed by a multi-course dinner at Shogun Asian Restaurant or fish and chips at Blue Lagoon Café. On a ship this small, it is easy to make friends with like-minded travellers if you feel like some company. Koper in Slovenia sees us exploring Škocjan Caves which have one of the world’s largest underground chambers and a mighty river flowing through a deep canyon. Steel walkways take us safely across the cave’s chasms but when the site first opened to tourism in the early 1800s there were only slippery hand-cut stone steps. Our guide shouts to be heard above the thundering Reka River as she explains these did little to deter visitors eager to catch a glimpse of this magnificent cave system. We are far less daring but our Mediterranean cruise has provided more than enough opportunities for exploration and adventure.

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