CRUISING is updating its image, discovers ROBERT WEATHERALL . . . “SO, where have you been on holiday then?” asked a friend when I got back from my latest jaunt. “Lisbon, Cadiz, Gibraltar, Palma and Barcelona. I have been on a cruise,” came my reply. The puzzled look on his face said it all. Why on earth would a person aged 30 want to go on a cruise . . . stuck on a boat with a load of old codgers who retired when Thatcher was still in power?’ I have to admit to the same initial thoughts when I was offered the chance to take a trip around the Mediterranean on the latest addition to the Norwegian Cruise Line’s fleet. The NCL Norwegian Gem is less of a cruise ship and more of a luxury hotel which just happens to sail about. The 15-deck ship came into service less than six months ago and has been designed with every mod con you could think of. It has also been designed to appeal to a younger generation . . . one for whom the word “cruising” doesn’t necessarily conjure up images of staying on a ship. The bosses at NCL have started to realise that there is money to be made from tapping into a younger market and to do that they need to scrap the traditional image of cruising. Now there is “Freestyle Cruising”. Gone are the days of set meal times and a designated seat where you are forced to make polite chit chat with strangers you have been told to sit next to. Gone is a strict dress code which makes you feel like an extra in an Agatha Christie film. Instead, you can eat what you want when you want and wear what you want. It makes for a much more relaxed atmosphere . . . which, after all, is what most of us are after when we go on holiday. The Norwegian Gem has 15 bars and lounges to explore. You can do as I did by starting off each evening in a different themed bar. One night we would meet in the cocktail bar before heading off for dinner, other nights it would be the whisky bar or Martini bar. The ship also boasts 10 restaurants which provide culinary experiences from all over the world. The French restaurant would be at home among the finest gourmet spots in Paris and the Teppanyaki restaurant could have been plucked from the funkiest areas of downtown Tokyo. Also on board are two swimming pools, a gym, massage service, tennis, basketball or volleyball court, driving range, climbing wall, nightclub, bowling alley, running track, hot tubs, theatre, cigar club, art gallery and library. It may seem as though I am talking too much about the ship rather than about its destinations, but a ship like this is a destination in itself. I could have quite easily spent my whole time on board not once setting foot on dry land and still have had a wonderful time. I did, however, disembark occasionally and my first port of call was Cadiz, a beautiful, picturesque city. I spent hours wandering the cobbled streets soaking up the culture of the city which once served as a launching point for early trips to America. As I strolled along narrow winding streets I came across the city’s main square and a huge cathedral. The only problem with cruising is that you never get enough time to fully explore the cities you stop off in. You only get the slightest taste of any one location. I also joined the ship at Lisbon and left it at Barcelona and got to see only the airports and ports of these cities, not having time to linger. But another day, another destination. My next stop was Gibraltar, a tiny corner of Britain clinging onto the bottom of Europe. Its high street could have been plucked straight out of any UK town with Marks & Spencer, BhS, The Body Shop and a whole host of other familiar high- street names. If you’re a shopaholic, Gibraltar and its tax-free shopping must be heaven. If, like me, you prefer sightseeing and history to maxing out your credit card you must pay a visit to The Rock. After a short cable-car trip to the top I was sitting next to the native Barbary macaques, the only native wild monkeys in Europe. In one direction I could turn and see mainland Spain, in the other I could see the coast of Morocco. You can also go inside the Rock. Tunnels carved by British servicemen to allow gun batteries to cover the Atlantic and Mediterranean have become a fascinating museum. Next day we were in Palma, Majorca, a typically beautiful Mediterranean city — dominated by a stunning cathedral — which is a favourite with Hollywood superstars and the Spanish Royal family. * * * * * 5 Things to do 1 - KNOCK back vodka and coke with ice while sitting on your private balcony sunning yourself and watching the coast of Morocco glide past. 2 - CHILL out with a hot stone massage on board in the beauty and spa centre. 3 - GO mountain biking during a stop in the Spanish port of Cadiz. 4 - HANG out with the Barbary macaques in Gibraltar. 5 - BE entertained as your meal is cooked before your eyes in the Teppankyaki restaurant. Fact File
NCL’s NORWEGIAN GEM will sail round-trip from Barcelona in 2008, priced from £699 per person, travelling to Valetta in Malta, Naples, Civitavecchia near Rome, and Livorno, Tuscany, Italy, and Villefranche, near Nice, in France. This price includes return flights from the UK, transfers to the ship, government and port taxes, seven nights’ Freestyle Cruising on board Norwegian Gem, meals and entertainment.
FOR more information or to book, please call NCL Freestyle Cruising on 0845-658 8010, visit www.ncl.co.uk or see your local travel agent.
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