In the wake of a first-timer's cruise to Northern Spain

Ross Clarke

Ross Clarke

There's something to be said for eating two perfectly poached eggs on toast while watching wave crests glinting in the fledgling morning sunlight trundle past the window.

Set sail aboard Fred Olsen's ship, Borealis
Set sail aboard Fred Olsen's ship, Borealis - photo courtesy of Fred Olsen Cruise Lines

I've left my phone in my cabin on my first morning at sea as a newbie cruise passenger, partly because it's charging and partly because I'm somewhere in the middle of the Bay of Biscay onboard a Fred Olsen* cruise ship with little signal. But as one of the breakfast crew offers me more coffee, I reason that trading a screen for the sea is blissful relief.

I've learned that window tables come at the premium of conversation with strangers tucking into their ham and cheese omelettes prepared by a smiling chef with magician-like flair. But there are plenty of spots for quiet contemplation and sea gazing, as I discover on my post-breakfast tour of the ship, Borealis*.

Deputy cruise director Brendo (a man with seemingly boundless energy) takes us from deck to deck, showing us the card room, library, coffee shop, observatory, cinema, tearoom, pool deck and several restaurants, all with the delightful tah-dah-like presentation of a game show host.

It's the first of our two sea days and to keep passengers entertained, there's everything from yoga to karaoke, meet-ups to afternoon tea. I pop along to the large theatre to listen to what I think is going to be an explanation of our destinations, but turns out to be a presentation of the on-shore tours.

But I pop back later to attend a lecture on Spain from dictatorship to democracy, which gives a good picture of how Spain has changed over the past 100 years.

Rock the boat

The Bay of Biscay is known to be a bit turbulent and I'm guessing, as I gently ricochet down the corridor, that we're experiencing those three-metre swells that the captain informed us of in his daily announcement.

My cabin is a junior balcony suite on deck seven looking out onto the wake. I take a seat on my private deck and soak in the sun while steadying my stomach. As part of my room package, I get an atlas and binoculars, and I spot some frolicking dolphins.

Yesterday, lunch was served in the buffet restaurant as we boarded, and I enjoyed a crisp chardonnay with my fish and chips, while fellow guests opted for full roast dinners with several measures of cabernet sauvignon.

Next to me were two friends, one a gold member with Fred Olsen, who filled me in on the ships (they all begin with the letter B), the art collection chosen by nonagenarian Fred Olsen himself, and how the crew are always friendly.

Top tip: purchase a Freedom Fare* with your cruise and all of your gratuities and drinks will be included for both lunches and dinners throughout your voyage.

A little R&R

Tonight is the captain's welcome cocktail party, but before that I'm off to the Atlantis Spa. I'm booked in for a full-body Swedish massage, and my smiling therapist Nok whisks me through to a treatment room with ocean views.

I'm not sure if it's the therapeutic pummel of Nok's expert hands or the swaying of the ship, but I emerge revived after an hour of blissful stupor. Passing through the changing rooms, I spot a sauna and make a mental note for easing sightseeing-weary limbs the next day.

It's nice to know who's steering the ship, and a glass of cava goes down all too easily as the captain introduces himself and the crew: a glorious mix of nationalities and specialisms from engineers to hospitality.

Tonight is the formal dinner of the voyage, and I've been assigned to a large table, most millennials' worst nightmare, but I'm grateful for the company and to hear the stories of more experienced cruisers.

I'm on the solos table (or singles table as I've also heard it described), which feels a bit like an awkward form of speed dating or maybe a new ITV reality show. That said, a lady in her late 70s sitting next to me tells me that she questioned why there were two dressing gowns in her single cabin. "Just in case someone joins you," joked the crew member, to which she seemed tickled at the thought.

I'm the youngest by some stretch, but I listen to their tales of adventure, cruising and otherwise, such as the 81-year-old Fred Olsen devotee who went on a 76-day cruise to South America last year.

I ask why they choose it, and various voices tell me they feel safe, it's reasonably priced, and that it's like family when you step aboard. The á la carte menu is classic but offers plenty of choice, and I opt for cobb salad, duck à l'orange and crepe suzette.

I admit to my fellow diners that I've not found my sea legs quite yet. "It's normal", says a lady sitting across from me, "the swells were quite big". Apparently, I'll feel it more being so high up on the ship. "You pay more, you sway more!" she says, and a giggle goes around the table.

A day in Bilbao

Waking up in port reminds me a little of the excitement of waking on a sleeper train, miraculously in a new place. I head to the lower deck to walk the gangway, scanning my ID card as I leave the ship. I can't help but get a snap against the soaring hull.

We've got about 14 hours in Bilbao (Getxo), and as the weather is bright sunshine, I head for the beach. It's a bit of a trek but I stop enroute at a bakery for a giant chocolate-covered palmerita (puff pastry swirl) and a take-away café con leche (milky coffee).

After soaking up some morning sun and a bracing dip in the Atlantic, I make tracks to the metro station to climb the world's oldest transporter bridge. I'm lucky to come from a city (Newport) that also still has a working example. I take the leg-quivering walk over the top, then the gondola ride below, both included in my entry ticket, along with an audio guide.

Time for lunch, and I can't be in the Basque Country without having pintxos (small pieces of bread loaded with toppings), and find Bar La Dehesa tucked down a side street, locals spilling out.

I push through to the glass cabinet-topped bar filled with tempting morsels, and opt for pintxos of croqueta de jamón (ham croquette), chistorra (small chorizo), and local speciality txangurro (spider crab gratin) and wash it down with a glass of txakoli (local naturally effervescent white wine).

I hop on the metro again to the centre of Bilbao and realise it's the Aste Nagusia, or the 'Great Week of Bilbao' festivities, and the streets are replete with festival-goers, live bands, giant figures and revelry.

ribera-market-bilbao-spain.jpg Bilbao's famed Ribera Market

I swing by the Ribera Market, the city's famed food court and provisions market. The building is impressive, but I'm a bit underwhelmed, so I decide instead to bar crawl through the small alleys nearby, stopping for vermut and spectacular anchovy pintxos at Antxoa Taberna.

Back on the metro, it's about a 30-minute journey and then a pleasant downhill walk to the cruise port.

Sipping & shopping in Santander

It's another early start as I hotfoot it down the gangplank but this time in Santander. I've forgone breakfast on board in favour of a coffee and slice of tortilla (potato and onion omelette) in a cute café called Cafetería Lealtad 3.

A spot of shopping later to stock up on olive oil, and I'm back on board ready to leave again for one of the organised tours; a guided excursion of the city on our way to a nearby vineyard.

I learn that Santander is the only south-facing bay in northern Spain and has a host of new museums and galleries opening over the next few years, including the private collection of the Botín family of Santander Banking fame.

The Bodega Bahía de Santander is on a hill above the city and from its expansive terrace I spot our ship docked in the distance. We're guided around the winery and taste four wines, three sweet, flavoured ones, and one grown-up white made from Godello grapes. I buy a bottle as an oenological souvenir to remember my trip come the dark winter nights.

We set sail at just gone four, and I head to the sauna to let my body relax. I'm booked into the speciality dining restaurant Colours & Tastes tonight. It alternates among Asian, Grill, and Italian menus.

I'm here on Italian night and from the set menu, I choose beef carpaccio with Pecorino whip, capers and parsley salsa; shellfish cannelloni in a divine Gavi cream sauce; and pistachio cannoli to finish. I also get a breadbasket and a flight of olive oils. It's a refined experience and a bargain at £20 when booked in advance.

On the ocean waves

Our final day at sea is much calmer and after a relaxed breakfast, I stroll the promenade deck in the sunshine. Some passengers are out with their binoculars to spot birds and marine life, and I spend a while staring at the ocean.

At midday, I stop by the cinema to catch Superman on the big screen and am delighted to be presented with freshly popped corn to accompany my viewing. Then it's on to a martini-making class with the incredibly fun bar crew who get me and my fellow novice mixologists dancing and drinking in equal measure.

My table of singles is glad to see me at dinner, and we trade stories of what we've been up to on shore. One of my fellow diners tells me of a dreamy seaweed wrap treatment that she had at the spa. "They're cheaper on port days," she adds with a knowing wink.

After much wine and conversation, we head our separate ways. I stop by the theatre to catch the final show of the trip, and then head for my now regular nightcap in the piano bar, listening to the beautiful tones of young musician Alex Bradford.

And after a peaceful night's sleep, Southampton beckons outside my window. Cruising might be for me after all, but now I just have to find my land legs again.

Climate in xx

The above guide shows the climate in xx. Find out more about conditions across the country in our complete guide to the climate in Spain.

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Ross Clarke

Ross Clarke

Ross Clarke is a Welsh travel, food and wine writer, specialising in his homeland, the Canary Islands and mainland Spain. As well as writing regularly for The Times, BBC Travel and National Geographic Traveller, Ross is a lecturer in journalism at Cardiff University and publishes a regular newsletter, 'The Welsh Kitchen'.

Posted in: Cruises Europe & the Mediterranean

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