My first sight of Hebridean Spirit was in 2001 on the River Thames in the Pool of London, moored alongside HMS Belfast, with the Tower of London and Tower Bridge providing a magnificent backdrop on that hot June evening.

A vessel of 4,200 tons built as a small luxury cruise ship in 1991, she was acquired by Hebridean Island Cruises in November 2000, converted by George Prior Engineering including fitting a new funnel, and has been completely refurbished. She sailed from London for her re-naming ceremony by HRH The Princess Royal at Leith, Scotland, which took place on 3rd July 2001.

I next saw Hebridean Spirit in Piraeus Harbour, Athens, in November 2001, when I joined her for a 7 night Corinthian Voyage from Athens to Corfu. After being greeted at Stansted Airport, the morning flight on the private chartered jet was very enjoyable and set the standard for the luxurious conditions to come. Every guest had a spare seat beside them, and the meal and wine were superb. Understandably, no silver cutlery was available as a result of the aftermath of the 11th September U.S. terrorist attacks.

As one of just 60 guests, we were all welcomed on board the ship by a Piper playing, offered a glass of whisky and shown to our rooms. The ship has 50 cabins and offers the luxury and homeliness of a warm country house welcome and convivial fellow guests. All bedrooms are individually furnished with great comfort and taste; my single Isle cabin on Hebridean Deck was a very spacious 22.4 square metres.

Fabulous food, visits to unusual places, and all excursions included in the price, ensure that this delightful small ship lives up to the company's goal of providing the very best cruise and the finest holiday in the most relaxing of surroundings.

We sailed from Piraeus as the sun was setting, with the Piper playing again, and immediately new friendships were made amongst the guests. After travelling some miles the ship anchored for the night, an interesting idea I found myself comparing with the Union-Castle Line Mailship voyages to South Africa that I had enjoyed in the past!

Early next morning the ship was on her way by 6 am to our first port of call, and that was the pace of life for the days to come: time at sea, breakfast and lunch available on the Mizzen deck as well as in the Restaurant, interesting conversations with fellow guests, daytime visits ashore with knowledgeable guides, wonderful dinners each evening in the Argyll Restaurant with the light sparkling off the crystal and silver, and well-stocked Bars to enjoy on board.

Visits to the Engine Room could be arranged and there was an Open Bridge policy on the ship, which was a great lure for many of us.

The ship is cash-free as guests are given a identity card to open cabin doors, and to pay for alcoholic drinks or goods in the Shop. All guests were provided with small cards to carry ashore for emergency use to contact the ship by telephone, with polite requests for help written in English and Greek!

Most guests met each evening in the Skye Lounge, with its stone fireplace, and others enjoyed the quieter atmosphere of the forward Panorama Lounge with its wonderful ceiling dome of stained glass designed in the 'compass rose' pattern. In daylight the sight of the sun shining through this glass dome was a memorable one.

The itinerary was well planned and when poor weather one day prevented the ship taking the route south of the Peloponnese, plans were immediately made to sail through the Corinth Canal instead and pick up the intended route. For most of the guests that 4 miles/6.3kms transit of the Corinth Canal came as an added bonus, despite the morning sun and chill of the air under the blue November sky.

Hebridean Spirit is a delightful small ship, on which the guests come first with all the Officers and Crew, the itineraries are well-planned and out of the ordinary, the ambience on board is almost tangible, and on which this guest in particular enjoyed some halcyon days at sea.

Ann Haynes 9th January 2002

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