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The Nautical Mind on a Cruise

SariBlog1By Sari Bercovitch

After many years of working at the Nautical Mind and leafing through the books on liners and cruise ships like “Cruise Ships: The Guide to the World’s Passenger Fleets” and “Ocean Ships” I was excited about my first big ship cruise. I am a small boat cruiser—and being a sailor, I don’t have much experience on boats with engines only!

We were booked on the Riviera, the newest of the Oceania fleet (in service for less than 2½ years) for a cruise from Istanbul through the Greek islands. Measuring 785 feet long and with a capacity for 1,250 guests, the Riviera is considered a “mid-sized” liner. But compared with some of the cruise ships in service today that can carry in excess of 6,000 passengers, you might be excused for thinking her on the “small” side.

However, the ship looked huge as we approached along the dock. Her 15 decks towered above us and her white hull gleamed in the afternoon sun. Registration and boarding were very SariBLog2organized. After having our picture taken, and depositing our baggage for delivery to our cabin, we were issued a plastic card. This card was to serve as a charge card, our room key, and security verification when disembarking and re-boarding at port. Each time a card is scanned, the staff can see the guest’s registration photo and verify that he/she is really the cardholder.

Our cabin was beautifully appointed with a queen-sized bed, a sofa, a desk, and a mini-bar. And the bathroom was a marble-clad marvel, including both a tub and shower stall. So different from our old cruising days, where we crawled into the forepeak to sleep and showered in the cockpit!

The 800 crew hail from 52 countries and were extremely friendly and courteous. It was fun to hear about their home countries and how this United Nations staff works together. As the line is American-owned, English is the common language. The officers are all European.

Leaving the dock was done without fuss. Two tugs stood by, but the ship has three huge bow thrusters and can maneuver in and out of tight spaces. From our cabin there was no discernible engine noise. We were aware that we were underway more by a slight change in vibration than noise. The Riviera has a maximum speed of 22 knots, but most of the passages were done at 12-14 knots. One of the channels on the closed circuit TV showed our route, the wind speed and hull speed. Another channel broadcast the “bridge view”, so passengers could watch as we entered and left ports.

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At “anchor”

Most of the ports we visited, we were at dock. However one of the ports, Santorini, wasn’t big enough to accommodate a ship of this size so we “anchored” out. Except that there was no anchor. The ship used dynamic positioning to keep us in place. Dynamic positioning is a computer-controlled system to automatically maintain a vessel’s position and heading by using its own propellers and thrusters.

As with most cruises, dining is a highlight. Beside the 10-page-menued Grand Dining Room and the Terrace Café with buffet service, there are four specialty dining rooms, a casual deck-situated grill, and two small “dining experience” venues that serve special wines and tasting menus. My favourite spot was the coffee bar, Baristas. I could order a cappuccino or a latte with biscotti any time of the day.

I was curious about what kind of operation it took to feed 2,000 people good quality food in remote locations. I was amazed that we were still getting fresh, perfect raspberries and blackberries on the fifth day of the cruise and asked if the boat was provisioned at each port. The steward explained that the ship usually provisions only in the major ports. The food is kept for the duration of the voyage in refrigerated rooms so large that, in order not to get lost, staff is encouraged to enter with a buddy. The temperature and humidity is computer controlled to create the perfect environment to keep berries (and everything else) fresh for many days.

All this is a far cry from cruising on a 38-foot sailboat. While one gives up the freedom of choosing each day’s destination, it was nice not to have to do the provisioning and the cooking!

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