It’s no secret that I’m a total cruise fangirl.
People tend to have strong reactions when I tell them I’m going on a cruise. They either get really excited and want to talk about their own cruise experiences or they sorta screw up their face, give me the side-eye and ask something like ‘Aren’t you worried you’ll get cabin fever?’ or ‘Aren’t cruises just for old people?’
Nope. And hell no.
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Don’t worry – I’ll be debunking the most common cruise myths soon but for now, come on board with me as I spend three incredible nights on the Azamara Journey with Kuoni.
Roman Holiday
The cruise left from Rome, and after flying in we had a whirlwind 24 hours of eating, sightseeing, eating and, well, more eating.
You know…when in Rome.
I was excited to discover that Italy is pretty clued up when it comes to gluten intolerances, so I was chuffed to get to stuff my face with delicious spaghetti the whole time we were there.
I woke up extra early on the morning we left so I could see a few of the sights in the daylight, and afterwards, on our way to the port we stopped in at Eataly, a four-story emporium of Italian food and drink. It was genuinely heaven on earth.
The cruise ship: Azamara Journey
We boarded Azamara Journey at Civitavecchia, the Roman Port, where our ship looked like a little toy boat in comparison to all the enormous ships beside it. Check-in was quick and smooth, and before we knew it we were sipping sparkling wine and being welcomed onto the cruise.
The ship has a maximum capacity of 686 guests, with about one staff member to every two guests, which means the whole experience feels really personalised and not at all overcrowded. We didn’t have to queue on the cruise, ever.
You’ll find all the facilities you’d expect on a cruise ship: multiple dining options, a pool, gym, spa, casino, theatre and plenty of chill-out areas. My favourite was the Drawing Room, a kind of library lounge lined with walls of books.
If there wasn’t so much else to see and do, I could have spent the entire journey there, getting lost in another world, while sailing to a brand new destination.
The Azamara White Nights party was a cruise highlight. We sat on the deck, all dressed in white, and watched as the sky went from pale pink to orange to blood red, with the French town of Saint-Tropez in the background.
A Day in Saint-Tropez
There’s just one word that comes to mind when I hear the words Saint-Tropez: fancy.
The French Riviera is known for luxury, and the small town of Saint-Tropez is no exception. Once a fishing village, it gained prominence in the 1920s when fashion elites such as Coco Chanel spent their summers in the town.
A few decades later, French actress Brigitte Bardot filmed classics such as “And God Created Women” and with that, the once-obscure fishing town was firmly on the map for holidaymakers wanting to be seen.
I wasn’t sure what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised by how stunning the small town is. It’s a tangle of tight, winding alleyways, adorned with jewel-coloured doors and window shutters smothered in climbing greenery.
The streets are saturated with high-end fashion, with almost every major haute couture brand you could name boasting a shopfront in town. And the harbour is nothing short of a display of wealth, with super yachts as far as the eye can see.
We strolled, we sipped chilled wine, and we looked through windows, lusting after items we could never hope to afford. And then it was back to the tender boat to make our way over the choppy water to our ship.
A stop in Santa Margherita Ligure
Often overshadowed by its famous neighbour Portofino, Santa Margherita Ligure is a stunning harbour town in the Liguria region of Italy, and gateway to many other incredible destinations along the coast.
We joined one of Azamara’s Land Discoveries, a walking tour through Santa Margherita’s neighbouring town of Rapallo, followed by lunch and a cooking demonstration. Rapallo is home to a 16th century castle, a picturesque harbour and prettily painted building façades.
Centuries ago, a window tax was imposed on the residents of Rapallo, so rather than paying the tax, they filled in the windows and painted them onto the exterior, sometimes complete with cats and even people.
I strolled along the harbour and came across a small flea market, where I browsed through clothes, doilies, jewellery and strange and puzzling trinkets (like a Nazi war medal!) before rejoining our tour for lunch.
After a quick demonstration, we feasted on cheese and pesto-smothered pasta, and then it was time to get back on the tender boat that would take us to Azamara Journey.
The cruise was short – far too short, really – but it was the perfect taster cruise for anyone looking to sample what cruising is all about without having to commit to a full week or ten days.
My time on board Azamara Journey did absolutely nothing to dampen my passion for cruises. I ate well at every meal, discovered new destinations, got to dress up all fancy one night and spent hours at a time sitting on my balcony being mesmerised by the impossibly blue sea as we sliced through the water.
Cruises are truly good for the soul.
Thanks to Kuoni for hosting such an incredible trip!
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