Cruise Travel: Royal Olympia Cruises: Olympia Explorer: the company's latest speedster is the concor

Grasping at the aft rail, a rush of exhilaration wells up inside as

the Olympia Explorer clears the breakwater at Bari, Italy, and begins the 24-hour high-speed run to Istanbul. As she increases her speed to 29 knots, the prop wash piles up astern into an arcing jet stream then fans out into a broad trailing wake. By sunset we have overtaken the far larger CostaAtlantica, no slouch in the speed department, which had left Bari a couple of hours before we did. It is more than satisfying to watch our ship slide by, glimpse the pleased expressions on the faces of fellow passengers, then wonder what the balcony dwellers over on the Costa ship are thinking.

Of course, cruising is not about speed, but rather leisure travel to intriguing ports. However, why not design a faster ship to create more far-ranging itineraries? Royal Olympia Cruises is all about port-intensive cruises (as were its two predecessor companies, Epirotiki and Sun Line), especially in the Greek-owned line's front yard, the Eastern Mediterranean.

With an older fleet of second-hand ships, some dating from ocean-liner days, it was high time for ROC to build something new and innovative to maintain the company's elevated position as the line of choice, operating Greek-registered ships to explore ancient and modern Greece and further afield to Italy, Turkey, and the Middle East, often packaged into a one-week cruise.

ROC has two such high-speed ships, called Fast Monohulls. Both were built at Blohm + Voss in Hamburg, the venerable German yard that produced some of the great pre-war ocean liners, such as North German Lloyd's Blue Riband winner Europa. The Olympia Voyager appeared in the summer of 2000 and sister Olympia Explorer nearly two years later--the gap due to a dispute between the line and the shipyard.

The Olympia Explorer derives her impressive speed from an advanced hull design and unique placing of two oversized propellers. Shaped much like a torpedo, the ship's radical Fast Monohull design minimizes wave-making on the surface, creating less water resistance and allowing the ship to go faster with less energy.

Viewed from astern, the curved nature of the ship's hull at the waterline hints at a more unconventional design below. The hull looks as if it has been carved out on both sides by two large ice-cream scoops rather than being gradually sloped, like a typical hull. This shape allows extra room for the twin propellers to be oversized and hence push more water per revolution. Normally the wash from one propeller interferes with the water flow into the other, but the Olympia Explorer has them placed so close to one another that they act almost as one. Ultimately, the vessel uses 25 percent less power than a ship with a conventional hull at similar speeds.

Measuring 25,000 gross register tons and 590 feet in length, the Olympia Explorer has a passenger capacity of 836 and a crew numbering 360, including 47 Greeks, mostly officers and dining-room stewards, plus an international mix of Eastern Europeans and Filipinos. The Greeks manning the main restaurant lend a flavor of ethnic authenticity to the surroundings, especially during the European summer season.

The passenger mix varies widely depending on the cruising region. In the Mediterranean, Americans are in the minority, averaging about 25 percent of the total, while Europeans--especially Italians, Spanish, and French--predominate (there are usually additional Spanish-speaking nationals from Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America). Embarkations take place at Venice, Piraeus (Athens), and Istanbul for ports in Italy, Croatia, Greece, and Turkey, so there are passengers boarding and leaving all week long. Your tablemates may change, as did mine, but all were English-speaking from the U.S., England, Australia, and Greece. Multi-lingual announcements are a necessity, but the line keeps the number to a minimum.

In the Western Hemisphere cruising season, Americans come out way on top, and the onboard atmosphere is altogether different. Here passengers comprise mainly an older crowd drawn to the longer cruises front Fort Lauderdale through the Panama Canal, from California to Hawaii and back, and a highly ambitious circumnavigation of South America. The two cruising regions are linked by fall and spring trans-Atlantic crossings, again attracting predominantly Americans.

Top enrichment programs, often hosted by notable speakers on history, culture, politics, wine, food, astronomy, and exploration, are a major feature of the line. Personal biographies are listed in the brochures, and lecturers get more exposure on longer cruises with days at sea than during the port-intensive Mediterranean season.

With a purplish-blue hull, pronounced bow, sleek lines, and swept-back masts and funnel, the Olympia Explorer presents a striking appearance. And when making 28-29 knots (approximately 33 mph), she sails by like a giant speedboat. Within she exudes a Greek modern design, European sophistication, and sensible simplicity. The public spaces are cherry-wood paneled, with the smooth surfaces giving off a rich soft glow. A curvy center corridor links the public rooms that range along Apollon Deck.

Up towards the bow, the pillared show lounge offers typical musical reviews and specialty performers, such as a crew-staged Greek night, fine enrichment lecturers, and ballroom dancing. Aft of the forward foyer and alongside the atrium well, the open casino features blackjack and roulette tables on one side and banks of slot machines in a partly enclosed space opposite. On the starboard side, a most attractive smoking room serves as a delightful place to read ensconced in a leather chair facing a faux fireplace or a big window looking out to sea. (Note to nonsmokers: often there are no cigarette or cigar puffers in residence.)

The main corridor then leads past two shops featuring clothing, perfumes, jewelry and souvenirs, and a double row of cubic insets displaying colorful Greek rocks and gems. Next come the open-shelf library for reading shoreside newspapers and magazines and satellite-produced newssheets available in four languages, and then the cozy card room.

The corridor angles into the lovely and well-patronized piano lounge with a sit-up bar and two conversational sections located across the aisle from one another. A pianist and singer perform here before and after dinner. The aft staircase landing has illuminated opaque panels with Greek poems etched in the glass, a pleasing sight and worth a stop to read, happily with the thoughtful Greek text translated into English.

On Helios Deck, one level up and then forward, the circular observation lounge with its 270-degree view serves multiple functions: for quiet morning reading, afternoon tea with music, and a disco at night. The gym and spa are just aft on this same deck.

The dining arrangement has the typical variations of a traditional ship. The entrance foyer to the 470-seat restaurant located aft or Selene Deck is bright and inviting, and it is best to see the maitre d' straightway to fix good table. Nicely partitioned and with windows on three sides, the room has tables for two, four, six, and eight at two seatings, 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Times are adjusted for late returning shore programs.

The food is uniformly good international fare supplemented with Greek specialties such as moussaka, souvlaki, marinated octopus, stuffed vine leaves, salads with feta cheese, and sweet desserts like baklava. The meats come from the U.S., so the steaks and mast beef are top quality. The longterm stewards are Greek, generally very proud men, who take a genuine interest in the menu and offer cheerful, good service.

The evening dress code compliance varies considerably between hemispheres. Formal in the Mediterranean means mostly jacket and tie for men, while the longer winter itineraries on this side of the Atlantic Ocean see more dressing up, including suits and dinner jackets for men and cocktail dresses for women.

In lieu of a restaurant breakfast or lunch, the Garden Cafe on the deck above the dining room has both indoor and outdoor seating. On nights when passengers return late from ashore, the buffet is open tar dinner. But the serving set-up is not the best for handling the number of passengers who all seem to want to eat at the same time. Better to simply wait until near the end of the lunch hour or have a lighter meal from the outdoor lido grill. Located on the deck above, the grill produces stone of the best pizza afloat, with different selections every day, plus daily pasta and a small salad bar. This facility is also ideal when time is short.

Tables for enjoying lunch outside are set up aft of the Garden Care overlooking the wide wake or under a tented cover on the lido deck above, the location for a pool, deck chairs, a sit-up bar, and often quite loud music.

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The tiered decks aft on four levels are ideal for watching the speedboat-style wake and for protection against strong winds created by the high speed. In some wind conditions, the roomier port and starboard sides on Helios Deck are also pleasant spots for taking to a deck chair. The open deck ahead of the observation lounge may be off limits at sea because of strong winds, but it is always kept open arriving and leaving port. The verandas attached to the midship Helios Deck cabins interrupt what could have been a continuous wrap-around open promenade.

Most cabin arrangements--some with twin beds, some queensize, others convertible--are of average size (140 square feet) and provide all the features that one has come to expect: TVs with BBC plus European programming during Mediterranean itineraries and CNN in North and South America, phones, refrigerators (not stocked), safes, decent storage, and shower-baths. Of the 16 bay-window cabins on the earlier Olympia Voyager, 12 have been replaced by balcony cabins on this ship, and these measure 265 sq. ft. including the outdoor space. A dozen Deluxe Sky Suites, measuring 375 sq. ft., reside amidships on Helios Deck, the highest passenger level. Occasionally, when leaving port and gaining speed, the ship vibrates uncomfortably, so a cabin forward is always a better bet than one aft.

When cruising the Eastern Mediterranean, the Olympia Explorer is a great choice for first-timers, those in a big hurry, and cultural aficionados who cannot get enough of this exciting part of the world. On the other hand, the Hawaiian, South American, and trans-Atlantic itineraries provide much longer and more leisurely voyages with numerous days at sea. This ship and her sister exhibit distinct split personalities, depending on the cruising region.

MS OLYMPIA EXPLORER FACTS & FIGURES

Company: Royal Olympia Cruises.

Built: 2001, Blohm + Voss GmbH shipyard Hamburg, Germany; delivered 2002.

Country Of Registry: Greece.

Gross Register Tonnage: 25,000.

Length: 590 ft. Beam: 84 ft. Draft: 24 ft.

Speed: 29 knots (maximum, 32 knots).

Propulsion: Diesel, 37,800 kW, twin screw.

Passenger Capacity: 836 (double occupancy).

Passenger Space Ratio: 29.9.

Normal Crew Size: 360.

Nationality Of Crew: Greek officers; international crew.

Cabins: 418 (296 outside/122 inside) comprising 12 Deluxe Sky Suites with balcony, living room area, 24-hour butler service (approximately 375 square feet, including balcony); 12 Deluxe Suites with balcony, living room area (approx. 265 sq. ft., including balcony); 28 Deluxe Junior Suites with picture-windows (approx. 183 sq. ft.); 216 Deluxe Oceanviews with picture-windows (4 of which have been specially adapted for wheelchair use with 39.4-inch wide doors and accessible showers); 28 Superior Oceanviews with large porthole; 56 Superior Insides; 57 Standard insides; 9 Insides; cabins in categories below the suite levels are approx. 140 square feet except for the 9 category G insides that are approx. 120 sq. ft. All cabins have private facilities with shower (balconied suites also have tubs), 110V/230V AC electric, hair-dryers, telephones, safes, mini-refrigerator, TVs with satellite and local channels plus movies 24-hour room service. Most cabins have twin beds that convert to queensize or double some have a third upper berth; some "family cabins" have twins plus a double sofa-bed.

Public Rooms: Dining Room (seats 470; two seatings), Garden Lounge (210 inside/110 outside), Main Lounge (380); Sky Lounge Disco (138); Card Room (30), Piano Bar (104), Golden Room Casino (slots, roulette, blackjack).

Facilities/Features: 6 passenger decks, 4 passenger elevators (with 39.4-inch-wide doors), fully air-conditioned, stabilized, sports/spa/fitness facilities (30,000 sq. ft. of open deck space, including a 7,500-sq.-ft. lido area with one swimming pool; state-of-the-art Jade Spa with a full-service fitness center including gymnasium plus special treatment rooms for mud baths, Turkish baths, sauna, steam room, facials, Ayurvedic therapies, thalassotherapy treatments, massages, water therapies, and other body treatments; natural Ahava products from the Dead Sea region are featured); full-service beauty parlor and barber shop; children's program is activated when there are 10 or more children booked to cruise, or during the traditional holiday and summer periods when it is likely that children will be cruising with their families (cruise staff organizes a program inclusive of activities that may comprise children's movies, "coketail" parties, pizza parties, and organized games; types of games dependent on the ages of the children, as well as the free time available onboard--most itineraries are fairly port-intensive; upon booking, it is requested that travel agents and passengers provide the cruise line with the ages of the children traveling, so that appropriate preparations can be made for children's programming); duty-free shops and boutiques (provide an excellent selection of fine European fashions, jewelry, perfume and other items at duty-free prices, as well as many Royal Olympia souvenir items); telephone/fax services (in addition to radio communication and telegrams, it is also possible to communicate with the ship by telephone and telex via satellite; the rates are higher than radio communication and regular long-distance calling from shore; tariff information may be obtained from your local telephone company; direct dial-in telex number 423994110); computer services (available for sending e-mails @ $1.00 per minute); library (open 24 hours a day, operating on an honor system for book use); ship's newspaper is printed in English and several European languages; photography (a professional photographer covers most events onboard; there is also a photo shop available for passengers to have their film developed onboard); laundry and pressing services are available (for safety reasons, dry-cleaning equipment is not permitted onboard; self-service laundry facilities are not available); additional services include purser's office, tour desk, doctor's office with a licensed physician and nurses.

Money Matters: Upon embarkation, an account is automatically set up for the passengers to which most shipboard services may be signed and charged. The account is payable at the end of the cruise. Cash may be exchanged and traveler's checks may be cashed for local currency onboard the ship. The currency onboard is the Euro, but U.S. dollars are also accepted, as well as American Express, Visa, MasterCard, Discover Card, and Diner's Club credit cards, Personal checks are not accepted onboard. In accordance with the Greek Seaman's Association, the gratuities are equally distributed among the dining-room stewards, busboys, and buffet stewards; the suggested gratuity is $6 per-passenger/per-day. For the cabin stewardess $3 per-passenger/per-day is recommended. All gratuities may be paid in cash or by credit card. For topside personnel such as bar keepers and waiters, a 10 percent service charge is automatically added to the check.

Itineraries/Fares: On the seven-day Mediterranean cruises, the main embarkation ports are Piraeus and Venice, and the ship calls at Dubrovnik, Corfu, Katakolon (for Olympia), Istanbul, Mykonos, and Santorini in the space of one week. The range is more impressive than the times in port, which except for Venice and Piraeus, are half days. In the fall and spring she crosses the Atlantic, and in winter 2003-2004 she will sail through the Panama Canal making several 13-/14-day Hawaiian Islands cruises from three California ports. At the end of the season, she will depart from San Francisco and Los Angeles on an ambitious 63-day cruise via Central America then South America to Fort Lauderdale. During this Western Hemisphere season, the vessel caters mainly to North Americans, and the enrichment program, with more days at sea, gets greatly expanded from the token talks in the Mediterranean, where most passengers are European, and Americans average about 25 percent.

For More Information: Contact your travel agent or Royal Olympia Cruises (Cruise Travel Magazine), 805 Third Ave., New York, NY 10022; call toll-free at 800-872-6400; or log on to www.royalolympiacruises.com.