The Dutch woman bounced and bounced, but her balloon would not break. Vinny, the American whose lap cradled the balloon, grinned good-naturedly as balloons on other laps exploded all around him.
Vinny was pulled from the audience as a judge for the Miss Mistral Election, one evening's entertainment on my seven-night Greek Islands cruise aboard Mistral, the most international of ships. The passenger roster included at least 26 nationalities, so the shows had to focus on the visual, not the verbal.
Connecticut residents Vinny and his wife seemed to fit effortlessly into Mistral's multinational mileu. "We love it!" they enthused. But for others, cruising as a minority nationality was daunting. Miriam from Florida told me bluntly: "I would rather go on a ship with more Americans."
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Personally, I fell into the Vinny camp: Sailing with a variety of
nationalities added to my enjoyment of a voyage that sailed round-trip from Venice to Dubrovnik and the Greek ports of Katakolon, Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes and Piraeus (for Athens). For me, a typical day meant breakfasting with a British couple, dancing the merengue with a group of Spaniards, chatting with a Swiss mom as she watched her young sons play on deck, and sipping an espresso with the Italian cruise director.
Mistral is a big step forward for First European Cruises. Since its launch in 1994, the company operated only "vintage" (i.e., older) ships--Flamenco, Azur and Bolero--until Mistral arrived in 1999, fresh from a French shipyard. Compared with Flamenco, which I cruised on a couple years ago, Mistral is more like the new vessels to which Americans are accustomed. It offers more professional service, better programming and more considerations for English-speakers.
Mistral's passengers are better-heeled, younger, more international and more multilingual than those I met aboard Flamenco. On that ship, I was one of fewer than 10 English-speakers. But the 1,284 passengers aboard my Mistral cruise included 101 Americans, making them the fifth-largest nationality on board, trailing the Swiss, British (more English-speakers), Spaniards and Italians.
He makes announcements in French, Italian, Spanish, German and English, but cruise director Franco Pili called English "the ship's language." Fluent in five languages and conversant in several more, Pili is the secretary general of this floating United Nations. He and his staff of 43 multilingual entertainers and "animators" are the glue that binds everyone socially. "Animators" are like Club Med's GOs (Gentils Organisateurs). Young and bouncy, they run the activities, from quizzes to wacky diversions like "The Flying Shoe Game" or "The Last Drop Game," where participants quaff a beer and turn the empty glass upside-down on their heads.
Mistral's printed materials also come in a host of languages. And First
European occasionally sends a representative to look after U.S. passengers. On my cruise, the personable Frances Cordero threw a cocktail party just for Americans.
Why should Americans choose Mistral over U.S.-oriented ships? As cruise
director Pili suggested: "If you travel to Europe on an American ship, you
don't get as much European flavor."
He's right. Mistral's eight passenger decks are named after great European cities. And this ship glorifies intimacy rather than size. Aside from the 575-seat Carrousel lounge (the venue for shows like Big Band Swing and a James Bond 007 revue), there are half a dozen more intimate meeting spots, including a cafe, piano bar, cigar room and two clubs with dance combos.
The San Remo casino is modest by U.S. standards. I usually gravitated to the glittering Ibiza Club, a melting pot of disco-dancing nationalities. My favorite daytime hangout for cappuccinos and cocktails was Caffe Navona, where black and white photographs decorate one wall and green leather armchairs overlook La Concorde reception area with its fountain, grand piano and marble floor.
The reception desk was the weak point on a ship where otherwise, the service was warm and friendly. Changing currency with an eternally smiling purser was a breeze, but often the receptionists were brusque.
Above the bridge is an ocean-view gym with plenty of treadmills and weights. Nearby is Mistral's Thermal Suite, where passengers bask in a trio of aromatic, tiled rooms: the Chamomile Grotto, Menthol/Eucalyptus Osmond Steam Bath and Larconium Dry Sauna. The facilities are unisex; I wore a towel, but some passengers went nude or in swimsuits. The price is 10 euros ($8.50).
Mistral's official currency is the euro. A scotch at the bar is 3.40 euros; an aromatherapy massage, 62 euros. Thanks to the euro's current weakness against the dollar, on-board purchases are a good value for Americans. Dollars are accepted for account settlement (and tips).
In October, the Mediterranean ports were pleasantly uncrowded, but the
weather remained balmy. On one glorious afternoon at sea, passengers flocked to the appealing pool area with its blue and white striped lounge chairs and soaked up the sun as Mistral glided past the chalky cliffs of tiny Greek isles. There's also a smaller outdoor thalassotherapy pool, a rare (and free) treat.
Dining is one of Mistral's strengths. Local dishes like Greek salads and fresh fish were abundant in the three nonsmoking restaurants: L'Etoile, the more upscale Rialto Grill (for suite guests, but available to other passengers at a supplement of 25 euros per day) and La Croisette (for buffet breakfast and lunch).
At a farewell dinner in Rialto, my five tablemates and I agreed we hadn't eaten anything we disliked. Among the standouts: seafood dishes like halibut, grilled salmon and seafood bisque; a tasty curried chicken, an unusual surf and turf with pork instead of beef, homemade pastas, soups and even the fresh-baked breadsticks. Our servers were friendly and eager to please, but sometimes forgot standard requests, such as always providing water.
Mistral's accommodations are a big improvement over those of the older
Flamenco. My ocean-view cabin with two single beds and a shower was roomy and comfortable, offering a refrigerated minibar, safe, hair dryer, toiletries, pay movies and plenty of storage space. Fernando, my delightful Filipino steward, discreetly kept everything shipshape and when I invited friends for drinks, pantry assistant Leilani furnished hot hors d'oeuvres.
On a port-intensive itinerary, I took one shore excursion: a half-day visit to Olympia, during our visit to Katakolon. Major language groups get their own buses. Our English-speaking guide walked us through the site of the original Olympic games and the interesting museum, leaving time for shopping. The price, 46 euros (about $39), was fair.
One drawback of Mistral's itinerary was its relatively short time in port. We had a full day in Rhodes but just five hours at Piraeus--enough time to see the highlights of Athens on a ship's tour, but too rushed for independent exploring.
Disembarkation is often the worst part of cruising, but on Mistral it ran efficiently, with separate briefings for different language groups and a speedy, well-organized process. As a result, instead of feeling hassled, I walked down the gangway for the last time happy and relaxed.
