From Skeptic To Enthusiast: Falling In Love With Cruises

by Sofia Brontvein

From Skeptic To Enthusiast: Falling In Love With Cruises

22 Jul 2024

I always believed cruises were endlessly boring and suited only for elderly people. Sitting 24/7 on a ship with a drink in hand, staring at the water — what a monotonous drudgery. But this July, I realised that either I have become boring or I have become old because I fell head over heels in love with cruises.

Explora Journeys, owned by the world's largest container shipping operator MSC, invited me on a journey through Greece and Turkey. The cruise ship Explora I departed from the port of Athens, then stopped in Volos, Thessaloniki, and Kavala, proceeded to Istanbul for two days, and returned to Athens. Eight nights on a premium ship 250 meters long and as tall as a 10-story building. I expected to be bored to tears by the third day, but how wrong I was in my predictions.

I definitely underestimated the scale of the cruise ship. Seeing Explora I docked in the unimpressive port of Athens, I was genuinely astonished. It is not a ship but a horizontal skyscraper, requiring a couple of days to explore fully. Six restaurants, 12 bars and lounges, five pools, five jacuzzis, a casino, a spa, an art gallery, billiards, a cinema (showing Euro matches during the trip), a running track, a fitness centre, a basketball court... I am still not sure I discovered all the leisure and entertainment formats onboard because the scale of the liner rivals a five-star hotel in Dubai.

When I went up to the 14th deck Sky Bar to see Explora I departing from Athens to the eternal classic Andrea Bocelli — Time To Say Goodbye (an MSC tradition, Italians know the value of rituals), I encountered half of the cruise guests for the first time. Yes, there were many elderly people on board, but I can only dream of looking like that when I get old. Beautiful, trim Italian women in gold jewelry; tall, stately Americans and Dutch in perfectly pressed shirts and expensive watches; adorable, well-mannered children with their parents from the UK. It was hard to decide whether to look at the receding shore of Athens or the elegantly dressed guests enjoying the trip with clinking glasses.

Cruises definitely have something majestic, grand, and timeless about them. For hundreds of years, rich and poor, brave and desperate, business and leisure travellers have journeyed around the world on ships. Although it is clear that today planes, trains, or cars often allow faster travel from one point to another, none of these modes of transport can give the same emotions as a cruise ship. It is not just a mode of transportation; it is a whole philosophy that Explora Journeys calls the Ocean State of Mind. And although I usually don’t like lofty and pompous stories about the deep philosophical idea embedded in a brand's DNA, in this case, I fully understand what it is about.

I have travelled a lot around the world by planes, trains, cars, motorcycles, and even sailboats. It is fun, curious, and exciting, but at the same time, tiring, overly intense, and hectic. I always joke that after a road trip around Italy, you need another vacation. When you plan to explore a region on your own, you constantly have to plan something — car rentals, insurance, gas stations, routes, hotels, groceries, attractions. It always takes a lot of effort.

A cruise allows you to explore new destinations without sacrificing comfort and without burdening yourself with a lot of concerns. All-inclusive dining (and not about pizza and burgers, but ribeye steaks, lobsters, oysters, octopuses, and French cheeses), 24-hour suite service, premium drinks, concierge service, spa, and many other amenities. While you lie by the pool with a book, the liner silently and imperceptibly transfers you from one city to another.

By the way, in terms of amenities, I must mention the suites. Even the most basic room on Explora I has an area of more than 35 square meters and a private balcony. The suite's ergonomics are phenomenal, everything is very convenient. Until you open the blackout curtains in the morning, you forget you are on a ship. If you are travelling with your family, choose the Ocean Residence or Owner’s Residence. These are full-fledged apartments with their own jacuzzi on the terrace, a living room, a sauna, and butler service.

You have already understood that Explora I impressed me, and before you get tired of reading about the liner, I will return to my main discovery: a cruise is not boring at all. First, in the midst of Dubai’s summer, I was so glad just to breathe fresh air that other entertainments weren't even necessary. I got up every day at dawn to pedal on the exercise bike on the 12th deck in the open-air fitness zone and felt more energetic than ever. In Dubai, you forget how pleasant it is to spend time outside.

Second, the ship docks in a new city every day, where you can go for a walk on your own or book a tour with the onboard concierge. Explora Journeys offers dozens of different Destinations Experiences to diversify your leisure.

Third, maybe I have aged or just gotten so exhausted that my favourite day during the cruise was the day at sea when the liner was sailing from Kavala to Istanbul. You wake up, work out, go to an early breakfast, lie by the pool with a book and swim occasionally, walk the deck to look at the mountains and horizon, have lunch, take an afternoon nap, go back to the pool, and then dress up for dinner, stopping by one of the bars for an aperitif. Isn’t that an ideal life?

In my opinion, Greece is not the most interesting country to explore in a cruise format, but I was very interested in the journey from Barcelona to Barbados. I have long dreamed of crossing the Atlantic Ocean, especially since the cost of such a cruise from Explora Journeys is very attractive. $3120 for 10 nights per person in a standard suite on an all-inclusive basis — this is something you probably won't see in any five-star hotel in the UAE in November. By the way, this cruise will be performed by Explora II — a new liner to be launched in September 2024.

by Sofia Brontvein