Tom Stieghorst
To mark World Maritime Day on Sept. 26, Regent Seven Seas Cruises published a series of tips from one of its captains, Serena Melani, on how to get added value from a cruise in the Mediterranean.
Melani is a 30-year veteran of the maritime industry and, according to Regent, will become the first female captain to helm a newly built cruise ship when the Seven Seas Splendor debuts in February.
I thought Melani's recommendations were spot on and worth consideration by cruise advisors.
Her first of five tips is to wake up early when coming into ports of call. This is a discipline I try to practice myself. The captain endorses in particular the sunrise approach through Kotor's submerged river canyon and the sail-in at the port of La Valletta in Malta.
For my personal favorite daybreak arrival, I have to go with a pre-dawn return to Venice on the Celebrity Silhouette I experienced a few years back, with the buildings of the lagoon city barely visible and the canals as quiet as they ever are.
Secondly, Melani says, experience a local market. She said many of her favorites are in the southeastern province of Provence, France, a preference I can heartily endorse. Perhaps the most jaw-dropping local market I've ever seen was with Windstar Cruises, on a stop in the small French town of Sanury-sur-Mer. We went with the executive chef of the Star Pride to buy tuna from the fishmonger, but between the cheese, sausage, honey, vegetables, fruit and breads, there was nothing I didn't want to buy.
"Plan your voyage around your favorite book" is Melani's third bit of advice, and one I've tried on more than one cruise. (John Muir in Alaska; Dostoyevsky in St. Petersburg, Russia). For the Mediterranean, the captain suggests Predrag Matvejevic's "A Cultural Landscape," a book I haven't yet had the pleasure of reading.
My own travels in the Med have been informed by an anthology, "Italy in Mind," edited by Alice Leccese Powers, which features pieces on various Italian regions and cities by literary masters ranging from Charles Dickens to Susan Sontag. Anyone cruising in Greece could profit from Henry Miller's lyrical masterpiece The Colossus of Maroussi."
Fourth, go east, young man. To Turkey. "I will always remember my first call to Istanbul," the captain says. "It's a magical port, with so many interesting places to visit. The Istanbul Archaeology Museums are among the most fascinating places on Earth. Take a local ferry to connect the European and Asian parts of Istanbul and get lost in a sunset while drinking Turkish tea in a little glass, like a local."
After a four-year hiatus, cruise lines are starting to go to Istanbul again. Clients shouldn't miss it.
Her final recommendation is to see Ancona and the Umbria region of Italy. Ancona is one of the few ports in Italy I haven't tried. It is where the Seven Seas Splendor is being built, and one might assume, as soon-to-be master of the Splendor, Melani has spent some time in the area where the ship is taking shape. "Ancona is a cozy and welcoming town in the small but rich region of Marche," Melani said. Delicious seafood, paintings by Renaissance masters and poetry by native son Giacomo Leopardi are some of the attractions.
Melani joined Regent in 2010 and became the company's first female master captain in 2016; she has commanded both the Seven Seas Explorer and Seven Seas Mariner during her tenure. Based on her recommendations alone, I'd sail with her anytime.