VALENCIA, SPAIN | The amenities on Sea Cloud Spirit are many, from daily laundry and pressing service (but no dry cleaning) to pretty good internet access. The water pressure in our shower was strong, the AC kept us cool, our queen-sized bed was comfortable and the bath towels big enough for an NFL lineman.
Temperatures can vary greatly on the water, which means layering is critical. Bring a sweater or jacket. Or both. Also, we learned during our tour of Seville that rain gear is a good idea, even though the Iberian Peninsula is quite arid. You can leave your umbrella at home, however, as brolleys are provided for passengers.
Every evening, crew members put a program in our stateroom detailing the next day’s activities and providing a bit of history and information on the places we would be visiting.
The seas were quite calm during our trip. But we know we likely got lucky in that regard and appreciate that travel on open water might come with rougher conditions. So, anyone concerned about seasickness would be wise to pack plenty of remedies. And not to worry if you forget to do so, for the on-board doctor certainly will have a healthy supply of meds.
Meals are offered on the ship each night of the cruise. And they are good ones, with the welcome gala, surf ’n’ turf dinner being an example of that as well as a Spanish buffet offered the night we were in Gibraltar, with a paella filled with scallops and clams, squid, lobster and chorizo as well as a selection of tapas such as gambas al ajillo (shrimp in garlic butter), patatas bravas (crispy fried potatoes with a spicy sauce) and albóndigas (meatballs in tomato sauce). One night, the chef procured a freshly caught bluefin tuna at least 4 feet in length from a local fish monger and hung it by its own carving station, culling bits of its rust-red meat for sushi, sashimi and also for searing.
But it is also possible to disembark in, say, Barcelona for a dinner. And that is not a bad idea considering the exceptional cuisine that is available in that city and the deeper sense of place that often comes from spending time in such interesting ports of call.
Some passengers also arrived a day or two early in Lisbon at the start of the voyage, or stayed a day or two longer in Barcelona at its conclusion, to take in as many of the cultural and culinary hot spots as possible.
Cynthia and I dined out our first night in Lisbon at a one-star Michelin restaurant that served traditional Portuguese food – and that two concierges at the Four Seasons Hotel Ritz highly recommended. Dubbed Solar Dos Nunes and located in a quaint and quiet neighborhood, it looked and felt like a local spot, but one that cheerfully welcomed travelers. Our waiter had laid out an array of appetizers on our table before our arrival and then asked us to select the ones we wanted. We chose a dish of marinated wild mushrooms and then grilled octopus, shrimp croquettes and freshly baked country bread that came with a bowl of local olive oil. As for our main course, we ordered a fish soup that also contained bits of lobster. Our server ladled portions into our bowls from a wooden kettle, and I practically swooned as I inhaled the aroma. Tasting it took me to an even higher level of euphoria, as did sampling first a red and then a white wine from the Douro Valley. About all Cynthia and I could do during the meal was look at each other and smile.
We also fell hard for a hilltop establishment in Mijas, Spain, called La Alcazaba. The view of the Mediterranean from our table was reason enough to commend the place. But then plates of food started appearing. A niçoise salad with seared tuna for starters. Then a perfectly broiled filet of sole, served with the head on and needing to be de-boned (which I relished), and a mixed green salad, all of which we washed down with a crisp and crackling cold Spanish white. We could have lingered there for hours.
The wine selections for each lunch and dinner on Sea Cloud Spirit were well-chosen and included bottles from Spain and Portugal, to be sure, but also Italy and France. The cocktails were superb as well, and one of the stars of the cruise was a mighty mixologist named Anton, who has been working on Kalos Golf cruises for 25 years – and who made a mean mai tai for me each evening at sunset. Next to the captain, we considered him to be the most important person on the ship.
Cynthia and I are in our mid-to-late 60s, and that made us one of the youngest couples on board, with most everyone else in their 70s and 80s. But age truly is just a state of mind with this group, and they were a vibrant and interesting bunch who liked their food and drink, who enjoyed socializing with old and new friends, who were culturally curious and went on all of the tours and who also played all of the golf courses. Cynthia and I could barely keep up.
... one of the nicest things about being on a ship such as Sea Cloud Spirit is being on the water for such extended periods of time ... there is also something quite appealing about having to unpack and pack only once during a trip.
A couple of the other amenities on Sea Cloud Spirit were the swim platforms that the crew could set up in the middle of the Atlantic or Mediterranean if weather permitted, and the Zodiacs in which they would take passengers for rides around the ship when it was under sail.
I marveled at how both our golf and golf travel bags were waiting for us at each course we played. That allowed us to put our sticks on the back of a cart or on a trolley while taking what we needed for the day from our travel bags, whether rain gear or a new pair of shoes or maybe some sunblock. Kudos to Jose (pronounced Joe-SAY, in Portuguese) who orchestrated that often complicated mission with great skill.
Of course, one of the nicest things about being on a ship such as Sea Cloud Spirit is being on the water for such extended periods of time and engaging in that form of travel. But there is also something quite appealing about having to unpack and pack only once during a trip.
We also appreciated the attention our steward, an Indonesian lad named Ariz, lavished on us. He gleefully called me “Mr. Harry,” as Harry is my first name, and my wife was always, “Mrs. Cynthia.” And he made sure we lacked for nothing the entire time we were on board.
Entertainment was provided to passengers most evenings by a musical duo from the Naples, Florida area, Billy Dean and Dawn. She sang, quite beautifully, I might add, and he played both keyboards and alto saxophone while also accompanying her very ably on vocals. They were good company in addition to being top-notch entertainers and joined us on the golf courses as well as many of the tours.
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COURTESY KALOS GOLF