Day 7

Our final day on this short cruise was spent at Sorrento, a favourite of mine which has always been suggestive to me of what Scarborough might be like if only it were relocated to Italy. It’s unpretentious and intimate and always a pleasure to visit.

We sadly only had a morning here, but were at least entertained by a couple of fireplanes, which kept diving down to the waves right by the ship and filling their holds full of seawater, before flying up to a nearby mountain and depositing the whole lot (puzzled fish and all no doubt)on a forest fire that was raging there.

So tomorrow we take our leave of Windsurf, although we are spending a further three days in Rome, (highlight of the trip being a ‘special’ Sistine Chapel private tour organised by Mundy Carte Blanche). Did we like the ship? Yes we did; it’s certainly a very different type of cruise experience, more mellow and casual than many, and a little rough round the edges in parts. But somehow that seemed to fit our mood, and also the itinerary, perfectly.

We will certainly be sailing with Windstar again.

Day 6

On the sixth day, we find ourselves in Ponza. Full marks to Windstar for finding somewhere we have not been before, but having now been I can say with confidence that this is not a place we would plan to visit again. “It’s nice but there’s not much there” seems to be the most generous words I have heard about it.

In the interim two thoughts on the Windstar experience so far. On the positive side, I’m delighted to report something truly unique about Windstar that every other cruise line should learn from – it’s now Day Six, and the last time we had an announcement over the pa system was on Day One to announce the lifeboat drill. Wonderful!

On the less positive side, we have yet to manage to get a booking in Degrees, Windsurf’s alternative restaurant. Bookings can be made from 8.00 am, but every single day we have found it to be fully booked when we have rung, (even when we roused ourselves at the unearthly hour of 8.20am to make the call). Clearly a booking system that does not allow the later bird to get the worm is no fair booking system at all – one trusts they will sort it out in the next few weeks.

Day 4 & 5

Cruisers can be a fussy lot. Overheard from a lady who had spent the day on a tour in Florence – “They [sc. Windstar] let us down – it was far too hot and so full of tourists”. I’m not sure what they expected Windstar to do about either of these problems, but her faith was touching.

Yesterday we were in Livorno, whence we hired a car to take us to Lucca – a charming walled town which offered much in the way of interesting walks (the wonderful thing about Italy being that their old buildings are still so very much lived in) and of course a fine lunch.

And then onto Pisa, which was a bit of a tourist hell, but worth it nevertheless. What struck me was how the tower itself is so visible from so far. And how simply everyone was trying to take a photo which showed that the tower was leaning because their companions were pushing it over. So much for Galileo then.

Today, we found ourselves in Portoferraio, a wonderfully unpretentious, unassuming, and far from from touristy, port on the isle of Elba, where Napoleon was no longer able. We liked it lots.

The ship herself continues to grow on me. It has some issues for sure (this is not faultless six-star luxury) but it really does have real charm, brought to life most obviously by the genuinely pleasant and willing crew. There is a real synergy here between itinerary and mode of travel – charm is the word.

Day 3

A day in Portofino, which most surely lives up to its translation as a fine port indeed. The plan was to go ashore and walk, walk, walk, but a combination of the outrageously hot weather (outrageous at least to a Briton attuned to the so-called ‘summer’ of 2007) and, more importantly the delights of the town square put paid to that fine ambition.

And so we got ashore at 11.30, mooched and then settled down in the wonderfully-named Restaurant Puny for a truly superb lunch. Only pasta, for sure, but a heaven-sent pasta, that belied its name (the Puny Special). Recommended.

Some swimming in the sea followed and now we are off to Livorno. Windsurf continues to be a most relaxing ship, (if somewhat chaotic at times in its delivery of a multi-starred promise). We are now under sail, which is both a wonderful sight and also a pleasant, and surprisingly quiet and restful way to travel along the Riviera.

Tomorrow we go to Pisa, where, if the weather continues to be this hot, I promise to droop more than the tower ever could.

Days 1 & 2

After an eventful journey (which included one of our party realising that his passport was about to expire in 24 hours) we eventually made it, harassed but helped enormously by BA, to Nice and thence, after a 25 minute drive, to Monaco.

Maybe it was our mood, but I bonded less with the principality this time round. It seemed to be so full of those trying too hard to impress (and those wanting so much to be impressed) that little did indeed impress, (other than the cost of our hotel’s buffet lunch).

Still we enjoyed a pleasurable walk around the F1 track (still amazing that they race around the city as they do) before going to a delightfully informal embarkation on Windsurf.

Our first impressions of the ship were that it was slightly scruffy, but massively characterful. Our modest cabin in particular was comfortable and a masterpiece of design with ample storage space for every conceivable need.

And so we relaxed as the sun set over Monaco, revealing its more glamorous night-time character, and we remarked how unusual and pleasant it was to be able to enjoy drinks in the open air of a ship’s stern.

A short overnight journey brought us to Cannes, a town I have visited but once before (and I thought that was once too much), so today has been a day of merely idling in the scorching daily temperatures and enjoying the quiet and satisfactory life around Windsurf’s pool. (We planned to be active and take advantage of the ship’s operational marina, but swimming off the back is not possible and the waves were a bit too intimidating for a novice kayakist – is that the noun? – such as myself.)

In the early evening we set sail for Portofino, and I am greatly hoping that Windsurf will unfurl her impressive sails to help us on our journey. Whatever, I am confident that Portofino will – as always – delight.