The Spirit of Seabourn

The spirit of Seabourn has changed in recent years. Now there are travelers from many different age groups on the ships and Seabourn is responding by offering a variety of shore excursions, many appealing to more active cruisers. When our ship, the Spirit, docked in Messina, Sicily, one of the excursions offered was a walk around Mt. Etna. I thought perhaps I wasn't fit enough for this but my daughter and the tour director encouraged me to go.

Mt Etna This turned out to be a great experience. Our guide was absolutely thrilled because we had clear skies as we ascended the mountain. Part way up we transferred to special vehicles that took us the remainder of the way. In fact, he hadn't been up on the mountain since it had erupted in October of 2002. So we realized that seeing the highly unpredictable Mt. Etna with clear skies and steam coming up through craters was not just a usual day on the mountain.

At the peak, we got out and walked-some further than others-through paths around the crater that was created by the '02 eruption. It was both eerie and exhilarating-especially touching the lava rocks that were still warm. I was thoroughly pleased that I had gone along on this outstanding excursion.

In Meteora in Northern Greece we visited two of the six (once four and twenty) monasteries perched spectacularly atop granite rocks. At one time you could only reach them by being pulled up in baskets. We got to our two by foot over bridges. Actually the rock faces draw a number of rock climbers.

The Spirit's Chef Trevor at the market in Korcula There is something thoroughly engaging about going shopping with a chef. On a recent Seabourn Spirit cruise, this meant visiting the small market in Korcula, Croatia, with chef Trevor Coutts. Our group of twenty watched while the chef and his pastry chef looked at, touched, smelled and then tasted local fruit and cheese. They particularly liked the peaches, tangerines and cheese. The pastry chef took the names of those who were on hand and promised we would have a sampling in our suites later. That afternoon when we returned from sightseeing, there was a lovely plate of the fruit and cheese awaiting us.

After market, the congenial Trevor took us for coffee on the terrace of a hotel just outside the walls of the old city. There we talked about food and wine. He also answered questions we all had about his cooking and his travel experiences. The Australian chef is a tremendous asset for Seabourn-a fine chef and a great personality.

Some times we did our own thing. In Dubrovnik we spent a good part of the very hot morning walking the wall of the once-again beautiful city. Although the wall is supposed to be a mile, walking it takes longer than expected because there are steep stairs to go up and down. And along the way there are opportunities to stop and buy souvenirs or a cup of coffee. Then there are the views to enjoy-but which also brought us back the reality of the war. From the wall we could see areas that had been ravaged by bombs and haven't been restored yet. We were fascinated by how the tiles have been replaced on the roofs (some with tiles like the originals and others with brighter, imported tiles that were rather out of place.)

Dubrovnik was the first time I have trod marble streets of a city that has known war since my last visit. It is at once sobering and also awesome that the city could be brought back as well as it has been.

On the Amalfi Coast we arranged for a car and driver through the top-of-the line Le Sireneuse in Positano (featured recently in "Under the Tuscan Sun"). Our lunch at the hotel offered the glorious experience we hoped for in such a setting. The hotel is comfortable and spectacular at the same time. Its new spa designed by Gae Aulanti, architect of the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco and Musee Dorsee in Paris, is sleek and stunning. Nice to know that she will do a small project.

Our drive along the Amalfi Coast from Salerno, where we anchored, to Poisitano was an hour-and-half. We stopped half way at Amalfi and were awed by the Cathedral, dedicated to St Andrews, and its elegantly simple Paradise Cloisters. The Cathedral, which is reached by a very grand stairway, was begun in the 9th century and its exterior is Arab-Norman while its interior is Baroque.

Amalfi was at one time one of the four most powerful Maritime Republics along with Venice, Genoa and Pisa. So it is fitting that this city should have a grand Duomo.

In Venice, we went by ferry to Burano, the island with a bright personality, whose buildings are painted in blocks of primary colors. Burano is famous for lace making but it isn't particularly compelling to watch lace makers at work. Murano glass is also sold here; however, if one has never seen glass blowing, it is worth a stop at that island as well.

We had an al fresco lunch at Al Pescatori, where a whole turbot was grilled for us. Served with a salad and Preseco (light sparkling wine), the lunch was perfect in its simplicity. We could have gone to the island of Torcello and lunched at Locando Cipriani, where I have lunched before at a much greater price, but Burano more than satisfied us.

Note: In Conde Nast Traveler's February issue the Seabourn Spirit was voted fourth best small ship in the world. (See Tahitii article about the Gauguin.)

Voyager Club excursions, Seabourn Med cruise 2003

Corfu

Our first excursion was on the island of Corfu. When I had visited this island before, we hadn't left the main city so missed the beauty of the island. Our first stop was at the Monastery of the Blessed Virgin, which was reached after a spectacular drive through the countryside. The small church and its museum are very delightful; our guests were pleased to be allowed to photograph within the Greek Orthodox church.

We stopped in Lakones, where we could shop or just sip a coffee in an outdoor patio. Lunch was also outdoors at the Spyros-Vassilis Country Restaurant. Our drive back to the port was through other small towns, all quite picture perfect. All along the way we did not feel the presence of many other travelers.

What is important in Corfu is to get outside the city, although it is quite delightful with horse-drawn carriages and some fine shops, to see the lush island.

Pompeii

Our tour was from Sorrento to Pompeii, where some of us had been before and others hadn't. We were quite prepared for the throngs of people. Later we found out it was a holiday and the entrance was free to all locals. And they certainly came to visit one of their national treasures.

Alana was disappointed since the most viewed statues are now behind glass-unlike when she went before.

Lucky for us was a visit to Villa dei Misteri, which most visitors to Pompeii don't get to see as it is outside the walls. This patrician villa's frescoes are amazingly preserved.

Taha'a Pearl Beach Resort

“It's a very special place. The Taha'a Pearl Beach Resort is a real gem. It's the closest to a five-star facility we visited and head and shoulders above the other Pearl Beach resorts we visited and heard about. It's very secluded, so there's not a lot to do outside of the resort, but Bora Bora is only 20 miles away. Taha'a would be a great first stop for honeymooners before moving on to Bora Bora, which was my favorite island.”

M.W., Jacksonville, FL