Two ripple-backed Italian men plane and smooth the keel of their new boat, whistling softly as they go. There's pure art and utter delight in their craft and their chests swell as they stand back to admire the boat being born.
Another sculpted hull lies upturned on a trestle nearby, its fresh coat of gleaming black paint shining like a mirror in the sun.
Gold stripes will soon be painted on the black exterior and the interior will be fashioned with opulent brocade seats, possibly in deep red.
Then the new gondola will take to the water, piloted by a skilled poler in a striped shirt and black trousers - and the age-old tradition of the winding waterways of Venice will continue.
On a different scale and with a different itinerary, Crystal Serenity lies docked nearby. At 68 000 tons and plenty of space for 1 080 guests and 650 crew, Serenity is an ocean-going dream machine.
The latest technology and plush interiors make this white-floating fantasy a unique and serene travel experience. It is quite comparable to a palace at sea, replete with discrete - seemingly telepathic - personal attendants and valet service, exquisite cuisine and the shiniest silver service. Yet, surprisingly, though you're on board with butlers in crisp tuxedos and there are select formal evenings when tiaras are worn, there is no pretence at all. Everyone does their own thing, just as they please.
The Crystal Serenity, along with sibling Symphony, sail all the seas of the world from Antarctica to Iceland along with Pacific and Atlantic crossings. The ships get into all the earth's distant corners, too, and trips can be as short as a week or as long as the epic 105-day world cruise that visits every continent and culture. "But," says ship master Captain Glenn Edvardsen, "we choose the best time of the year and the best weather and sea conditions to be everywhere."
So wherever you go in the world it will probably be summer, even in Antarctica.
Sea legs are not necessary on the Crystal ships, because they use the latest technology and stabilisers.
If you want to feel that you're at sea, you'll have to go for a dip in the on-board pool on the Lido Deck or request a water therapy at the Feng Shui Spa. Alternatively, kick back on your private verandah and look out over the ocean to distant lands.
Istanbul, Turkey, through the Greek islands, along the Dalmation Coast of Croatia and on to Italy is our route aboard the Crystal Serenity. In Istanbul everyone from Mr and Mrs George Abraham from Virginia to Mrs Eugenia Zuniga de Masso from Mexico check in airport-style at the Crystal welcome desk in the shadow of the ship. With just an identity card in hand, we board Serenity up the stairway and inside. Inviting lounges open out before us and a piano man plays gentle classics in a corner.
Up the elevator to Penthouse suite 11047 on the 11th floor, our Bulgarian butler Sasa awaits us.
He offers to unpack our bags, asks what ironing we'd like done and what time we'd like cocktails served in our suite. Little did we realise that for the duration of the cruise Sasa, always impeccable in his tuxedo, would wait on our every whim, serve us coffee and scones when others were drinking cocktails, bring on caviar accompanied by Coke Light, and serve in-suite Japanese and Italian dinners from Silk Road and Prego restaurants - even though there were seven dining options to choose from.
Our tastes and quirks would baffle Sasa, but never once would he question our thirst for fizzy water instead of French champagne - and somehow he would constantly anticipate our needs. For more than a decade, Sasa has been a professional butler and committed to memory some bizarre requests on board. But he remains tight-lipped - and we firmly believe, telepathic. One day he will surely write a book.
Of course the intrigue of Istanbul lures us off the boat to walk the markets, taste sticky Turkish Delight and marvel at the size and antiquity of Hagia Sophia mosque, the ingenuity of the underground cistern and the unique splendour of the monumental Blue Mosque softly carpeted and coloured.
As the sun dips we set sail with the lights of Istanbul twinkling across the ocean, and a voyage of pure delight begins.
Days aboard the Serenity can be anything but serene if you so choose. Sure you can kick back in your suite, listen to music, watch movies, but you can also learn Portuguese or how to play the guitar.
The University @ Sea teaches computer courses or you can hit golf balls under a professional eye.
Bridge, tai chi, gambling in the casino, shopping in the boutiques, movies, theatre, spa treatments, gym, swimming - you could actually get super-fit at sea if you really wanted to. We didn't, but we can now paint water colours and understand more ancient Greek history than ever before.
There is one danger, though, in travelling on Serenity: there is a very real chance that you may not want to disembark in port because there's just so much happening on board. The Crystal shore excursions offer a broad range of options or you can do your own thing, as we often did.
The car hire man on Santorini was reluctant to give us the keys when he sensed our total lack of bearing and limited time, but he was wide-eyed and impressed when we returned the car later in the day - unscathed and with high mileage.
We criss-crossed the beautiful blue-hued Greek island, tasted home-made moussaka and had a little tot of Ouzo too. Today Turkey, tomorrow Greece.
Cruising offers the reality of waking up in a different country almost every other day. You nod off to sleep between fine-cotton linen and wake up to the sight of Greek fishermen hauling in their nets under a flapping striped flag or Croatians opening their shutters to welcome the day and water their window box blooms.
Then, Sasa brings breakfast and the day begins well every time.
It just makes so much sense to unpack once, settle in and really see the places you visit. Your head space is different and so is your experience of your destination. On the final day of the voyage, we sail slowly into Venice as the run rises and dances across the Piazzo San Marco.
We are the only big white ship amid the Venetian rush hour on the water. Dozens of tiny boats scurry along beside us, their passengers waving up to us on the high decks. All aboard the Serenity are out on deck to breathe in the romance of the ancient city of glass. The atmosphere aboard is melancholic but everyone is mesmerised by this breathtaking view of this city sans cars.
"Personally," says our cabin neighbour, leaning over his deck rail to speak to us, "I've never been a fan of cruises. In my mind cruises were for the 'newlywed, nearly dead and over fed'. The reality, though, is quite different and the thought of going home to boiled eggs on toast is just not at all appealing."
We joke about how hard life will be without Sasa and we begin packing to leave. A gentle rain falls over Venice and it's fitting, we think, after a voyage of perfect weather in idyllic places.
Then Captain Edvardsen gives his last daily message to the guests over the airwaves. "Don't be sorry it's over," he says, "be glad it happened."
True it is of the voyage, and certainly all good things in life. But a gondola ride may just ease the sadness in the meantime.
If you go...
- Visas: These are dependent on the countries visited and passport held. South Africans require visas for Turkey, Greece, Croatia and Italy.
- Money: All major currencies and travellers cheques are accepted on board.
- Transfers: At disembarkation guests are transferred to the airport according to a well-orchestrated schedule.
- Contacts: For more information call Cruises International on 011-327-0327 (ext 4), visit their website at www.cruises.co.za or you can email them at [email protected]
Fact File
- Serenity suites have sea views and large windows. Most suites have private verandahs and all have TVs, DVD, data ports and drinks fridges. The penthouses have jacuzzis, sound systems, cordless phones and the services of a private butler.
- Maps and relevant details are handed out on disembarkation .
- Dining options include the Crystal dining room; Prego restaurant (Italian cuisine); Silk Road and Sushi Bar for Japanese cuisine; the Lido Café for buffet-style breakfast and lunch, deck buffets around the pool; the Parisian-style Bistro coffee bar and café; the Trident Grill and Ice-cream Bar for American fare and wine-themed dinners.
- Under executive chef Franz Weiss, 115 of the 650 ship staff work in the kitchen. Serenity carries about 25 000 bottles of fine wine.
- Crystal Serenity is a completely eco-friendly ship and even the luxurious toiletries are biodegradable. All waste - glass, paper and organic matter - is separated and disposed of in an eco-friendly manner. Surprisingly, there is also minimal food wastage on the ship.
- Serenity offers guests a cashless environment. The cruise includes on-board accommodation and dining. Alcohol is extra.
- There is also a fully equipped medical centre on board the ship and small operations can even be performed if necessary.
- Crystal has been voted the world's best cruise liner for 11 consecutive years.