Having researched cruise lines thoroughly in an effort to persuade my husband that this form of holiday 'might be alright', I chose Seabourn and Legend to sail from Monaco by way of St Tropez, Livorno (for Florence and Pisa), Bonifacio (Corsica), Gozo, Malta, Siracusa (Sicily), Lipari (Aeolian archipelago), Amalfi and finally to Civitavecchia for Rome. High expectations were fulfilled in terms of suite accommodation, food, service, lack of regimentation and a Seabourn will to satisfy each and every whim.
The chauffeur driven Mercedes from Nice airport to the main port in Monaco was a good start with the ensuing embarkation process completely painless and surprisingly speedy. Even the safety drill was fine and a good, initial way to chat to the other inmates.
Our suite on deck 5 (206) provided the patio doors, opening onto a Juliette balcony was perfectly adequate and with the doors open, gave a terrific feeling of airiness. The refrigerator had been stocked up as requested, and the fruit bowl (accompanied by cutlery and napkins) was replenished daily. The bed, pillows and bedlinen were of the best quality so a good nights sleep was not in doubt. Although the walk-in closet, aka 'dressing room' was on the wee side, there was plenty of hanging and drawer space for our needs. You wouldn't want to ablute a deux in the bathroom as it was too cosy for that, but nonetheless, everything you might require was there. Lots of shelf and cupboard space and the shower was sufficiently fierce to keep the Americans quiet. Additional little touches were the atlas provided and a glossy little book to keep, which covered all the ports we would visit. The seating area in the suite comprised a comfortable sofa, with a rug supplied in case you felt chilly, a height-adjustable table from which you could eat, 2 additional stools in case of visitors and 2 armchairs. All well thought out and perfect.....although, it did occur to me that a pair of binoculars might have been useful.
Our suite on deck 5 (206) provided the patio doors, opening onto a Juliette balcony was perfectly adequate and with the doors open, gave a terrific feeling of airiness. The refrigerator had been stocked up as requested, and the fruit bowl (accompanied by cutlery and napkins) was replenished daily. The bed, pillows and bedlinen were of the best quality so a good nights sleep was not in doubt. Although the walk-in closet, aka 'dressing room' was on the wee side, there was plenty of hanging and drawer space for our needs. You wouldn't want to ablute a deux in the bathroom as it was too cosy for that, but nonetheless, everything you might require was there. Lots of shelf and cupboard space and the shower was sufficiently fierce to keep the Americans quiet. Additional little touches were the atlas provided and a glossy little book to keep, which covered all the ports we would visit. The seating area in the suite comprised a comfortable sofa, with a rug supplied in case you felt chilly, a height-adjustable table from which you could eat, 2 additional stools in case of visitors and 2 armchairs. All well thought out and perfect.....although, it did occur to me that a pair of binoculars might have been useful.