SUPERYACHT LIFESTYLE


outdoor dining. The weather is balmy and we opt for eating outside, with the reflections from the swimming pool adding a nice touch to the décor. The menu is pan-Asian fusion, and I am proudly told the chef is ex-Nobu. We enjoy a taster menu of little plates, including spicy sushi, a creamy-lemon prawn and grilled tilapia. A specially chosen wine from the ship’s collection of 12,000 bottles is offered to us for each course by Marinela Ivanova, the sommelier and beverage manager.


Day 2: 9.00 There are so many fruits and sweet treats left in the cabins for


us so we skip a formal sit-down breakfast. In-residence dining is also available for those who prefer a hearty breakfast in bed or on their private balcony.


10.00 The spa manager shows me round the wellness centre on


board The World. Alongside various treatment rooms and salons, there are saunas and hammams and a hydrotherapy pool. Next door a gym is in use, and I meet one of the personal trainers who takes the daily classes, which include pilates, yoga and aerobics. The personal trainers have a second enviable job, which is escorting residents on the shore-side hikes and trails.


11.30


The sun is blazing and the pool beckons. Only about a fifth of the deckchairs are occupied, and we easily find a quiet spot to occupy. A lazy couple of hours spent swimming and reading pass all too quickly.


13.30


Lunch is all of ten metres away, at the pool-side grill. The menu is relaxed and informal, and it’s the busiest I ever see the ship. By the end of service, all the tables are full, and there has been much rearranging as friends bump into friends already seated and asked for their tables joined, or sit down for a catch up before moving onto their favourite tables. Lunch consists of a hearty blue crab sandwich in a brioche bun, and a cocktail recommended to me by one of the waiters. Others around me enjoy The World burger and all sorts of salads and lighter dishes, washed down for the majority with a cocktail.


14.30 Cocktails still in hand, we wander back to our deckchairs. We


make our way up towards the bow, to the raised exercise deck above the pool. Furthest forward is a large observation area with cushioned seats, ideal for watching coastlines and wildlife when under way. Just aft is a full-size tennis court, the only one of its kind at sea. We spend a good hour enjoying a game of tennis, with a large array of rackets and balls available for communal use. Halfway through our game, a resident pops up with three tennis balls that she brought back from California and swears are the best. She asks us if we wouldn’t mind putting them in the communal box with the others when we are done, another example of the familial atmosphere on board.


17.00 A trip to the DVD library proves distracting. A large library and


study area sits above the main lobby. As well as a fully stocked collection of guide books, there is a regularly updated shelf of New York Times bestsellers and plenty of classic reading material, as well as latest issues of magazines and newspapers.


“ The residents treat the ship as HOME and fellow residents as FAMILY”


Top: The stern folds out to create a watersports platform, and opens up the indoor swimming pool and Marina Restaurant. Left: East restaurant has a pan-Asian fusion theme. Below: Private balconies adjoin all the apartments.


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