Swanning Around The Mediterranean

 

 

 

Posted on Saturday, December 20, 2014 by

Peter Newall experiences life aboard Swan Hellenic’s unique cruise ship MINERVA on a fifteen day cruise from Civitavecchia to Athens.

 

All photos by and copyright Peter Newall and Julie Kingston 2014. 

“Welcome aboard MINERVA!” The affable master of MINERVA Captain Neil Broomhall greeted us at the gangway when we arrived at Civitavecchia on a beautiful moonlit night at the start of our unforgettable Realms of the Mediterranean cruise. For the past sixty years Swan Hellenic has offered a unique, all inclusive cultural cruise experience which is quintessentially British. A personal welcome aboard is a tradition started by Ken Swan the late founder of the company and is just one of many personal touches which make Swan guests feel extra special.

Full moon at Civitavecchia

Full moon at Civitavecchia

Compared to the behemoths of today the 12,892grt. MINERVA is tiny and only carries 350 passengers. She also has an old fashioned passenger ship profile with her funnel placed amidships. This traditional style continues throughout the ship with her British country house interior décor. Named after Minerva the Roman goddess of wisdom and the arts, MINERVA first entered service in 1996 as a replacement for ORPHEUS, the forty-six-year-old 5,078grt. veteran which had been used by Swans for twenty-one years. Her small size is also perfect for visiting destinations such as the narrow Corinth Canal, not normally accessible by larger ships.

MINERVA at Portovenere

MINERVA at Portovenere

MINERVA only has six passenger decks and is very easy to get around. The main passenger cabins are on the lower decks, Baltic and Aegean. Two thirds of the 146 cabins on these decks are outside with either windows (Aegean) or portholes (Baltic). The 44 teak-deck-balcony cabins, which include two 34.30m² Owner’s Suites, are on the Bridge and Sun decks. All cabins have British-style sockets, centrally controlled air-conditioning, flat screen TVs, dressing gowns, slippers, hair dryer, pair of binoculars and a range of luxurious complimentary L’Occitane toiletries.

Our comfortable cabin on Aegean Deck.

Our comfortable cabin on Aegean Deck.

The main public rooms are on the Main and Bridge decks. At the forward end of Main deck is the Darwin Lounge which is used during the day for lectures and at night for dancing, film shows and for major events such as the Captain’s welcome party. It has plenty of deep, comfy armchairs which are ideal for a post-lunch snooze – hopefully not during one of the many fascinating lectures!

MINERVA has three bars. The spacious, horse-shoe shaped Shackleton Bar and lounge on Main deck celebrates the achievement of the great polar explorer. Its stylish décor includes wooden floors and intricately-woven carpets and it is a perfect venue for pre-dinner cocktails listening to music played on a grand piano by one of Minerva’s talented musicians. The standard of music aboard the ship is outstanding. During our cruise all the artists were British and included a pianist, classical guitarist and an amazing jazz quartet with a female bassist who played a ukulele bass with an astonishing sound. The cosy Wheeler Bar port side aft on the Bridge deck is named after Sir Mortimer Wheeler the renowned archaeologist, television personality and former Chairman of Swan Hellenic. It offers easy access to the pool area. At the forward end of the Promenade deck is the light, spacious, 145-seater observation lounge, the Orpheus Lounge, with its jazzy carpets and panoramic views overlooking the sea on three sides. This is also used for late night music and dancing.

Relaxing with a cocktail in the Wheeler Bar before dinner.

Relaxing with a cocktail in the Wheeler Bar before dinner.

The Orpheus Lounge and its panoramic windows.

The Orpheus Lounge and its panoramic windows.

MINERVA’s wrap-round promenade deck.

MINERVA’s wrap-round promenade deck.

The aft decks are teak……..

The aft decks are teak……..

...with teak furniture. Perfect for a sundowner at Sousse, Tunisia.

…with teak furniture. Perfect for a sundowner at Sousse, Tunisia.

Dining aboard MINERVA is a treat. Not only is it open sitting, there is also a choice of two restaurants. The more formal oak-panelled, 250-capacity Swan Restaurant, with its Chippendale-style dining chairs, is situated aft on Main deck. For those who prefer more casual dining there is the Veranda on the deck above which opens onto an open-air teak-decked lido area with its sheltered awning for al-fresco dining. It has wicker-style seating and a relaxing ambiance. Complimentary coffee and tea making facilities are available throughout the day with a fine selection of Twining teabags. Both restaurants offer the same menu with meals, especially at lunchtime, reflecting the places visited. During our call at La Goulette the Tunisian dishes included chilled fig soup and almonds and Izgara Orkinoz (char-grilled sardines with cumin and red peppers). Not only were there pool-deck barbeques but the variety of dishes on offer for dinner was outstanding from lobster thermidor and fillet wellington for the Farewell Gala Dinner to baked fresh pollack with a lime and coriander crust and whole oven roasted goose with black cherry sauce on other nights. There was also plenty of fresh fruit including grapes and even two types of passion fruit. For traditionalists there is a Sunday roast lunch whilst grilled chicken, salmon and sirloin steak is usually available as an alternative to the main menu for dinner.

The elegant Swan Restaurant with Chippendale-style dining chairs.

The elegant Swan Restaurant with Chippendale-style dining chairs.

Artistic presentation of a tasty dessert.

Artistic presentation of a tasty dessert.

The stylish Veranda restaurant……………..

The stylish Veranda restaurant……………..

Where mouth-watering afternoon tea is served.

Where mouth-watering afternoon tea is served.

Al fresco dining in the Gulf of Corinth.

Al fresco dining in the Gulf of Corinth.

I travelled extensively with Swan Hellenic in the 1980s and although the tiny ORPHEUS had a lot of charm the cabins were small and the food was pretty dire. However, what made these voyages memorable was not only the quality of the lecturers but also the enthusiasm of my fellow passengers, many of whom were regular Swan travellers who came from all walks of life. Although MINERVA is so much better than ORPHEUS, the Swan passengers are the same mix of interesting people. Among those we met was a former head of a famous British shipping company, a well-known knighted diplomat and a school teacher who carefully saved her pennies for her annual Swan cruise. All shared a passion for learning and seeing new places which made conversation during the day and evening so interesting. For those who wish to know even more MINERVA has one of the most impressive libraries afloat with over five thousand books on a variety of topics. There are also around a thousand paintings, etchings and prints dotted around the ship.

The Library.

The Library.

MINERVA’s Captain Neil Broomhall has had an extraordinary thirty-five-year career at sea. He worked with Cunard for seventeen years and served on a variety of ships from tankers, reefers, container ships to QE2 and CUNARD COUNTESS. He was also master of RADISSON DIAMOND, SAGA ROSE, SAGA RUBY, SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE, DISCOVERY and VOYAGER.

Julie with Captain Broomhall at the Captain’s table for the Farewell Gala Dinner.

Julie with Captain Broomhall at the Captain’s table for the Farewell Gala Dinner.

One of the main bugbears of modern cruising is the hidden extras which sometimes equate to the original cost of the cruise. When Swan Hellenic was formed in 1954 it was one of the first companies to offer all inclusive fares. These include not only the cost of transfers, on-board gratuities but also tailor-made shore excursions worth up to £650 per person on a 15 day cruise. Knowing that all these have been taken care of makes a great difference to the overall cruise experience. The excursions on offer are varied and are usually more extensive, less rushed than with other cruise lines, and with excellent local guides.

These are a few of the highlights of our fifteen day cruise which followed in the footsteps of the ancient Romans and Greeks.

The beautiful fortified town of Amalfi.

The beautiful fortified town of Amalfi.

The magnificent Norman-style Monreale Cathedral near Palermo with its elegant cloisters.

The magnificent Norman-style Monreale Cathedral near Palermo with its elegant cloisters.

The spectacular Roman amphitheatre at El Djem, Tunisia where scenes from Gladiator were filmed.

The spectacular Roman amphitheatre at El Djem, Tunisia where scenes from Gladiator were filmed.

Delphi high up on the slopes of Mount Parnassus, one of the wonders of ancient Greece.

Delphi high up on the slopes of Mount Parnassus, one of the wonders of ancient Greece.

Moving majestically through the Corinth Canal at sunset with minimal space on either side of the ship.

Moving majestically through the Corinth Canal at sunset with minimal space on either side of the ship.

However, the greatest joy of all was returning at the end of a long hot day ashore and being welcomed back to our friendly floating boutique hotel by smiling staff with cold towels and water. The combination of a small comfortable ship with good food, an interesting variety of cultural excursions and, above all, the attention to detail of an ever-helpful and cheerful crew, sums up perfectly what it is to be a Swan traveller.

Cold towels……….a perfect end to a day ashore.

Cold towels……….a perfect end to a day ashore.

Swan Hellenic cruises now extend beyond the Mediterranean to Asia, the Caribbean and South America.

MINERVA at Malta.

MINERVA at Malta.

See www.swanhellenic.com for full details of prices and itineraries.

 

8 Responses to Swanning Around The Mediterranean

  1.  

    Kenneth Eden

    December 21, 2014 at 6:56 am

    Peter

    Thank you for sharing that lovely cruise and allowing for a peek inside the lovely MINERVA.

     
  2.  

    Dieter Killinger

    December 21, 2014 at 2:19 pm

    Brings back lovely memories of trips taken on ORPHEUS a few years back. On one Black Sea cruise, I was fortunate to have gotten to know Ken Swan and his wife Marion. Doreen Goodrick was also aboard and I sailed with her several times.

    Peter, is this the same MINERVA that was chartered to Abercrombie & Kent for some Antarctic voyages? I worked for A&K for many years but traveled to Antarctica on the old EXPLORER.

    I always found the ambience onboard Swan Hellenic to evoke the feeling of sailing on a very exclusive British Club. Lecturers were so knowledgeable and fellow passengers were a delight to be with. Everyone was there not only to learn but to have a lovely time as well.

     
  3.  

    Peter Knego

    December 21, 2014 at 11:22 pm

    Peter, what a wonderful recap of a gorgeous ship and cruise. MINERVA is so right for those who don’t want to be stuck on a floating amusement park with 4,000 fellow guests clambering over who gets to ride on the latest gadget. I hope one day (not too far in the future) to follow in your footsteps aboard this perfect gem of a vessel.

     
  4.  

    This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ,uk

    December 22, 2014 at 7:09 am

    Thank you for your kind comments Kenneth, Dieter and Peter.

    Yes Dieter she was chartered by A&K as EXPLORER II but do not know where she operated. I believe that Doreen Goodrick is still around. I have a brochure for AEGAEON IN 1955 and she was involved in that. She was a very formidable lady but always ensured, as you probably know, that ORPHEUS always had the best berth.

     
  5.  

    Joe Sturges

    December 22, 2014 at 8:16 am

    Thanks so much for sharing a beautiful ship that we don’t see in this part of the world. Just the right size to take care of her passengers, give them peace and quiet and provide all the pleasures of a traditional ocean journey. A joy to read your posting.
    Happy Christmas 2014 !
    Joe Sturges, Clermont, Florida

     
  6.  

    Brett

    December 23, 2014 at 1:13 am

    Thank you Mr Newall! She is in pristine condition as with everything else. Merry Christmas to all,
    Brett

     
  7.  

    Alan

    December 26, 2014 at 1:01 pm

    Thank you so much for sharing your experience and photo’s.
    We are at the point of gathering any & all information on the ship/line as we will be voyaging on Minerva in April 2015 from Sharm El Sheik, for Aqaba, Suez Canal, Alexandria, the Eastern Med, debarking 2 weeks later in Piraeus for Athens and are so looking forward to it.

    Thanks once again,
    Alan & Katrina

     
  8.  

    Shore Excursions

    December 30, 2014 at 6:59 am

    Should be a wonderful cruise experience. Amazing landscapes and amazing internal decoration from the cruise ship. It is funny how cruise ships had an amazing evolution during decades. Confort and lux for the passengers / travelers. Congratulations for the article.

     

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