Introducing The Mistral - cruise ship

Cruise Travel, July, 2001 by Heidi Sarna

The First New Vessel From First European Cruises Makes A Splash In International Waters

In a colorful display of international pride, giant bed-sheet-sized flags of European countries are draped over the sides of the Mistral at embarkation, setting the mood for the week ahead. With nearly an equal mix of Germans, Italians, French, Spanish, Swiss, and British on a typical cruise (along with a sprinkling of other nationalities, including as few as two or three Americans to as many as 100), First European Cruises' Mistral is truly a melting pot--unlike other lines sailing Europe, such as Costa, which attracts mostly Italians, and Princess and Royal Caribbean, which attract mostly Americans.

The glue that keeps this global union of seniors, 30-somethings, and families with kids together is a talented cruise director like Franco Pili. Equal parts entertainer and translator, he glides effortlessly between English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish like an Olympic skater twirling around the ice. While English is the ship's first language, many of the multi-lingual crew speak three or four. Their language prowess is impressive.

The 1,200-passenger Mistral is clearly not for xenophobes, but for those who embrace an international setting when traveling, whether to Europe or the Caribbean. It'll take this attitude to enjoy the adventure of lunching with passengers who may only speak French or German, converting the ship's official currency, Euros, into U.S. dollars, and being a good sport during the translation of everything from entertainment to lifeboat drills and general announcements into four or five languages.

"Mistral is for people who are curious," Pili believes. And rightly so.

I know I was curious about a lot of things on a recent Mediterranean cruise. Like how European women can look so elegant even for a day of sightseeing in the hot sun, in silk sweaters and matching scarves, while the ever-casual Americans obliviously clomp around in T-shirts, shorts, and sneakers. I was curious why anyone would want to bring strollers into the casino, allow their teens to congregate in the disco late at night, or bring their 10-year-olds into the co-ed steam room. While there aren't generally lots of children onboard, when there are--like during summer and school breaks (for example, Swiss schools have a few weeks' holiday in October)--kids mix freely among adults, unlike on American-oriented ships. Chalk it all up to different customs, and therein lies the charm of the Mistral.

But, just as there are differences, there are universals too. All nationalities share a hearty laugh at the silent Benny Hill films running in the show lounge while congregating for shore-excursion bus and tender assignments. Most get a kick out of the amateurish nightly juggling and slapstick comedy routines in the Carrousel show lounge or the goofy late-night passenger-participation contests in the Mayfair Lounge, where competing couples pop balloons on each other's laps and carry one another around stage. Like laughter, music bridges gaps too. Throughout the day, the Mistral features a Greek folk trio or steel band, four-piece pop group, and a pianist. There's also a small casino (drab and completely bereft of Vegas-style glitz), and daytime activities like Greek language classes on Europe itineraries, plus samba, salsa, and swing dance lessons, and cruise classics like bingo, horse-racing, and napkin-folding.

Trying to please as many nationalities as possible, First European makes no bones about offering a Pan-European cruise experience on the Mistral, with a nod or two to American sensibilities, such as non-smoking dining rooms, show lounge, and the portside of all other public areas. Company CEO George E Poulides, of the Greek Poulides shipping dynasty, started what would become Festival Cruises/First European Cruises in 1986 with the purchase of the 720-passenger Panama-flagged Azur. The former car-ferry built for P&O in 1971 was converted to a cruise ship for Paquet Cruises and chartered in the Caribbean by Chandris until 1993, when Poulides was ready to officially launch Festival Cruises/First European Cruises. A year later the 800-passenger Panama-flagged Bolero was added (ex-Starward of NCL, built in 1968) and in 1997 the 850-passenger Bahamas-flagged Flamenco was bought (formerly named Southern Cross, Star/Ship Majestic, Sun Princess, and Spirit of London, built in 1972). With expansion in mind, in 1997 the company opened a U.S. sales and marketing office under the name First European Cruises, and two years later the French-flagged Mistral entered service as the line's first stab at a new ship, with the new 1,500-passenger European Vision debuting in June and the European Dream set to sail next March.

Even more than the newest bulky breeds of Princess, Royal Caribbean, and Carnival, the Mistral cuts an unusually boxy profile, with a tiny beak of a bow protruding from a great white school-bus-shaped body. The interior of the ship is similarly stiff. Like a Holiday Inn off the interstate, there are few bells and whistles. In warm caramel veneers and deep blue and sage fabrics, the Mistral's decor is safe and pleasing, but bland when compared to the compelling modern art collections Celebrity's ships boasts, or the unusual atrium sculptures found on Holland America vessels, or the bright whimsy strung like Christmas lights throughout Carnival's "Fun Ships."