THE SKY’S THE LIMIT
Noble Caledonia has chartered the Island Sky for the last six years but decided to buy it from its owners this year. The ship was built in 1992 and is cosy and charming, but it had started to look a little tired. So, at the end of its voyage in May, it is due for a major refi t.
All its authentic details – brass
fi xtures and wood panelling – will stay but all the soft furnishings and carpets will be replaced along with the bathrooms. No more shower curtains and lots of contemporary fi ttings instead!
The extremely generous sizes of the suites will remain – all will retain a sitting room, bedroom and en-suite bathroom.
Most vessels of this size would carry many more than the Island Sky’s full complement of 116 passengers. The large wardrobes, vanity tables with large mirrors and substantial storage will be retained, as will little extras like towelling dressing gowns, slippers and bottled water at your bedside.
All the public areas will get a complete makeover, too. There will be new furniture in the main lounge, library and bar as well as on deck, while the dining room will have a new colour scheme and lighting. As on-board lectures are such a feature, a new AV system will be installed in the main lounge, improving both sound and vision. Internet connections will improve with a new satellite dish and passengers will be able to have in-cabin Wi-Fi.
The television system is to be upgraded, too, so passengers can watch lounge presentations in their own cabins and also access more fi lms and TV stations.
Many of the improvements came as a result of passengers’ own suggestions. And, as well as the renovations, there will be other changes such as the inclusion of wine, beer and soft drinks with meals, and all gratuities for the crew and on shore excursions. The designers are under strict instructions, however, not to allow the modernisation to detract from Island Sky’s intrinsic charms, retaining the original atmosphere of this small, elegant vessel.
Sheik Zayed mosque, Abu Dhabi.
“NOTHING PREPARED ME for the MOSQUE’S BEAUTY when we stepped inside; it was like an ART NOUVEAU FANTASY”
Dhofar is one of the few places where the frankincense tree grows, the foundation of southern Arabia’s wealth in the ancient world and the hub of trade in this pre- cious commodity as long ago as 5,000BC. This was the incense that the Queen of Sheba brought as a gift to Solomon and this historical wealth and trade was, liter- ally, fabulous – the stuff of those Arabian Nights.
After a few days exploring Oman, I boarded Noble Caledonia’s Island Sky, a small, rather elegant vessel with a decid- edly academic turn of mind.
38 WORLD OF CRUISING 8 WORLD OF CR RUIS D OF CRUISING I Summer 2010 Summ mer 20 010
Excursions are to forts and pala- ces, museums and mosques. Instead of modern malls, the main shopping opportunities are to traditional souks. Instead of cabarets, there are lectu- rers, one of whom is likely to be
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