Last Updated on May 27, 2024

Three Countries in 7 Days – Mediterranean Cruising with Windstar

I’ve already highlighted why I am such a fan of small-ship cruising and of Windstar in particular.  But, what of a winter itinerary?  Cruising the Mediterranean is the kind of activity many people plan for summer.  But, there are some great advantages to travelling out of season – and a small ship cruise is the perfect way to make the most of your vacation time.

Shoulder Season or Winter Mediterranean cruises offer a unique opportunity to visit and enjoy some of the destinations that are packed with visitors during the summer season.  The weather tends to be better than back home in London – while lounging by the pool in a bikini might not be on the agenda, it is usually pleasant enough to eat al-fresco and certainly to walk around sightseeing without a thick coat and scarf.

If, by any chance, the weather lets you down then the destinations on the itinerary tend to be ones within shouting distance of culturally interesting places indoors.  And if that fails, well Windstar comes well set up with a luxurious spa, well-equipped gym and comfy lounge with panoramic windows. Add to that daily activities including cookery classes and wine tasting and you never need to leave the ship.

This year (2023/24) was the first time Windstar offered a winter Mediterranean cruise. Our itinerary took us from Civitavecchia to Livorno, then to Nice and Marseille before ending up in Barcelona.  For 2024/25 there are five itineraries on offer – you can find out more here.

Civitavecchia, Italy

Civitavecchia is the cruise port for Rome and a well-established destination on European cruise routes.  It’s an easy trip to and from the Eternal City making airport transfers simple and visits to some of the world’s greatest monuments easy, either by train or as part of a cruise excursion. 

This time having spent the morning chilling out in the Windstar Spa, I wanted to explore the small town itself.  It was the only bad weather day on our trip – just a little chillier and windier than I would have liked though perfectly reasonable for walking around.

Livorno with Windstar

I’ve visited Livorno in Tuscany a few times before and took advantage of the offer of an excursion up into the Tuscan hills to visit Montecarlo di Lucca.  A typical Medieval village in Tuscany, it’s built on the site of the ancient village of Vivinaia which was destroyed by the Florentines in 1331.  The new town, fortified to help protect the inhabitants, was built by Prince Charles of Bohemia. Thus it was named Mons Karoli (Carlo’s Mountain) in his honour.

The perfect place for a pre-lunch meander, check out the Cerruglio Fortress which dates back to the 13^th century and the Teatro dei Resistenzati, the smallest theatre in Italy with just 200 seats.

Our excursion took us through the hills of Tuscany to Fattoria Il Poggio, a family-owned farm dating back to 1845.  The Rossi Family have run the farm since 1963 and welcome visitors with a delicious lunch and wine tasting.

If you haven’t been to Livorno, it’s worth spending a day exploring – make sure you get to the market as early as possible and do try some Caccioco – the fish soup this port is famous for.

Livorno is also a great starting point if you want to visit Pisa, Lucca or Florence.  All three are well worth exploring and Florence, in particular, is a much pleasanter place in shoulder season than during the height of summer.  Needless to say, Windstar has excursions available to all three destinations when Livorno is on the itinerary – and you can usually do both Pisa and Lucca on the same trip.

Nice, France

I was ridiculously excited to be visiting Nice and wasn’t in the least bit l disappointed.  Our itinerary allowed for an overnight stay here – giving all the passengers plenty of time to explore.  Cruise itineraries with overnight stays may seem, at first glance, to be a wasted opportunity – but for me, they have so many benefits. 

Excursions are much more relaxed when there’s no pressure to return to the ship by a set time.  If you are exploring by yourself you can relax in the knowledge that even if you get lost (something I am VERY capable of doing), you won’t miss the boat!  And, you can, if you want, even spend an evening onshore and dine locally.

For me, it was the opportunity for two excursions together with plenty of time to explore by myself.  I wasn’t disappointed.

A guided tour around Nice Old Town and up the hill into Cimiez, a residential area, was a good way to get a feel for this charming city. We drove past the building where Queen Victoria used to stay when she visited, a luxury hotel called the Ancien Hôtel Régina. And, we stopped to take a look at the Russian Church which could just as easily have been in St Petersburg!

Then on to the Matisse Museum and the Parc des Arènes de Cimiez filled with ancient olive trees and even older remains of a Roman settlement including a large bathhouse.

Nice Old Town is somewhere to wander and browse the shops, take a coffee or perhaps stop for lunch – Socca (a Chickpea pancake) and Pissaladiere are both local specialities. 

Given that Windstar Star Legend was staying overnight, I had plenty of time to explore, shop (I was strong enough to resist the chocolates from Auer but, too weak to ignore the fabulous olive oil from Nicholas Alziari) and took the opportunity not to take the coach back to the Ship. 

Instead, I ate a lunch of moules in one of the little restaurants lining the Promenade Des Anglais – then took the lift to the ‘Parc de la Colline du Chateau’ (free) which takes you up to the top of a hill overlooking the sea and the old town.

It’s a glorious place to relax – there are a couple of cafes and lots of green space, along with the ruins of an old castle and a fabulous waterfall.  And, the best views across Nice and out to sea. It is recommended whether you are visiting as part of a cruise or not.

An excursion the next day took us out of Nice to Éze and to Villa Rothschild.

A picturesque medieval village in the Côte d’Azur, Éze seemed quintessentially French.  With stunning panoramic views of the French Riviera, this was a charming place to explore, with lots of artisan shops and pretty gardens. 

We didn’t have time to visit one of the perfumeries, but like many of the small villages in this area, Éze is famous for its perfumery and cosmetics workshop.  Fragonard has a base here and if you plan well, you can take a tour and maybe even have enough time to create your own perfume.

A short coach journey took us to Villa Rothschild on Cap Ferrat. A stunning baroque-styled mansion on the cliffs overlooking the sea, the building was originally the home of Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild, a wealthy French socialite and member of the prominent Rothschild banking family. 

She was a keen collector of art and designed the villa as a showcase for her collection.  It’s something of a hotch-potch of her favourite styles with a mix of Renaissance, Baroque, Venetian architecture – and more.

The gardens are particularly beautiful – there’s a French formal garden, a Japanese garden and more, all beautifully landscaped and with breathtaking views of the Mediterranean.

The villa is open to the public as a museum and cultural centre and you can explore the interiors and garden, learning about the history of the Ephrussi de Rothschild family as you go.

It is one of the advantages of a small ship cruise that you can pick an excursion like this and explore parts of a region that you’d otherwise miss without a car. I loved both parts of this trip and will definitely return if I’m back in Nice again.

Marseille With Windstar

Our next destination, Marseille, was just a few hours cruising away and close by. 

With no shore excursion booked, I joined some of the other guests to explore the city.  A taxi to the Basilica, which is at the top of a very steep hill, seemed like a great idea and was definitely worth the (shared) cost of about 20 Euros. 

Afterwards, we walked back down the hill through the residential area of the city, stopping for an Aperol in a local bar.  As with all the destinations on our Itinerary, Windstar Star Star Legend was anchored in port with no need to tender and with the old port and Cathedral de la Major just a few minutes walk away.  Perfect for what was the shortest of our stops as we left at 4.30 pm to make our way to the final destination.

Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona is somewhere I’ve visited several times over the years.  For those on their first trip to this wonderful Catalonian city, Windstar offered excursions to make the most of the overnight stay there.

There was an excursion to see some of Gaudi’s landmark buildings and parks.  And, a driving tour of the city en route to the airport, or to Montserrat.

For me, the obvious choice was Barcelona sights and tapas with a short guided walking tour around the city, a trip up Montjuic Hill to see the castle and to take in the views across Barcelona, and then a trip to the beach to enjoy tapas and sangria. 

Every time I’ve visited Barcelona I’ve intended to go to the beach.  And, every time I’ve been diverted thanks to the amazing cultural attractions in the city.  I wasn’t at all disappointed and will go back the next time I am in Barcelona to explore this very different part of the city a bit more.

Summary

Winter Cruise Itineraries have plenty of benefits that offset the fact you might not have a lot of time to sunbathe on deck and if you are more interested in the destinations, they are perfect.

The Windstar itineraries, both 2023/4 and 2024/5 do offer a unique opportunity to explore some of the best destinations in the Mediterranean at a time when they are not over full with tourists. 

My own experience in November with another cruise line and in March with Windstar is that the weather can be even pleasanter than in high season.  You can generally walk around without a coat and when sightseeing it’s much easier for those who find the heat of midsummer overwhelming.

The 2024/5 Winter Itineraries have already been published and this year there will be five options.  The closest to my own itinerary is Europe Winter Riviera which has a few tweaks in the form of an extra day in Livorno (to allow passengers to visit Florence, Lucca and Pisa if they want to do so) and a day in Genoa.  Other itineraries include a Southern Spain trip, winter in Croatia and Greece and Winter in Italy and the Adriatic.  Finally, there are a few special Holiday and Event sailings if you happen to want to spend Christmas at sea!

Add to some fantastic itineraries the exemplary cruise experience with Windstar I described in my last feature and you have the perfect small-ship cruising experience.   

For more about Windstar Cruises and to book your own check their website