I had never been on a cruise, thought that they were not for me, and had no idea of what to expect other than lots of wealthy old people looking as though they had stepped out of a pension-fund advertisement. But I rapidly found myself taking to the experience like, well, champagne to caviar.From Miami, we arrived on the island of St Thomas, our port of departure. The SS Wind Spirit lay at anchor across the bay, and I was pleased to see that she was more elegant and Onedin Line-like than the heaving people-carrier that the word "cruise" brings to mind. Indeed, she looked tiny next to the other mammoths at dock, which looked more like floating apartment blocks than ships. Wind Spirit carries a total of 148 passengers and has four beautiful white sails that can be unfurled at sea, to add just that extra touch of glamour as we travelled from St Thomas to Tortola, Antigua, Guadeloupe and back to base port. The second plus was that the passengers on the SS Wind Spirit were extremely affable older, certainly, but not at all stuffy.The days went by in a blissful routine of island tours, Caribbean beach swims, music, dinner and drinks lots of drinks But it was the music that made the cruise so special.
The 100 or so guests were offered all food, drinks and board, plus two concerts a day performed by the ECO and soloists including Jian Wang, the young violinist Sarah Chang, and the Portuguese pianist Maria Joao Pires all players of international stature. It was a line-up that lured genuine music-lovers.I sat in on rehearsals, talked to the musicians over breakfast and lunch, wined and dined with them late into the night. Before each concert John Amis, the musicologist and radio presenter, gave a short explanatory talk, and interviewed Paul Goodwin, the conductor, and other members of the orchestra for our benefit.When you are in a ship for a week, it is no surprise to find that some personalities come to the fore. One of these was Dame Shirley Porter, the controversial former leader of Westminster council, who proved a redoubtable figure.
The large number of Americans who included all types from retired university lecturers and doctors to businessmen were curious about her title ("So what exactly is a Dame?"), and speculated on whether or not the Brazilian passengers had collagen implants in their lips.But they seemed to enjoy it. "It's extraordinary relaxing to know that through an entire week you will be listening to classical music every day," said Allen Lowy, a lawyer from the US. "The relationship between the audience and the orchestra is unique."There were a few hitches. An Italian marquesa was distraught that the "champagne" turned out to be American sparkling wine a distinction apparently lost on the American travel firm although you could see her point, given the cost of the week.
