All Decked Out

Think traveling with a tween means sacrificing on luxury? On a Mediterranean voyage, Jacqui Gifford finds the sweet spot for her son—and herself.

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GUIDO PORRATI HAD the swagger of a politician, greeting his customers with megawatt charm. “Ciao!” he shouted as he waved goodbye to a nonna who had just left ParlaComeMangi, his artisanal deli in Rapallo, on the Ligurian coast of Italy, with a bag full of groceries. There was much to choose from: local wines, tins of anchovies, farm-fresh eggs, and buffalo mozzarella.

But our small group, an international crowd traveling aboard the 461-suite Explora II, was there for the pesto. Porrati, who moonlights as a chef, was taking us through a cooking demo in the courtyard outside his store under the bluebird sky. Porrati and his team served us focaccia, a 45-day-aged salami, and a light local white as he explained the proper way to make Liguria’s renowned sauce. “Americans add too much garlic,” he said. “I only go with half a clove.”

Once a large bunch of basil, pine nuts, Parmesan and pecorino, olive oil, and a pinch of salt all made it into the mix, everyone went in for a taste—and we all agreed that Porrati’s recipe did have the perfect amount of garlic. Then, with our host leading the way, we did a drive-by of Rapallo’s small businesses, including a spectacular produce market, a specialty pasta shop, and an old-school gelateria, where espresso and ice cream were the perfect pick-me-up before the ride back to the ship.