IN THE WAKE OF BALLIN
In 1891, Hapag director ALBERT BALLIN discovered a market niche in ocean shipping with an innovative idea.
His vision was to enable people to travel the oceans for mere pleasure. Today, Europa’s
year-round itineraries read like chapters from an atlas of the imagination.
This is a ship that sails to ports not just off the beaten track, but to the edges of the beaten map. This ship charts a truly creative course, one with more than a scintilla of imagination and exploration.
come in five different configurations and 10 price categories. There are 36 outside suites, 152 outside suites with veranda, four Spa Suites with veranda, 10 Penthouse Deluxe Suites and two Penthouse Grand Suites, all with verandas. I found my category 4 veranda suite echoing the
all-pervading grand hotel ambiance. At 352sq ft, these are larger than veranda suites aboard Seabourn’s latest trio and the newest addition to the Silversea fleet, and this is immediately evident. The layout is not as rectangular and, as such,
evokes a squarer design – in keeping with a luxury hotel room. The teak verandas are also deeper than is the norm, with plenty of space for two full-length sun-loungers. There’s a walk-in wardrobe and ample storage space.
B 60 WORLD OF CRUISING I Spring 2011
ird’s-eye maple wood cabinetry adorned with fresh orchids conceals a mini-bar and writing desk with keyboard for Internet
access. Flatscreen TVs allow 24-hour on-demand video and audio. The well-designed marble bathrooms all have a full-size bathtub and separate glass-fronted shower with generous, own-label unguents. The towels are of the finest quality and the Irish-linen cloths are again redolent of a European hotel of distinction. The Ocean Spa on Deck 7 eschews some of the more esoteric diversions that are now a feature of recent spas, for this Asian-themed part of the ship takes itself seriously. There are plethora thalassotherapy treatments – a 30-minute thalasebain treatment costs €30; alter-
natively, an hour-long Hawaiian lomi-lomi massage is a relaxing €120; and a gents ocean mask facial that lasts a soothing 75 minutes is a treat at €90. There’s also a steam room, sauna and fitness room with a comprehensive array of apparatus. A golf simulator is on Deck 9, complete with
golf-pro. There are two shuffleboard courts and, hidden away atop the vessel on Deck 11 – a nudist sunbathing area. The long lap-pool is half under a glass-retracting roof and half open to sunshine. This area, cover- ing the entire width of the vessel has traditional sun-loungers. At the forward end of the pool is a bar and grill, where delicious hot waffles with whipped cream are served between 3 and 5pm. Afternoon tea is served in the delightful Club Belvedere forward on Deck 8. This is also the venue
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