Please click on the thumbnails to see the full-sized pictures. The "Mistral" photo gallery includes lots of additional pictures, which could not be included here due to the limited space available. If the top navigation bar is missing, please click here to add it. Please hit the "Zurück" button in the navigation bar to return to the previous document. "Mistral: a cold, dry north wind that blows over the Mediterranean coast of France and nearby regions" the dictionary reads. And as the result of wind - not a dry one however - several hundred cruise passengers had to take an extended tour of southern England followed by a hastily arranged dinner and entertainment at the new Dover cruise terminal in May, 2003. The wind - a tropical storm to be precise - delayed their ship, Festival Cruises' (marketed as First European Cruises in the U.S.) M/V "Mistral" on its way across the Atlantic, by several hours. In the evening hours, however, the ship came in sight and within a couple of hours the busy ferry port and the famous white cliffs disappeared behind the ship's wake - the voyage had begun! Within the last ten years, Festival Cruises has grown from an underdog offering Mediterranean cruises on a converted ferry - the still very popular "The Azur" - to one of the European market's most important cruise companies. In 1995, the "Bolero" (built in 1968 as Norwegian Caribbean Line's "Starward") joined the fleet, followed by the "Flamenco" in 1997, which originally entered service with P&O as the "Spirit of London" in 1972. Shortly after that French company Services et Transport cancelled the contract for a newbuild which at that time already had its keel laid at Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard. The 216-meter (709 ft.) vessel was to be completed for a specially founded firm called Auxiliaire Maritime J31, hoping an operator could be found. Festival Cruises jumped in and chartered the newbuild for at least 12 years. On June 25th, 1999 the 47,276 gt ship was officially christened the "Mistral". After introductory visits to several European countries, the vessel left on its first Mediterranean cruise on July 17th. Last year, Festival Cruises announced that the "Mistral" was to spend the 2003 summer season in northern European waters for the first time. That market was previously served by the "Flamenco". Together with the "Bolero", that ship has in the meantime been chartered to a Spanish operator, offering additional capacities on the rapidly growing Spanish market. The German port of Kiel was to be used as "Mistral's" homeport for her Norway and Baltic Sea cruises. The "Flamenco" used to sail from the capital of the State of Schleswig-Holstein, as well. In May, 2003 the "Mistral" departed Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) on a trans-Atlantic cruise, which for many passengers ended in Dover, for others in Kiel. I was onboard the "Mistral" for the final leg of that cruise from Dover via Copenhagen to Kiel to experience the Festival product. Because of her very boxy exterior appearance, "Mistral" certainly won't win a beauty price. But once you are onboard, the exterior looks don't count that much any more, of course. Upon entering the lobby - spanning two decks - the passenger gets a first taste of what to expect on the ship's nine passenger decks: European elegance without unnecessary poppycock dominates. The splendid polished stone floor, the warm wood tones, the black grand piano - all that leaves a positive first impression. The "Mistral" offers a generous amount of public spaces. Right next to the Lobby on deck 5, the Bar Chez Georges is situated. In the forward-most section of the deck, the rather poorly-stocked Richelieu Library and the Smoking Salon are found. The large Carousel Lounge spans two decks and provides excellent sight lines from most seats. Only passengers seated in the last couple of rows of the side wings are subject to mediocre sight lines. Below the lounge's aft seating rows, the Bar des Artistes is located on deck 5 - a clever move making good use of this otherwise rarely usable space. The Caffé Navona occupies the upper level of the Lobby on deck 6 and is a popular meeting point, where one can have a decent cup of cappuccino or other coffee specialties. The prices are reasonable by international standards, and the service staff are friendly but fairly overtaxed during the most busy hours. An additional waiter or waitress would be a good addition here during those times. The size of the onboard casino is tailored to most European passengers' fairly low gambling passion compared with north American passengers. Also, it is good to see that one needn't walk through the casino to get from one end of the deck to the other one. All the way forward on deck 7, the Mayfair Lounge is situated - a very popular room at nighttime. Adjacent is the St. James Club, which can be used as a multi-purpose room. Up on deck 12, the Ibiza Club serves as an aft-facing observation lounge during daytime, while at night it turns into a high-energy disco. Onboard Festival's "premium" ships ("Mistral", "European Vision" and "European Stars") there is a kind of two-class society when it comes to dining. While passengers booked in one of the 528 standard cabins dine in the l'Etoile Restaurant on deck 5, passengers occupying one the 80 suites are allocated to the intimate Rialto Restaurant on deck 6. "Non-suite occupants" may use that restaurant as well at night, but this incurs an extra charge of approximately 15 Euros (currently ~US$ 17.50) per person per night. However, I honestly don't think the dining experience is worth the extra charge. Don't get me wrong: The food in the Rialto is not bad (with the exception of the very thin soups). However, it cannot live up to the standards of "extra charge restaurants" on other ships. The service is also friendly and "good" - not less, not more. Particularly good, however, is the superb cheese selection which puts all sweet desserts to shade. In both restaurants there are few really large tables but many tables for two or four persons. The l'Etoile impresses with tasteful interiors featuring bright wood and shades of red, while in the Rialto, maritime colors together with huge picture windows on three sides create an elegant and friendly atmosphere. As an alternative to the two restaurants, the Cafeteria La Croisette is located on deck 11. Light wood tones and maritime colors dominate. As on many other cruise ships, this buffet restaurant is quickly fully occupied during breakfast and lunch "rush hours". The forward section suffers from a design flaw: the automatic doors lead directly to the pool area. As a result, passengers using the nearby tables are subject to a heavy draft whenever the doors open. A porch is missing. The food selection for breakfast and lunch is average. German passengers in particular won't like the "Mediterranean" selection of cheese and cold cuts (two varieties each), while there is a good choice of warm alternatives. The service in this area was less than average, as the assistant waiters working here were constantly busy fooling around with each other. This resulted in long waits for a cup of fresh coffee or for used china to be removed from the table. Cabin service, which is included on most cruise lines, incurs a small "service charge" on Festival Cruises. However, this is about as much as one usually tips on other lines, anyway. The "Mistral" also offers a good range of facilities for sports-minded passengers. On deck 11, a well-equipped gym is situated. For those hoping to gain new energy through total relaxation rather than through physical exertion, the adjacent spa area offers steam rooms and great cozy "relaxation chairs". And following a good massage in one of the excellent treatment rooms, one might also want visit the beauty salon. The prices are reasonable. On her generous open decks, the "Mistral" offers lots of space. Sadly, there's no wrap-around promenade, but two open promenades below the lifeboats on deck 6. The pool area on deck 11 features real teakwood, while the rest of the open decks are equipped with a sand-colored, rubberized Bolideck surface. In many places, the Bolideck suffers from dark discoloring and looks "dirty" although it is cleaned daily. Bolideck is infamous for those color changes that, while not being a serious fault, are at least an optical disturbance. But since the "Mistral" generally is in a really good shape - some four-year-old ships don't look far less well-maintained - this really is not a big problem. Unfortunately, there's no jogging track anywhere on the ship, and joggers have to use the stairs to create a wrap-around course. The huge sun deck area on deck 12 was further enlarges during a recent drydocking by relocating the sports court to the aft area of deck 13 (like on half sisters "European Vision" and "European Stars"), which was previously unused. The terraced aft decks have small open decks which are excellent to "get away from the bustle" to enjoy the ship's wake. In contrast to many other cruise ships, the "Mistral" does not have a confusing variety of different cabin categories. Thanks to the ship's good design, no passenger facilities whatsoever have lifeboat-obstructed views. Some outside cabins face forward or aft. Standard cabins are 13 square meters (140 sq.ft.) but look and feel larger than they actually are, due to their superb design. 80 mini-suites on deck 10 are 22 square meters (237 sq.ft.) and feature a private balcony with teak furniture. Like the standard cabins, they look and feel much larger and have a walk-in closet, seating area, vanity desk, and a somewhat larger bathroom with bathtub. There's also a small refrigerator. This is a great place to live in! As a special highlight, it has been possible since earlier this year to book a so-called "Hilton Suite", which is a "regular" mini-suite with lots of extra amenities. For many passengers, the 7 percent surcharge should be worth it, as "Hilton Suite" occupants get discounts on many onboard services and products. Festival Cruises is a "European" cruise line which equally caters to people from many different European countries. As a result, all announcements are made in five languages (English, French, German, Italian and Spanish) - a sometimes lengthy affair. The onboard entertainment is mostly non-verbal for the same reason. As an example, it is kind of bizarre to watch a ventriloquist telling his jokes in five different languages with the different passenger groups laughing after each other until all have understood. Five onboard languages also means that - in theory - all service staff should be able to speak five languages. But of course this is neither realistic nor the case. In the restaurants, one usually finds a waiter speaking the passenger's language, but this doesn't necessarily apply to cabin stewards or bar waiters. At least some knowledge of the English language is therefore recommended. On the other hand, it's great to see how wonderful the "multicultural society" on board works, with differences not being important. And it only logical that in addition to the French flag, the "Mistral" also flies the European flag at the stern. An often discussed aspect - particularly in Germany - is the alleged "onboard rip-off", i.e. the blame that Festival Cruises tries to compensate low passage fares through greatly exaggerated onboard costs. I would like to contradict clearly. The only prices which seem too expensive are those of shore excursions and the cover charge for the Rialto restaurant. The often-blamed gratuities, which are automatically added to the passengers' accounts, are less than average by international standards. Spa treatments, drinks etc. aren't more expensive than on other international ships. Passengers used to German ships with their fairly high passage fares and low onboard prices might find the onboard expenses higher on Festival, but then the cruise fare is much lower. Passengers used to sailing on international ships likely won't see a difference. The "Mistral" is a modern cruise ships tailored to European tastes. She features elegant, high-quality interiors and good accommodations. The term "Premium Ship" as used by Festival should be seen in comparison to the fleet's smaller and older vessels - the so-called "Discovery Ships". The "Mistral" definitely belongs to the market's standard segment, where she offers a good product with an international touch. Copyright 2003 © Raoul Fiebig