elegant accents -- sail away in a yacht

8/4/2019 Elegant Accents -- Sail Away in a Yacht

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You don’t have to be Donald Trump to experience the pleas-ures of a yachting holiday. If you prefer the intimacy of asingle-seating dining room, the quiet of a ship with few or

no children, the pleasures of exploring exotic ports that cannotaccommodate big cruise ships, then consider booking a cruiseon a small ship.

While 2010 is the debut year of two new megaships —Norwegian’s Epic and Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas (sisterto Oasis of the Seas) — seasoned, affluent cruisers often prefer thesmall ships, many resembling private yachts. These have a strong

appeal to adults who want a sophisticated, luxurious, service-oriented cruise holiday.

The big ships carry thousands of passengers and resemblefloating resorts; with activities like climbing walls and zip-lineexperiences, they have become destinations in themselves. In con-trast, the small ships cater to passengers who are more interestedin a high level of service, superior food, less-traveled destinations,and unique enrichment experiences onboard and at sea.

A prime example of the new generation of small luxury shipsis Ponant’s Le Boréal, designed by Jean-Phillipe Nuel and built atItaly’s Fincantieri shipyard. New to the North American market,Ponant (www.ponant.com) is the world’s only French-flaggedcruise line, with three small vessels that sail the world. (In April

Sail Away In...A Yacht Lillian Africano

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For dedicated sunbathers, the Paul Gauguin's expansive pool deck is the perfect spot.

Ponant's Le Boréal is a prime example of the new generation of small luxury

ships known as mega-yachts.



2011, Ponant will launch L’Austral, a second new mega yacht,the sister ship to Le Boréal.)

Le Boréal, the newest of Ponant’s five yachts, has just 132 state-rooms and suites, ranging from 200 to 484 square feet; 95 percenthave private balconies. The staff-to-guest ratio, similar to that onother small ships, is one to two—which makes for the kind of serv-ice that simply isn’t possible on big ships. The décor tends to light,neutral colors accented with splashes of red. The effect: PhilippeStarck/the Morgan hotel. Staterooms have satellite flat-screen TVs;international direct-dial phones; wireless Internet access; writing

desks; mini-bars and plush robes. Some bathrooms have bathtubsin addition to showers. Three passenger elevators, numerous rampsand stair lifts accommodate disabled passengers.

All the small ships have a single seating dining room. Thoughthese vessels don’t generally have the space to offer multipledining venues, they all have at least one option for alternative din-ing. Le Boréal’s main restaurant serves French and internationalcuisine, often tied to the destination. Buffet-style breakfast andlunch are served at the casual indoor-outdoor Grill restaurant; atlunch the executive chef prepares a specialty dish. As is the caseon all the luxury small ships, complimentary wine, beer and softdrinks are offered.

On Le Boréal, bar service is available on the sundeck; whenweather permits, various meats and fish are prepared on the grill

near the bar. As is the case on the best small ships, the food isimaginative and served with care; there is never a sense of eatingsomething mass-produced.

While the big ships feature Vegas-style revues, entertainmenton the small vessels is in a lower key. Le Boréal, for example,does have a theater for lectures and shows, as well as Le Club fordancing and late-night mingling. A small library is stocked withnewer books and is located in lounge with panoramic views andInternet access. Other ships showcase their chefs or featureextensive enrichment programs onboard.

Though space may be limited, small luxury ships do notneglect passenger pampering. On Le Boréal, the Carita spa offersa variety of facials, body treatments, and massage therapies

for men and women. The spa complex includes a fitness centerwith steam rooms and a Turkish bath, as well as a salon for hairand nail services.

Boarding a huge ship with thousands of passengers canresemble controlled chaos; boarding a small ship is a gracious

process where the “luxury” component of the cruise is reflectedin a welcome at the dock, an escort onboard and a personalgreeting by the captain.

Le Boréal’s charming and knowledgeable Captain EtienneGarcia is so popular that repeat passengers book cruises on what-ever vessel he is serving. As is the case on most luxury vessels, theinternational crew members speak English; many are multi-lingual.

Once underway, the ship’s state-of-the-art propulsion systemprovides an exceptionally smooth, quiet and comfortable cruise,with little vibration or engine noise. Le Boréal has earned theinternational “green ship” designation for her numerous eco-friendly features.

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Le Boréal has just 132 elegant staterooms and suites; almost all have private balconies.

The ship's striking reception area is where passengers board and are

personally welcomed by smartly uniformed staff.



As there are no special facilities or programs for children(these can be added during periods when families tend to travelwith children), Le Boréal should appeal to adults who prefer aquieter cruise experience, as well as those who enjoy luxury in arelaxed setting, without pomp or dress codes. At a gala dinner, forexample, passengers will wear anything from couture gowns to

jeans (probably designer jeans).Like several other small ships, Le Boréal travels the world,

even sailing expedition-style cruises to Antarctica. (Aft of the mainrestaurant is a marina, from which her Zodiacs are launched.)

For those who love the romance of the old-time sailing ships,

Windstar’s (www.windstarcruises.com) three yachts – Wind Surf,Wind Star, and Wind Spirit – with their teak decks and toweringsails, provide a sense of that experience, but in an atmosphere of luxury and with modern amenities. While the old-time shipsdepended on wind and current, Windstar’s motorized vessels,which carry between 148 and 312 passengers, are able to sail to100 ports in Europe, the Americas, and the Caribbean.

Though five-star dining with fine wines is part of every day, andpersonal pampering is routine, no one ever has to put on a gown ortuxedo, as Windstar cruises are laid back and unpretentious.

Onboard enrichment may include lectures and seminars by well-known authors, chefs, and wine experts.

At the vessels’ various destinations, passengers enjoy aninteresting mix of shore excursions and complimentary watersports activities. They may explore archaeological ruins in Greeceor go windsurfing from the ships’ water sports platform.

A leader in small-ship luxury cruising, Seabourn(www.seabourn.com ) is known not only for fine cuisine, superbservice, and off-the-beaten path itineraries, but also for uniquepassenger experiences like hot air ballooning over Cappadocia inTurkey and romantic evenings for two in Paris. Seabourn’s small

ships consistently rank high on “best” lists and in the BerlitzGuides, written by Douglas Ward, the preeminent authority oncruising and cruise ships.

The ships – Sojourn, Odyssey and Quest (2011) carry 450passengers; the Pride, Spirit and Legend carry 208. The ships sailto Arabia, Asia, South and Central America, the Caribbean, SouthPacific, Africa, and India.

On the smaller Seabourn vessels, there are 95 crew to 112guests – which makes for five-star service on every cruise.

The newer, bigger ships – Odyssey and Sojourn – featuresuperb alternative dining along with excellent service. Typically,passengers are greeted by name after a short time onboard. While

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A Windstar ship docked at Monte Carlo at night creates a magical and romantic scene.



all three meals are served in the ships’ traditional restaurants, it’salso possible to dine in one of the outside venues – or in your ownsuite, with course-by-course service on white linen and fine china.

Celebrity Chef Charlie Palmer’s superb culinary talents arereflected in the Seabourn menus. Passengers enjoy programs likeShopping with the Chefs in ports around the world – and learningfrom the masters of Chef’s Circle, when guest chefs from well-known restaurants share culinary secrets.

Silversea Cruises (www.silversea.com) is synonomous withhigh luxury, with an Italian flair. The fleet is comprised of SilverWind, Silver Cloud, Silver Shadow, Silver Whisper, Silver Spirit andone 132-guest luxurious expedition ship, Prince Albert II. The fleetsails worldwide, while Prince Albert II explores the polar regions.

Their cabins and marble bathrooms are spacious and sump-tuous. The newest ship, the 36,000-ton Silver Spirit is the largest;it carries 540 passengers; the added space means the ship has atotal of six restaurants. A key element of Silversea luxury is thefood, which may be the best at sea. Good Champagne flowsfreely and is part of a generous all-inclusive policy that not onlycovers alcoholic beverages, but also gratuities.

Entertainment on Silversea includes plenty of enrichment:lectures and demonstrations by top authors, chefs, historians, andso on. Service is impeccable and formal, reflecting the somewhatformal atmosphere on the ships.

For those who are attracted by the allure of the South Pacific,famously celebrated by Paul Gauguin’s paintings and later byMarlon Brando, who bought Tetiaroa Atoll in French Polynesiawhile filming “Mutiny on the Bounty,” the 320-passenger MS PaulGauguin (www.pgcruises.com) is the longest continually sailingluxury vessel in those waters.

Built in 1998 and designed specifically to sail the shallowwaters of Tahiti and French Polynesia (and to visit small ports thatlarger vessels can’t reach), the ship underwent a multimillion-dollarenhancement in 2009, with upgrades to the staterooms, publicareas and restaurants.

Owned by Pacific Beachcomber S.C. the Paul Gauguin hasa year-round schedule, with 42 itineraries in 2011, including theCook and Society Islands, the Marquesas and Tuamotus. Tahiti,

French Polynesia and the South Pacific.SeaDream (www.seadreamyachtclub.com) yachting is trulyan intimate, personalized experience. The yachts – SeaDream Iand SeaDream II – each carry between 94 and 112 guests basedon double occupancy of the 54 Yacht Club staterooms, an AdmiralSuite and the Owner’s Suite.

Each of the yachts has a large retractable water sports marina,which allows guests to play with the latest water toys: kayaks, waverunners, a banana boat, tubes, a Zodiac and more. As you mightexpect, the atmosphere aboard SeaDream is as relaxed as it wouldbe aboard a personal yacht. And the amenities and service are alsoof the standard you’d expect on your own yacht: your ownonboard stationary, Bulgari products, multi-jet showers, luxurylinens, a personal refreshment bar, a spa, of course, fitness center,mountain bikes, dataports for your email, and a laptop on request,

should you need it.And finally, in any discussion of small luxury ships, it’s

necessary to include Hapag Lloyd’s 450-passenger MS Europa(www.hl-cruises.com), which has, for years, won industry-wideaccolades, and which for the 11th consecutive year, was awardedfive stars in Douglas Ward’s “Complete Guide to Cruising &Cruise Ships. The Europa, which was fully reviewed in a previousissue of Elegant Accents, edged out the 269 other vessels thatwere rated by Ward.

All of the luxury ships mentioned here are special; no twoare exactly alike. To find a ship and a cruise with a “personality” tomatch your own, consult a good travel agent.

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RECIPE BY WINDSTAR EXECUTIVE CHEF CONCEPCION ZOCIMO

Seared Ahi Tuna Steak With Asian VegetablesIn A Spicy Ponzu Sauce

Serves 10

INGREDIENTS10 pieces fresh Ahi Tuna Steaks, 5 ounces each

15 heads of baby bok choy3 bunches of green onion scallions2 pounds shitake mushroom caps10 ounces soy sauce5 ounces rice wine vinegar5 ounces lemon juice3 tablespoons of garlic3 tablespoons tomatoes2 cups wonton skins

FOR THE PONZU SAUCEBlanch the garlic 3 times and slice. Dice tomatoes. Then, in abowl, mix the garlic and tomatoes with soy sauce, rice winevinegar and lemon juice.

PREPARATIONBlanch baby bok choy and green onion scallions. Sauté theshitake mushroom caps.

Julienne the wonton skins and fry until crispy. Sear the AhiTuna rate or to desired temperature.

TO SERVEPlace the hot vegetables in the center of a large plate. Lay theseared Ahi Tuna onto the vegetables. Spoon the ponzu sauce overthe Ahi Tuna and vegetables. Garnish with crispy wonton strips.

Windstar executive chef Zomi Concepcion cooks every dish to order,

wowing guests with everything from Sevruga caviar with mini wild rice

pancakes (blinis), asparagus and crème fraîche to seared Ahi tuna to

warm chocolate soufflé.

elegant accents -- sail away in a yacht

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