Travel Maven Blog ...... David Molyneaux posts from TheTravelMavens.com

Joys of a small cruise ship, visiting the Med's quiet harbors

Star Pride notes from the Mediterranean Sea

One of the best reasons to choose to cruise on a small ship in the Mediterranean Sea is the opportunity to visit ports with delightful harbors where big cruise ships cannot go, to dock among the stunning pleasure yachts or tender to the heart of town.

 

Harbor at Sanary-sur-Mer, France (Photos by David G. Molyneaux, TheTravelMavens.com)

On a six-night voyage in May from Barcelona to Rome’s port of Civitavecchia, Windstar Cruise’s Star Pride spent a day at each of five ports, Sete and Sanary-sur-Mer, France; Monte Carlo, Monoco; Portofino and Portoferraio (Elba), Italy. We tendered to Sanary and Portofino, parked near the centers of Sete, Monte Carlo, and Portoferraio.

Humming ‘1492’ as a Windstar Mediterranean cruise memory

Star Pride notes from the Mediterranean Sea

Two weeks off the Star Pride in the Mediterranean between Barcelona and Rome's port of Civitavecchia, and still I am humming the theme from "1492: Conquest of Paradise." 

Officers of Star Pride slowly raise the flag of Windstar Cruises at daily sail-aways, to the music of ‘1492: Conquest of Paradise’

The stirring sounds by Greek composer Vangelis play at the end of each day at sail-away, on all Windstar ships.

The music is upbeat, proud, and commanding, a moment to remember.

Several passengers told me they get goose bumps when they hear “1492.”

On the three sailing yachts, passengers make certain to be on deck for the daily sail-away pageantry as the sails are raised.

So what does Windstar do on the Star Pride, the first of three power yachts to join the fleet?

Two officers raise the Windstar flag as the ship pulls out of each port harbor or from its anchorage.

Cruising on Star Pride, casually elegant from a carry-on bag

Star Pride notes from the Mediterranean Sea

Folks who sail, the ones who prefer to meander the seas and to challenge the capriciousness of the winds and waters, mostly are a hardy lot, energized by their battles with the forces of nature.

At sea, they tend to be casual in dress, taking comfort in the same old sweatshirts, shorts, and salty caps.

Godmother Nancy Anschutz christens the Star Pride in Barcelona

While travelers who choose larger, well-equipped sailing vessels for a cruising vacation are not nearly so salty -- after all, someone else is setting the courses, trimming the sails, swabbing the decks, fixing fine meals -- there are similarities in attitude and casual style.

That’s what was on my mind as I looked over the arriving group of passengers at the recent inaugural ceremony for the Star Pride, docked at a pier in Barcelona, Spain.

Invited to the party of champagne and hoopla were dozens of past passengers from Windstar Cruise’s sailing yachts. Windstar, known for its casual, romantic voyages in the Mediterranean and Caribbean, is expanding from three to six small ships.

Travel agents know best cruise secrets

On the big MSC Divina, my balcony cabin at the aft end provided a rare sense of privacy and easy access during a week’s winter voyage in the Caribbean from Miami.

Four cabins away from mine was a door that led to a little used outside stairway which became my nearly private entrance and exit.

A nearly private back stairway on MSC Divina connects cabins on several decks to the buffet restaurant and pool above. (Photos by David G. Molyneaux, TheTravelMavens.com)

Using the stairs, I could walk up to the ship’s buffet restaurant or to a top deck swimming pool, and down to an entertainment area, without encountering more than a few of the other 4,000 passengers aboard.

Did you know that all cabins in the same rate category, on the same ship, are not alike, and that views, balcony sizes, and the conveniences of location may vary substantially?

That’s the kind of information that knowledgeable cruise travel agents pass along to their customers.