Imagine having an entire gallery of Picasso paintings to enjoy, practically all to yourself. Wandering from one gallery to another, losing yourself along the timeline of an artist’s emerging genius through 5,000 of his works. This is a reward of traveling during the offseason in January to Barcelona, Spain, and the Winter Riviera.

The Winter Riviera. I love the sound of that, especially as we sizzle beneath the unrelenting heat of a summer sun. It has a chill vibe, and the promise of adventure with fewer crowds and less noise and a slower pace to absorb the sights and delights of the Mediterranean.

Last January, we left the snow and ice and 16-degree weather of Kentucky behind for a voyage aboard Windstar Cruises’ 312-passenger all-suite yacht, Star Legend, sailing from Barcelona to Rome and calling at Nice, France, and Genoa and Livorno, Italy, along the way.

The weather delivered beautifully, with mostly sunny 50- and 60-degree days—ideal for strolling city centers to explore treasures like the Museu Picasso in Barcelona as well as the shops, cafés and other attractions of its Gothic Quarter—the oldest part of the city and, with its maze of shadowy streets, arched entrances and lack of pedestrians, one that felt positively medieval.

In Genoa, we wandered through the Acquario di Genova, Europe’s largest aquarium, moving from the orange and white striped clownfish and polka-dotted zebra sharks of the coral reefs to the seahorses of the Mediterranean Sea to the fierce, fanged Cuvier’s dwarf caiman (small crocodilian) and predatory piranha of the tropical waterways. The aquarium’s explanatory signage displayed in three languages, including English, was a much appreciated touch.

Onboard Star Legend, the entertainment is lively, with ship walks and yoga and stretch classes jump-starting the mornings and wine and whiskey tastings, ship and galley tours, mixology and cocktail demos, shore excursion overviews, wellness seminars, cooking demos and games like Liar’s Club and Majority Rules among the activities pleasantly filling the afternoon.

Several thoroughly enjoyable activities not typically offered on larger cruise ships include the galley tour, the morning Walk a Mile with Gary, the evening stargazing session with the bridge team and the opportunity to walk Livorno’s central market with the ship’s chef as he sourced local ingredients. Also, when it came time to booking a facial in the World Spa, I had no problem getting my first choice of time and day—even though I had waited until Day 3 to make an appointment. (And it was one of the best, most relaxing facials I’ve ever had at sea.)

Also noteworthy is the variety of live music offered in the evenings: Everything from the classics and easy listening to Beatles songs and the music of the '70s, '80s and '90s was performed either in the Lounge or in Compass Rose by versatile band, Dr. Flavor, and the Harmony Duo. Themed dance music included Latin, ABBA and disco. Additionally, a special performance by Trio Butterfly was offered one evening, with the musicians performing music from around the world, including gypsy melodies on an accordion, violin and bass instrument.

Guest favorites among entertainment options were obvious: The Crew Show brought everyone to the Lounge to enjoy the skits, comedy, music and other talents of Star Legend’s waitstaff, bartenders and suite attendants. Trivia with Gary in Compass Rose also had plenty of guests gathering to test their knowledge—and vie for prizes—in categories like general knowledge, TV theme songs and Big Screen. (Two different groups, including mine, tied for TV theme songs for the win and each table received a cuddly Windstar 40th Anniversary teddy bear.)

The special event that had everyone oohing and aahing? Windstar’s Signature Galley Market Buffet, where guests can walk into the galley and move from station to station to fill their plate to enjoy in the Amphora dining room. Each station is beautifully arrayed with bowls and platters of cheeses, fruits, olives, breads and breadsticks, salads, meat and seafood entrées, and more sides than you can shake a ladle at, plus plenty of desserts.

The stations are swaddled in white linens and trimmed with fruits and veggies, some with flowers carved into them, others hanging in colorful clusters. A “cheeseboard” baked of bread dough showed off a braided border and the name, “Star Legend,” spelled out above a wine bottle and cones of breadsticks looked like rustic bouquets. It’s like a progressive party dinner as guests move through, choosing appetizers, entrées, sides and desserts from a smorgasbord of edible art.

Although there were fewer guests aboard for this winter sailing (something I loved about it), the ship brought the same level of quality, programming and attention to detail (and to guests)—basically the full-on Windstar Cruises experience, with full crew, access to all the specialty restaurants, including Cuadro 44 by Anthony Sasso, Candles and Star Grill, for the duration of the cruise, and the same fantastic lineup of shore excursions offered during busier times of the year.

The Winter Riviera has an itinerary with many outstanding tours, among them Monaco and Monte Carlo in Nice, Lucca and Pisa in Italy and Rapallo Pesto & Foodie Tour in Genoa that includes a hands-on pesto-making class. One of my favorite was the Tuscan Countryside, Montecarlo Di Lucca and Il Poggio Farmhouse with lunch included in Livorno. It was very “Under the Tuscan Sun” with stunning scenery, a gorgeous winery and lively conversation among strangers turned friends over lunch in the winery’s tasting room.

Traveling with Windstar at this time of year gave us not only the luxury of time to explore at our own pace, but the luxury of space: fewer people on board and fewer people at the museums and in the streets at the destinations we visited meant no lines, no waiting and no jostling elbows.

We packed coats and gloves and, while we lucked out with mostly mild weather throughout the trip, we did wear both while sightseeing. But I’ll take cooler climes over crowds any day, thank you very much. Grabbing our favorite table in the quiet Veranda—a dining space I love aboard Windstar ships—and lingering over a long, late lunch and having, even on a temporary basis, Picasso’s greatest works to myself for an hour, made it worth it.

PLAN YOUR TRAVELS

Windstar’s Winter Riviera, along with its Winter Escapes and Winter in the Mediterranean itineraries, offer departures in January, February and March at a time of year that is quieter, less crowded and, in my opinion, wholly more enjoyable to travel through this part of the world. It is a chance to slow down and really take your time exploring the museums, landmarks and architecture of Europe, not to mention the shops and cafés.

As Windstar Cruises marks its 40th anniversary in 2024/2025, the line welcomes two new ships to the fleet: Star Seeker, with voyages in the Caribbean, Alaska and Japan beginning in December of 2025, and Star Explorer, which sails the Mediterranean beginning in December of 2026. Both ships carry just 224 guests. Windstar also introduces new itineraries, including the Marvels of Latin America and Cruisetours to Alaska (aboard Star Seeker ) and French Polynesia. For more information, visit www.windstarcruises.com.