Flying the flag in the land of la dolce vita
AS WE sipped an Aperol Spritz and watched the local fishing boats haul their catch of giant langoustines on to the shore, I could imagine a young Sophia Loren strolling past. This really was la dolce vita.
At the heart of the rugged Ligurian coastline, the fishing village of Porto Venere is where locals swim off the rocks and haggle for the latest catch of crustaceans straight from boats on the quayside, and trendy young couples, dressed in the latest Ferragamos, parade their miniature dogs as proudly as new parents.
Renowned as the home of pesto and at the heart of the Cinque Terre collection of characterful coastal outposts, Porto Venere’s tall, pastelshaded homes overlooking the bay were resplendent with what at first glance appeared to be flags of St George fluttering from windowsills.
Surely the residents were not expecting us, I thought, as I disembarked from the tender transporting cruise passengers ashore for the day?
I know that Crystal Cruises – the luxury line I was travelling with from Barcelona via the Cote d’Azur to Italy – has a reputation for attending to its passengers’ every need, but this was something else.
I discovered the flags were, in fact, the colours of the port’s football team and they were flying in celebration after they had won the local cup final against their closest rivals. However, on a coastline dominated by the mega-yachts of multimillionaires, this tranquil town provided a welcome flipside to the glitz and glamour of our previous calls into Monaco and St Tropez.
Yet a touch of the jet-set rubbed off as soon as my wife and I were ushered to our stunning suite on board Crystal Serenity, complete with giant walk-in wardrobe, Jacuzzi bath and complimentary minibar stocked by Pravin, our exquisitely turned-out butler for whom nothing seemed like too much trouble. A dinner
reservation at master Japanese chef Nobuyuki ‘Nobu’ Matsuhisa’s Silk Road restaurant and sushi bar? No problem. Crumpled suit and shirts need to be pressed and ironed? Of course, sir, right away.
It was as if we’d stepped on to an ocean-going version of Downton Abbey – minus the formalities.
The ship is as big as they come in the ultra-luxury cruise sector, but it nonetheless had the intimate feel of a five-star American resort hotel complete with swimming pool, gym, cinema and incredible California-style street food as one of the alfresco dining options that were on offer.
There were more than 80 children under 12 and 20 teenagers on our seven-night voyage to Rome during the peak of the summer holidays, yet there was always room to relax without being disturbed. This can be explained by the fact that the ship is the same size as the old QE2, yet carries half the number of passengers at about 1,000.
Our fellow travellers were an international bunch, including Japanese, Chinese and Americans, plus a not insignificant sprinkling of Brits attracted by Crystal’s allinclusive policy, which means only having to spend extra on premium wines and spirits.
Many may have splashed out in a top suite on a mainstream cruise ship in the past but then realised the allinclusive nature of five star-plus Crystal cruising is a gem of a holiday yet worth every penny.