Beautiful horizons
SETTING off from Venice is one of the most glorious experiences in cruising, sailing past St Mark’s Square and the Grand Canal, the breathtaking city almost close enough to touch. Arriving at or departing from Barcelona is a grand affair too, with Montjuïc mountain as a backdrop and a skyline of elegant buildings, including the spires of Antoni Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia church.
These, along with Civitavecchia near Rome, are the starting points of some of the most impressive cruises of the Mediterranean – cruises that take in cities packed with Roman history, fine shopping, cathedrals, parks and often beaches too. On these cruises you can laze in the sun on Greek islands, taste wines in the Croatian countryside, discover Renaissance art and tour ancient temples.
Holland America Line and its stylish, mid-sized ships offer voyages packed with glamour. Fine art adorns the walls of elegant lounges, restaurants serve gourmet cuisine, there are state-of-the-art spas and gyms, entertainment features everything from West End theatre to the Blues – and for time alone, private balconies on many of the spacious staterooms.
The moderate-size ships are designed to accommodate fewer passengers still, resulting in more space per guest than any other premium cruise line. Other attractive features include the teak promenade decks that circle the ships, polished woods, fresh flowers and comfortable furnishings that create the atmosphere of a fine private home.
Journeys Ashore excursions take you to places you may never manage alone, whisking you off to visit cities such as Seville in Spain, to distant beaches, to explore the heights of Mt Olympus in Greece, or to take a small boat trip around a peaceful isle.
THIS year the immersive cruise experience includes Explorations Central, a coffee bar setting where you can find out about destinations (both excursions and things to do yourself), watch interactive videos on everything from travel and food to the arts and listen to talks from onboard experts. You can also learn skills from local guests – for example, play steel drums with a Trinidadian or make a flower lei with an Hawaiian.
Explorations Central debuts on ms Westerdam, which accommodates fewer than 2,000 passengers, before rolling out across the fleet.
Ms Westerdam is embarking on a series of classic 12-night Mediterranean cruises this year featuring overnight visits to spots such as Maltese capital Valletta, Venice and Barcelona as well as long days ashore elsewhere.
Mediterranean Rivieras: Barcelona to Civitavecchia, visiting Spanish gems (Cádiz, the holiday beaches of Alicante and Malaga, the island of Mallorca), Gibraltar, Corsica, Monte Carlo and Livorno – the latter for Pisa and Florence (June 16, August 3, September 20, from £1,299).
Adriatic Dream: Civitavecchia to Venice, exploring the southern Med – the islands of Sicily, Malta and Corfu plus the historic and beautiful Dubrovnik and Split in Croatia and Kotor in Montenegro (April 27, June 28, August 15, October 2, from £1,509).
Mediterranean Dream: Venice to Civitavecchia, visiting the Greek islands of Mykonos and Santorini, Katakolon on the Greek mainland (with tours to Mt Olympus), Piraeus (for Athens) and Cephalonia, Naples and Sarandë in Albania (May 23, July 10, October 14, from £1,399).
Book by February 28 through the View & Veranda promotion and get free flights from London and select regional airports, free ocean view to veranda upgrade and free onboard spend of up to $400 per room. Suite guests also have their gratuities paid.
As the Mediterranean prepares to warm up in spring, it’s now time to think about a cruise to some of the world’s finest destinations.