A taste of the Med – with an extra helping of luxury
IN JUST a couple of hours I had conjured up a three-course gourmet meal of seared scallops and bacon, poached bass, and drunken limoncello tea cakes – just like that.
As if by magic, every ingredient was lined up and each utensil was whisked away by sous chefs the moment I set it down on the gleaming stainless-steel work station, while the executive chef instructor guided me through every step.
Slicing and stirring in this class was just about the only time I had to lift a finger during the whole voyage – I certainly never had to sign for anything.
On Regent Seven Seas Explorer, which caters for 750 passengers in balcony suites, a cookery class is one of the few things not included in the fare.
Almost everything else you would pay extra for on other lines – from morning yoga classes to nightcaps in the Observation Lounge, and shore excursions and fine dining – is part of the allinclusive package, making it a very indulgent experience indeed.
On a five-night taster cruise of the Mediterranean from Barcelona to Monte Carlo, I dined under glittering chandeliers, chose from a list of fine wines to go with duck salad for lunch in the modern French restaurant Chartreuse, gazed at an original Marc Chagall print while waiting to be seated in Prime 7 steakhouse, and passed a specially commissioned threeton bronze sculpture – inspired by a Tibetan prayer wheel – that cost almost £500,000 to enter the Asian-fusion restaurant.
The ship’s opulence extends from bow to stern. Like most of the suites (all cabins have a separate sitting area), mine had a balcony deep enough to flatten out a sunbed to lounge on by day and to stargaze on at night.
The marble bathroom had a full-size tub, a separate shower and two washbasins so we could jump out of the enormous bed in the morning and get ready to go ashore in double-quick time.
During a sneak peek of the $10,000-a-night Regent Suite, I sat at the Steinway grand piano and surveyed the open-plan living room with its black marble bar. Its occupants have a car and chauffeur at their command at every port of call.
We were more than satisfied with the choice of included group excursions by coach. From Toulon, we visited Castellet, a 13th Century fortified hilltop village that has been an artists’ community since the 1920s. As we admired the view from the walls, a joyous wedding party spilled out from the castle (now the town hall), waking up the sleepy square.
After browsing gift shops filled with all things lavender, we rejoined the coach and carried on to Sanary-sur-Mer, a laidback former fishing village with a bric-a-brac market on the promenade and colourful boats bobbing in the harbour.
In St Tropez, our walking tour with a knowledgable local guide took us to one of Picasso’s favourite bars, down narrow streets to the Place des Lices,
where vigorous games of boules were in full swing under the plane trees, then around the marina crowded with the comings and goings of super-yachts, to the delightful Annonciade museum in a former church.
On its walls is a wonderful collection of works of artists such as Matisse, Seurat, Derain and Bonnard who found inspiration on the Cote d’Azur.
We later returned to Explorer for a sail away with a glass of champagne – the start of another evening in the lap of luxury.