Rotarian Life & Leisure Page 9

just cruisin'

www.ROTaRIaNLIFeaNDLeIsuRe.COM

neeD To know

The crew are pretty special and from young to old

they have a gentle, caring way about them. several times
I saw older passengers looking around for somewhere to
sit and a young, spritely games instructor would gently
move their arm to the passengers back and guide them
to a seat. On the days when the sea was a little unruly,
I watched them carefully keeping an eye on everyone
around them to be ready to assist. It's all about familiarity,

more like a family affair between crew and passengers that works
well on the Athena.

The majority of the passengers were 60 plus and I was curious

to watch their reaction to the high kicking and scantily clad, enticing
showgirls. They lapped it up! The entertainment each night had
different themes that were all crowd pleasers. I'm still getting my
head around a Bosnian, Filipino and Portuguese singers doing a
rendition of `I still call australia home', with strong accents it nearly
made me weep.

Of an evening when I schlepped back to my spacious cabin, couch

and all, I would pick up the program for the next day's events from
sunrise to sunset there is something to do. we had an amazing shore
excursion for a day at the old whaling and logging town of eden on
the sapphire Coast of Nsw. But anxiety was to set in as we had to
be back on board to catch `Bee gees, The Musical'. The pressure!

To truly slip away from your fellow passengers for some quiet

time, just head to your cabin's bathroom. every cabin on the ship has
its own bathtub a feature reminiscent of past cruise liners. you just
don't see them in these times.

I talked to many of my fellow passengers and got their opinion on

cruising, especially on the Athena. "This is our first cruise," says Lorna
and jim Darmody from western australia, "we thought we should
try out this small ship first."

and how do they like it? "we've booked a 14-day cruise for later

in the year."

another couple takes a cruise every year with four of their friends.
"we love the Athena, the crew is wonderful, the food just right, and

we love cruising around the australian coast."

so it looks like the Athena will be spending quite a bit of time with

us here Down under Portugal will just have to wait.

Bev Malzard travelled courtesy of Classic International Cruises
(reprinted from

Get Up & Go magazine: getupandgo.net.au).

Hospitality plus is the motto on the

Athena and with only 580 passengers
at full house, accompanied by 240
crew, the odds of being looked after
extremely well are on the cards.

As well as being classified as `classic'

the ship holds old cruising traditions
dear to its heart and every day there
is something to do on deck to include
passengers and to keep the spirit of
friendly relations alive. Deck quoits
is always fun it was surprising that
every time I went up for a game
and I wasn't very good at it there
were 10 experts giving advice. and in
the morning when the light exercise
began after the stalwarts hit the deck
(at least six women, one exercising

with a handbag still wrapped around her arm), I watched other
people edging towards the group and start moving to the beat
these passengers really hang out together.

Once on board I made a plan to try everything and experience

restaurants, the theatre, cinema, library and private rooms (card,
sitting, and club lounge) for some tucked away reading time.

There is no way anyone would go hungry on the Athena there

is a splendid buffet for breakfast and lunch in the Lotus Lounge
every day salads, light meals and fruit as well as pasta dishes,
meat, fish, themed lunches Indian, Mexican, French French bread
and an array of desserts to send you to your cabin with a sugar
overload. And after lunch, leave a tiny space for afternoon tea!

Big on tradition, there are two sittings at set times for dinner.

Dining is number one priority when cruising and dinner of an
evening at Athena's Olissipo, an elegant spacious restaurant, is a
la carte, ample and delicious. The wait staff you get to know night
after night are unobtrusive, but always there before I have decided
what I want to drink, they have it at hand as if by magic!

On most football field sized modern liners these days the Bridge

is out of bounds not so on the Athena. The ship-shape area at the
heart of the ship is open for visits and Captain Pedro Pinto, from
Lisbon Portugal, shows us around and chats about life onboard and
being at the helm of the Athena.

"It's a wonderful ship, I know her so well, and she never lets me

down," he laughs. "I have the best crew ever, there are more than
20 nationalities here to work and serve, and they all get on."

Athena will offer 17 cruises to and from Perth and adelaide
as part of her 2012/13 summer program in australia form
November 2012 to april, 2013.

Cruises are available from $470 per person, twin-share for a

two-night cruise, including onboard meals and entertainment.
Bookings are through travel agents. For more information, visit
www.classicintcruises.com

"ON MOsT FOOTBaLL FIeLD sIZeD

MODeRN LINeRs THese Days THe

BRIDGe Is OuT OF BOuNDs

NOT sO ON THe AThenA."