By Gale Wilder

I recently experienced a luxurious cruise on one of Seabourn Cruise’s 204 passenger ships.

My mother and I took a 10-day cruise through the Mediterranean Isles and Byzantium, starting from Civitavecchia, Italy, and ending in Istanbul, Turkey. We were picked up by motor coach at the Hotel Excelsior in Rome, after spending two days as tourists and enjoying the Borghese Gardens and the beautifully renovated Gallery.

We had a special tour of the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museum booked prior to leaving.

On the third day we were shuttled to the port, where we were welcomed personally by name and escorted to our beautiful and spacious 277-square-foot suite.

All suites of this type include a living area; a bedroom with one queen or two twin beds, a dressing table and a walk-in closet; and a bathroom with double sinks, a tub and a shower.

A television set, a VCR and a bar with liquor and soft drinks are provided at no extra cost. All cabins have large picture windows, and Seabourn plans to have French balconies put on its ships by the end of the year.

The company has a no-tipping policy, which is strictly upheld. I used all the services aboard, from room service to the spa.

Every excursion we went on had excellent and knowledgeable tour professionals, and the group was limited to 10-l5 people.

This is important, as it enabled us to hear our guide, especially in popular tourist areas.

We tried all the restaurants and also ate in our cabin. The menu always had a spa suggestion for lunch. The dining room had open seating, which we liked. We met interesting, well-educated people from all over the world, many of them repeat passengers.

During the day, the atmosphere aboard was casual. The ship had a marina, which was extended when it anchored. They then brought out the water toys - the banana boat, paddle boats and sailboat. They even had water skiing.

A buffet lunch was served at the marina, complete with tables and chairs for those who just wanted to relax and watch the water show.

Having experienced firsthand the quality and luxury of the cruise, I would rate Seabourn among the world’s top three cruise lines.

Gale Wilder is a travel consultant with All Horizons Rancho Travel in the Rancho Shopping Center in Los Altos. For more information, call 941-5810.