On a cruise with a difference, James Powell samples arias in the Adriatic

THE audience sat rapt as the baritone, with only a piano for accompaniment, delivered a beautifully haunting rendition of Purcell’s Cold Song.

But the talented Fabrice di Falco had a surprise for us. For the finale, his voice rose – seemingly impossibly – to falsetto, drawing thunderous applause from the small but intimate theatre and cries of "bravo".

Bravo indeed. It was an unforgettable performance and not what most people would have in mind when thinking of cruise ship entertainment.

But then again, this was no ordinary cruise.

For this opera-themed trip, French operator Compagnie du Ponant put together an impressive roster of singers and dancers to keep us entertained during our short tour of the Adriatic.

It was my first cruise, so it was with excitement that I caught my first glimpse of L’Austral as our minibus descended a winding mountain road into the Greek coastal town of Itea. This 142-metre mega-yacht, the youngest in le Ponant’s fleet of six, looked majestic at port and far from out of place in these stunning surroundings.

With no time to look around the town before setting off, I decided to explore what would be my home for the next five nights. I was immediately impressed by my cabin which, like most of the 132 on the yacht, was spacious and had its own balcony.

The next morning we probably didn’t see the city of Ioannina in its best light on our guided excursion as our group was hit by torrential downpours. I later learned it was the wettest city in Greece.

BACK on board L’Austral, it was time for the captain’s cocktail reception and gala dinner and the perfect chance for a spot of people watching.

Most of my shipmates were French and over 60. Not exactly a surprise for a French cruise company, but I was told that L’Austral’s next cruise had a large British contingent, including some children, so clearly the clientele varies depending on the itinerary and theme.

The facilities on board catered for everyone, with a library, children’s room with Nintendo Wii consoles, a spa and a fitness room.

When it came to the five-course meal itself, the food set the bar for what I came to expect for the rest of the trip. The meat and seafood was first class, whether it was French gastronomic cuisine or simple rib-eye steak with French fries.

The following day we dropped anchor off sunny Dubrovnik for my first visit to this beautiful Croatian city. It can be extremely busy here during the daytime, so a boat trip to tranquil Lokrum Island with its 12th Century Benedictine monastery, avenues of cypress trees and botanical gardens was the ideal place to start for a relaxing couple of hours.

By late afternoon, things had quietened down on the mainland and it was the perfect time for a stroll around the city walls which offer breathtaking vistas of the city’s harbour, landmark churches and distinctive orange slate roofs.

Back on board there was more good food and later some literary readings mixed with the more universal language of ballet. By bedtime, L’Austral was already on its overnight 230km journey north along the Dalmatian Coast to Croatia’s second city, Split.

We were up bright and early for our excursion – a trip to the spectacular Diocletian Palace.

L’Austral now had a longer journey to the Istrian peninsula and the historic town of Rovinj, but there was plenty of time to relax and soak up the sun before the evening’s entertainment.

It was Saturday night and although there was more opera on offer, many of us were in a party mood. Things kicked off with a spot of cabaret in the main lounge, a chance for the ballet dancers who put the show together to let their hair down a little.

Feeling slightly worse for wear the next morning, the perfect way to recover was to get some fresh sea air during a stroll around the pretty harbour city of Rovinj.

That evening’s gala dinner was followed by the two-hour farewell concert and it was here that I heard Fabrice’s performance which so stirred me, as well as a wealth of other wonderful performances from Philippe Do, Marie Kalinine and the artistic director Jean-Francois Vinciguerra, to name but a few.

It was time to say a fond farewell to L’Austral the next morning, but not before getting up early to enjoy breakfast as L’Austral sailed into Venice, offering some incredible views.

Does opera music mix well with cruises?

Well, it certainly beats Jane McDonald.

Travel facts

  •   JAMES Powell was a guest of Compagnie du Ponant, which offers seven-day/six-night Adriatic cruises on L’Austral, departing September 1, from £1,785.
  •   Passengers arrange their own travel to and from the ship, although the cruise company may offer flight credits as a sales incentive.
  •   Package includes all meals (from dinner on day of embarkation to breakfast before disembarkation), cocktail parties, gala dinner, wines served with meals, 24-hour room service (selected menu) and evening entertainment and/or organised events.
  •   For reservations call 0800-980-4027 or visit ponant.com