LUXURY CRUISING
T
he party was in full swing as the sultry night air caressed the Top of the Yacht bar. Ethereal moonlight reflected on the Mediterranean
Sea while, high above, stars arched across an inky black sky. It was a foretaste of yacht-style cruising and everyone was having a good time – or so I thought. The SeaDream experience is about as sociable as you can get, a private idyll for those who know how to enjoy themselves. A delightful couple from Cheshire invited me to join them and it was during our convivial conversation we witnessed a shameful display of unbecoming boorishness by two fellow shipmates. Somewhat embarrassed, my new- found friend Michael said sotto voce: “Our maxim when we were in business was ‘Never hire the guy who’s rude to the waiter’.” It soon became apparent the obnoxious Antipodeans at the other side of the bar were three sheets to the wind and copious libations were only exacerbating their jet-lag.
When the barflies eventually emerged the next day and sipped their preferred ‘hair of the dog,’ all traces of chutzpah and insolence had vanished. They were politeness itself to the obliging bar staff. How any passenger could fault the impeccable service on board SeaDream yachts is anathema to me. Indeed, service is embodied in the company’s DNA and the emollient professionalism of the crew is a yardstick of excellence. Life aboard these boutique bateaux is far removed from a floating resort staffed by unsmiling robots; it is an intimate milieu where the crew offers an unparalleled level of pampering. SeaDream II entered service as Sea Goddess II, one of a pair of identical sisters built in 1984 and 1985 by Wärtsilä in Helsinki. They instantly became prima donnas of the ocean waves, but, sadly, both made a resounding loss in their first season, no doubt due to the all-inclusive opulence. Just before the shipyard repossessed both 4,260-ton vessels, Cunard Line acquired the management contract and this shrewd move instantly gave the company the two highest-rated ships in the world. In 1998, the mega-yachts were
transferred to Seabourn Cruise Line, but, in 2001, this luxury operator ratified their
fleet, selling the idiosyncratic duo, and the new owners could not have boasted a better pedigree for recreating the ultra- luxury yacht-like experience. Atle Brynestad founded Seabourn in 1987 and was chairman when the company was venerated as the world’s most celebrated cruise line. Co-owner was none other than Larry Pimentel, president and CEO of Cunard and Seabourn from 1992 until 2001. Together, they created an onboard lifestyle concept best described as the pursuit of perfection. Pimentel went on to become president and CEO of Azamara Club Cruises in 2009 but his role at SeaDream was assumed by Bob Lepisto, who has been responsible for the launch and development of the company since 2001.
Since they first appeared on the horizon, both these paragons have broken the cruising genre. Far removed from the vagaries of crowded big-ship cruising, they combine the mobility and intimacy of a private yacht with a passenger-to-crew ratio that’s virtually one-to-one.
T
he craft were designed with a draft that enables them to put into islands barely charted, nose into exclusive marinas and insinuate themselves up riv- ers and into secret harbours where larger craft pass so blithely. Today, this is still the secret of their success. The Top of the Yacht Bar is the outdoor focal hub by day and by night. Forward of this area are single deck-loungers secreted between wind-breaks. Aft, Balinese
STATELY SUITES
There are four grades of accommodation. The 36 YACHT CLUB SUITES measure 195sq ft, with those on Deck 2 having two portholes while those on Decks 3 and 4 have a panoramic window. Bathrooms are compact with powerful multi-showers and come complete with Bulgari unguents. Each of the 16 COMMODORE CLUB SUITES span 380sq ft and boast a separate lounge and dining table. The delightful ADMIRAL SUITE is extremely well designed and is only slightly smaller than the 490sq ft OWNER’S SUITE – the sole suite with a full-size bath tub. All accommodation types are awash in blond wood, beige carpets and nautical fabrics. The beds are placed next to the windows so guests can entertain in the separate sitting area. There’s also a refrigerator stocked with soft drinks, plus a safe, flat-screen television, DVD player and iPod docking station.
Winter 2012-13 I WORLD OF CRUISING
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