Your adventure begins when the stewards meet you at the port, collect your luggage and help you through short formalities at a cruise terminal. On board the Crew greets you with a welcome drink and after a minute-long check-in you receive your electronic key, which provides access to your cabin and the vessel herself.
Then you have time to relax and look around, and before we hoist sail you are invited to a safety drill in compliance with the highest SOLAS safety requirements applied to passenger vessels. Put your mind a rest, though: it is nothing tedious but rather a kind of a show where you get to know a lot of interesting things.
Shortly afterwards you are asked for a dinner, a non-culinary brief preamble to which is a presentation of our multilingual crew by the Captain. Now you have a chance to appreciate the mastery of the Chef and the opulence of seasonal Greek products.
During the voyage, you will have a choice of dancing, singing karaoke, watching movies from our collection, playing table games or socializing at one of our bars. Or simply meditating under the starry sky…
If you are an early bird, you may be willing to take the benefit of sunrise swimming from the stern apparel or attend yoga classes by the professional instructor.
We usually have only one full day at sea or none at all, making calls at a new exciting island or marina every day. Our Cruise Director will thoroughly arm you with abundant information on each destination during regular “port talks”, so you could explore a new land on your own or in a company. If we are anchored, our all-day free tender service will deliver you ashore or back to the ship at your convenience. Should you prefer to have an excursion with a professional guide or need transportation, we will be happy to arrange it for you.
Of course, you will enjoy swimming from the apparel and making use of a wide variety of water-toys available aboard. Alternatively, in case the ship is berthed, the Crew will deliver you to the best beaches in the neighbourhood.
And there will be a lot of sailing, too. While roving the sea, we will do our best to let you immerse into the genuine atmosphere of marine travel. We start with a tour of the ship, succeeded with the Bridge tour and the Engine tour. And we sincerely recommend you took part in our exclusive Marine Activities: children and adults alike will admire tying sailor’s knots under the Boatswain’s guidance; why not try yourself at mast climbing; the Captain and the Officers give regular master-classes on celestial navigation, sails setting, and probably the most exciting of all – you can put your hands on the steering-wheel and run the huge ship yourself like Captain Sparrow, basking in the feeling of freedom.
Tired of facing challenges? Then get rejuvenated in the massage cabinet or in the sun-deck jacuzzi, or simply relax in the open, breathing salty air – the amount of shadowed areas on board RUNNING ON WAVES is unprecedented, so you can spend all day at the deck without running a risk of getting sun-burnt.
Apart from daily pampering you with gastronomic delights, the Chef gladly shares with you the secrets of culinary art at Chef’s master-classes, and the Stewards give lessons on towel-folding and serviette-folding craft.
And once or twice during a cruise you are kindly asked for an a la carte Captains’ Dinner.
The boatswain invites you to the photo-safari where you can make stunning pictures of the barquentine going under full sail.
Nevertheless, there comes time to say good-bye. According to statistics, nearly all our first-time guests want to come back again and most do so, and our passion is about seeing you return, too.
Unique experience you receive on a Tall Ship cruise aboard RUNNING ON WAVES is due to its very special character. Learn what core features distinguish a cruise on RUNNING ON WAVES from a cruise on board any other vessel, big or small.
First and foremost, it is a regular cruise in the environment of a luxury private mega-yacht with its prestigious stature, fine cuisine and personalized feel-at-home service, and yet with a plenty of entertainment and sports for your enjoyment.
Unlike guests of big cruise liners who behold the sea rather like an image on a postcard from the height of the 15th deck, RUNNING ON WAVES takes you to a true sailing adventure. The majestic blue element is near, and when you feel like swimming or going in for water sports, you just make a few steps to the stern ramp.
Our custom-designed itineraries are fashioned in such a way as to avoid big ports and crowded destinations for the sake of real jewels still unspoiled by mass tourism.
With her shallow draft RUNNING ON WAVES calls at coves and marinas, which are troublesome to reach by any other vessel, thus opening for you a door to wild nature, out-of-ordinary experiences and pristine beaches.
Since on board there are 18 state cabins only, you sail in the company of no more than 30 – 40 guests, all of them your like-minders who value untrodden paths and crave highly aesthetical impressions.
Add to this 15 square metres of open teakwood deck per guest –a ratio not found on any other cruise ship – plus a lot of separated areas for relaxation, and you get an inimitable communication framework, which gives you highest quality socialization and yet allows to cloister yourself any moment.
Lastly, our boutique-style cruises guide you through palette of cultural and natural tints unseen by a mass tourist thus turning your vacation into a genuine ecology- and culture-aware exploration.